Just a Lucky Break-In

A Lucy Fong Mystery #2

by Anne R. Tan

A dead body. A missing coma patient. And a crazy chicken. Will the murderer be caught before someone else ends up dead?

Lucy Fong is keeping the family private investigation firm afloat while her estranged mother is in coma. When she stumbles onto a dead body in the shop next door, Lucy is once again drawn into another murder investigation.

Who is the dead man, and why does he have a crazy chicken in his knapsack? How did he get inside the secured building owned by Lucy's family? And to add to her worries, her mother—along with the hospital bed—goes missing.

It's a race against time to find the murderer and her mother before danger catches up with Lucy. Join Lucy and her friends in this fast-paced cozy mystery.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy

Kindle Edition

First published July 9, 2021

About the author

Anne R. Tan is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes the Raina Sun Mystery series, the Lucy Fong Mystery series, and the Cedar Woods Mystery series. Her humorous cozy mysteries feature Chinese-American amateur sleuths dealing with love, family, and life while solving murders. Her books feature diverse characters and relationships because everyone deserves to be an armchair detective.

A Note from Anne:

My books are my legacy to my children. Unfortunately, they would not grow up in the San Francisco Bay Area like I did. Without a cultural hub to keep the language and philosophies alive, our family would lose this part of our heritage in one generation. My children are visitors to this rich culture, just like my readers. At its core, I always felt Chinese culture is about family and community. I hope you’ll enjoy your time with Raina Sun, Lucy Fong, and their large dynamic family.

Thank you for supporting my art,

Anne R. Tan

Reviews

[Kathy Brenzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy was trying hard to keep her mother's PI business going until she woke up from her coma. Her mother owned the whole block of shops/businesses and when Lucy went to check on a vacant one, an apparently homeless guy stumbled out into the car park and collapsed - seemingly dead. Who was he and how did he get into a locked building? Also - why did he have a chicken in his backpack? Why did Lucy's (sort of) boyfriend seem to be searching the man when he was giving him CPR? Lucy got a shock when she went to visit her mother in the hospital, which only made the whole thing more confusing.

[Debi Paglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite series! I love the character of Lucy! She’s had a hard life, but has lifted herself up and become a strong woman. Great storylines and settings. I usually don’t figure out the villain until the end. It you like cozy mysteries with humor, emphasis on family and friends importance, a little romance and a good story, then you need to read this series!

[Debi Paglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite series! I love the character of Lucy! She’s had a hard life, but has lifted herself up and become a strong woman. Great storylines and settings. I usually don’t figure out the villain until the end. It you like cozy mysteries with humor, emphasis on family and friends importance, a little romance and a good story, then you need to read this series!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cousin Stella has the license, but Lucy has the ability (despite having another career awaiting her back home). A local no-goodnik with a therapy chicken is murdered and that opens up a real can of worms. This series is not as laugh-out-loud funny as the author's other, but it certainly does have its moments. The sleuthing is really good and I loved it!

[Joyce927 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy Fong is trying to keep her family's detective agency going while her mother remains in a coma after being shot during a previous investigation. Her cousin is the only one with a private investigator license while she is in the process of qualifying. Although it is a life change for Lucy, she is hoping to restore her relationship with her mother by showing her commitment to the family as well as the business. To supplement their income, she hopes to lease a space in the strip mall where the office is located and arranges to meet the mayor who is viewing potential sites for a city museum. As she and her cousin Stella open the door to the space an apparent homeless man stumbles out and collapses at their feet. It's later determined that he has been poisoned, however he was able to survive the murder attempt by swift medical treatment at the hospital. Before the police can interview him he is found hanged in his hospital room.

Lucy and Stella embark on an investigation to find the killer. There are a number of suspects including the mayor and his wife, the editor of the local newspaper and the victim's ex-wife. There are unexpected events and threats aimed at stopping Lucy's investigation, even an attempt on her life. But Lucy perseveres until the killer is apprehended.

This was an enjoyable cozy mystery with twists and turns to keep the reader fully engaged till the end. Each story is stand alone, but you understand motivation of the characters if you read them in order. Anne Tan is one of my favorite authors, and I also like her Raina Sun mystery series. I highly recommend this book.

[John Presler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy's mom is in a coma, so Lucy and Stella are doing their best the keep the P.I. business going while she recovers. Lucy and Stella have an appointment to meet with the mayor about the city renting some office space for a museum. The space is next door to the P.I. office and once it's opened, there is a horrible odor coming from the empty shop. As Lucy approaches the shop, she collides with a man coming out. The man from the shop staggers and then collapses. After calling 9-1-1, the ambulance shows up and takes him to the hospital. While waiting for the ambulance and police, Lucy sees Damien bending over the man on the ground. Later, Stella says she saw him searching the man's pockets.

The stranger seems to be on the road to recovery, when he is found strangled with a bed sheet. While visiting with Tammy, the owner of A Tangled Yarn, Lucy learns that the dead man's name was Jason Albright. Nobody seemed to know much about him, but he did not seem to have any friends.

How did Jason get into the empty shop? Who killed Jason? Why was he killed? Why was Damien searching Jason's pockets? Can Lucy and Stella unravel the mystery? Can they keep the P.I. business operating?

Anne Tan has another great mystery in this story with great characters and realistic situations. There are also plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing clear to the end.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy hadn't got her PI licence and yet mysteries and dead bodies keep littering her path and she just keeps getting involved in them somehow, whether she wants to or not!

Another fun and exciting read from Tan. Her books are always good and this one is no exception. I am glad that Lucy has now got a series of her own and am looking forward to reading more about her.

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about Lucy and her aunt Stella’s adventures. Hopefully in the next book there will be more development into Lucy and Max’s relationship. I’m also excited to see what types of mishaps her mother will bring to the story.

[Stephanie Villere · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Just A Lucky Break In, A Lucy Fong Mystery. Lucy is trying to handle business while waiting on her mother to recover. Business is the private investigator kind and people are dying to be her clients…lol. It’s a fun little story with some great characters!!

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good mystery. It went really quick. It wasn't the fun time that I am used to receiving from her stories but it was good. I believe as the series develops it will be as great as her other series.
I voluntarily agreed to review this book. My review is my own honest opinion.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to continue the mystery series. I missed Po Po, but other cool stuff happened. These books are easy reads that keep you entertained.

[Maricle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a continuation of the story of Lucy Fong. It is the second book in the series and I highly recommend reading these books in order. The characters are likable but reading book one is important to know what is going on in book two. The story line is a good one and with attention to detail, the reader can solve the mystery. Entertaining read. I received a copy of this book from the author. I’m leaving my review voluntarily.

[gowri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the mystery was good (and I sorta guessed it right but mostly because I hated the killer for their questionable interactions with other people) but again I had issues with some of the writing and word choices.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book. Even though I was given a copy of this book by the author, it in no way influenced my opinion and this is my honest review.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner from Anne R Tan. While Lucy Fong's mother is still in a coma, Lucy is trying to hold things together, including her mother's detective agency. When a man drops dead in the agency's parking lot, Lucy decides to solve the murder to maintain the agency's reputation. Very likable characters, well written with a twisty plot. More, more, more, please.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit I wasn't as impressed with this book as I was the first one, but it's still a good story and worth reading. I do recommend it.

[CONNIE BALTHROP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good story by Anne R. Tan. Loved the ending.