Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien (a review)

Title: Death by Dumpling
Author: Vivien Chien
Published: 27 March 2018
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Series: A Noodle Shop Mystery
Date Read: 7 January 2023
Format: eBook
Source: Own
Genre: Mystery
Sub-genre: Cozy Mystery
My Rating: 4
GoodReads’ Rating: 3.7
Other Books by Author: Dim Sum of All Fears, Murder Lo Mein, Wonton Terror. Egg Drop Dead, Killer Kung Pao, Fatal Fried Rice, Hot and Sour Suspects, Misfortune Cookie

2023 Reading Challenges:
2023 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge (#alphabetsoupchallenge)
Cloak and Dagger 2023 (#CloakDaggerChal)
Craving for Cozies Challenge 2023 (#CravingCozies)
Cruisin’ thru the Cozies 2023
2023 Goodreads’ Reading Challenge
Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks in 2023 (#Read52Booksin52Weeks)
The TBR Pile Challenge 2023 (#TBRYear10)

First Sentence: You know in the movies where someone says “You can’t fire me, I quit!:…maybe don’t do that in real life.

Review:

I have a particular sweet tooth for cozy mysteries, and I have a great love of Chinese food, so it was only a matter of time before I stumbled upon the Noodle Shop Mysteries by Vivien Chien, which I learned about through the amazing and constantly updated Cozy Mystery List.

The first book in the Noodle House Mystery Series introduces us to the Asia Village strip mall, owned and operated by Thomas Feng, and its many vendors and customers. One of the shops in Asia Village is the Ho-Lee Noodle House ran by Betty Lee and her family. As the book opens, Betty’s daughter, Lana, abruptly quits her job and ends up waitressing in her family’s Noodle House.

After delivering a lunch order to Mr. Feng, Asia Village soon learns Mr. Feng has died as a result of a shellfish allergy. The Ho-Lee Noodle House and its cook, Peter, quickly become the prime suspects. Lana has known Peter since childhood and convinced of his innocence, undertakes amateur sleuthing in order to solve the crime and clear the name and reputation of her friend and co-worker.

One of my most favorite parts of the book was getting to know all of the vendors and customers of Asia Village from the Mahjong Mavens who breakfast each morning at the Noodle House to Mr. Zhang, the octogenarian purveyor of medicinal herbs, they all are wonderfully crafted characters who breathe great life into the narrative of the mystery.

I greatly enjoyed Death by Dumpling and look forward to reding the rest of the series.

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Dune: A Chronological Reading

Hunting Harkonnens (short story)

The Butlerian Jihad

Whipping Mek (short story)

The Machine Crusade

The Faces of a Martyr (short story)

The Battle of Corrin

The Sisterhood of Dune

Mentats of Dune

Red Plague (short story)

Navigators of Dune

House Atreides

House Harkonnen

Blood and Water (stand-alone excerpt from House Harkonnen)

House Corrino

Wedding Silk (short story)

Paul of Dune (part II)

Fremen Justice (stand-alone excerpt from House Corrino)

Paul of Dune (part IV)

Paul of Dune (part VI)

The Winds of Dune (part II)

The Sands of Dune

The Duke of Caladan

The Lady of Caladan

The Heir of Caladan

Dune

A Whisper of Caladan Seas (short story)

The Waters of Kanly (short story in Infinite Stars, edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt)

Paul of Dune (part I)

Paul of Dune (part III)

Paul of Dune (part V)

Paul of Dune (part VII)

The Winds of Dune (part IV)

The Road to Dune (short story)

Dune Messiah

The Winds of Dune (part I)

The Winds of Dune (part III)

The Winds of Dune (part V)

Children of Dune

God Emperor of Dune

Heretics of Dune

Chapterhouse: Dune

Sea Child (short story)

Hunters of Dune

Treasure in the Sand (short story)

Sandworms of Dune

Sad Cypress by Dame Agatha Christie (a review)

