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Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller (2023)Put the kettle on, there’s a mystery brewing…
Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective?
Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).
But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.
Nobody spills the tea like this amateur sleuth.
Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective?
Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).
But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.
Nobody spills the tea like this amateur sleuth.
339 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2023
About the author
Jesse Q. Sutanto
15 books5,174 followersJesse Q Sutanto grew up shuttling back and forth between Jakarta and Singapore and sees both cities as her homes. She has a Masters degree from Oxford University, though she has yet to figure out a way of saying that without sounding obnoxious. She is currently living back in Jakarta on the same street as her parents and about seven hundred meddlesome aunties. When she's not tearing out her hair over her latest WIP, she spends her time baking and playing FPS games. Oh, and also being a mom to her two kids.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 14,081 reviews
May 12, 2024
❤️💙🍵💙❤️🍵❤️💙🍵💙❤️🍵❤️💙🍵💙❤️
Sixty-year old, Vera Wong, is a widow, mother and owner of a small, rarely visited, tea shop in San Francisco.
Vera, adheres to a strict schedule, and can be opinionated when it comes to other's lives and scheduling, particularly her son, Tilly. For example, if you aren't up by 4-4:30 a.m., you're basically wasting the day away.
As our story begins, you get to meet Vera and learn all about her little peccadilloes from her perspective. I loved her from the very start. She's perfect.
Vera's ordered world is suddenly turned upside down when one morning she discovers the body of a deceased man inside her tea shop!
Suspecting she will do a better job than the police, Vera decides to take the investigation into her own hands. The police don't seem to suspect foul play, but Vera knows, something funny is going on here.
Through a random series of events, Vera comes up with four likely suspects: Julia, the dead man's wife, Rikki, Sana and Oliver, the dead man's twin brother. She then inserts herself into the suspect's lives, because how else is she going to determine which one is guilty?!
Thus, her super-stealthy, and by that I mean over-the-top, often hilarious, slightly-meddling, yet well-intentioned, investigation begins.
I really, really enjoyed this story. The cast of characters, led by Vera, was truly the highlight for me. They were all relatable people, who ended up bonding with Vera in their own ways and for their own distinct reasons.
Vera was definitely a force to be reckoned with. She has such a big heart, is quirky as heck, sweetly innocent in many ways, but also willing to bulldoze anyone in pursuit of her goals. When Vera tells you to jump, you ask how high.
I loved learning about the characters and watching their relationships develop. It was like they all needed support and ended up, through these unfortunate circumstances, finding exactly what they needed.
The overall story was cute, cozy and heart-warming. At times, I did wish for a slightly more intriguing Mystery to help propel the plot, but the found family elements were so strong, it more than made up for that, in my opinion.
I always feel like I connect well with Sutanto's humor and characters. I just really enjoy her writing style. It's become such a comfort for me and she is an auto-buy author because of that.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. As expected, this was super fun and cute! I cannot wait to pick up more from this author in the future.
Sixty-year old, Vera Wong, is a widow, mother and owner of a small, rarely visited, tea shop in San Francisco.
Vera, adheres to a strict schedule, and can be opinionated when it comes to other's lives and scheduling, particularly her son, Tilly. For example, if you aren't up by 4-4:30 a.m., you're basically wasting the day away.
As our story begins, you get to meet Vera and learn all about her little peccadilloes from her perspective. I loved her from the very start. She's perfect.
Vera's ordered world is suddenly turned upside down when one morning she discovers the body of a deceased man inside her tea shop!
Suspecting she will do a better job than the police, Vera decides to take the investigation into her own hands. The police don't seem to suspect foul play, but Vera knows, something funny is going on here.
Through a random series of events, Vera comes up with four likely suspects: Julia, the dead man's wife, Rikki, Sana and Oliver, the dead man's twin brother. She then inserts herself into the suspect's lives, because how else is she going to determine which one is guilty?!
Thus, her super-stealthy, and by that I mean over-the-top, often hilarious, slightly-meddling, yet well-intentioned, investigation begins.
I really, really enjoyed this story. The cast of characters, led by Vera, was truly the highlight for me. They were all relatable people, who ended up bonding with Vera in their own ways and for their own distinct reasons.
Vera was definitely a force to be reckoned with. She has such a big heart, is quirky as heck, sweetly innocent in many ways, but also willing to bulldoze anyone in pursuit of her goals. When Vera tells you to jump, you ask how high.
