can you handle the truth?

Lana Lee has a day job managing her family’s noodle restaurant in Asia Village in Cleveland. She has a second job solving crimes that happen around Asia Village. And now she’s taking on a third job, although just for one day. Her favorite author is coming to Asia Village’s bookstore, and Lana has been asked to be the author’s handler for the signing.

Lana is a big fan of mystery writer Charlene Chan, and loved her latest novel, The Mystery of General Tso. So when bookstore owner Cindy Kwan invited the author for a signing at her bookstore, she asked Lana to help out with the signing. It would be Lana’s job that day to keep an eye on the author, making sure the fans don’t overwhelm her and keeping the readers moving quickly through the signing.

When Lana had read the new book, she had been intrigued by the story about an author who was found dead at their own book signing, clutching their book in the mystery aisle of a bookstore. There had been a mysterious hooded figure at the signing, and after the author’s death, a storage unit had been found in their name. When the police go to check on the storage unit, it’s empty except for a single copy of the book.

So when author Charlene disappeared at the book signing, Lana had a bad feeling. But when she found Charlene on the floor of the bookstore, in the mystery aisle, clutching a copy of her book, Lana knew that things were really wrong. Charlene was dead, just like the author in her book. There had been a hooded figure at the store that day, and the police do find a storage unit. Then Lana finds herself in the most surprising situation she’d met so far—her police detective boyfriend asked for her help with the case.

Lana agrees, of course. She really liked Charlene and wants to see her murderer come to justice. But having read the book, she knows just how much danger she is putting herself into if she does agree to investigate. But as the person who was closest to her the day of her death, Lana knows that she is in the best position to find the killer. She just has to make sure she finds the killer before the killer finds her.

Crime Rangoon is book 12 in Vivien Chien’s popular Noodle Shop mystery series. These books, set around Asia Village and those who work there, feature likeable characters, smart plots, plenty of red herrings, a hot police detective boyfriend, lots of friends and family, and an adorable pug. These light-hearted mysteries bring the family drama and the love along with the mysteries. Lana and the gang at Ho-Lee Noodle Shop cook up delicious meals along with killer investigations.

I really enjoyed the plot of Crime Rangoon. The idea of a murder following the plot of a mystery novel was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed seeing how Lana put the pieces together. I have been a longtime fan of Vivien Chien and her cast of characters in these novels, and this book did not disappoint. And while I did love the way so much of this story happens in the bookstore, I look forward to spending more time at the restaurant and hearing more about the delicious foods there.

Egalleys for Crime Rangoon were provided by Minotaur Books through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.