by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and link to purchase it–you may not be able to see the Amazon link if you have ad blocker on.

Lana Lee is taking a break from her new career in Cleveland as the manager of her family’s Ho-Lee Noodle House and whisking off to attend a restaurant convention in Irvine, California. It’s admittedly a work vacation, but Lana is also going to be staying for free at her Aunt Grace’s rental property on Newport Beach’s Balboa Island. Inviting herself along for the adventure is Lana’s sister Anna May, who is basically using the trip to avoid having to deal with the situation of her not-yet-divorced boyfriend. Anna May doesn’t even wait for the plane to take off before making snappish remarks about her sister, ones mostly focused on Lana’s tendency for getting herself involved in police investigations. That’s not going to stop anytime soon, but this time it’s Aunt Grace who ends up asking for Lana’s amateur detective skills.

During her first visit to the convention, Lana witnesses a confrontation between a fortune cookie vendor and Nora Blackwell, Grace Richardson’s journalist friend. When Nora fatally falls from the top of a hotel roof Lana doesn’t hesitate to declare that Nora hadn’t been up there alone and that it may not have been an accidental fall. While the aspiring lawyer Anna May advises that both Grace and Lana keep their mouths shut and let the authorities do the work, the two women sharing the genetic trait of independence and free-spiritedness refuse to allow an injustice play out. So, while Anna May stress-relieves herself by cooking traditional Taiwanese dishes like Tsao mi fun, Lana wheedles her way into the home of Nora’s estranged husband, interrogates Nora’s co-workers, and even tracks down her possible boyfriend. Lana’s biggest challenge may be deciding whether to attempt to reign in her nature and follow in the more traditional lifestyles of her mother and sister or to accept her true self and follow in the footsteps of her unconventional aunt.

This ninth in the series takes Lana and Anna May out of Cleveland’s Asia Village and away from familiar characters, allowing more focus to fall upon the sisters’ complicated relationship. As much as Lana and Anna May resemble their aunt and mother, they don’t want to share their sibling estrangement. Despite having promised her boyfriend and family that she will not again risk injury through her investigations, Lana is finally ready to accept that her “nosiness” and need to help is just a part of her being. Although Anna May had previously seemed to have lessened her “helpful” criticism of her sibling, the uncertainty in her own life has not only revived it but amped it up to new levels. The mystery keeps evolving and shifting suspects as Lana discovers more information, making this another intriguing entry in this food-filled series. The real draw here though is the growth of these two young women, faced with whether to live up to others’ expectations or to forge their own paths.

Descriptions of delicious Asian cuisines and the sympathetic depiction of the struggle facing modern Asian women today make this a standout and very entertaining entry in a cleverly plotted, humor-filled foodie mystery.

To enter to win a copy of Misfortune Cookie, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “cookie” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen August 26, 2023. You must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.