I loved learning about the characters and watching their relationships develop. It was like they all needed support and ended up, through these unfortunate circumstances, finding exactly what they needed.
The overall story was cute, cozy and heart-warming. At times, I did wish for a slightly more intriguing Mystery to help propel the plot, but the found family elements were so strong, it more than made up for that, in my opinion.
I always feel like I connect well with Sutanto's humor and characters. I just really enjoy her writing style. It's become such a comfort for me and she is an auto-buy author because of that.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. As expected, this was super fun and cute! I cannot wait to pick up more from this author in the future.
November 11, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
I am here to “spill the tea” on the Audible version of this book-narrated by the wonderfully engaging Eunice Wong-this has been my FAVORITE audible listen so far this year!!
Vera Wong was born a rat, but she should have been a rooster-that is according to the characteristics of the signs in the Chinese horoscope!
Owner of Vera Wang’s World Famous Tea Shop in San Francisco’s China Town, she wakes up promptly at 430 AM each morning, without an alarm, texts her Gen Z son, Tilly, with “helpful” advice, and makes her way downstairs to open the store.
The shop is struggling, and she only has one regular customer despite being an expert in the lost Art of preparing tea. Then one morning, Vera finds a dead man in the middle of her tea shop with a flash drive in his outstretched hand.
Vera doesn’t know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of . . . swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it into the pocket of her apron for safekeeping.
Why?
Because Vera KNOWS she would do a better job at solving the crime than the police possibly could. All she has to do is wait for the murderer to return to the scene of the crime!
After all, NOBODY sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands.
And, since she knows that one of the keys to staying young is to keep up with the times-she is quite proficient at using “the TikTok” and “the Google” too!!
Soon she has befriended her “suspects” all NEW customers who have suddenly started frequenting her tea shop-
Oliver-the twin brother of the Victim
Julia-his widow
Sana- alleged PodCast host and
Riki, who claims to be a journalist
But as she gets to know them, she finds that she is hoping to be wrong this time-she doesn’t want any of them to turn out to be a murderer that she has to turn over to the inept Police.
This is a COZY mystery that actually did SURPRISE me! Plus it’s filled with LOTS of good humor that will make you smile and warm your heart! I highly recommend that you give it a listen!
I am glad that I didn’t miss out on meeting the marvelous, meddlesome Vera Wong!
Thank You to the Chandler Public Library for the loan of this Audible!!
AVAILABLE NOW!
I am here to “spill the tea” on the Audible version of this book-narrated by the wonderfully engaging Eunice Wong-this has been my FAVORITE audible listen so far this year!!
Vera Wong was born a rat, but she should have been a rooster-that is according to the characteristics of the signs in the Chinese horoscope!
Owner of Vera Wang’s World Famous Tea Shop in San Francisco’s China Town, she wakes up promptly at 430 AM each morning, without an alarm, texts her Gen Z son, Tilly, with “helpful” advice, and makes her way downstairs to open the store.
The shop is struggling, and she only has one regular customer despite being an expert in the lost Art of preparing tea. Then one morning, Vera finds a dead man in the middle of her tea shop with a flash drive in his outstretched hand.
Vera doesn’t know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of . . . swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it into the pocket of her apron for safekeeping.
Why?
Because Vera KNOWS she would do a better job at solving the crime than the police possibly could. All she has to do is wait for the murderer to return to the scene of the crime!
After all, NOBODY sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands.
And, since she knows that one of the keys to staying young is to keep up with the times-she is quite proficient at using “the TikTok” and “the Google” too!!
Soon she has befriended her “suspects” all NEW customers who have suddenly started frequenting her tea shop-
Oliver-the twin brother of the Victim
Julia-his widow
Sana- alleged PodCast host and
Riki, who claims to be a journalist
But as she gets to know them, she finds that she is hoping to be wrong this time-she doesn’t want any of them to turn out to be a murderer that she has to turn over to the inept Police.
This is a COZY mystery that actually did SURPRISE me! Plus it’s filled with LOTS of good humor that will make you smile and warm your heart! I highly recommend that you give it a listen!
I am glad that I didn’t miss out on meeting the marvelous, meddlesome Vera Wong!
Thank You to the Chandler Public Library for the loan of this Audible!!
AVAILABLE NOW!
June 3, 2023
I was a little suspect to begin this novel as it featured yet another older woman as the main protagonist. There have been a plethora of books featuring older adults but this one was a winner!!
