I love this series, you can like me, read them out of order if you like. Humor, Chinese food that I love, Chinese culture, and family are great recipes for the whole series.

Lana's romantic interest, Adam, is there, wanting to protect her from the constant string of troubles that she lands in. Anne Marie, her sister is in a mess which just gets worse. Lana's new friend, Rina tries to put distance between them. Rina finds a murder victim, Gavin, who is hated at work and by former girlfriends.

I love that one of the murder suspects is trying and failing to cope with her noisy upstairs neighbor, she cannot sleep with Gavin's loud music. I have been living in an apartment and experienced horrible noise from upstairs. Would that be enough to murder someone?

Lana is an extreme risk taker but you cannot tell her not to do anything! Now I am going to pick out the next book to read in this series! ( )

I was so sad to read the author's note at the end of the book, I wish Vivien all the best in her newest fight against cancer.

This was a fun, cozy mystery. I have the rest of the series on my bookshelf but have not read them yet (I have two hobbies, buying books and reading books and they don't always align). I love that Lana knows that her sleuthing might be offensive to her policeman boyfriend but keeps sleuthing anyways. I also love that it is more of a team sleuthing situation and Lana doesn't try to do everything herself.

Really hoping there will be more books in the series. ( )

Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chien is the 8th A Noodle Shop Mystery. It can easily be read as a standalone as the author provides all the needed background information on our main characters as well as what has happened in past A Noodle Shop Mysteries. I found Hot and Sour Suspects easy to read with developed characters. We get to learn more about Lana’s sister, Anna May and her romantic relationship in this book. The mystery was okay. I found it drawn out. It took a while for Lana, Megan, and Kimmy to question all the suspects. There was a great deal of repetition and Lana thinking about the case. Lana would then speak to someone about the investigation which led to repeating what she knew (again). I had to skim to get through Hot and Sour Suspects. There was eating, chatting, walking the dog, time with boyfriend, more chatting and thinking, Lana and her pooch out for another walk, and you get the picture. This was not my favorite A Noodle Shop Mystery. The story seemed to drag (lack of action). There was drama and suspense at the end that wrapped up the case. After reading the note from the author, I can understand why the book seems a little more lowkey. I enjoyed the author’s descriptions of the area (Fairview and Cleveland). Those from that area will recognize places mentioned in the book. Hot and Sour Suspects is a baffling brainteaser with nummy noodles, a speed dating scene, a dead date, secret sleuthing, suspicious suspects, and a crazed killer. ( )

amateur-sleuth, Chinese-culture, Chinese-customs, Cleveland, cozy-mystery, family-business, family-dynamics, friendship, law-enforcement, lawyers, murder, murder-investigation, restaurant, suspense, suspicion, situational-humor, verbal-humor*****

Nothing like having TTS read a very good Cleveland cozy mystery to me while I watch a Cleveland grandson on my laptop as he and the team are at a hockey tournament out of town while Cleveland gets a pile of snow dumped on it!
I really like the sisters, their friends, and even The Matrons. Lana still has her police detective boyfriend, but she talks the family into hosting a speed dating night at the restaurant to bolster the slumping receipts. Who knew that her good friend would go home with a guy and end up Chief Suspect in his murder? Said friend is acting strange and making the Friend Sleuthing more than a little difficult. Then things get dangerous.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Paperbacks via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

This is the eighth book in the series, but I slipped into the world with ease and thoroughly enjoyed the mystery romp. Lana is the manager of her family’s Chinese restaurant near Cleveland. When a promotional speed dating event ends up with a guy dead and one of Lana’s friends the suspect in his death, she sets out to investigate. This is a wee bit awkward since her boyfriend is the investigating detective on the case, too.

I found this book to be an easy, breezy read with lots of drama, potential suspects, and twists. The end managed to deliver some nice surprises. I’d gladly read more books in this series. ( )