Thursday, February 20, 2020

Egg Drop Dead

Title: Egg Drop Dead
Author: Vivien Chien
Published: February 25th 2020 by St. Martin's Press
Format: eBook, Paperback, 320 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Noodle Shop Mystery #5

I still say that the best part of this book is the Mahjong Matrons and if Vivien Chien ever leaves them out, I will probably stop reading the series. As a matter of fact, they should be the focus of the next book. Just imagine the matrons, who always have the answers, sending Lana out to do their own personal sleuthing. I have this whole Lincoln Rhyme: Bone Collector scenario going on in my head -- but I digress.

To generate additional business for the Ho-Lee Noodle House, Lana decides to offer a catering service. Of course, Donna Feng, who always has one worry or another, hires Lana for a party and just when Lana thinks the evening went well, the body of one of Donna’s employees is found floating in the pool. Of course, we are not going to jump to the conclusion that the person with the wet clothes has anything to do with it so for the next 300 odd pages we follow Lana and her menagerie of friends, private investigators, the police, and co-workers through a maze of who-done-it.

To be fair, there were a couple of, ‘oh, I didn’t see that coming’ moments, but for the most part, the attempted blackmail plot coordinated by bumbling fools was a stretch. Yet once again, Lana Lee, manager of the Ho-Lee Noodle House outsmarted the criminals and trained professionals alike to bring peace to her life and those of her community.

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