Vera Wong is not a complainer – she has a routine that she follows religiously. Up at the crack of dawn, a long walk, a brisk shower and she’s down in her tea shop!! She may send a quick text to her son, Tilly, reminding him that he gets up too late and he needs to find a wife!!
Her routine is interrupted one morning when she comes downstairs to find a dead man!! What does she do?? She calls the police of course but not before drawing an outline with permanent marker around the dead body – she’s seen this on numerous crime shows. She also may have checked his pockets for clues!!
Vera immediately finds the police to be lackluster and useless as they don’t check for DNA, fingerprints or ANYTHING!! They aren’t even considering that this might be a murder. Vera knows that she has to get things done on her own.
The dead man is Marshall and there are a lot of people who aren’t sad that he is gone!
The novel then quickly ramps up with suspects including Marshall's wife Julia and several others who stop by the shop because Vera knows that “MURDERERS ALWAYS RETURN TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME!!”
There is so much heart in this novel. This is more than a cozy murder mystery as Vera slowly wins over the hearts of the suspects and they become friends. Each of them is struggling in some way and Vera has a way of getting people to open up. She even wins the heart of Julia’s demanding 2 y/o daughter Emma, who has never warmed to anyone before! I loved watching Vera interact with all of the characters who were all very well described.
The mystery itself is quite good and I really didn’t know who killed Marshall!
The less said about the plot the better, go into it blind and enjoy – I certainly did!!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.
Vera Wong is not a complainer – she has a routine that she follows religiously. Up at the crack of dawn, a long walk, a brisk shower and she’s down in her tea shop!! She may send a quick text to her son, Tilly, reminding him that he gets up too late and he needs to find a wife!!
Her routine is interrupted one morning when she comes downstairs to find a dead man!! What does she do?? She calls the police of course but not before drawing an outline with permanent marker around the dead body – she’s seen this on numerous crime shows. She also may have checked his pockets for clues!!
Vera immediately finds the police to be lackluster and useless as they don’t check for DNA, fingerprints or ANYTHING!! They aren’t even considering that this might be a murder. Vera knows that she has to get things done on her own.
The dead man is Marshall and there are a lot of people who aren’t sad that he is gone!
The novel then quickly ramps up with suspects including Marshall's wife Julia and several others who stop by the shop because Vera knows that “MURDERERS ALWAYS RETURN TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME!!”
There is so much heart in this novel. This is more than a cozy murder mystery as Vera slowly wins over the hearts of the suspects and they become friends. Each of them is struggling in some way and Vera has a way of getting people to open up. She even wins the heart of Julia’s demanding 2 y/o daughter Emma, who has never warmed to anyone before! I loved watching Vera interact with all of the characters who were all very well described.
The mystery itself is quite good and I really didn’t know who killed Marshall!
The less said about the plot the better, go into it blind and enjoy – I certainly did!!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.
March 22, 2023
It saddens me to give this two stars, but I was really let down by the writing. I loved Dial A for Aunties and Four Aunties and a Wedding was fun, but as much as I wanted to love Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, it just felt like it needed more editing.
After finishing the book, I read the acknowledgements section, and suddenly all my issues with the book made sense. Sutanto was rushed to write this, and it shows. I really like the premise, but the writing could have used more time in the oven to cook (so to speak).
This book has multiple POVs told from a third person omniscient narrator, which I did not like. Vera is supposed to be our main character, and I think we would have been better off sticking with Vera throughout the whole book and getting a first person account from her, as she is the one who is supposed to be investigating the murder. By the end, she felt like just another side character, as the author clearly related more to the younger characters who crowd Vera's spotlight.
While I do like how all the characters came together, I also felt as if the five side characters' personalities were all interchangeable. Each character has their one or two "things," like painting, and they all have somewhat of a backstory, but aside from that, they all act in exactly the same manner as one another. At the beginning, Julia and Sana are both passive pushovers who are victimized by everyone in their life. Tilly, Oliver, and Riki are just Gen Z/Millenial nice guys. The way they speak, the way they act, are pretty much all the same.
Which brings me to the "bad" characters in this book. The actions of the "bad" characters are just very evil. While I know that there are some extreme assholes out there and abusive relationships are unfortunately common, it seemed nuts to me that some of these characters would be so cruel and one-note, just exaggerated villains.
And Emma. Emma is two years old, but she comes off like she is three to five years old. I know the author has children, so it's not like she's altogether unfamiliar with this age group, but Emma was very eloquent and aware, and did not ask nearly enough questions. Granted, I do not have children of my own, but I work with them and Emma would be the most mature two-year-old I'd ever encounter.
