Book Review: The Price of Honey (Deadly Ambition #1) by Liane Moriarty

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The Price of Honey (Deadly Ambition #1) by Liane Moriarty is an Amazon Original Stories short story scheduled for publication on April 1, 2026. This short mystery story opens with Honey Beckett riding in an Uber on the way to her husband’s funeral, struggling to process the shocking reality that he is actually gone. The situation feels surreal to her, and as she arrives at the service, the emotions surrounding the day only become more complicated. Honey ultimately decides she needs to sit with Barney’s previous three ex-wives, and the gathering of these women creates a moment filled with tension, curiosity, and one final sense of betrayal that ties them all together. Because I am an Amazon Prime member, I received a digital copy of The Price of Honey for free through the Amazon First Reads program . A huge thank you goes out to Amazon for providing the opportunity to read this short story early before its official release. Programs like First Reads are a great way for readers to ...
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Book Review: Misfortune Cookie (Noodle Shop Mystery, #9) by Vivien Chien

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Misfortune Cookie (Noodle Shop Mystery, #9) by Vivien Chien is a cozy mystery is about Lana, who is officially the manager of her family's restaurant, traveling to Irvine, California for a convention.  Her sister, Anna May, joins her on the trip, and they stay at their Aunt Grace's rental property.  When Lana witnesses an alteration between one of the convention vendors and a journalist, she's upset.  The trip is further soured when that journalist is murdered at an event that Lana, Anna May, and Aunt Grace are attending.  Who killed her?  Lana and Aunt Grace take it upon themselves to investigate.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the digital copy of an Advanced Readers Copy of Misfortune Cookie (Noodle Shop Mystery, #9) by Vivien Chien.  I was happy to be approved to read this book.  I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

At first, I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book as I had never read anything written by Vivien Chien, but I was glad that I did.  The author did a fantastic job of giving the reader a recap of the backstories for the reoccurring characters in such a way that it flowed flawlessly.  Because of this, the novel can be read as stand alone book.  With that being said, I sometimes felt like the conversations between Lanna and Anna May could be stilted at times, especially when Anna May was speaking.  It seemed too proper for a lack of a better word.  I really did like all three of the main characters though, even though I think we're not supposed to like Anna May.

One thing that drove me a bit bonkers was that Lana's mother called her in California at midnight, pacific time.  That would mean it's three o'clock in the morning in Cleveland, Ohio.  It seems a little unrealistic to me that her mother would be up at that time, even working in the restaurant business.

As for the murderer, a lot of the suspicion was thrown on the husband, but I really didn't think it was him.  My guess was that it was either the fortune cookie vendor or Ernest, the editor.  You'll have to read it for yourself to see if I was right or wrong.

However, the story was entertaining enough and held my attention.  Despite it being about murder, it was a lighter read because it doesn't have all the guts and gore that most mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels have. Four out of five stars is what I give Misfortune Cookie (Noodle Shop Mystery, #9) by Vivien Chien.

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