Inara Erickson has always done what's expected of her in order to please her father, an intimidating and successful Seattle businessman. Now that she's out of grad school, though, Inara's not feeling very keen on starting the job she's been offered with Starbucks, especially once she learns the offer is at least partially due to her dad's influence. Instead, she wants to turn the dilapidated house she's just inherited from her aunt into a boutique hotel. It might be crazy, but she knows that with a little remodeling (okay, a lot of remodeling), she can create a calming place of retreat on beautiful Orcas Island. All Inara needs is someone who believes in her ability to make it all come true (preferably someone with a lot of cash to invest in a new hotel). 

When Inara discovers a scrap of intricately-embrodiered silk hidden inside a forgotten cubbyhole at her aunt's house, she's puzzled. The fabric appears to be of Chinese origin. Inara's family has lived on Orcas Island for generations and she's never known any Asian people to reside there. How did the scrap come to be there? And why was it hidden away? Sensing an unsolved mystery, Inara begins looking into the history of the house and discovers the heartbreaking story of a young 19th Century Chinese-American woman who swam for her life in order to reach safety, only to find an uncertain future on Orcas Island. Inara feels that something awful must have happened to Lu Mei Lien, but what? And what role did her ancestors play in the woman's disappearance?

I'm always up for a novel that takes me back in time to explore intriguing historical moments, tantalizing family secrets, and the truth lurking beneath placid surfaces. If the story utilizes an always-compelling dual timeline format? All the better! The Girl Who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes offers all of these elements, so I was eager to dive into the tale. While the San Juan Islands setting is atmospheric, the characters in this novel aren't nearly as vivid or colorful. They're sympathetic and likable enough that I cared what happened to them, but none of them are the kind of story people I think about after I close the book. The plot is compelling enough that I kept reading (listening, actually), but I never felt so engrossed that I couldn't have walked away from the story. Estes' prose also feels uneven, with patches of melodrama that made me roll my eyes. On the whole, then, I didn't end up loving this novel. I liked it well enough to finish it, though, and that's saying something.

Note: I listened to this book on audio. The narrator, Emily Woo Zeller, is okay. Her voices annoyed me at times, but overall, she's fine. 

(Readalikes: I can't think of anything. Can you?)

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

As well-heeled nobs queue up to enter their luxurious cabins on the famed Titanic, the unlikeliest of first-class passengers lines up with them.  Valora Luck, a 17-year-old British-Chinese acrobat, should be accompanying her wealthy employer on the trip across the sea.  The old woman's surprise demise has left Valora with two unexpected gifts—a ritzy room all to herself and the freedom to do whatever she pleases during the voyage.  The young woman intends to use her time to find her twin brother, Jamie, a sailor whom she hasn't seen in two years; persuade him to join her once again as a dynamic acrobatic duo; and convince an influential American circus owner onboard to hire them.  No small task, she knows.

When Valora is turned away on the gangplank because of her ethnicity, she's devastated but determined.  She will get on Titanic, no matter what it takes.  With a little assistance, some sneaky acrobatic moves, and a lot of pluck, she does just that.  In order to do what she needs to while on the ship, Valora has to dodge ship security by keeping a low profile, disguising her true identity, and not drawing any attention to herself.  She needs to be able to move throughout the entire ship without arousing suspicion.  Just as she's finding success, pulling all her goals within reach, disaster strikes.  As Valora struggles to save herself and those she loves from an icy death, her future seems to be sinking right along with them.  Will she and Jamie live to find acrobatic success in New York City?  Or will they, like so many others, go down with the great, "unsinkable" Titanic?

I find the Titanic disaster endlessly fascinating, so when I heard that Stacey Lee—one of my favorite YA historical fiction writers—was penning a novel about the disaster, I was stoked.  Especially since the story was to pay homage to the ocean liner's real Chinese passengers.  Although there were eight Chinese men aboard Titanic, six of whom survived, their stories have never been told.  Unlike other of the ship's refugees, these men were not welcomed warmly in America.  Instead, they were shipped off within 24 hours of arriving in the U.S., all but ensuring their plights would be forgotten.  Luck of the Titanic is not directly about these men, but it addresses issues of racism, classism, and other challenges Chinese people faced in Europe and America during that period.  These elements add intriguing layers to the story, which is also packed with plenty of action and conflict to keep readers turning pages (which I did, finishing the book in a day).  Valora is the best kind of storybook heroine.  She's daring, determined, kind, loyal, and brave.  It's easy to root for her as well as the other very likable characters in the book.  While I loved all of these things and more, there's one thing about Luck of the Titanic that I despised: the ending.  It took me by surprise, but not in a good way.  In fact, the finale made the novel feel unfinished and dissatisfying.  I didn't exactly throw Luck of the Titanic at the wall (I bought an expensive hardcover, so I had to be careful) in frustration, but I wanted to, darn it!  The ending soured the read for me, which—up until that point—I had been enjoying most thoroughly.  Grrr.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other Titanic novels I've read, which you can see by selecting "R.M.S. Titanic" from the drop-down menu under the "Labels" tab on the left sidebar of my blog)

