KILLER KUNG PAO by Vivien Chien

It was supposed to be a relaxing break from managing her family’s restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House. Lana Lee is at Asian Accents for a bit of pampering as she has a new grey color she wants to try for her hair. Unfortunately, someone else has something more sinister in mind and now there’s a murder to be solved. Lana has suspects aplenty, including some of her friends and even her stylist Jasmine Ming and Jasmine’s grandmother. But who really killed Millie Mao and why?

KILLER KUNG PAO is the sixth installment in the Noodle Shop Mystery series but can easily be enjoyed by new readers to the series. I had no trouble jumping right in and enjoying the characters and their interactions The Asia Village has so many great stores that I definitely look forward to future visits as Lana browses the various stores. And oh, some of the food sounds so delicious that I wish I could reach into the book and grab a bite!

I love the family camaraderie and sense of community that Vivien Chien develops in KILLER KUNG PAO. Lana’s interactions with her sister are hilarious but it’s the Mahjong Matrons whom I absolutely adore! I want to spend more time with them and dig into the obviously killer gossip and intrigue that permeates their games.

KILLER KUNG PAO is a fun and engaging cozy mystery! The dialogue between the characters is light and fluffy, despite the serious nature of the murder, and you can’t help but fall in love with Lana and her inquisitive nature. Vivien Chien does a marvelous job at drawing the reader into the story line as I thoroughly enjoyed KILLER KUNG PAO and can’t wait to get to know Lana even better when I dig into the earlier books. If you love cozy mysteries, give KILLER KUNG PAO a try as it’s an absolutely delicious read!

Vivien Chen's Lana Lee returns for Killer Kung Pao, another delectable cozy set in a Chinese restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio!

Is life at the Ho-Lee Noodle House becoming too hot to handle?

Lana Lee’s plate is already plenty full. Running her family’s Chinese restaurant in Cleveland’s Asia Village is challenging on the best of days. But just when Lana thinks she might be able to catch her breath before the weekend--which she’s eager to spend with her equally overworked boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau--Lana witnesses a car accident in the parking lot. And now she has no choice but to get involved.

June Yi, of Yi’s Tea and Bakery, is a serious businesswoman well-known for her heartlessness. But June meets her match when she rear-ends the Cadillac belonging to Mah Jong lover Mildred “Millie” Mao. As each woman curses--and threatens--the other, it becomes clear to Lana that trouble lies ahead. Still, who could have imagined that Millie would end up dead at the beauty salon? The evidence suggests that she was electrocuted while having a foot bath, and all eyes are on June. Can Lana find a way to solve this case before another fatality occurs in Asia Village?