Title: Sad Cypress
Author: Dame Agatha Christie
Published: 17 March 2009
Publisher: William Morrow
Series: A Hercule Poirot Mystery
Date Read: 3 January 2023
Format: eBook
Source: Scribd
Genre: Mystery
Sub-genre: Vintage Mystery
My Rating: 5
GoodReads’ Rating: 3.9
Other Books by Author: Hercule Poirot Mysteries, Miss Jane Marple Mysteries, Inspector Battle Mysteries, Tommy and Tuppence Mysteries, and Stand-alone Mysteries

2023 Reading Challenges:
2023 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge (#alphabetsoupchallenge)
Cloak and Dagger 2023 (#CloakDaggerChal)
2023 Goodreads’ Reading Challenge
Read Christie 2023
Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks in 2023 (#Read52Booksin52Weeks)
2023 Six Shooter Mystery Reading Challenge

First Sentence: “Elinor Katherine Carlisle. You stand charged upon this indictment with the murder of Mary Gerrard upon the 27th of July last. Are you guilty of not guilty?”

Review:

If you have a desire to write a mystery novel, then Sad Cypress by Dame Agatha Christie is the perfect textbook for you to use in plotting and outlining your whodunit.

This Hercule Poirot Mystery is written in three books.

In Book 1, we become acclimated and familiar with our surroundings and environment, as well as the people and personalities that inhabit the quaint English village.

In Book 2, Hercule Poirot makes his appearance and undertakes the investigation of the murder that has been committed. In the narrative of Book 2, Poirot delves deeply into the mechanics of the crime and the psyches of those persons involved within the sphere of the crime. As in most good mysteries, there are red herrings scattered throughout the story line.

Book 3, culminates in a courtroom scene where evidence is presented along with Poirot’s illuminations of the crime and his startling and extremely satisfying solution.

A Just Clause by Lorna Barrett (a review)

Title: A Just Clause
Author: Lorna Barrett
Published: 13 June 2017
Publisher: Berkley
Series: A Booktown Mystery #11
Date Read: 1 January 2023
Format: eBook
Source: My Kinde Library
Genre: Mystery
Sub-genre: Cozy Mystery
My Rating: 4
GoodReads’ Rating: 4.6
Other Books by Author: Jeff Resnick Mysteries, Victoria Square Mysteries, Lotus Bay Mysteries

2023 Reading Challenges:
2023 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge (#alphabetsoupchallenge)
Cloak and Dagger 2023 (#CloakDaggerChal)
Craving for Cozies Challenge 2023 (#CravingCozies
2023 Goodreads’ Reading Challenge
Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks in 2023 (#Read52Booksin52Weeks)
2023 Six Shooter Mystery Reading Challenge

First Sentence: Tricia Miles almost always felt a thrill to host a book signing at her mystery bookstore, Haven’t Got a Clue, especially when it involved a favorite author.

Review:

A Just Clause is the eleventh novel in Lorna Barrett’s A Booktown Mystery Series and I have enjoyed each and every one of the books in the series equally.

In this wonderfully written addition to an amazing series, the mystery opens with a book signing at Haven’t Got a Clue Bookstore featuring Steven Richardson, a thriller author that Tricia Miles met on her cruise in the last novel in the series, Title Wave. Not only is Steven Richardson in attendance at the signing, but Tricia’s father, John Miles, as well. Following the literary event, both men are slapped on separate instances by Carol Talbot, who turns up dead and both men become suspects in the murder. Despite her troubled history with her father, Tricia undertakes sleuthing to clear her father as a suspect in the crime.

The theme of this mystery explores family dysfunction and illuminates how the dysfunction affects the family members involved. I have always loved the sisterly dynamic between Tricia and Anglica and the narrative of A Just Clause helps me to understand why they are so close and supportive of each other.

2023 Victober Reading Challenge

Information forthcoming in September 2023.

2023 Theologians on the Christian Life Reading Challenge

In 2023, I am committing to read every volume in Crossway‘s Theologians on the Christian Life Series, edited by Stephen J. Nichols and Justin Taylor. This series provides accessible introductions to some of church history’s greatest teachers, exploring their personal lives and writings, especially as they pertain to the walk of faith.

