ARC Review: Misfortune Cookie by Vivien Chen

Misfortune Cookie
Author: Vivien Chen
Series: A Noodle Shop Mystery (Book 9)
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (June 27, 2023)

Description: They say fortune favors the bold, and Lana Lee is determined to prove that true.

Lana, now officially manager of her family’s restaurant, the Ho-Lee Noodle House, is headed to sunny Irvine, California to attend a restaurant convention with her sister, Anna May, along for the ride. The girls’ very Americanized Aunt Grace has asked them to stay in her posh rental, and as the trip begins, it seems to be just what they both needed. Even the restaurant convention proves to be worthwhile and entertaining, especially when Lana witnesses a dramatic cat fight between a fortune cookie vendor and a journalist.

Lana and Anna May can’t imagine things getting any better until they learn their aunt has yet another surprise in store for them―a swanky cocktail party hosted for the freelancers of Southern California. But on the night of the party, things go south when a close journalist friend of Grace’s mysteriously plunges from the roof top of the hotel. Even more suspicious is the fact that Aunt Grace’s friend is the same journalist Lana saw getting into a screaming match with the fortune cookie vendor at the convention.

The police rule the death a gruesome accident, but Aunt Grace refuses to accept that explanation and begs Lana for her help uncovering the truth. Lana, Anna May, Aunt Grace attempt to keep up appearances as they search for answers, but unwanted attention from suspicious colleagues and convention attendees starts to surface, causing Lana to wonder if they’ll find the killer in time…or if they’ll be the next ones pushed over the edge.

My Thoughts: This is the ninth Noodle Shop Mystery and the first one I have read. This story finds Lana Lee and her sister Anna May visiting Irvine, California, for a restaurant convention. Their Aunt Grace lives in LA and invites the girls to stay in one of her rental condos and let her show them around. 

The first day at the convention, Lana witnesses an argument between a reviewer and fortune cookie vender. Lana is curious but goes on with her day. During the evening at a cocktail party, things go wrong when someone falls from the roof. Lana is surprised to learn that the woman who fell was a good friend of Aunt Grace and also the woman she had seen arguing earlier in the day.

Lana puts her detecting skills to her aunt's disposal as they try to find out who murdered Nora Blackwell. They uncover a lot of secrets leading Aunt Grace to feel that she never knew her friend at all. 

I enjoyed getting to know Lana and also enjoyed the hints at her earlier cases. She was smart, determined, and stubborn. I liked her relationship with her "perfect" older sister Anna May. I liked that she didn't know what she wanted to be until she was a bit older and liked how she discovered that detecting was a skill she had to use. 

Moving Lana and Anna May to a new environment meant that she was without her usual support network which includes her police officer boyfriend - the one she promised to stay out of dangerous situations. It also slimmed down the cast of characters which was a blessing for someone coming new to the series. 

I enjoyed this story. The mystery was well-developed, and I enjoyed the cast of characters.

Favorite Quote:

My eyes narrowed. Another thing that pushed my buttons besides being told what not to do was when people challenged my abilities. Or -- while we're at it -- told me things were out of my league. Nothing was out of my league. Anna May seemed to be the queen of pushing my buttons. ... She should know by now that proving people wrong was my specialty. Maybe that was why I excelled at solving these cases. At times, stubbornness could be a beneficial quality.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.