Chilly Comforts and Disasters

Raina Sun Mystery #9

by Anne R. Tan

Raina Sun is newly married and enjoying her role as the police station's unofficial pastry chef. When her husband bought a dilapidated old house on a steal, they are thrown into a whirlwind of construction activities with well-meaning relatives coming into town, permit issues, and a dead body behind the drywall of the living room.

With all construction activities at a standstill and her husband working overtime to help with the cash flow, Raina must solve this cold case to get her life back on track. With the help of the geriatric Posse Club, will Raina find the hidden killer after all this time or will she become the next victim?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy, Cozy Mystery

191 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 22, 2019

About the author

Anne R. Tan is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes the Raina Sun Mystery series, the Lucy Fong Mystery series, and the Cedar Woods Mystery series. Her humorous cozy mysteries feature Chinese-American amateur sleuths dealing with love, family, and life while solving murders. Her books feature diverse characters and relationships because everyone deserves to be an armchair detective.

A Note from Anne:

My books are my legacy to my children. Unfortunately, they would not grow up in the San Francisco Bay Area like I did. Without a cultural hub to keep the language and philosophies alive, our family would lose this part of our heritage in one generation. My children are visitors to this rich culture, just like my readers. At its core, I always felt Chinese culture is about family and community. I hope you’ll enjoy your time with Raina Sun, Lucy Fong, and their large dynamic family.

Thank you for supporting my art,

Anne R. Tan

Reviews

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series gets better as it goes. I'm happy that Rainy and Matt finally got married. Now they are buying their first home. Matt talks her into a fixer upper. It's is close to the Grannies, which finally sold her and the fact they get Blue to help. They had some major challenges in the remodel. Po Po decides to help by taken a sledgehammer to the wall to come down. Rainy convinced her to let Blue do it. When he pull it down a big bundle falls out. They discover that it a body. Now Rainy knows this will probably delay them and they could possibly lose the house because of the delay. When they get Joanna and Det Sokol to the case they would understand the deadline. But she finds out talking to Det Sokol, he doesn't care. So Rainy decides to solve the murder, of course with Po Po's help. What they discovers will turn some heads.
I loved it. It was a good mystery. Po Po was really kind of tame. She really is my favorite character in the books, then Rainy.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All these words of from my own opinion.

[Hsu Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest!
This was a great book !
Amidst the construction in her new house, Raina had to find a skeleton hiding behind the walls.
Go figure!
Now, it is a race against time to finish the remodeling + solve the case.
If she does not finish the remodeling on time, her house will foreclosure again.
Which means, that she had to wrap up this mystery case right away.
Matthew cannot help, because if would conflict of interest.
Now is up to Raina + Po Po to seek justice.
Loved the characters + the storytelling !
It has all the ingredients that you need for a great book!
I can't wait for the next book in this series.

[Debi Paglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite series! I love all of the crazy situations that Raina and Po Po find themselves in. And Po Po’s wardrobe choices are hysterical! The setting of the San Francisco Bay Area is lovely. The characters all have unique personalities. Their family traditions are very important to them. If you enjoy a good mystery with a lot of fun included, then you should read this series. Each book can be read as a stand-alone; but I would suggest that you start with Book 1, so you get to know what makes each of the main characters “tick”.

[Linda Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raina and her sidekick, Po Po are at it again! Raina is working on the house she and Matthew bought and finds a dead body in the wall! Who could it be? Will they be able to finish the work before their construction loan runs out? This hilarious story will keep you reading to the end! Hooray for Anne R. Tan and her great storytelling!

[Giizis · Rating 5 out of 5]

When ever I want to relax and enjoy a great book ! pick up on from Anne R Tan! I know three things. 1 - it will be great fun, 2 - it will have a great plot and 3 - it has a really satisfying ending. Chilly Comforts and Disasters did not disappoint! A married Raina Sun Wilder is even more fun! Thanks for such a treat.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm flying through this series and can't wait to see what happens next. Ann R. Tan never disappoints. No matter where Raina goes, she's sure to come across a body. Po Po never fails to fill my heart and keep me laughing.

[Joyce927 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always excited when another Rania Sun book is released. It's like catching up with old friends. Rania and Matthew have finally found a house that they feel will be perfect for establishing a family. It needs some updating, and a skeleton that has been hidden for thirty years is found in the studs of a wall they want removed. Because of personal involvement Matthew is prohibited from working on the case. Sokol, a vindictive, inept and lazy detective, is assigned to the case. Delays in the project can cause problems with completing the work on time so it's up to Raina and Po Po, with a little help from the Science Ninjas, to find a solution.

Since Gold Springs is such a small town it's not hard to find out who the victim was. Establishing a motive and identifying the killer is much harder to do. Although the detective is dragging his feet Raina continues to ask questions and piece together bits of information. I was surprised at the end to discover who was actually guilty, and Raina has to fight to escape the killer who was caught in the trap she set.

I especially enjoy the bits of Chinese culture Anne Tan includes in each of these stories. Her plots are always exciting, the characters are so well developed you feel they are real people and the writing keeps the reader engaged till the end. Each book is a stand alone mystery, but it's more fun to read them in order. I highly recommend her books for all mystery fans, especially those who don't want graphic violence, sex and bad language.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny comedy

Got busting laughter through the whole thing. As usual, the characters are just so great and they are just so hysterically funny.. Love all the twists and turns in this cute little mystery series.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

#9 - and I'm still enjoying the trials & tribulations of Raina Sun.

[Lyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the characters are well developed and believable- even the outrageous Po Po

[CONNIE BALTHROP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Raina and PoPo do it again. The stories just keep getting better.

[gowri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the change of pace with the cold case mystery instead of current mystery

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raina's grandmother, Po-Po, is back making mischief! Amateur sleuth Raina and her police detective husband have found the house they want, but it was a foreclosure and needs a lot of work. Including finding the identity of the body behind the drywall! Who is he? When did it happen? Whodunnit?
Lots of red herrings and other side issues, but it's another great read!

[Ying_ko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great entry in the series.

Poor Raina, she attracts bodies as a cow pie attracts flies. After buying a fixer-upper a body is discovered. Riana must find the killer in order to save their new house and battle with an incompetent officer. As usual the book has great characters, well-defined characters, and great humor. The book is well worth reading.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

PoPo is quite a handful- lucky for Raina.

A skeleton in the wall of her fixer upper threatens their schedule. If the remodel fails to be completed on time, the bank could foreclose.

Much like the Jewish practice of Shalom Bet, peace of the household, finesse and compromise are key to managing an independent minded husband and an extended Chinese family with traditional ideas about supporting each other and helping each other out in times of need.

This practice has put Raina in some sticky situations in the past, but should mean accepting help from PoPo and family to meet little extra fees and get good discounts on materials from Matthew’s half brother.

Finesse and judicious positioning of information are key.

Great fun with PoPo on board!

Neighbors in a small town might prove a bit harder to move and motivate.

Hopefully good energies can be restored to the house for Raina and Matthew - kids might be on the horizon someday. PoPo will be awesome at making that an even greater adventure.

[Kathy Brenzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in this series from this marvellous author. Raina and her new husband Matthew have bought a run down house with a view to renovating it and raising a family there. Work had barely began when human remains are found in a wall they were knocking down. All of a sudden things grind to a complete halt whilst the police investigate. Her husband can't be part of the investigation, as it involves his house, so a different detective heads up the case. This would be fine, except this detective didn't like either Raina nor Matthew, so he was slowing things down on purpose. The bank was being awkward in regards to finance and their money was running low. Raina and Po Po take up the case in hopes of getting things moving again with regards to the renovation. The problem was that the case was thirty years old and evidence would be hard to find. Raina had to succeed if she was to get the house of her dreams.

[Stephanie Villere · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Chilly Comforts and Disasters, book 9 of the Raina Sun Mystery series written by Anne R Tan. We can always count on Raina and Po Po to bring fun, mystery and a few spooky spots. Raina and Matthew bought a fixer upper of a house, but it seems to have a story of its own. Between construction delays, a local vandal and...could that be an evil spirit??, the repairs and renovations are taking longer that they planned. Can Raina and Po Po help solve the new mystery and the old mystery? Who wants to live with a skeleton? How much feng shui will this house need? Don’t miss this exciting new story that takes place after Raina and Matthew are married! Will there ever be a “happily ever after”?

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raina & Matt are newly weds! Yay! ( I have been waiting or them to get on with it for the longest time) and they have bought their first home, a fixer-upper. Of course, Po Po is at hand to help, but when she decides to take a wall down, she brings down more than they had bargained for.

I can so see how things can go pear shaped once Po Po gets involved and I had to suppress a giggle because it was almost inevitable that Po Po would be involved if a skeleton shows up. But who can resist Po Po, she is the very best. Another great mystery from Anne R Tan. I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

[Kaer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed all the books in this series so far and this one was no exception. Matthew and Raina buy a house that needs a lot of work and to pay for it Matthew starts working overtime and taking on more out of town work. This leaves Raina and Po Po to get the work done and they discover what was left behind by the previous owners. There was less humour in this story than the previous ones but I found that the story was strong enough to carry on without it. The ending did leave a few loose ends that I am hoping will be tied off in the next book, but overall it was a very enjoyable read.

I recieved a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Maria-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Raina Sun Mystery

Anne R. Tan managed a smooth transition from single to married live for Raina. Dealing with some of the small changes when adjusting to married live.
Then we have home construction. Besides sickness nothing will stress the relationship more than living through construction of a newly acquired house and the financial problems that tend to accompany it. Add finding a skeleton inside the wall and you have the mix of an interesting story.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raina and Matt are buying their first house and it's going to be a fixer-upper. You know it's going to lead to murder but will Raina, with PoPo's help, solve it or will they lose the house. Another wonderful mystery with amazing characters that you will definitely love. I highly recommend this book.

[Cece · Rating 5 out of 5]

By this ninth book of the series the characters have become cherished family that we are excited to see again and have another adventure.  The author does not disappoint with bringing laughter through some of the schemes and sweet tender moments to warm the heart. i love this series!!!

[C.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think my favorite character is Po Po.

Many people have an eccentric relative. Po Po captures the joy and trials of a generous, loving but quirky family member.

[Mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun. Quick, exciting read. Gotta love PoPo!