Death by Bubble Tea

LA Night Market #1

by Jennifer J. Chow

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, 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.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Audiobook

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 5, 2022

About the author

Jennifer J. Chow writes multicultural stories. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

Her accolades include: Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, & Lilian Jackson Braun Award nominations; SoCal Indie Bestseller; Foreword Reviews INDIEFAB finalist; and Teen Vogue coverage.

Find out more and join her monthly newsletter on her author website.

Reviews

[PamG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jennifer J. Chow’s new cozy mystery focuses on family. Death by Bubble Tea is the first book in the LA Night Market series and features Yale Yee and her cousin Celine. Yale has just been laid off from her job at a bookstore when Celine arrives from Hong Kong. Not only is she expected to play tour guide to someone she hasn’t seen since she was ten, but her father wants the two of them to run a food stall at the Eastwood Village Night Market. Their bubble tea turns out to be a hit with customers, but later than night Yale finds one of their customers dead. Suddenly she and Celine are the top suspects, so they decide to play sleuth.

Yale and Celine have very different personalities. Yale loves to read, avoids driving by walking or using public transportation, doesn’t have a cell phone, and would have preferred living in the past. She categorizes personalities of the people she meets by using food characteristics. Celine’s parents are wealthy, and she is used to an extravagant lifestyle. She’s a social media influencer and used to things going her way. Readers get their backstories gradually. Despite their differences, it was fascinating to see how each of them grew and developed over the course of the novel. The secondary characters are culturally diverse and provide either support or conflict. However, who is the killer?

Despite a large number of characters, the characterization is done well and I had no trouble remembering who was who. The food descriptions and setting were well done. The dialogue flowed well and felt natural except in a couple of places. The story gradually builds momentum and there are numerous suspects. However, the pacing seemed too slow at times. I enjoyed the humor that was interspersed within the novel and thought the author’s take on the manner of death was original. However, the ending was a little abrupt. Themes included family relationships, community, grief, friendship, food, loyalty, and murder. At the end of the book are two recipes.

Overall, this was an engaging novel with humor, suspense, a lot of sleuthing, and a little action. If you enjoy sleuth mysteries, then I recommend that you check out this one. I am looking forward to finding out what happens in the next book in the series. Will Yale still be the lead character, or will it switch to another member of the Night Market?

Berkley Publishing Group and Jennifer J. Chow provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for July 5, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.



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Review coming during the week prior to publication per publisher guidelines.

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon.

[Tammie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was...fine. I think if you really like these food focused cozy mysteries this might be something you'd like. The writing wasn't great (especially the dialogue), and the main character was kind of insufferable. It was an easy read though, and not difficult to follow along, which worked well for my half functioning brain this week while recovering from being sick. I can't say I'll be checking out more books from this author personally, but I don't think this was objectively the worst book ever.

[Hope · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - I cringed through 60 pages of this book, set it down, and dread picking it back up again.

The main character is unbelievable to me (shied away from using the computer at the library because she already did once this week). If she came from a culture where this was the norm, I might have found it more interesting, but she just hates/doesn't understand technology. It makes her come off as incredibly flat and immature, not to mention how unrealistic that is when everything now requires you to have a phone number (she uses public phones).

Her relationship with the main side character is also flat - a classic, "she always looked pretty and I was jealous of that, so I can't stand her now," girl vs. girl dynamic.

I picked up this book hoping for a good mystery and I barely even got to it. When it first got to some of the details about the first murder, I couldn't even believe that the MC would be the type to go looking for answers. She'd been portrayed that far as someone who wanted nothing to do with new or interesting things like mysteries.

Anyway, I guess there's a chance the book got better later, but I'm not going to waste my time finding out.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nancy Drew for Millenials

Cosy Murder She Wrote atmosphere with the Literary Narnia backdrop. The murder is a vehicle for exploring issues of family, cultural expectations, and food within Asian American communities. It’s a fun read, though seems to be geared more towards YA-NA than adult readers even though the protagonist, Yale is nearly 30.

I find non-lethal border wars of cultural claims interesting and often amusing—I had a friend expound to me the superiority of Serbian cabbages over Dalmatian cabbages. Needless to say, I like this:

“As opposed to a pretend boba beverage?” I said.
“Well, it is a Taiwanese drink, not a Cantonese one. And definitely not served alongside dim sum.” His face seemed to darken along with his mood.

I missed the Arcadia Night Market last weekend because it was too hot, but the book did inspire me to add to my list of potential LA outings.

[Paulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like cozies. This one has quite a few twists and turns, likeable characters and lots of promise for future developments. The book started slowly, in my opinion, but picked up once we got to the night market and then I couldn't put it down. I will definitely read the next book in the series.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death by Bubble Tea is written by a new to me author, Jennifer J. Chow. It is the first book in the L.A. Night Market cozy mystery series.
I enjoy reading cozies with animals and food in them. Now while this one doesn't have animals in it it has plenty of authentic and delicious sounding Asian foods and drinks that we are introduced to including Bubble Tea. Bubble tea most commonly is a tea accompanied with chewy tapioca balls. It has many flavors and varieties but the two most popular varieties are black pearl milk tea and green pearl milk tea, fruity flavors are very popular as well.
Yale Yee and her cousin Celine, visiting from Hong Kong at the suggestion of Yale's father run a food stand at the Eastwood Night Market. Now these cousins haven't seen each other in over twenty years and have very different personalities
Celine has the brilliant idea to add a gold garnish to the bubble tea to make it more photogenic because she is a food influencer. It works and brings in lots of customers after this. But then one of their customers turns up dead after hours at the Night Market.
While every chapter is not nonstop action we are introduced to many characters. Are the cousins the guilty party or is it one of the many characters we meet who seem to have a motive for the killing? This kept me reading and guessing right to the end.
I will be looking for more in this series as they release.

Pub Date 05 Jul 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

[Jennie Damron · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover is amazing! I admit it's what drew me in to check out this book on Libby. This takes place in Southern California and is set around a night market. Yale and her cousin Celine run a stall that sales Bubble Tea and cold Appetizer type foods. I loved the vibes of this book and learning about the culture and family dynamics. Of course someone gets murdered and the glass found near the body looks an awful like the one Yale used to serve their Bubble Tea in. I am so glad I read this. It was fun, fast paced, and I loved the characters. Can't wait to read the next one.

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yale Yee has just lost her job at a local book store. She is happy to learn that her cousin Celine will be visiting from Hong Kong, and that Yale's dad, who owns a local restaurant, would like the two women to be in charge of a stall at the new local night market. Celine, an Instagram food blogger, seems at first like just a high maintenance woman, but the cousins decide to work together when there's a death at the night market, and they are suspects. I liked that most of the characters were Asian (though I wished the police detective was, too), the descriptions of food (with recipes), and the southern California setting. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet two cousins that make a perfect odd couple. One is watching her pennies and stunted by mourning. The other is carefree and fits in with Crazy Rich Asians. When they have to staff a food stall at a seasonal night market, the pair find murder, friendship, and a future. This is a heartfelt start to a wonderful new series. If the dim sum and delicacies don't satisfy you the twisty mystery will.

I read an advance copy from the publisher.

[Katie T]

Dnf 15%
Something about the writing makes me nauseous.

[Skye Chanel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sweetest, coziest, hunger-inducing book!

I really enjoyed this and cannot wait to read the next one! 10/10 recommend and so glad this was my first offices cozy mystery read!

[ChrissiesPurpleLibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the best cozy mysteries I have read. Loved the setting of LA Night Market, food descriptions and the bookish main character. I had so much fun! Unputdownable
I need the next book yesterday! I think this is a great entry into the cozy mystery genre. Amazing time! 💯

[Carmen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yale helps her dad out at his Chinese restaurant in LA. Her dad had the idea of opening a food stall at the night market, and asks Yale to manage it. Then her dad drops a surprising bomb that her annoying and spoiled cousin Celine will be staying the summer with them. Yale hasn't seen Celine for years, with Celine's last trip ending on bad terms. They now have to work together at the night market and put their differences aside. After the first night, Yale stumbles upon a dead body. It turns out to be Jordan Chang, a semi-famous local foodstagrammer. Yale and Celine become primary suspects as it turns out Jordan was poisoned, and she had drank their bubble tea before her death.

I had a lot of trouble getting into this book and finishing it. I loved the constant mention of dim sum in Cantonese, which you don't see often. That was the only small part I liked. Yale was very unlikeable and strange to me. She was extremely judgemental of her cousin Celine, whom we're supposed to see as a spoiled air-head. But I actually liked Celine more. I skimmed through a lot of the book and stayed for the murder reveal which was lackluster. I was hoping for another comfortable Chinese cozy mystery series like the Noodle Shop Mystery, but I'm not sure if I'll continue this series. I also didn't care for the author's previous cozy mystery series, Sassy Cat series or something, so it could be that this author isn't for me personally.

