Lana Lee is looking forward to a speed dating event. She’s not looking for a date herself. as she still has Adam (aka Detective Hottie) in her life. But it’s being held in Ho-Lee Noodle House, her family’s Chinese restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio. Lana is the manager there, and she and her friend Megan set up the speed dating event to try to bring in some extra business. Lana’s parents were skeptical, but when Lana went to open the doors, she was pleasantly surprised to find a bunch of people waiting to get in.
Along with the new customers was Rina, a friend of Lana’s and a woman who fairly recently moved from New York City. She opened a shop selling make-up, which Lana and her friends frequent. And at the speed dating event, she found someone that she really liked. Lana had some misgivings about Oliver when Rina introduced them—Lana got some creepy vibes from him—but Rina seemed really happy with him, even after an ex-girlfriend confronted him right in front of everyone.
And Lana was happy. The event had been a success, and that was good for the restaurant. And after the event, Adam was waiting with pizza and wings, making for the perfect evening. But a few hours later, when Adam got a call for him to go to a crime scene, Lana finds out that Oliver had been killed, and Rina had been at his apartment when it happened.
Lana immediately wants to find Rina and make sure that she’s okay and to start investigating to find out what really happened. but Rina doesn’t want to talk to Lana. Lana starts to wonder if her friend is keeping secrets from her, especially when Megan goes online and uncovers the fact that Oliver was wealthy and one of Cleveland’s most eligible bachelors.
Megan and Lana wonder why Oliver had been there in the first place, and when Megan sees that he announced where he would be the night of the speed dating event on his social media, they wonder if that’s why so many women showed up to the event that night. Could Rina have known in advance who he was and gone there looking especially for him? Could she have somehow been involved in his murder? And with Adam named the detective in charge of the investigation, any snooping Lana does to try to find out the truth could get them both in trouble.
Meanwhile, the family drama is high, as a newspaper article shows Lana’s sister Anna May’s lawyer boyfriend is married. She says that his marriage was over before she even met him, but once the Mahjong Matrons find out about the predicament, Lana and Anna May have to do some damage control to keep the information from becoming top gossip throughout their small Asian community.
Lana has a lot to juggle—a friend suspected of murder, a sister accused of dating a married man, a boyfriend who is investigating the same murder she is, a busy family restaurant to manage, and an adorable dog named Kikko who needs a lot of attention. And she has to catch a killer before the killer sets Lana in their sights.
Hot and Sour Suspects is book 8 in the charming Noodle Shop Mysteries. Author Vivien Chien brings Cleveland to life in these fun mysteries about Lana Lee and her friends and family. Getting a glimpse into how Lana blends her Asian heritage and Midwestern culture is fascinating, and getting to know her and her strong sense of justice is just a pleasure.
I have been a big fan of Lana Lee for years, and I am always on board to enjoy another one. I liked the speed dating angle to Hot and Sour Suspects, but I think I liked the story line about her sister’s dating issues just as much. It was nice to see a different side of the sisters’ relationship, and I thought it added depth to the story. While these mysteries have always felt incredibly readable to me, I think that as I spend more time with Lana and her families, I’m seeing more layers to the plotting and emotional texture of these books, and I am all for that. Hot and Sour Suspects isn’t just a lovely Chinese meal at your favorite restaurant. This is like a buffet.
Egalleys for Hot and Sour Suspects were provided by St. Martin’s Paperbacks through NetGalley, with many thanks.