The mystery was fine, but the killer was glaringly obvious to me about halfway through. However, the reasoning was far more insidious than I would have expected. Like???
Going back to the editing thing... The writing really started to bug me after I noticed two consecutive chapters that began, "__ can't remember the last time s/he __." (For example, "Vera can't remember the last time she felt so alive.") After I started noticing it, I found this phrase peppered throughout the whole second half of the book. None of these characters can remember anything about their own lives apparently!
It also bugged me how all their problems were blamed on one person, and then suddenly all their problems were solved with a different person.
I know cozy mysteries are by nature formulaic, and I'm new to reading this genre as an adult, but as much as I was entertained by the first half, I couldn't help but notice its shortcomings as the book went on.
But, I won't give up on you, Jesse. I'm still going to read Dial A for Aunties 3.
After finishing the book, I read the acknowledgements section, and suddenly all my issues with the book made sense. Sutanto was rushed to write this, and it shows. I really like the premise, but the writing could have used more time in the oven to cook (so to speak).
This book has multiple POVs told from a third person omniscient narrator, which I did not like. Vera is supposed to be our main character, and I think we would have been better off sticking with Vera throughout the whole book and getting a first person account from her, as she is the one who is supposed to be investigating the murder. By the end, she felt like just another side character, as the author clearly related more to the younger characters who crowd Vera's spotlight.
While I do like how all the characters came together, I also felt as if the five side characters' personalities were all interchangeable. Each character has their one or two "things," like painting, and they all have somewhat of a backstory, but aside from that, they all act in exactly the same manner as one another. At the beginning, Julia and Sana are both passive pushovers who are victimized by everyone in their life. Tilly, Oliver, and Riki are just Gen Z/Millenial nice guys. The way they speak, the way they act, are pretty much all the same.
Which brings me to the "bad" characters in this book. The actions of the "bad" characters are just very evil. While I know that there are some extreme assholes out there and abusive relationships are unfortunately common, it seemed nuts to me that some of these characters would be so cruel and one-note, just exaggerated villains.
And Emma. Emma is two years old, but she comes off like she is three to five years old. I know the author has children, so it's not like she's altogether unfamiliar with this age group, but Emma was very eloquent and aware, and did not ask nearly enough questions. Granted, I do not have children of my own, but I work with them and Emma would be the most mature two-year-old I'd ever encounter.
The mystery was fine, but the killer was glaringly obvious to me about halfway through. However, the reasoning was far more insidious than I would have expected. Like???
Going back to the editing thing... The writing really started to bug me after I noticed two consecutive chapters that began, "__ can't remember the last time s/he __." (For example, "Vera can't remember the last time she felt so alive.") After I started noticing it, I found this phrase peppered throughout the whole second half of the book. None of these characters can remember anything about their own lives apparently!
It also bugged me how all their problems were blamed on one person, and then suddenly all their problems were solved with a different person.
I know cozy mysteries are by nature formulaic, and I'm new to reading this genre as an adult, but as much as I was entertained by the first half, I couldn't help but notice its shortcomings as the book went on.
But, I won't give up on you, Jesse. I'm still going to read Dial A for Aunties 3.
January 14, 2024
live laugh love, vera wong🧎🏻♀️
April 14, 2024
Vera is a 60 year old woman who, despite owning a tea shop and being in great health, is incredibly lonely.
And bored.
She misses her husband who died years ago, and she misses her son who doesn't call her back often enough. <--but that doesn't stop her from leaving unwanted messages telling him what time he should be getting up in the morning, going to bed at night, or that he needs to settle down with a nice girl.
So when she wakes up one morning to discover that a man crashed through the front door of her shop (with his body!) and then died on her floor?
Well, she isn't one to let a good opportunity go to waste.
She's going to help the police investigate!
And what does Vera Wong's idea of help look like?
Well, it looks like she will go ahead and draw a chalk outline...in Sharpie. And it also looks like she might have to take a teeny bit of evidence out of his hand before the police get there.
BECAUSE SHE'S HELPFUL.
Ok, this is less about a murder and more bout a quirky character introducing the reader to other quirky characters, and then all of those oddballs forming a quirky little family.
It was a sweet story about lies, healing, love, and (of course) murder.