[Genres and Journals *Tia* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and cozy mystery that had me craving everything from pupusas to dim sum. I also enjoyed that this focused on two female cousins trying to solve the mystery and that we got to see their relationship evolve throughout the course of the book.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this series much more than the other one. I love night markets (or markets of any kind where I can get lots of snacks) so I was looking forward to reading this one. I enjoyed the relationship between Yale and her cousin, Celine, and the setting, while in the same city, is much different. The descriptions of the food made my mouth water. The pacing was a little off and tended to drag in the middle but it could just be because it's the first in the series. The mystery itself was interesting and kept me guessing. I will definitely continue on with this series.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely fantastic read, cover to cover.
Yale Yee is what you might call a quiet, "quirky" girl, living a luddite life in West L.A. not far from her father and the Dim Sum restaurant he runs, Wing Fat.
Her quiet life is upended when her glamorous cousin Celine drops in from Hong Kong for the first time in twenty years and helps her run a food stand for her father at the local Eastwood Night Market.

Los Angeles isn't the typical quaint, small town setting you tend to find in a cozy.
However, with the closeness of the community Yale lives in, that doesn't make too much of a difference.
It also opens up more possibilities for future books since you don't have to deal with killing off a fifth of your town's population over time...
I really enjoyed the writing style in this book. I thought the characters had depth and felt like real people; I could hear the conversations flow very naturally in my head. I 2 or 3-star a lot of cozies for falling short there.
While I thought some of the proposed motives in the case were implausible, it wasn't anything notably outlandish for the genre.
Readers who love reading vivid descriptions of foods they might be unfamiliar with are in for a treat. I think I need to find a Cantonese restaurant ASAP, though that might be out of reach from where I live for a while.
Also, I was so excited to see that the author did include recipes!

Readers who like a family-focused cozy will love this one. I'd say it's sort of in the same vein as Abby Collette's ice cream shop series, though the MC doesn't have a host of siblings like Bronwyn does.

I have one very strong opinion about what should happen in the second installment of the series...
Yale Yee needs a cat!!
Can't wait to read Hot Pot Murder!!

******** very vague spoilers **********

The book wasn't entirely without flaw.
The culprit did the "Let's stall by me explaining how I'm going to harm you" thing, and I thought their intent was confusing. So it was an accident? ....An accident you're happy about? What?
I thought Nick Ho was a little over the top aggressive for no real reason.
The roommates are also a little to quick to fall for a lot of the MC's tricks at times.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death by Bubble Tea Earns 5/5 Gold Flakes…Engaging Cozy!

Yeah, Jennifer J. Chow, for a page-turner first book in her L.A. Night Market Mystery series! With a clever mystery, rich in cultural references, she has two cousins, Yale and Celine, reuniting after not having seen each for decades. Yale’s memories of the last time they were together greatly differ from Celine’s which adds to the reticence she feels about the reunion. Yale’s father, however oblivious to past conflicts, suggests a bonding moment for the two women: manage the Eastwood Village Night Market food stall celebrating the family’s restaurant Wing Fat. The event starts out with an immediate disagreement over Celine changing the name of the stall that could mislead the guests and providing bedazzled chef jackets to wear. However, Celine’s social media marketing savvy and light bulb glasses in which to serve “bubble tea” turns it all around…to murder! From distant relatives, opposite in personality and temperament, to amateur detectives working in tandem to solve the murder, it’s what the pair learns about family that adds to their success.

This first book is a new favorite with insights into Asian culture woven through a murder mystery with too many suspects to land on one too soon. Her writing slowed a bit to provide time to introduce key characters, explain connections, and set up the journey the two cousins would be taking, but it evened out with a satisfying ending. Her writing style is descriptive in the narrative to make real the environment and a diverse set of personalities (some endearing, some annoying), and using a unique technique to comparing some personalities to Asian foods making me ponder what food am I… Don’t overlook the recipes included as a final treat: Grapefruit Green Tea with Boba (sans the light bulb glass) and Spicy Cucumber Salad.

Disclosure: I received an ARC from Berkeley Prime Crime thru NetGalley. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.

[Amanda (BookLoverAmanda) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death by Bubble Tea is first in a new cozy mystery series! What a fun, clean cozy mystery that will also work up the appetite! When 2 cousins, Yale and Celine, start a food stall at their local night market, the last thing they expected to receive was a murder victim!

The story kicks off in LA with Yale losing her job at a local bookstore while being thrown in as a tour guide for her cousin, Celina who is visiting from Hong Kong after not seeing her for 20 years. With Celine’s social media and marketing experience, the two decide to work together in a food stall service small dishes and drinks. Their bubble tea is a big hit!

So when the girls are working their local night market and discover one of their customers end up dead, Yale and Celina become the prime suspects because Celine had the bright idea to add gold flakes to their drink as a garnish.

The two ladies work together as the sleuths in this story to clear their name in this wild mystery!

I had such a great time with this. I loved the literary references, with nods to Pride and Prejudice! Also found it entertaining to see Yale’s old school ways of not using a cell phone or driving and her cousin being the total opposite as a social media expert!

Another great thing in this book is the FOOD! Such great culturally rich foods!

