(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for Dim Sum of All Fears, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, Death By Dumpling.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Waiting tables at the Ho-Lee Noodle House under the critical eye of her demanding mother was bad enough in high school.  At 27, it's literally the last thing Lana Lee wants to be doing.  Desperate times and all that.  Things are finally looking up, though.  Lana's landed a promising job interview, one that will hopefully get her out of the Asian Village shopping plaza for good.  Then her parents receive an emergency phone call summoning them back to Taiwan.  With no one else to run Ho-Lee Noodle House in their absence, Lana has no choice but to step up.  

To everyone's surprise, Lana is doing a bang-up job, keeping everything running as smoothly as it does under her parents' watch.  Then, something else goes bang, leaving the newlywed couple that runs the souvenir shop next door dead.  Lana's got enough to keep her busy without poking her nose into Asian Village's newest mystery, but she can't help herself.  Despite warnings from handsome Detective Adam Trudeau, Lana's soon knee-deep in a case that's getting more dangerous by the second.  Can she run a busy restaurant, solve a murder, and ensure her meddling mother is kept totally in the dark all at the same time?  It's a tall order, even for Ho-Lee Noodle House's favorite server.

I'm picky about which cozies I read, but I'm loving the Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien.  The colorful Asian Village setting is appealing, the quirky characters are endearing, and the mysteries are light but satisfying.  Yes, the books are far-fetched, but who cares?  They're fun, frothy, and all kinds of entertaining.  Dim Sum of All Fears, the second installment, is just as enjoyable as the first.  I've already bought the third book and am looking forward to seeing where this delightful series goes next.

(Readalikes:  Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien; also reminds me of cozy eatery mysteries by Ellie Alexander, Lena Gregory, and Joanne Fluke)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs) and mild violence

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find