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of Luck of the Titanic with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

At 26, Meddelin Chan is playing the part of the dutiful Asian daughter by living with her mother and working as a photographer for the family wedding planning business.  It's not exactly what she had in mind for her future, but she can't allow herself to follow her cousins' shameful examples by flitting off to a more exotic clime in search of her own life, leaving her mother behind to cluck over her disloyalty.  Even as she yearns for freedom, Meddy has to admit she finds reluctant comfort in the way her mom and her mom's three loud, overbearing sisters fuss over her every move.  When a bad blind date takes a turn for the much, much worse, she knows exactly who to call.  Turns out, when it comes to hiding a body, her always-feuding, middle-aged aunties are better than the mob.  

Meddy's timing couldn't be worse, however.  With the biggest wedding of their career about to unfold, the women have to bring their A-game to the sparkling event.  Having a corpse along for the ride is not exactly helping.  Things become even more complicated when Meddy realizes her college boyfriend—the one she has pined for ever since their devastating break-up four years ago—is part of the wedding.  Then, the groomsmen get too plastered to walk down the aisle, millions of dollars in gifts go missing, a storm descends on the resort venue, and everything else that could possibly go wrong does.  A suspicious sheriff on the premises could mean the end of the charade and the incarceration of Meddy and her unlikely accomplices.  Can the ladies pull off both a flawless wedding and the perfect crime?  Or will they be planning their next event behind bars, wearing those oh-so-unflattering orange jumpsuits? 

Ever since I heard about Dial A for Aunties, a debut novel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, I knew I wanted to read it.  It just sounded like the perfect light-hearted blend of rom-com and cozy mystery.  Sure, it would be far-fetched and silly, but it also promised to be a fun, upbeat romp.  I've read a lot of dark, depressing books lately, so I was down for something different.  My verdict?  Dial A for Aunties is a fun read in lots of ways.  The "aunties" are definitely the highlight of the story with their constant bickering, hilarious malapropisms, and misplaced pride.  While little about the plot makes any logical sense, it is entertaining in its madcap absurdity.  I also appreciated the #OwnVoices aspect of this novel, in which Sutanto highlights her own Indonesian-Chinese heritage.  All of these elements combine to make the story humorous and entertaining.

I read mostly serious books, which sometimes makes it tough for me to really appreciate a kooky comedy.  So, while I found Dial A for Aunties entertaining, its quick transitions from silly to ridiculous to utterly absurd did drive me a little crazy after a while.  By the end of the story, I was very much done with the over-the-top-ness of it all.  Even in a screwball story like this, there has to be some logic governing the characters' actions, right?  Another thing that tempers the fun in this one is that it's actually very R-rated.  I was surprised to find F-bombs being dropped all over the place, as well as a plethora of innuendo and less subtle sexual references.  This just didn't fit the fun, cozy-ish vibe Dial A for Aunties seemed to be going for.  I admit to going into this book with unrealistically high expectations, which maybe contributed to me feeling (disproportionally?) disappointed in it.  Nevertheless, I found myself wishing for a less daffy, more PG version of this novel.  This opinion will probably make me an outlier in the book blogging world (which is totally okay), but for me, Dial A for Aunties was just an average read.  An entertaining one, just one that didn't turn out to be as satisfying as I wanted it to be.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of the Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien)

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC for Dial A for Aunties from the generous folks at Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for Wonton Terror, it may inadvertently spoil plot surprises from previous Noodle House mysteries.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.