I will say Vera read like she was quite a bit older than 60 to me. BUT! That's just my opinion and maybe that has been the author's experience with women that age. Or maybe I'm freaking out because I'm edging closer to 60 myself and I still think I'm cool.
Then again, I do have a visor...
Recommended!
And bored.
She misses her husband who died years ago, and she misses her son who doesn't call her back often enough. <--but that doesn't stop her from leaving unwanted messages telling him what time he should be getting up in the morning, going to bed at night, or that he needs to settle down with a nice girl.
So when she wakes up one morning to discover that a man crashed through the front door of her shop (with his body!) and then died on her floor?
Well, she isn't one to let a good opportunity go to waste.
She's going to help the police investigate!
And what does Vera Wong's idea of help look like?
Well, it looks like she will go ahead and draw a chalk outline...in Sharpie. And it also looks like she might have to take a teeny bit of evidence out of his hand before the police get there.
BECAUSE SHE'S HELPFUL.
Ok, this is less about a murder and more bout a quirky character introducing the reader to other quirky characters, and then all of those oddballs forming a quirky little family.
It was a sweet story about lies, healing, love, and (of course) murder.
I will say Vera read like she was quite a bit older than 60 to me. BUT! That's just my opinion and maybe that has been the author's experience with women that age. Or maybe I'm freaking out because I'm edging closer to 60 myself and I still think I'm cool.
Then again, I do have a visor...
Recommended!
April 20, 2023
3.75⭐️ rounded up!
“People always say that your wedding day is the happiest day of your life, but honestly, people should try solving murders more often.”
Sixty-year-old Vera Wong Zhuzhu owns and runs Vera Wang’s World- Famous Teahouse in San Francisco. Widowed, she lives alone on the floor above her tea shop and constantly keeps tabs on her adult son Tilly, checking in with him often through phone messages. Vera leads a disciplined life, wakes up early every morning and goes about her business. Unfortunately, her tea shop isn’t doing too well, but that does not deter her diligence or devotion to her business. One morning, she wakes up to discover a dead body in her shop. Vera does notify law enforcement but not before she, given the “helpful and resourceful” person that she is, prepares the crime scene which involves outlining the body just like she has seen on television, much to the annoyance of the police officers who are assigned to the case. The deceased is identified as Marshall Chen. Vera isn’t too happy with how Officer Gray and her team go about handling the crime scene and their somewhat indifferent attitude does not instill much confidence in Vera who considers herself a sleuth in addition to being a “tea doctor".
In the days following Marshall’s death, Vera meets several people who visit her shop and try to extract information about the case - Riki who claims to be a journalist, Sana who introduces herself as a podcast host, Marshall’s twin brother Oliver and Julia, Marshall's wife. Vera decides that one of them must be the killer because, according to her, the murderer is bound to return to the scene of the crime. Vera is confident of her sleuthing skills primarily because “nobody sniffs out wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands” and she has honed her knowledge by closely following crime procedurals on television. As the narrative progresses, we follow Vera as she goes about unraveling the mystery behind Marshall Chen’s death.
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto is an entertaining, cozy mystery. I loved how the author depicts the friendship that develops between Vera and her “suspects”. Though the mystery angle isn’t quite as gripping as I had hoped and the pace does drag a bit in parts, I did enjoy following Vera as she unabashedly pokes her nose into everyone’s business in her attempts to identify the murderer, all the while cooking up a storm (the list of delicacies Vera prepares will have your mouth watering!), matchmaking , sharing her wisdom and offering advice to all her "suspects" on their personal problems. Vera Wong is a force to be reckoned with. Sharp and quirky with a heart of gold, Vera is an endearing character. Overall, I found this to be a heartwarming, feel-good read that I would not hesitate to recommend to those who enjoy cozy mysteries and/or are looking for something lighthearted in between heavier reads.
I paired my reading with the wonderful audio narration by Eunice Wong that definitely enhanced my experience. I can’t remember when I last laughed so much while reading/listening to a book.
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The StoryGraph
“People always say that your wedding day is the happiest day of your life, but honestly, people should try solving murders more often.”
