Gone to Hot Pot

Book 0: A Noodle Shop Mystery

by Vivien Chien

Genres: Female Sleuths

Synopsis

While Lana Lee is away at a restaurant convention, her friends at Asia Village do their best to keep things running smoothly in this behind-the-scenes look at the Noodle Shop Mystery world.

While Lana is away on a business trip, Megan Riley, best friend and roommate, is on doggie duty. Things between Kikkoman—Lana’s loveable black pug—and Megan go smoothly, except they both have a case of cabin fever, thanks to another treacherous Cleveland winter. When Megan comes up with the idea to take Kikko to Asia Village after a grooming appointment, she never imagined that the wrinkly little dog would disappear right under her nose.

Megan enlists the help of Kimmy Tran who is more than willing to help with the task. She even goes as far as naming their recovery efforts: Operation Pu Pu Plunder. Kimmy quickly involves—to Megan’s dismay—many Asia Village shop owners, employees, and even a few regular customers to assist in tracking down clues in search of Lana’s missing dog.

And though Megan begrudgingly appreciates the help of Lana’s beloved work community, she has just one rule for all of them: Don’t. Tell. Lana.

THE FIRST RULE OF OPERATION PU PU PLUNDER: DON’T TALK ABOUT OPERATION PU PU PLUNDER.

Release date: May 21, 2024

Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

Print pages: 55

Sample

Chapter 1

No sooner had I walked five hundred feet into Asia Village, than I hear a voice yell from behind me, “Megan Riley!” Without looking, I knew—based on the sheer volume alone—that the voice belonged to Kimmy Tran, my best friend’s other best friend. I groaned as I came to terms with having unsuccessfully dodged a run-in with Lana’s childhood playmate. And then immediately began calculating the probability that I could pretend as if I hadn’t heard her. The enclosed Asian shopping plaza was busy with people in search of the perfect holiday gift, but by no means was it packed. The likelihood of me escaping sight or getting lost in the crowd was less than feasible. Shame on me for thinking I could pass Kimmy’s family shop, China Cinema and Song, without being spotted.

“Megan!” she called again, this time with more gusto. “Hey, Blondie!”

Kikkoman, Lana’s black pug, wiggled in my arms. Her little pup and I were out galivanting to the groomer’s while Lana was basking in sunshine over on the West Coast in Irvine, California. Meanwhile, I was stuck bracing myself against the bitter winds of a December in Cleveland, Ohio.

Granted, she was there on business for a restauranteur convention, and she was stuck with her older sister, Anna May, who was no doubt nagging her every step of the way, so in that sense I wasn’t jealous of her trip. But if I told anybody just how long it took me to shovel my car out after the apartment property’s plow services buried my sedan, I think they’d agree that Anna May was the lesser of two evils.

Realizing there was no way out of talking to Kimmy, I turned around and put on my best Huh? Is someone calling my name? face.

Her thick, dark hair was swept together in a sloppy bun that wobbled as she walked. She always swore her carefree hair wasn’t intentional, but I’d caught her watching YouTube videos a while back on how to achieve the look. It always amazed me how much work us ladies put into appearing as if we hadn’t put in any work at all. “Geez, Blondie, I’ve been calling you since you passed the shop. You didn’t hear me?”

I raised a brow. “Oh, you were? I’m a little preoccupied, sorry.”

Kikko wiggled again in my arms, butting me in the chest with her head. She craned her neck forward and sniffed Kimmy, who extended a hand to help move along the process. Kikko sniffed her palm, gave it a lick, then grunted.

Kimmy snickered, wiping her palm on her pant leg. “Well, now that we’ve got the pleasantries out of the way, what are you two doing here?”

“Took a trip to see the groomer to get Kikko’s nails trimmed,” I said, holding up one of Kikko’s paws. “Thought I’d stop by Asia Village to get us out of the house for a while. We’re both starting to get cabin fever.”

Kikko snorted, and I took that as a sign of agreeance.

Kimmy curved her glossy, burgundy-painted lips in a sly smile. “Yeah right, cabin fever. I bet you’re really here for the massive end-of-year sale that Rina is having at the Ivory Doll.”

Unlike Lana, I had a great poker face and I imagined a halo of innocence hovering delicately above my blonde head of hair as I replied, “No, I didn’t even know about the sale. Plus why would I bring Kikko with me if that were the case?”

Okay, truth was, the dog-sitting thing hadn’t been going all that well. Kikko wasn’t very happy with Lana’s absence and had been leaving land mines of poop bombs all over our apartment. ...