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About this item
Highlights
- 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.
- Agatha Awards (Best Contemporary Novel) 2022 3rd Winner, Agatha Awards (Best Contemporary Novel) 2024 3rd Winner
- About the Author: Jennifer J. Chow is the Lefty Award-nominated author of the Sassy Cat Mysteries and the L.A. Night Market Mysteries.
- 304 Pages
- Fiction + Literature Genres, Mystery & Detective
- Series Name: L.A. Night Market
Description
About the Book
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.Book Synopsis
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.Review Quotes
"Yale and Celine's growing loyalty to each other, coupled with the warmth of Chow's prose, adds extra depth, just like the tapioca balls nestled in a glass of bubble tea."--New York Times Book Review "Jennifer J. Chow pens an evocative L.A. cozy seasoned with suspense, family drama, and a smart and engaging amateur sleuth. Death by Bubble Tea is a clever and cunning culinary mystery that is sure to leave readers satisfied but longing for another visit to the Night Market."--Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author "Delightful! Death by Bubble Tea is a cozy culinary treat that will tingle your taste buds and satisfy your craving for mystery. Filled with culture, family and food, Chow has crafted a whodunit that will keep you guessing. A great start to a much anticipated new series!"--Abby Collette, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Ice Cream Parlor mystery series "Appealing characters and the alluring setting of a night market make Death by Bubble Tea a delicious page-turner of a mystery."--Ellen Byron, Agatha Award winner and USA Today bestselling author of Cajun Kiss of Death
"As addictive as shrimp dumplings and sticky rice in lotus leaves, Jennifer J. Chow's Death By Bubble Tea will provide a delightful treat for lovers of culinary cozies. With its intrepid sleuth and vividly-drawn setting, this clever whodunit will have you greedily turning the pages for more."--Leslie Karst, author of the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari series "Chow cooks up a savory blend of cutthroat foodie culture, juicy red herrings, and warm family dynamics in this tasty series debut."--Shari Randall, author of the Lobster Shack Mystery series "Like salt and caramel, tea and tapioca, Chow's sleuthing cousins are the perfect odd couple...Death By Bubble Tea has a twist like a bao bun and is just as satisfying."--Raquel V. Reyes, author of the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series "Delicious treats, family drama, and a bit of murder are the order of the day for Yale Yee, the engaging and multilayered lead in Death by Bubble Tea. A fantastic series starter, I can't wait to see what else is in store for the Yee family and the Eastwood Village Night Market regulars. Don't forget to try the recipes at the end!"--Mia P. Manansala, author of Arsenic and Adobo "Death by Bubble Tea bubbles over with great characters, an intricate plot, a setting you'll want to move to, and oh, the food. I can't wait for the next book in this series."--Sherry Harris, Agatha Award nominated author of the Sarah Winston Garage Sale and Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon mysteries "Death by Bubble Tea is a delectable series debut with a pair of amateur sleuths that will steal your heart and leave you hungry for more!"--Kate Lansing, author of Mulled to Death "A tasty new cozy series! Yale Yee doesn't have high hopes about an upcoming visit from a spoiled cousin whom she barely knows. Even worse, when they work together in the highly original venue of a bustling night market, the cousins soon become murder suspects, testing the bonds of family. Author Jennifer Chow's food descriptions are not only mouth-watering but beautifully elegant."--Krista Davis, New York Times bestselling author of Murder Outside the Lines "Chow's choice to set the mystery in a night market is a stroke of genius."--BookPage "A deliciously fun whodunit."--Woman's World "A delicious exploration into family, culture, and above all, food...Chow gets so much right in this book, from the exploration of Asian cultures in L.A. to the growing relationship between the cousins. A fun start to a wonderful new series."--First Clue
About the Author
Jennifer J. Chow is the Lefty Award-nominated author of the Sassy Cat Mysteries and the L.A. Night Market Mysteries. The first in the Sassy Cat series, Mimi Lee Gets A Clue, was selected as an Overdrive Recommended Read; a PopSugar Best Summer Beach Read; and one of BuzzFeed's Top 5 Books by AAPI authors. She currently serves as Vice President on the national board of Sisters in Crime and is an active member of Crime Writers of Color and Mystery Writers of America. Connect with her online at www.jenniferjchow.com.Dimensions (Overall): 6.7 Inches (H) x 4.1 Inches (W) x 1.0 Inches (D)
Weight: .3 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 304
Genre: Fiction + Literature Genres