Augustine on the Christian Life by Gerald Bray

Luther on the Christian Life by Carl R. Trueman

Calvin on the Christian Life by Michael Horton

Owen on the Christian Life by Matthew Barrett

Wesley on the Christian Life by Fred Sanders

Edwards on the Christian Life by Dane C. Ortlund

Newton on the Christian Life by Tony Reinke

Spurgeon on the Christian Life by Michael Reeves

Bavinck on the Christian Life by John Bolt

Warfield on the Christian Life by Fred G. Zaspel

Lewis on the Christian Life by Joe Rigney

Lloyd-Jones on the Christian Life by Jason C. Meyer

Bonhoeffer on the Christian Life by Stephen J. Nichols

Schaeffer on the Christian Life by William Edgar

Stott on the Christian Life by Tim Chester

Packer on the Christian Life by Sam Storms

2023 TBR Pile Challenge

In 2023, I shall be participating in the 10th Annual TBR Pile Challenge hosted by RoofBeamReader.

Each of these 12 books must have been on your bookshelf or “To Be Read” list for AT LEAST one full year. This means the book cannot have a publication date of 1/1/2022 or later (any book published in the year 2021 or earlier qualifies, as long as it has been on your TBR pile).

1. Unexpected Night (Henry Gamadge #1) by Elizabeth Daly

2. The Blessing Way (Leaphorn and Chee #1) by Tony Hillerman

3. Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom

4. The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish

5. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

6. The Marsh Madness by Victoria Abbott

7. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

8. Bonhoeffer by Erix Metaxas

9. This Tender Land by Willliam Kent Krueger

10. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon

11. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

12. Only Time Will Tell (Clifton Chronicles #1) by Jeffrey Archer

2023 Six Shooter Mystery Reading Challenge

In 2023, I shall be participating in the 2023 Six Shooter Mystery Reading Challenge hosted by Rick Mill’s Project.

The 2023 Six Shooter Challenge is now open! Your goal is to shoot (read) six mysteries by the same target (author). You get one notch on your gun for each target completed. After your first target completion, you get bonus points for each additional notch. Unlike many reading challenges, reading more books may not necessarily help your score. Scores are not based upon quantity, but rather strategy in reaching your target(s). There is no advance signup for this challenge, just read the General Information page and then submit your shot.

Notch #1: Lorna Barrett

1. A Just Clause *A Booktown Mystery #11)
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Notch #2: Miranda James

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Notch #3: Ellery Adams

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Notch #4: William Kent Krueger

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Notch #5: Dame Agatha Christie

1. Sad Cypress *Hercule Poirot)
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Notch #6: Charles Finch

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Notch #7: Ellis Peters

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2023 Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks Reading Challenge

In 2023, I will be participating in the 15th Annual Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks Reading Adventure.

The goal is easy – Read 52 Books.  We don’t any set reading lists so how you get there is up to you. However, we do have a variety of challenges including weekly, monthly mini challenges, annual and perpetual challenges to entice your reading taste buds   If you aren’t up to 52 but want to join in, you can set your own goal.  

Week 1- A Just Clause (A Booktown Mystery #11) by Lorna Barrett

Week 2 – Sad Cypress (A Hercule Poirot Novel) by Dame Agatha Christie

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Read Christie 2023

In 2023, I will be participating in the Read Christie 2023 Reading Challenge hosted by The Home of Agatha Christie (#ReadChristie2023), in which one novel will be read each month that focuses on methods and motives in Agatha Christie stories.

January – Sad Cypress, a Hercule Poirot Mystery (Theme – Jealousy)

February – Partners in Crime, a Tommy and Tuppence Short Story Collection (Theme – Blunt Object)

March – The Moving Finger, a Miss Jane Marple Mystery (Theme – Anger)

April – Sparkling Cyanide, a Colonel Race Mystery (Theme – Poison)

May – TBR (Theme – Betrayal)

June – They Do It with Mirrors, a Miss Jane Marple Mystery (Theme – Gunshot)

July – Evil Under the Sun, a Hercule Poirot Mystery (Theme – Love and Lust)

August – Death Comes as the End (Theme – Fall from a Height)

September – Appointment with Death, a Hercule Poirot Mystery (Theme – Hatred)

October – TBR (Theme – Stabbing)

November – Endless Night (Theme – Greed)

December – Sleeping Murder, a Miss Jane Marple Mystery (Theme – Strangulation)