This series came up in WSIRN, because it’s set in Singapore.

It was an unusual mystery - the clues and solutions are figured out mostly by talking to people. Aunty Lee talks to everyone - to Vallerie, to Josephine, to the police (Salim and Raja), to Nina. She didn’t give away much about what she was thinking, but it was pretty clear what she had in mind. I caught on when Aunty Lee and Nina called the Woons in LA - the attorneys that were helping Allison with her will, and were so attached to Vallerie (how could that be, given how crazy Vallerie was in Singapore?!)

And it was a twisty plot - Allison/Vallerie, Dr Kang and Brian are murdered, there is the fire at the vets office, Vallerie’s unwillingness to help the investigation. It was a fun read, and I liked Aunty Lee. ( )

I love Cozy Mysteries, especially ones that are set in specific locales. I tend to read any I can find that are set in San Francisco, New Orleans, France, Scotland, Ireland or England. Never having been to Singapore, I can only assume that Chilled Revenge has an accurate description of that city-state. What I know is that it gives an accurate enough description of the food scene there that I want to try all the dishes described. Oh, and the mystery is good too. I loved this book so much I read it twice, and thought I'd already written a review of it. My bad. If you like cozy mysteries set in exotic locales, you'll love this book.

The third book in Aunty Lee's culinary and sleuthing adventures is another delight. ( )

Aunty Lee's Chilled Revenge is the third book in the Singaporean mystery series. Keep in mind, while reading this review, that I haven't read the first two in the series. I'm also not generally a big reader of cozy mysteries, so this was a bit outside the box for me. That being said, I actually enjoyed this very much! Rest assured that this is an excellent standalone novel.

Aunty Lee is one of those characters who is instantly likable. She's that incorrigible family member that everyone loves, but also has a tendency to be a bit nosy. Which, of course, makes her the perfect character for a story like this. I loved Aunty Lee, and her amateur sleuthing. She was definitely my favorite part of this story. Even though this was the third book in the series, I didn't feel like I missed out on one bit of her personality, which was great.

I can't say the same for the other main characters though. This isn't the book's fault, obviously. Coming in after the initial book is always a gamble. However, that was one of the things that made me a bit wobbly with my foothold in this story. Aunty Lee is an extremely clever, and well drawn out character. So it was just a tiny bit frustrating not to feel that same way about all the characters she interacted with, especially since they were so close to her. The good news is that it makes me want to read the first two!

As for the story itself, it was a perfectly paced mystery. It kept my attention extremely well, throwing out little bread crumbs here and there to keep me following the same path as Aunty Lee. I got a good feel for the way she does things which, well, let's just say that it isn't always exactly orthodox. It was interesting to watch her interact with people, and see the little pieces of her culture thrown in with the standard sleuthing practices.

Overall, this was a pretty solid read! I can attest that this is fine as a standalone, although you'll probably end up like I did and want to go back and catch up on the first two. I enjoyed Ovidia Yu's writing, and I would absolutely come back for more. ( )

Just as good as the first two in the series!

Yu's characters remain vividly drawn, even fairly minor ones- to the point where I hope to see them in future episodes. The plot was very complex and intricate.

The sense of place, though, is probably the strongest component. Yu brings Singapore alive in my imagination, even though I've never been there or anyplace similar. While the descriptions of foods are enticing and make me see why Singapore is reputedly one of the world's top food destinations, her descriptions of the city itself, and life therein, are also wonderful.

My only quibble: there are a LOT of people to keep track of, and a list of who they are and how they're related at the beginning or end would be handy!

Very recommended! You could probably start here, but keeping everyone straight would be harder than if you start with #1. ( )