Ratings5
Average rating3.9
Two cousins who start a food stall at their local night market get a serving of murder in this first novel of a delicious new cozy mystery series by Jennifer J. Chow, bestselling author of Mimi Lee Gets a Clue. When Yale Yee discovers her cousin Celine is visiting from Hong Kong, she is obliged to play tour guide to a relative she hasn’t seen in twenty years. Not only that, but her father thinks it’s a wonderful idea for them to bond by running a food stall together at the Eastwood Village Night Market. Yale hasn’t cooked in years, and she hardly considers Celine’s career as a social media influencer as adequate experience, but because she’s just lost her job at her local bookstore, she feels she has no choice. Yale and Celine serve small dishes and refreshing drinks, and while business is slow, it eventually picks up thanks to Celine’s surprisingly useful marketing ideas. They’re quite shocked that their bubble tea, in particular, is a hit—literally—when one of their customers turns up dead. Yale and Celine are prime suspects due to the gold flakes that Celine added to the sweet drink as a garnish. Though the two cousins are polar opposites in every way, they must work together to find out what really happened to the victim or the only thing they’ll be serving is time.
Reviews with the most likes.
Pretty enjoyable, but my enjoyment snuck up on me as I began to care about the main characters, Yale and Celine. The mystery was the better side of average. I'd be interested in other books in the series.
I really enjoyed this modern, urban take on a cozy mystery. The relationship between Yale and Celine was really sweet to see unfold!
I have to admit I had some reservations about Yale as a main character at first, because she comes across as very technology-averse in the first chapter, and I think in the past I've had bad experiences with MCs who were kind of holier-than-thou about technology use (or reliance, haha). But readers learn later that that's not at all where Yale is coming from, and she's actually a very endearing sleuth.
The mystery itself was a great puzzle, and the investigations definitely made me hungry for all kinds of tasty snacks! ;) Overall, a fascinating read great for a quiet afternoon.
Featured Series
2 primary booksLA Night Market is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2022 with contributions by Jennifer J. Chow.