Normally, I don’t talk about the books I don’t finish. But, I wanted to mention Vivien Chien’s Death by Dumpling because I read over half the book before giving up. And, I know I’m in a minority here because several others have mentioned how much they enjoy Chien’s Noodle Shop mysteries.
Death by Dumpling is Chien’s first cozy mystery set in Fairview Park, Ohio. At twenty-seven, Lana Lee is home working again as a waitress in her parents’ noodle house in Asia Village. When the cook who normally makes luncheon deliveries has a big order, Lana delivers lunch to Mr. Feng, the owner and landlord of the village. She’s just in time to see the end of an argument. But, Lana always got along with Mr. Feng, so she has a nice conversation. She’s shocked when the gossip flows through the village that Mr. Feng is dead, possibly poisoned by dumplings from Ho-Lee Noodle House.
When, Peter, the noodle house’s cook, is taken in for questioning, Lana drifts around until her roommate, Megan, suggest the two turn detective to find the real killer. And, Lana knows she doesn’t want to let either Peter or herself be blamed for the death.
I don’t know what it is about this book that bothered me. It even has a very closed set of suspects, people connected with Asia Village. It’s possible that Lana Lee seems like a sad sack to me, still moping over an old job and old boyfriend. She’s too immature at times. I was just ready to move on to another book, and dragged my feet with this one.
Vivien Chien’s website is https://www.vivienchien.com/.
Death by Dumpling by Vivient Chien. Thorndike Press Large Print, 2019. ISBN 9781432866853 (hardcover), 390p.
FTC Full Disclosure – Library book
I have to confess, I’m surprised at your reaction to the book. While It isn’t the best book in the series, I thought it was still better than most cozies. It’s even set in Ohio!
Still, one of the things I like about the series, is that many of the characters resemble people I actually know. I just went to Chinese New Year parties that could have taken place in one of the novels, only nobody died at the ones I attended, thank goodness.
Glen, I’m glad none of the people at your parties died, too!
This one just didn’t work for me. I was kind of surprised, too, since it was the first in a series, and, as you said, set in Ohio.
When I find myself saying to a protagonist in a book (any book, not just mysteries), “Why don’t you get it together, for goodness sake? What is your problem?,” then I know the author is not doing a good job of making the character appealing and/or creating a plot with realistic challenges. So, I stop reading. Sounds like that happened here to you, Lesa.
You’re right, Kim. That’s exactly what happened. I was just exasperated with the main character, and gave up on her. I did read the last couple pages to find out who did it, and it turns out, I really didn’t care.
I haven’t read it yet, the other ones are better. I wonder if it had to be with it being with her first book. The reason that I say that is that I recently read a very early book of Kristin Hanna and I gasped and rolled my eyes several times. It got close to soft porn! Then I did some investigating!
The earliest cover had a man kissing a woman on her neck while she looked overwhelmed with passion, her eyes closed. The cover of the book that I bought (it was cheap) had an empty rocking chair on a porch! I never read a Harlequin novel before but I felt like the author was writing them at that stage. I decided not to read any more of her earlier ones. The published date was 1993 and there scenes that I skimmed to find where they ended. She had come a long way by the time she wrote The Great Alone which I love.
I love Anne Tyler’s books too but I read an interview where she said she was ashamed of her earliest books, I read one of her very earliest and I couldn’t finish it. It was disjointed and hard to follow the story line. Anne Tyler did not want her earliest ones republished.
So maybe that is a part of it, Vivien Chen has improved over time but she has not written very many books. Her book, Misfortune Cookie was good, more developed and I cared about the characters.
It could have been, Carol, because it was her first book. Maybe she just hadn’t learned to develop her characters yet. As someone who reads for character, I have to have one to root for, and I didn’t with this book.
You’re right. It sometimes takes time for authors to develop their skills.
Lesa, I am sorry this didn’t work for you. I’ve read three so far and am enjoying them…but this last one wasn’t my favorite. Like they say, not every book is for everybody.
Totally agree, Sharon. This one just wasn’t for me.
Lesa, I just bought an e copy of Death by Dumpling to read on a train ride to NYC. Because it was a 7 hr ride I forced myself to finish it but, like you, the book just wasn’t for me. I know many of your readers have enjoyed this series so it shows that not every book is the right one for me. Who knows why? I’m thankful there are so many books out there waiting to be sampled. Also thankful that during the COVID lockdown I realized I did not have to finish every book I start. It’s OK to let it go.
It is okay, Susan, to let it go. I read much more than I normally would in a book I’m not enjoying because so many readers here do enjoy the series. But, I finally gave up. I’m sorry it was your seven-hour book on a train!
I’m glad you said this. I think it is important to say what we don’t like as well as what we don’t like. For instance, I hate when characters – especially characters we otherwise like – behave in a stupid “Had I But Known” manner for no believable reason, like Mercy Carr in Paula Munier’s THE NIGHT WOODS, or the way Kate Burkholder does in most of Linda Castillo’s books. It doesn’t make me hate the book, but it does cut down on my enjoyment of it sometimes,
If there is a main character you just don’t like, or can’t relate to, then yes, it is time to put the book down and move on to something else. This has happened to me a number of times. I won’t name names here (OK, Kat Colorado in Karen Kijewski’s series comes to mind first), but there are too many books to suffer through something you don’t like.
Exactly, Jeff!
You’re right, Jeff, and you’re right about the actions of both Mercy Carr and Kate Burkholder although I like both series. We’ll see what happens in the next books, especially the Linda Castillo one. I’m on the verge of quitting that series.
An aside: don’t know if anyone here has read them (and if you’ve mentioned or reviewed them here, I apologize for forgetting), but but I mentioned the Deadly Pleasures list of people’s Best of the Year lists in the new zine. There were two first mysteries, both by authors who had written YA books before but were now doing their first adult mysteries, that got the most attention and votes. Foolishly – because I already had several books from the library, and because I didn’t realize how quickly they’d come in – I put them both on hold at the library here and they both already came in, one the book and the other on the Cloud Library. So if anyone can recommend one or the other, these are the books, both of which sounded interesting:
Ashley Elston, FIRST LIE WINS
Amy Tintera, LISTEN FOR THE LIE
Anyone? Bueller?
Thanks.
Sorry, Jeff. I can’t help with that. But, perhaps those debut mysteries will be better because the authors have previous experience.
I have liked book series often, up to the point when I haven’t. Sometimes a series writer loses the reader with the same old situations and set ups, and not enough new material or new ways of keeping a reader interested.
You’re right, Harvee. I’m afraid Sue Grafton’s Alphabet series was one of those for me. I read them, no longer cared, and then picked them up willy-nilly when I liked the sound of a plot.