Sixty-year-old Vera Wong Zhuzhu owns and runs Vera Wang’s World- Famous Teahouse in San Francisco. Widowed, she lives alone on the floor above her tea shop and constantly keeps tabs on her adult son Tilly, checking in with him often through phone messages. Vera leads a disciplined life, wakes up early every morning and goes about her business. Unfortunately, her tea shop isn’t doing too well, but that does not deter her diligence or devotion to her business. One morning, she wakes up to discover a dead body in her shop. Vera does notify law enforcement but not before she, given the “helpful and resourceful” person that she is, prepares the crime scene which involves outlining the body just like she has seen on television, much to the annoyance of the police officers who are assigned to the case. The deceased is identified as Marshall Chen. Vera isn’t too happy with how Officer Gray and her team go about handling the crime scene and their somewhat indifferent attitude does not instill much confidence in Vera who considers herself a sleuth in addition to being a “tea doctor".
In the days following Marshall’s death, Vera meets several people who visit her shop and try to extract information about the case - Riki who claims to be a journalist, Sana who introduces herself as a podcast host, Marshall’s twin brother Oliver and Julia, Marshall's wife. Vera decides that one of them must be the killer because, according to her, the murderer is bound to return to the scene of the crime. Vera is confident of her sleuthing skills primarily because “nobody sniffs out wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands” and she has honed her knowledge by closely following crime procedurals on television. As the narrative progresses, we follow Vera as she goes about unraveling the mystery behind Marshall Chen’s death.
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto is an entertaining, cozy mystery. I loved how the author depicts the friendship that develops between Vera and her “suspects”. Though the mystery angle isn’t quite as gripping as I had hoped and the pace does drag a bit in parts, I did enjoy following Vera as she unabashedly pokes her nose into everyone’s business in her attempts to identify the murderer, all the while cooking up a storm (the list of delicacies Vera prepares will have your mouth watering!), matchmaking , sharing her wisdom and offering advice to all her "suspects" on their personal problems. Vera Wong is a force to be reckoned with. Sharp and quirky with a heart of gold, Vera is an endearing character. Overall, I found this to be a heartwarming, feel-good read that I would not hesitate to recommend to those who enjoy cozy mysteries and/or are looking for something lighthearted in between heavier reads.
I paired my reading with the wonderful audio narration by Eunice Wong that definitely enhanced my experience. I can’t remember when I last laughed so much while reading/listening to a book.
Connect with me!
My Blog
The StoryGraph
April 26, 2023
In a Nutshell: Great as a dramedy; decent as a mystery. Straddles well the thin line between being comical and being stereotypical. Entertaining but predictable.
Story Synopsis:
Here’s what you need to know about the goods and the not-so-goods of this work:
👉 The title and blurb support the idea that the book will be a murder mystery. It is so, but not primarily. The main genre is more like contemporary drama or women’s fiction, with a strong found-family trope. Going into this expecting a mystery novel, even a cosy mystery, would be disappointing. (It doesn’t help that the ‘mystery’ is fairly guessable at the halfway mark.)
👉 Vera Wong is a force unto herself. Basically, she carries the whole story on her shoulders. She is opinionated and loving, funny and interfering. She considers herself perfect and knowledgeable; whether she is or not is another matter. As such, there are many times when she will get on your nerves. Your enjoyment of the book will depend on how you can accept this bulldozer of a woman who shoves away anything that stands in her path, either with fondness or with force, or sometimes, even with food. I am still trying to decide how I felt about her – she was equal parts adorable and aggravating.
👉 As a Chinese immigrant to the US, Vera’s character includes quite a lot of ’Asian Mom’ tropes. These can be seen as either funny or clichéd, depending on your approach to the representation. (I remember this same issue with Counterfeit by Kirsten Chen; what I took as satirical was taken by some other readers as insulting.) However, this book doesn’t laugh at Vera, but laughs with her. I think the rep was spot on. (I am an Asian mom, so I can say this with some authentic authority. 😉)
👉 The rest of the characters are diverse as well. We have an Indian and an Indonesian too. The Indian rep was spot on. A welcome change. (I think the Indonesian one would also be authentic as the author is an Indonesian.)
👉 There are many humorous scenes in the book when Vera is around. I especially loved Vera’s comments about the Chinese-French patisserie. On entertainment value, the book rates quite high.
👉 All the “suspects” get enough shared space under the spotlight. At the same time, their arcs are mostly predictable, and their personalities are typical goody-goody pushover kinds. A layered portrayal would have added to the mystery factor. (Coming to think of it, there was just one negative character in the whole book, and even that portrayal was one-noted.)
👉 There is a child character who was quite sweet. I felt quite sorry for her as none of the adults in her life, except Vera, seemed to know how to handle her. That said, the child’s behaviour and her speech didn’t seem age-appropriate. I think she was written as a two-year-old just to avoid plot elements about school [thus making it easy to always have her around when needed], but she never sounded like children aged two usually do.
