The Misfortune Cookie (Esther Diamond #6)

“The Misfortune Cookie is the sixth volume in Laura Resnicks urban fantasy series starring Esther Diamond, the not-yet-famous New York actress who has an uncanny ability to get mixed up in magical mysteries, which provides us with lots of zany adventures that are part mystery and part supernatural horror with a touch of rom-com added into the mix to spice things up.

The story is, for the most part, set in Chinatown in New York, with Chinese New Year just around the corner, and takes place about a week after the previous volume, Polterheist, which ended on Christmas Eve with a new twist to the will-they/wont-they relationship between Esther and NYPD detective Connor Lopez. Well, it wont be a big surprise to readers already familiar with these characters that Lopez has managed for the umpteenth time! to end up at the top position on Esthers fecal matter-list because, even a full week after those events, He-Still-Hasnt-Called ouch!

Desperate for some money in the pocket while still hoping for that one breakthrough role of a lifetime, Esther has resumed waiting tables at Bella Stella, the Italian restaurant which also serves as a mobster-hangout. Just when the New Year’s Eve festivities are in full gear and at the stroke of midnight, a raid by NYPD’s Organized Crime Control Bureau takes place. This leaves Esther out of a job and as icing on the cake, one of the leaders of the raid is – Connor Lopez. This leads to a hilarious confrontation, with Esther ending up in jail. Lopez uses a few tricks to get her free, but as she is still furious with him, this doesnt improve their relationship one bit.

True to his name, Esthers friend the semi-retired hit man Lucky Battistuzzi has managed to stay out of the hands of the police. As Lucky is co-owner of a funeral parlor in Chinatown, he holes up there, and its when he suspects that the recent death of a member of the Chinese tong may be caused by paranormal means that Esther gets involved. Before you know it, more people start to die, and the only clue seems to be a in chocolate drenched fortune cookie that each victim has opened just prior to meeting his fate. So its up to Esther, her friend Dr. Maximillian (Max) Zadok, the 350-year-old mage, and his Shetland-pony sized pseudo-canine familiar Nelli, to solve these murders.

As much as I like this series, there are a couple of reasons that kept me from awarding this the full five stars. Firstly, and most noticeable as it has become such a staple of the series, is that theres not much supernatural horror to be found in the pages of this book. Apart from the mystical dimensions of Lily Yees store, the only thing that stood out to me as being out-and-out paranormal was the scene in which Max conducts some tests on the cursed cookie. Secondly, Esther was way too much obsessing about Lopezs failure to call her. For me at least, all this whining started to grate, especially as this seemed so out of character for a very self-reliant woman like Esther.

Thirdly, theres way too much info-dump by the author. Shes done her homework on Chinatown (in fact, I would have taken her to task if she hadnt and wrote some glaring mistakes) but it needs to be an integral part of the story, not something that at times drags the story down to a virtual stand-still because its dumped on the reader by the bucket-load instead of in small doses. Fourthly, and I know, Lopez is a very skeptical police detective and this is part of what provides the comedy in this series, but this supposedly ace detective is so oblivious about the supernatural stuff thats been happening around him for six books now, its no longer believable by any stretch of the imagination.

While these are all minor quibbles, lumped together they are enough to make me withhold one star from an otherwise fun read. It does end with a great sequel hook so Ill be eagerly awaiting the release of Abracadaver, the next volume in the series. Judging solely by the title it is hopefully – a return to form, and its planned for publication in November 2014.

I am really loving this series. I started when the first book was published and look forward to each new installment with excitement. This newest book did not disappoint. I really love the main character Esther Diamond and her determination to make it as a professional actress in New York. She’s a fresh and energetic character unlike any other in the same genre. Upbeat and career oriented and with nothing supernatural about her, Esther keeps landing in supernatural related mystery stories and meets adversity and malicious spellcraft with a can do attitude and a commendable focus on her personal career as a working actress. She juggles her not quite mundane professional life with indulging her wild curiosity and innate sense of adventure by teaming up with immortal wizard friend Max to thwart various villainous plots and persons.

Esther loses her in between acting gigs standby job when pn New Year’s Eve, her now ex-boyfriend police officer Lopez busts the mob hang out that she works at as a singing waitress. It’s the final straw on the camel’s back for Esther as Lopez completely forgot to call or make any contact with her after their mad passionate get together on Christmas Eve. Esther gets a heads up from friend and psuedo uncle Lucky, a mob enforcer, who has gone into hiding in China Town, that something supernatural and deadly going on. Not only that, a rare off season acting job is available, which she pounces on with a dedicated focus of a girl who likes to be able to buy food and pay rent. Her acting job and the supernatural murder mystery involving death curses delivered via delicious fancy gourmet fortune cookies dove tail together nicely and provide pure entertainment.

It was a good solid satisfactory read. Esther is fun without being an idiot and well intentioned even while being a bit disaster prone. A girl dedicated to her craft (acting) but willing to step in and join battle against EVIL (with capitals) especially the supernatural kind. This is also a great holiday season read beginning on a New Years Eve (just a week after events of book one that ended on Christmas Eve) and runs through to Chinese New Year.

Poor Esther, with no job after Fensters and no word from her desire Detective Lopez she is not having a good end of year. But when her restaurant offers her a shift on New Years Eve, she jumps at it for the tips (a girl has to pay the rent and eat). But things go down when the NYPD comes on a raid with Lopez at the head, and she gives him an earful right in front of everyone (to the police’s and the familias enjoyment). But when Lucky (the semi-retired wiseguy, currently hiding in a Italian/Chinese funeral home) asks for her and Max’s help after a Chinese tong dies after opening a fortune cookie, they suspect Evil may be the cause. Can she juggle being in a indie movie, find the source of the cookies, and her feelings for Lopez together, especially when a cookie is targeted for him?

It has been a log time since I actually got to sit down an read a book in a day, and I literally ate this one. Laura Resnick keeps the series alive and flowing with entertaining characters, enjoyable scenes, and the one thing most important – the heart of her reluctant heroine. Reading Esthers rant to Lopez in the restaurant, to them talking about things shows that her characters are not one dimensional, but are always evolving – and with the ending as it was I can not wait until the next book and see how things progress. I will give this a must read to anyone

Laura Resnick is back on form with “Misfortune Cookie”, her sixth Esther Diamond urban fantasy novel. Resnick cleverly weaves multiple plotlines together, giving the reader more information about Esther and all the supporting characters. This is a page-turner, with gripping subplots about Max’s lovelife, Lopez’s work and family, Lucky’s friends. Almost all the action takes place in a new NYC hotspot, Chinatown. The romance between Esther and Lopez is more original than the last book, which I found to be a satisfying return to form. Well worth paying full-price for!

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