January's Featured Cozy Mystery

Ill-Fated Fortune

Book One in the Magical Fortune Cookie Series of Novels

Ill-Fated Fortune

Ill-Fated Fortune is the first book in the Magical Fortune Cookie series of mystery novels. The story features Felicity Jin, a third-generation Chinese-American who runs a magical pastry shop with her mom in Pixie, California.

The pastry shop, named Gold Bakery (Jin means "gold" in Mandarin Chinese), is situated in a small cul-de-sac downtown with two other shops, Love Blooms (owned by Felicity's best buddy Kelvin) and Paz Illuminations (owned by Felicity's godmother Alma Paz).

Gold Bakery specializes in a very small selection of curated treats. They sell two perfected recipes: Grandma's puffy pineapple buns and Mom's creamy Egg Tarts. Felicity runs the cash register but has never given up hope that she, too, will develop the magical power possessed by all women in the Jin family.

The Jin ladies have the ability to spread supreme joy through baking. When people eat a Jin treat, they are overwhelmed by a feeling of temporary bliss. Unfortunately, the special family gift seems to have skipped Felicity...until now. After twenty-some years of trying to create a magical treat, Felicity accidentally crafts a couple of yummy handmade fortune cookies with enchanting possibilities and a hint of happiness.

Felicity starts selling the fortune cookies at Gold Bakery. When she sells a cookie with a personalized (and ill-fated) fortune to a customer who dies not long after, Felicity becomes suspect #1 in the eyes of the police. To clear her name and turn her luck around, she must find out what really happened to the unfortunate customer.

Reasons to Read Ill-Fated Fortune

There are so many good reasons to read Ill-Fated Fortune. It is well-written, sweet, and suspenseful. Author Jennifer J. Chow perfectly handles the mix of mystery and magical realism. The magic adds to the plot but certainly doesn't fix all the problems. In fact, it helps to create conflict, which is an interesting twist.

As with all of Jennifer J. Chow's cozies, Ill-Fated Fortune is characterized by accessible, compelling, and character-driven storytelling. The characters have relatable personal and familial dilemmas and relationships with real emotional depth. The plot explores complex family dynamics and deeper topics like identity struggles and the challenges of navigating two cultures.

Ill-Fated Fortune features a great selection of characters, including (but not limited to) the smart and resourceful sleuth and her family and friends (a loving mother, a fun and likable bestie, and a shrewd and hilarious godmother). Partway through the book, a special character appears at the Jin residence during a full moon. This instantly lovable character is a sweet and funny scene-stealer and helps to make this delightful cozy even more charming.

Ill-Fated Fortune also contains delightful streaks of humor, delectable food descriptions, and a suspenseful mystery that will keep you guessing until the final reveal. The story is capped off with a yummy recipe at the end so you can make your own magic at home after reading the book.

If you enjoy audiobooks, you may want to consider listening to Ill-Fated Fortune. The audiobook version is read by award-winning narrator Catherine Ho.

Ill-Fated Fortune Reader Reviews

Here are a few quotes from readers who have read and reviewed Ill-Fated Fortune by Jennifer J. Chow:

Fun Fact About Ill-Fated Fortune

Ill-Fated Fortune was inspired (in part) by a visit to a real-life fortune cookie factory. Learn more about the factory and the visit in this article written by Jennifer J. Chow for CriminalElement.com: Behind the Fortune Cookie Factory.

Other Books in the Magical Fortune Cookie Series

Star-Crossed Egg Tarts

Star-Crossed Egg Tarts is the second novel in the Magical Fortune Cookie series.

In this book, Felicity Jin is tasked with catering an outdoor wedding at Pixie Park. She is making a “cake” out of tiered trays of her mother’s enchanted egg tarts.

But not everything goes to plan. A body is discovered under the egg tart display, and the cops start looking at Felicity’s best buddy Kelvin.

Felicity immediately begins sleuthing in hopes of helping Kelvin and finding out who really disrupted the Lum-Wu wedding.

Star-Crossed Egg Tarts is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.

Cozy Crime Reads Interview With Jennifer J. Chow

To learn how Jennifer created the plot, characters, and setting for Ill-Fated Fortune and her other mysteries, check out this fun Cozy Crime Reads interview with Jennifer J. Chow.

Recipe From Jennifer J. Chow

You can find an amazing Jin recipe at the end of the Ill-Fated Fortune novel. But if you'd like a reading snack right now, check out this recipe for Auspicious Almond Cookies from Jennifer J. Chow.

The Sassy Cat Mysteries by Jennifer J. Chow

Other Books, Short Fiction, and Articles by Jennifer J. Chow

Jennifer J. Chow has written several cozy mystery series, including the:

• Magical Fortune Cookie Novels

• L.A. Night Market Mysteries

• Sassy Cat Mysteries

• Winston Wong Cozy Mystery series (written as J.J. Chow)

Jennifer has also written stand-alone novels and short fiction for anthologies and magazines. She blogs about writing at www.ChicksOnTheCase.com. You can learn more about her and sign up for her free newsletter at www.jenniferjchow.com. You can also connect with her via social media on Facebook and Instagram.

Jennifer J. Chow Cozy Mystery Bookshelf

Use the arrows on either side of the images below to see cozy mystery books written by Jennifer J. Chow. Click on the image to see the book on Amazon.