The opening of the Asian Night Market is Cleveland's culinary kick-off to summer.  It's a weekly food festival that brings the community together for delectable eats, lively entertainment, and warm conversation.  Lana Lee is thrilled to be at the festival selling Ho-Lee Noodle House's unparalleled cuisine, even if it seems they might be outsold by the popular Wonton on Wheels food truck parked next to them.  It's obvious something odd is going on with the truck's owners—who are old friends of Lana's parents—but Lana's shocked when their truck explodes on the first night of the festival, leaving one of its owners dead.  Was it a tragic accident or something more sinister?

As it becomes increasingly apparent that someone tampered with the food truck, Lana launches a clandestine investigation into the incident.  The more she digs, the more she realizes that Ronnie Chow was not a pleasant person.  A number of people had grudges against him, but who hated him enough to kill him?  Or did Ronnie do it himself in order to collect the insurance money?  The closer Lana gets to the truth, the more dangerous her life is becoming.  Someone doesn't want the truth to get out—and they will do anything to keep Lana from getting too close.  Has Lana finally gone too far with her amateur sleuthing?  Will her restaurant be the next one that goes up in flames?

I always enjoy reading about Lana's antics with her overbearing family, her quirky friends, and her dangerous investigations.  The Noodle House Mysteries by Vivien Chien are just fun.  Wonton Terror, the fourth installment in the series, is no exception.  It's entertaining, even though I solved the mystery pretty early on.  I don't expect a lot of surprises in a cozy mystery—I enjoy them because they make for clean, easy, distracting reading.  This series is one of my favorites for all those reasons.  I'm definitely in for seeing what happens to Lana and Co. next.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other books in the Noodle House Mystery series, including Death By Dumpling, Dim Sum of All Fears, Murder Lo Mein, Egg Drop Dead, and Killer Kung Pao)  

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

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

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Note:  Although this review will not contain spoilers for Murder Lo Mein, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from earlier Noodle Shop mysteries.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Lana Lee is biased, yes, but she knows her family's Chinese restaurant, Ho Lee Noodle House, employs the best chef of Asian cuisine in the city.  And she intends to prove it.  It's Asian Village's turn to host Cleveland's annual Best Noodle Contest; winning the cooking competition would be a major boost for the shopping center and for the Lees' eatery.  Peter Huang can take home the prize for Ho Lee, Lana is sure of it.  

The competition has barely gotten underway when one of its judges is strangled to death at The Bamboo Lounge after receiving a threatening note in a fortune cookie.  As more ominous cookies make the rounds, the other judges begin to fear for their lives.  Lana can't let a killer run amok on her turf.  Detective Adam Trudeau, Lana's "sort-of-maybe boyfriend guy" (11), begs her to leave the sleuthing to the police, but Lana can only promise so much.  She can't let more people die and she won't let Asian Village's reputation be ruined because of nefarious happenings on its grounds.  If the cops can't catch the killer, Lana will.  Even if it means she's next on the murderer's list ...

Murder Lo Mein is the third book in Vivien Chien's always entertaining Noodle Shop Mystery series.  Like its predecessors, this novel is a light, fun read.  The setting is unique, the characters are likable, and the plot moves along quickly.  This isn't my favorite installment, but I still enjoyed it and will definitely keep going with the series.  It's one of the few cozy series I really like.

(Readalikes:  Other books in the Noodle Shop Mystery series, including Death by Dumpling, Dim Sum of All Fears, Wonton Terror, Egg Drop Dead, and Killer Kung Pao)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

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

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of Murder Lo Mein with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

(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

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Natalie Tan has grown up hearing fond tales about her immigrant grandmother, an excellent cook who operated one of the most successful restaurants ever to exist in San Francisco's Chinatown.  Those who knew her rave about the magic that emanated from her signature dishes, an enchantment that brought the neighborhood together to be fed, belly and soul.  Growing up with her agoraphobic mother in the apartment above her grandmother's long-abandoned restaurant, Natalie dreamed of reviving the establishment, a fantasy that led to an 8-year estrangement between mother and daughter.  When Natalie's mother dies unexpectedly, leaving her only child everything she has, Natalie is shocked to realize that she now has everything she needs to finally make her dream come true—except the mother with whom she never reconciled.

Wracked with grief and guilt, Natalie vows to reopen the restaurant, not just to achieve her own dream but also to help revive the deteriorating neighborhood she once loved.  Armed with her laolao's recipe book, Natalie tries to recapture the magic that her grandmother wielded through the food she served to her friends and neighbors.  When Natalie's best-laid plans go terribly awry, she must search her family's past for clues as to how to save the future, not just for herself but for the once vibrant neighborhood she still loves so well.

