Blog Tour (Review & Giveaway): Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials by Ovidia Yu

Title: Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials (Singaporean Mystery #2)
Author: Ovidia Yu
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (HarperCollins)
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Acquired Via: TLC Book Tours
Rosie “Aunty” Lee, the feisty widow, amateur sleuth, and proprietor of Singapore’s best-loved home cooking restaurant, is back in another delectable, witty mystery involving scandal and murder among the city’s elite.

Few know more about what goes on in Singapore than Aunty Lee. When a scandal over illegal organ donation involving prominent citizens makes news, she already has a list of suspects. There’s no time to snoop, though—Aunty Lee’s Delights is catering a brunch for local socialites Henry and Mabel Sung at their opulent house.

Rumor has it that the Sung’s fortune is in trouble, and Aunty Lee wonders if the gossip is true. But soon after arriving at the Sung’s house, her curiosity turns to suspicion. Why is a storage house she discovers locked? What is the couple arguing about behind closed doors? Where is the guest of honor who never showed up?

Then, Mabel Sung and her son Leonard are found dead. The authorities blame it on Aunty Lee’s special stewed chicken with buah keluak, a local black nut that can be poisonous if cooked improperly. Aunty Lee has never carelessly prepared a dish. She’s certain the deaths are murder—and that they’re somehow linked to the organ donor scandal.

To save her business and her reputation, she’s got to prove it—and unmask a dangerous killer whose next victim may just be Aunty Lee.

My Review

You can read my review of the first book, Aunty Lee's Delights, HERE.

Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials, like its predecessor, takes you on a culinary, mystery adventure in Singapore with everyone's favorite Aunty. There was not a moment while reading this book that I wasn't wishing I was planning a vacation to Singapore, having my mouth water thinking about the food, or snickering loudly at Aunty Lee's antics. I always come to these books for the visuals and then stick around for the mystery.

Part of why I love the Aunty Lee series so much is that I love the visual experience that I get. Not only are the covers of these books beautiful, but the descriptions are just as lovely. I could almost see in vivid detail the beautiful scenery described by Yu. She always took special care to describe the houses, food, and people in such a way that I could close my eyes and be there. Even though there was a murderer on the loose, Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials was literary escapism at its finest.

I don't read a lot of what is considered to be "cozy" mysteries, so I can't speculate as to whether this is one. I assume so, as there isn't a lot of suspense or tension in the story. That being said, the mystery isn't what sucked me into Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials.

If you're looking for a light, fun read that will make you ravenously hungry, I recommend picking up Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials. There is fun characters and good story that is hard to put down.

- 4/5 Stars -

Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound


About the Author





Ovidia Yu is one of Singapore’s best-known and most acclaimed writers. She has had more than thirty plays produced and is also the author of a number of mysteries. She received a Fulbright Fellowship to the University of Iowa’s International Writers Program and has been a writing fellow at the National University of Singapore.

You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.






Follow the Tour


Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials Tour Schedule

Tuesday, September 30th
No More Grumpy Bookseller

Wednesday, October 1st
I’d Rather Be At The Beach

Monday, October 6th
Kahakai Kitchen

Wednesday, October 8th
Book Dilettante

Monday, October 13th
Olduvai’s Reads

Tuesday, October 14th
A Bookish Way of Life

Thursday, October 16th
Tutu’s Two Cents

Wednesday, October 22nd
My Bookshelf

Thursday, October 23rd
Bibliophilia, Please

Friday, October 24th
Jorie Loves a Story

Tuesday, October 28th
guiltless reading
Giveaway

Since I enjoyed Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials so much, I'm giving away my copy of the book. To enter to win, all you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

US ONLY
Ends at 12:01am EST on November 6th
a Rafflecopter giveaway
To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received a copy of the novel from the publisher through TLC Book Tours in exchange for an unbiased review. It has in no way affected the outcome. All expressed opinions are awesome, honest, and courtesy of me.