ARC Review: Dim Sum of All Fears by Vivien Chien

“All those internal struggles are wonderful to have in a book to accentuate the main storyline, but the mystery felt buried beneath all that and never got a chance to shine. Things took too long to progress and as a result, the book really disappointed me.”
~ Under the Covers

I had some really high hopes for this book because the first one blew me away. So I was really excited to finally read the second book in the Noodle Shop Mystery series. What makes this book stand out is the fact that it features an Asian cast as well as a lot of traditions and cultural activities that celebrates Asian culture.

However, what made this book unique in the first place is also its biggest weakness here. Chien still writes a fun story however I felt like the focus of the book wasn’t the mystery. It was more of Lena’s personal struggles as well as anything and everything Asian that she could fit in.

As an Asian person, I greatly appreciate this focus. But so much time had to pass before the real plot of the story began. I really like Lena and can relate to a lot of her personal issues. But she comes across as very immature in this novel. It was to the point where I actually thought I was reading a Young Adult novel instead. All those internal struggles are wonderful to have in a book to accentuate the main storyline, but the mystery felt buried beneath all that and never got a chance to shine. Things took too long to progress and as a result, the book really disappointed me.

I am hoping a tighter pace will happen for the next book or even just a greater focus on the actual mystery of the story because I can see a lot of potential. But without the right kind of attention being made in all the important parts, sadly this book won’t shine with mystery readers.

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[about-author author=”Vivien Chien”]

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