Natalie Tan's Book of Luck & Fortune, a debut novel by Filipino-Chinese author Roselle Lim, offers lots of fun story elements—tantalizing food descriptions, the promise of family secrets coming to light, a drizzle of magical realism, and some good, old-fashioned mother/daughter drama.  A very appealing mixture.  Unfortunately, though, these different story threads just aren't woven together well enough to produce a cohesive whole.  The plot slogs on without enough tension to keep it exciting, the characters are underdeveloped and bland, and Lim's prose is way more tell than show.  I agree with other reviewers who say this one is missing something.  I wanted to be completely be-spelled by this novel and I just ... wasn't.  In the end, I found Natalie Tan's Book of Luck & Fortune to be an okay read, nothing more.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a little of The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan and a bit of the Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien [Death By Dumpling; Dim Sum of All Fears; Murder Lo Mein)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of Natalie Tan's Book of Luck & Fortune from the generous folks at Penguin Random House.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Lana Lee is a spunky, independent woman whose career goals do not include waitressing at Ho-Lee Noodle House, her family's Chinese restaurant.  A dramatic walkout at her last job, however, leaves her little choice.  Now she's taking orders, bussing tables, and trying to ignore her mother's constant needling about finding Lana a husband.  

Lana's got enough problems without becoming a suspect in a murder investigation, but that's what happens after she delivers a takeout order for the restaurant's too-busy chef.  Everyone at Ho-Lee knew about Thomas Feng's shellfish allergy—so how did the property manager end up eating a shrimp dumpling that left him dead?  Now, the whole restaurant staff, as well as the other proprietors in the Asian Village strip mall Feng owned, are under suspicion for offing their landlord.  Motives abound, but who actually did the dirty deed?  In order to clear her name, Lana launches her own investigation, despite being warned off by the handsome detective who's in charge of the case.  Can she identify the killer before she finds herself in the slammer?  Or, worse, in the morgue?

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with cozy mysteries.  They appeal because they're light and clean, without all the grimness and gore that can be difficult to stomach in heavier mysteries/thrillers.  However, they're too often poorly written, with cliché characters, predictable plots, and improbable, unrealistic situations.  So, I'm picky about which ones I read.  When someone (Katherine, probably) mentioned the Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien, I decided to give it a go.  And, guess what?  I enjoyed Death by Dumpling, the series opener, quite a lot!  It's a fun, easy read featuring a unique setting, likable characters, and an engaging plot.  The mystery is pretty straightforward, but I didn't get it all figured out until the end of the story.  Overall, then, I found Death By Dumpling an enjoyable, entertaining read.  Immediately after finishing it, I checked the next book out from the library so I could continue with this delightful series.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of cozy mysteries by Ellie Alexander, Lena Gregory, Hannah Fluke, etc.)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

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

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

When 10-year-old Mia Tang arrives in Anaheim, California, her head is filled with the same visions as any other kid—screaming happily on a roller coaster at Disneyland, splashing in the cool water of a hotel pool, and basking in the brilliant sunshine, warm and content.  That's not exactly what she gets when she lands at the Calivista Hotel.  For starters, she's not a guest.  She's living there because the room comes with her parents' housekeeping/hotel management jobs.  Also, the mean owner has banned employees from using the pool.  As for Anaheim being a happy, joyous place?  Apparently, that doesn't apply to Chinese immigrants whose English needs a little help.  Anaheim might be the setting for other people's dream vacations, but it's not turning out so dreamy for Mia.

Then, Mia starts working the front desk when her parents are too busy to manage that and room cleaning.  Suddenly, she has a purpose.  As she organizes the office, takes care of guests, and gets to know the hotel's permanent residents, Mia's gloom starts to dissipate.  She still has to deal with the greedy, dishonest hotel owner and his snooty son; worry over her parents' secret hiding of illegal immigrants; and deal with demanding guests; but at least she has a purpose.  Will her growing skills be enough to help her family survive in a hostile new environment?  Will she be able to keep the Calivista Hotel running?  Or will the Tangs be forced to start over once again or, worse, turned over to the authorities?  