If you love a good food cozy, this is for you! Bonus if you’re a bubble tea lover!

[Olivia Blacke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I found out that one of my favorite cozy authors, Jennifer J. Chow, had a new series set in a L.A. Night Market, I've been excited about DEATH BY BUBBLE TEA --- it was everything I'd hoped for and more!

Cousins Yale Yee and Celine are serving up delicious Bubble Tea and cold plates from the family dim sum restaurant to Foodstagrammers and other foodies when a murder at the brand new night market puts the wrong kind of spotlight on local restaurateurs. 30-something Yale is a technophobe and her Hong Kong cousin is a food blogger. Together they form a great crime-solving team as they dodge dangers while circling in on the suspect.

[Naja · Rating 3 out of 5]

number of times I drank bubble tea while reading this book: 2

number of times the main character had a bubble tea in this book: 0

kinda cute but has the usual very superficial writing and the main character was annoying like at least 60% of the time.

[haddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

these food-centered cozy mysteries are obvi not for me bc i was taking a shot every time these damn girls got food

“how about we do a food delivery agai-“ *STOMP*
“wanna meet us for food-“ *SLAP*

[MK ( MaKayla) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rtc 🥰

[K.A. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

DEATH BY BUBBLE TEA is the first book in the brand new LA Night Market series by Jennifer J. Chow. There is so much that captivated me from the very start, from the surprising setting of Los Angeles, which Ms. Chow manages to make feel like a small community, to the food—oh my, the food!—to the protagonist’s family and culture, to the intriguing murder. With fascinating characters and action packed into the story, I couldn’t help but turn pages to find out what happens next. The protagonist, Yale Yee, is one of those characters who seem shy, withdrawn, and full of self-doubts in the beginning (what twenty-something-year-old eschews cell phones and social media and instead immerses herself in a failing bookstore and Jane Austen?). But, as the stakes mount, she finds the inner strength to overcome the obstacles that face her. I appreciated the character growth over the course of the book, especially when Yale is faced with her super successful, famous cousin, Celine. Charged with entertaining and then working with her cousin at a night market food stall representing her father’s restaurant, the theme of ‘family is everything’ is woven throughout, despite Yale’s misgivings.

The attention to cultural details in the book and to the well-plotted mystery makes the story flow. The reader is taken on a culinary journey as Yale tries to make sense of a murder after someone consumes her cousin’s bubble tea concoction. I greatly enjoyed how Yale uses food to entice (or perhaps coerce) potential suspects to reveal their secrets as she tries to prove her cousin’s innocence. Despite their polar opposite personalities, the two cousins work to find common ground and understanding in their quest to find the murderer. This adds a depth of emotion to the story and you can’t but hope that the tragedy will help the two cousins find lasting friendship and that future books in the series will continue to feature them both. The unique murder weapon was well thought out and added intrigue to the plot, making it difficult to guess the culprit from the myriad of suspects. With a hair-raising conclusion, the clues fell into place, along with a desire to find out what happens next to Yale and her family!

Did I mention the food? Not only does Ms. Chow showcase her Chinese cultural dishes but also touches on dishes from other ethnicities throughout the storyline. You’ll be drooling over all the descriptions and will leave you with the desire to take out your passport and book a culinary tour. There are a couple of recipes at the back of the book for the home cook to try.

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Kate Lansing · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

I absolutely adored this cozy mystery. The dynamic between Yale and Celine was fantastic, not to mention the fun and unique setting and ALL the delicious food descriptions (I'm still craving dim sum, btw). Already eagerly anticipating the next installment!

[Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this first installment of the LA Night Market Mysteries series, we meet Yale and Celine, two cousins begrudgingly forced to work together to help out Yale's father's restaurant. Things go a bit lopsided though when one of their customers ends up dead - and rumor has it that it's from possibly being poisoned from their specialty drinks! The question becomes can the cousins put their differences aside to clear their names?

Death by Bubble Tea does what every good first installment in a new series does - it gives us background development of our main characters, sets the scene of where this series will grow and unfold, and an intriguing murder to propel the story forward. While the murder mystery was entertaining, this story seemed to be centered more on the relationship between Yale and Celine as well as their individual growth throughout the book. This was certainly nice, but I found myself having issues with the pacing of the story. The pace of the mystery seemed to be moving at a snail's pace as no new developments happened and the investigation somewhat fizzled. I appreciate Chow's development of her characters and focus on family dynamics. It just wasn't balanced well with keeping the mystery engaging for me.

[Shu Wei Chin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much fun!
I have always been curious about the cozy murder mystery genre, and this one, with bubble tea in its title, had all my attention when I first found it. A BIPOC cozy murder mystery? Absolutely yes!

[Caitlyn DeRouin · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh this was SO fun! can't wait for the next book in the series