The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 10 hrs 41 min, is narrated by Eunice Wong. She was outstanding! Right from the emotions to the character voices to the overall vibes, she narrated the audiobook to perfection. I’d definitely recommend the audio version as a great way of experiencing this book. Even with multiple characters, the writing doesn’t make the plot confusing, so it could be a great option for audio newbies too.
Basically, this is a book you read for sheer, straightforward entertainment. The storyline is mostly guessable, so it is the characters, especially Vera, that will make or break your experience. I wish the book could have included some surprises as well, but that wasn’t to be. Still, it's a fun novel, not to be taken seriously.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Story Synopsis:
Vera Wong is a sixty-year-old teashop owner in San Francisco, and like every Asian mom, she is an expert not just in tea brewing. She loves her son Tilly though he doesn’t have time for her, and she stays updated about everything from “the Google.”
When she wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her teashop, Vera knows that she can do a much better job than the police at catching the killer. Within a couple of days, Vera has her list of suspects ready. Now to nab the culprit!
The story comes to us in the third person perspective of Vera and her various “suspects”.
Here’s what you need to know about the goods and the not-so-goods of this work:
👉 The title and blurb support the idea that the book will be a murder mystery. It is so, but not primarily. The main genre is more like contemporary drama or women’s fiction, with a strong found-family trope. Going into this expecting a mystery novel, even a cosy mystery, would be disappointing. (It doesn’t help that the ‘mystery’ is fairly guessable at the halfway mark.)
👉 Vera Wong is a force unto herself. Basically, she carries the whole story on her shoulders. She is opinionated and loving, funny and interfering. She considers herself perfect and knowledgeable; whether she is or not is another matter. As such, there are many times when she will get on your nerves. Your enjoyment of the book will depend on how you can accept this bulldozer of a woman who shoves away anything that stands in her path, either with fondness or with force, or sometimes, even with food. I am still trying to decide how I felt about her – she was equal parts adorable and aggravating.
👉 As a Chinese immigrant to the US, Vera’s character includes quite a lot of ’Asian Mom’ tropes. These can be seen as either funny or clichéd, depending on your approach to the representation. (I remember this same issue with Counterfeit by Kirsten Chen; what I took as satirical was taken by some other readers as insulting.) However, this book doesn’t laugh at Vera, but laughs with her. I think the rep was spot on. (I am an Asian mom, so I can say this with some authentic authority. 😉)
👉 The rest of the characters are diverse as well. We have an Indian and an Indonesian too. The Indian rep was spot on. A welcome change. (I think the Indonesian one would also be authentic as the author is an Indonesian.)
👉 There are many humorous scenes in the book when Vera is around. I especially loved Vera’s comments about the Chinese-French patisserie. On entertainment value, the book rates quite high.
👉 All the “suspects” get enough shared space under the spotlight. At the same time, their arcs are mostly predictable, and their personalities are typical goody-goody pushover kinds. A layered portrayal would have added to the mystery factor. (Coming to think of it, there was just one negative character in the whole book, and even that portrayal was one-noted.)
👉 There is a child character who was quite sweet. I felt quite sorry for her as none of the adults in her life, except Vera, seemed to know how to handle her. That said, the child’s behaviour and her speech didn’t seem age-appropriate. I think she was written as a two-year-old just to avoid plot elements about school [thus making it easy to always have her around when needed], but she never sounded like children aged two usually do.
The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 10 hrs 41 min, is narrated by Eunice Wong. She was outstanding! Right from the emotions to the character voices to the overall vibes, she narrated the audiobook to perfection. I’d definitely recommend the audio version as a great way of experiencing this book. Even with multiple characters, the writing doesn’t make the plot confusing, so it could be a great option for audio newbies too.
Basically, this is a book you read for sheer, straightforward entertainment. The storyline is mostly guessable, so it is the characters, especially Vera, that will make or break your experience. I wish the book could have included some surprises as well, but that wasn’t to be. Still, it's a fun novel, not to be taken seriously.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
July 30, 2023
This was everything I wanted the recent glut of books featuring elderly female sleuths to be, but wasn’t.
But THIS book? It was delightful!
4.5 stars
Vera is the owner of a tea shop in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and lives a regimented life. Until the morning a dead body is found in her shop….
Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s up to her to catch the killer.