Inspired by her own experience working at a California hotel with her immigrant parents, Kelly Yang's Front Desk is a bright, engaging book about using your talents to help people.  It's got plenty going on to keep readers engaged and wondering how everything is going to turn out.  While I enjoyed the story overall, I had trouble believing a 10-year-old would be giving as much responsibility as Mia had or that adult guests would trust a child with handling money, fielding complaints, and dealing with check-in/check-out.  I realize that Yang was an exceptionally bright 10-year-old (she entered college at 13, started Harvard Law School at 17, and graduated at 20), but still ... Mia talked and acted like no 10-year-old I've ever known.  That major suspension of disbelief tainted the book for me.  Still, Front Desk is an appealing story that young readers will find entertaining and empowering.  I didn't love it, but that's okay.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other MG books about immigrant families trying to find their way in America, although no specific titles are coming to mind.)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  I borrowed a copy of Front Desk from the library at my child's elementary school.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Mercy Wong wants more than the life of poverty and prejudice she's living in San Francisco's Chinatown.  The 15-year-old longs to be a great businesswoman with enough money to elevate her family above its lowly station.  She has the smarts for it as well as the ambition.  But this is 1906 and Chinese people are not exactly welcome in California's hallowed halls of learning.  It will take more than intelligence to get Mercy where she wants to be.

With a lot of pluck (and a little bribery), she lands herself a place at a posh boarding school for wealthy white girls.  Pretending to be an exotic heiress, she tries desperately to keep her real identity a secret from her snooty classmates.  When disaster strikes San Francisco, Mercy sees her bright future crumbling before her eyes.  In a city now dominated by chaos and catastrophe, how will a penniless Chinese girl survive?  As Mercy launches a desperate search for her missing family, she'll find the one person who is truly lost—herself.

Under a Painted Sky—Stacey Lee's debut novel—impressed me with its compelling mixture of history, adventure and romance as well as its engaging prose and appealing characters.  Because I enjoyed her freshman endeavor so much, I eagerly picked up Lee's sophomore effort.  And I was not disappointed.  Not at all.  Once again, Lee has created a plucky Chinese-American heroine whose courage and compassion make her both likable and admirable.  The novel's plot moves forward at a fast clip, making it as engrossing as it is entertaining.  Although the story focuses more on relationships between the characters than on the great earthquake, it's still an exciting tale that's also vivid, fun, and hopeful.  Having thoroughly enjoyed both of Lee's novels, I'm eagerly awaiting her newest, The Secret of a Heart Note, which comes out in a few weeks.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Dear America: A City Tossed and Broken by Judy Blundell; The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman; and a little of Nancy Herriman's Old San Francisco mystery novels [No Comfort for the Lost; No Pity for the Dead])

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

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

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Celia Davies knows what it's like to feel lost and alone.  Seven years ago, she left a prosperous life in England to come to America with her handsome Irish husband.  With Patrick now missing at sea, 29-year-old Celia is "not quite a wife, not quite a widow."  Thanks to a small inheritance left to her by a beloved uncle, she's able to fill her days with worthwhile, though controversial work.  Celia, a nurse who served in the Crimea, operates a free clinic for indigent women out of her dead uncle's home.  With the help of her orphaned, half-Chinese niece and their outspoken Scottish housekeeper, she serves San Francisco's most helpless residents:  the poor, the hated "Celestials," and women of ill repute.  As prejudice against the city's Chinese immigrants comes to a violent boiling point, Celia's choice of patients makes her a target for criticism from some of the city's most influential residents. 

When the body of a young Chinese prostitute is found floating near the docks, Celia is shocked to discover that she knew the dead girl.  As Celia helped Li Sha create a better life for herself, the two became friends.  Now, the pregnant young woman has been murdered.  Outraged, Celia vows to bring Li Sha's killer to justice.

Detective Nicholas Greaves has seen his share of corpses.  This one, however, tears at his heart and conscience, for he failed to save his younger sister from a similar fate.  Determined to figure out what happened to the girl, he begins to investigate everyone who knew Li Sha.  Clues lead him not just to the bars and brothels of the Barbary Coast, but also to the highest echelons of San Francisco society.  They also bring him in contact with the captivating Mrs. Davies, whose brother-in-law has been brought in for questioning.  Forming an unwitting investigate team, Nick and Celia follow the sinister trail of a vicious killer, hoping to unmask the murderer before they become the next victims. 