Sub-Genre: Mystery & Detective
Series Title: L.A. Night Market
Publisher: Berkley Books
Theme: Cozy, Culinary
Format: Paperback
Author: Jennifer J Chow
Language: English
Street Date: July 5, 2022
TCIN: 84776721
UPC: 9780593336533
Item Number (DPCI): 247-29-8751
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
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Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 1 inches length x 4.1 inches width x 6.7 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 0.3 pounds
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3.5 out of 5 stars with 2 reviews
100% would recommend
2 recommendations
Deadly Drink in the Dark
4 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
- 3 years ago
Yale Yee is not thrilled that her cousin, Celine, is coming for a visit and even less thrilled when her father suggests the two of them work together to represent his restaurant at the new night market in her neighborhood of L.A. However, she is will to admit by the end of the first night that things went well. That’s before she finds a dead body on her way back to her apartment. The young woman is lying next to one of the distinctive glasses that Yale and Celine served their drinks in, so the police zero in on them as their prime suspects. Can Yale figure out what really happened? Like many firsts in series, this one has to do a juggling act of introducing characters and setting while also getting the story going. It does a good job, especially since some of the things introduced early on do come into play later. The pacing did lag a little in the middle before we reached the logical solution. The characters did a few things that felt like they were more plot driven than coming from real characterizations. On the other hand, I really did like the characters and their relationships kept me reading. I found Yale’s aversion to technology interesting and fitting her character. Naturally, we get a couple recipes at the end of the book. I’m looking forward to visiting these characters again when the second book comes out.
A new culinary cozy mystery!
3 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
- 3 years ago
Death by Bubble Tea by Jennifer J. Chow is the debut of LA Night Market series. We meet Yale Yee who lives in Los Angeles, and her cousin, Celine who is visiting from Hong Kong. Yale’s father asks the pair to run his stall at the Eastwood Village Night Market which will feature some items that Yale has wanted her father to add to the menu of the family restaurant. Yale will do the food and beverages while Celine will be in charge of marketing and decorations. After a bumpy start, the evening turns out to be a hit. As Yale is walking home, her cart hits an obstacle near the fountain. It turns out to be a dead woman. Yale later learns that the victim has visited their stall at the market and purchased a drink. Yale and Celine find themselves at the top of the suspect list because Celine added gold flakes to the drink (without letting Yale know). The two cousins must work together if they are going to clear their names and restore the reputation of the Yee family restaurant. I like the concept for Death by Bubble Tea. There are few cozy mysteries that feature people of Asian descent. There are mouthwatering food descriptions (I really need to find a good Chinese restaurant in my area). I was not a fan of either main character. Yale and Celine are opposites. Yale avoids technology while Celine posts pictures of food and drinks on Instagram. Celine likes fashionable clothes and high-end everything. Yale is happy to wear comfortable clothing and work in the local bookstore. Yale loves books which I can relate to, but she is also a bit of Debbie downer. She is still mourning the loss of her mother and feels that her mother’s death was her fault. The reason why Celine had to depart Hong Kong was silly in my opinion. I did not feel it warranted banishment. The mystery had several suspects along with misdirection. The clues are subtle. You never know what detail might be important. The mystery can be solved before the reveal for those who are avid armchair sleuths. I liked that there was a complete wrap up. I did feel that the medical examiner should have been more on the ball. I know it is fiction, but there does need to be realism. Certain details did not track with the supposition. I was not a fan of Yale’s old high school rival. He is an obnoxious jerk (Yale should have told his mother what he was doing). I found the pacing of Death by Bubble Tea to be slow courtesy of the overly detailed descriptions. I liked Yale’s sweet father. He is a good man with a big heart. It was interesting learning about the night market. It sounds like quite a festival with the food, costumes, games, and socializing. Death by Bubble Tea was a mixed bag for me. Death by Bubble Tea is a culinary cozy with a brilliant beverage, night market magic, a poisoned ninja, a nasty nemesis, a determined detective, enticing nibbles, and a cold killer.