Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Murder Lo Mein

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Lana Lee is finally the full-time manager of the Ho-Lee Noodle House and she's happy to be in charge. In Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien, Lana enters the restaurant in the second annual Best Noodle Contest, knowing last year's winner wasn't really as good as Ho-Lee. (Murder Lo Mein will be released on March 26 by St. Martin's Paperbacks.)

Last year's winner, Ray Jin, is now a judge for this year's competition along with noted food critic and professional crouch Norman Pan and Stella Chung, hometown girl who made it big in Chicago. The competition is really between the Ho-Lee Noodle house and the House of Shen, but a few others restaurants have been allowed to compete.

Peter, Lana's chef is anxious because he knows how much is at stake for Asia Village, especially after the events of the last few months. Lana knows Peter's noddles are truly the best and she is confident they will win. The contest consists of three rounds before the winner is declared.

The first round finds Peter as the winner and Norman Pan receiving a threatening fortune cookie. It said If you do not seek out allies and helpers, then you will be isolated and weak. Ian discovers it is from Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Why would Norman receive it and what could it mean?

Later at the celebration party at Penny's Bamboo Lounge, everyone is relieved the first round is over. Suddenly there is a scream from inside the party room. and one of the judges is found dead. As much as she promises her detective boyfriend Adam Trudeau she will stay out of the investigation, Lana and her pal Megan cannot help themselves.

When another judge dies, it appears someone doesn't like the judges and is trying to ruin the contest. Lana wants nothing to stop her restaurant from winning this year, so she plunges headlong into the investigation.

Lana is a terrific character, but with her mother occupied by her visiting grandmother, we don't have as much of Mrs. Lee in this book. Too bad because she is every woman's mother and is so funny. Ho-Lee Noodle House sounds like a terrific restaurant and add the new doughnut shop next door and you have a great place for lunch. Stop by some time, if you dare.

1 comment:

Denise Kainrath said...

Anddddd now I want Chinese food!
Denise