No Comfort for the Lost, the first book in Nancy Herriman's Old San Francisco mystery series, introduces us to a vibrant historical setting filled with equally colorful characters.  Both Celia and Nick are brave, admirable souls trying to do some right in a city filled to the brim with wrong.  Rooting for the smart, capable pair is a no-brainer.  What the novel's plot lacks in originality, it makes up for in slow, steady construction, which creates an even-paced story that remains compelling from its first page to its last.  While No Comfort for the Lost comes to a satisfying conclusion (and no, I didn't guess the killer's identity—at least not accurately!), it leaves plenty of intriguing questions to be explored in subsequent novels.  I thoroughly enjoyed this engrossing, atmospheric series debut and am not entirely sure I can wait for the next installment (No Pity for the Dead comes out in August 2016)!  

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for mild language, violence, and frequent (though not graphic) references to prostitution, adultery, and the excessive use of alcohol and opium

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of No Comfort for the Lost from the generous folks at Penguin Random House.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Life in 1849 St. Joseph, Missouri, is tolerable for Samantha Young and her father—even if both of them dream of being somewhere else.  Samantha, a 15-year-old violinist, longs to return to New York City with its vibrant, sophisticated culture.  Her father, a Chinese immigrant, wants to see the Pacific Ocean and make his fortune in California.  When the family's dry goods store burns to the ground, killing Mr. Young, it becomes apparent that neither one of them will be getting what they desire.  

Penniless, Samantha has little choice but to take their landlord up on his offer of lodging at a hotel he owns.  When he makes it obvious just what he expects in return, she reacts in self-defense, killing the odious man.  With the help of a slave housekeeper named Annamae, Samantha flees.  Disguised as boys, the two girls join other travelers headed west on The Oregon Trail.  Desperate to get as far away from St. Joe as possible, the pair brave danger of every kind as they become unwitting pioneers.  

When "Sammy" and "Andy" meet up with a trio of young, would-be gold prospectors, they worry their precious secrets will be discovered.  Will the boys find out their new companions are really girls in disguise?  Can Samantha and Annamae keep their real identities under wraps until they reach safety in California?  Does a safe place even exist for two fugitives on the run from some very powerful enemies?  

While historical fiction for teens isn't hard to come by, YA westerns are practically unheard of.  Maybe that's what makes Under a Painted Sky, a debut novel by Stacey Lee, stand out.  Or, maybe it's because of the diverse characters she creates—not only are they sympathetic, but they're also complex and intriguing.  Or, it could be Lee's vivid, engaging prose.  Or the novel's perfect balance between adventure, suspense, romance, and humor.  Or, the warmth the story exudes, despite its treatment of tough subjects.  Take your pick.  All of these elements come together in charming, compelling harmony in Under the Painted Sky.  At its heart, it's a story about friendship, but it's also so very, very much more ... I loved it.  

(Readalikes:  Um, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

  

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence (including an attempted rape scene)/gore, and sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of Under a Painted Sky from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Maggie Chen has always wanted to be a reporter like her dad.  So, the 16-year-old is thrilled to be interning in the newsroom of his paper, the Herald.  Even if her dad is no longer there, even if the smell of newsprint makes her miss him so badly it hurts, even if maybe she's not really cut out for the profession her dad loved so much.  If only she could talk to him about it all.  But, she can't—her father's dead, killed by a hit-and-run driver just before Maggie's internship began.  

Determined to do her father proud, Maggie throws herself into learning the ropes at the newspaper.  It's tougher than she expected, but soon, she sniffs out a real story.  As the teen heads into Seattle's Chinatown to investigate, she discovers that things—not just with her assignment, but also with her dad's death—are not exactly what they seem.  Wading through all the secrets and lies, many of them told by her own parent, Maggie must figure out what's true and what's not.  What kind of story was Mr. Chen investigating in Chinatown?  How did he really die?  And what connection does Maggie have to a Chinese peasant girl named Fai-yi Li?  Finding the answers means facing the (sometimes ugly) truth—about her father, her family, and herself.  Is she strong enough?  Or will unraveling all these mysteries just bring more hurt to the already-grieving teenager?   

Paper Daughter, a new YA novel by Jeanette Ingold, offers up so many of my favorite story elements: compelling characters, an intriguing mystery, tight plotting, vivid prose, and, at its center, a teenager's heart-tugging search for self.  And it's a clean book, to boot!  That's a rarity in and of itself.  This winning combination made for a story I enjoyed immensely and recommend without hesitation.  If you happen to belong to a mother/daughter book club, this would be a perfect pick.   

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of The Dragon's Child by Laurence Yep and The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman)

Grade:  

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for some violence

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Paper Daughter from the generous folks at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  Thank you!