How do you spell joy? Trick question, because in my family, it’s spelled J-I-N. As in our last name. That’s because we Jins have baked joy into our magical Chinese pastries for generations.

Each Jin has their own signature treat to discover. My custom recipe took longer for me to find than it had with my ancestors. I even thought the magical talent had skipped a generation, but I finally uncovered my own signature pastry: fortune cookies. These treats bring happiness to all who consume them.

Lately, they’ve also brought mysterious happenings, particularly when I write personalized fortunes. My message about finding lucky money on the ground came true only minutes later for one customer.

But my most recent fortune message predicted a specific manner of death—and it happened. That ill-fated customer wound up dead behind our bakery. And guess who the police have at the top of their suspects list? Yours truly.

So now I’m trying to not only solve the mystery behind my fortune-telling ability but also behind a murder. Good thing I have my best friend Kelvin willing to help, along with a new pet named Whiskers, a magical bunny who literally descended from the moon to meet me. Let the magic and mystery solving begin!

Ill-Fated Fortune, A Magical Fortune Cookie Mystery Book #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: February 2024
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

The first in the heart-warming and deliciously mysterious Magical Fortune Cookie series from Lefty Award-nominee Jennifer J. Chow.

Felicity Jin grew up literally hanging onto Mom’s apron strings in their magical bakery in the quaint town of Pixie, California. Her mother’s enchanted baked goods, including puffy pineapple buns and creamy egg tarts, bring instant joy to all who consume them. Felicity has always been hesitant in the kitchen herself after many failed attempts, but a takeout meal gone wrong inspires her to craft some handmade fortune cookies.

They become so popular that Felicity runs out of generic fortunes and starts making her own personalized predictions. When one customer’s ill-fated fortune results in his murder, Felicity’s suspiciously specific fortune has the police focusing on her as the main culprit. Now Felicity must find a way to turn her luck around and get cleared from suspicion.

About the author
Jennifer J. Chow writes cozies filled with hope and heritage. She is an Agatha, Anthony, and Lefty Award-nominated author. Her newest series is the Magical Fortune Cookie mysteries; the first book is Ill-Fated Fortune. Jennifer’s previous series is the L.A. Night Market Mysteries. Death by Bubble Tea was reviewed by the New York Times, featured in Woman’s World, and hit the SoCal Indie Bestseller List. Jennifer currently serves as Immediate Past President on the board of Sisters in Crime and blogs at Chicks On The Case. She is an active member of Crime Writers of Color and Mystery Writers of America. Connect with her online and sign up for her newsletter at JenniferJChow.com.