Hot and Sour Suspects, by Vivien Chien

"Life can be tough. You have to be tougher."

That line at the end of the epilogue really hit home with me after reading on and seeing the author's note to readers. She was undergoing treatment for cancer at the time of the writing and I have to think her words were as much for herself as readers. That made it all the more impressive that this mystery plot was a finely tuned and peopled by intriguing characters. This was my intro to the series and although I would have wished to have had a bit more insight into the dynamics that brought the friends together and their relationships, it worked well as a stand-alone. i had the wrong suspect pegged, I must admit, so it will keep you guessing. It'll also most likely keep you muttering at Lana to be a bit wiser. I mean, buying pepper spray is a good first step although, well, practicing with it a time or two would probably be a good idea before you need to use it.

I found it interesting that although the author didn't dwell on it, the subtle differences between cultures was touched upon. Lana is half Taiwanese, half English, living between the two worlds successfully, as she manages her family's Asian restaurant. She is pretty typical American in style and manner, however. Her boyfriend, true to cozy mystery form, it seems, is a police officer. He's the one in charge of investigating a murder in which her friend is a suspect. True to police custom, he's closed lipped about sharing information which, of course, frustrates Lana. She and best friend Megan set out to help and....well, that's all I'm saying.

There are countless red herrings and suspects, any and all of which seem plausible at times, even Lana's friend, much to her dismay. I hope to read more of Lana's adventures and get to know her friends and family better. Definitely an intriguing read.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC. I enjoyed my visit with Lana and her friends and family. As the author says via Lana, "...you have to take the moments you get and savor them for what they are."