Vera narrows the suspect list and inserts herself into their lives, changing them (and her) in ways that are unexpected. There are secrets of course, and Vera is determined to uncover them. But for me, the mystery and the secrets take a backseat to Vera herself. She is the star of this story and the one that kept my AirPods glued to my ears.
Vera is bold, straight forward, and pulls no punches when she voices her opinions and meddles in the younger generation’s lives, which provides much of the humor in this novel. I found myself laughing out loud more than once.
I adored Vera and I want a Vera in my life. Plus, she cooks amazing dishes for her “suspects” and the descriptions made my mouth water.
This is not my usual genre and I found it to be utterly delightful, especially on audio. I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it as much in print because hearing her voice on audio with perfect comedic timing, was perfect.
Heartwarming and charming this is one I highly recommend. I hope this isn’t the last we hear from Vera.
But THIS book? It was delightful!
4.5 stars
Vera is the owner of a tea shop in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and lives a regimented life. Until the morning a dead body is found in her shop….
Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s up to her to catch the killer.
Vera narrows the suspect list and inserts herself into their lives, changing them (and her) in ways that are unexpected. There are secrets of course, and Vera is determined to uncover them. But for me, the mystery and the secrets take a backseat to Vera herself. She is the star of this story and the one that kept my AirPods glued to my ears.
Vera is bold, straight forward, and pulls no punches when she voices her opinions and meddles in the younger generation’s lives, which provides much of the humor in this novel. I found myself laughing out loud more than once.
I adored Vera and I want a Vera in my life. Plus, she cooks amazing dishes for her “suspects” and the descriptions made my mouth water.
This is not my usual genre and I found it to be utterly delightful, especially on audio. I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it as much in print because hearing her voice on audio with perfect comedic timing, was perfect.
Heartwarming and charming this is one I highly recommend. I hope this isn’t the last we hear from Vera.
March 13, 2023
Jesse Q. Sutanto’s fascinating new cozy mystery,
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
, features Vera Wong as an amateur sleuth. She’s a widow with one son who she doesn’t get to see very often. Vera lives above her dilapidated teashop in San Francisco. One morning she goes downstairs and finds a dead man in the middle of her shop with a flash drive in his outstretched hand. After calling the police, she takes the flash drive and hides it in her apron pocket. Vera is positive she can do a better job than the police can in discovering who killed the man on the floor. She feels she only needs to investigate the people who come to her shop after the murder and she will discover the killer.
Vera is lonely, inquisitive, intelligent, fiery, bold, and funny. She has very set ideas on how an older generation should be treated and lets others know if they don’t meet her expectations. The main supporting characters are Riki Herwanto, Sana Singh, Oliver Chen, Julia Chen, and Emma Chen. Their character angles lent focus, originality, and depth. The characters’ natures and backstories are shown using action, not just descriptive prose.
Told from five points of view, the novel gives readers extra insights into Vera, Julia, Riki, Sana, and Oliver. Amazingly, this did not cause pacing issues. Vera remains the focal point; ordering her suspects around as she gets to know them and their secrets. This relieves her boredom and gets her to enjoy life again. However, will she find the killer?
The story brilliantly captured the characters and the cultural lifestyles and traditions of the group. The plot has some twists and turns, but this story is about more than solving a mystery. Threads include found family, family relationships, loneliness, boredom, jealousy, personal boundaries, and regret, as well as generational differences and expectations.
Diverse characterization and great world-building details made this a fast and enjoyable read. I kept wondering what Vera would uncover next and how that would affect the story line. There are multiple believable suspects with motives to kill the man found in Vera’s shop. The joy of food, tea, and friendship are interwoven with the investigation into alibis and motives.
If you’re looking for an entertaining, heartwarming, lighthearted, and funny cozy mystery with a mature protagonist, I highly recommend this novel. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. I would love to see a series featuring Vera.
Berkley Publishing Group and Jesse Q. Sutanto provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for March 14, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 4.05 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
Vera is lonely, inquisitive, intelligent, fiery, bold, and funny. She has very set ideas on how an older generation should be treated and lets others know if they don’t meet her expectations. The main supporting characters are Riki Herwanto, Sana Singh, Oliver Chen, Julia Chen, and Emma Chen. Their character angles lent focus, originality, and depth. The characters’ natures and backstories are shown using action, not just descriptive prose.
Told from five points of view, the novel gives readers extra insights into Vera, Julia, Riki, Sana, and Oliver. Amazingly, this did not cause pacing issues. Vera remains the focal point; ordering her suspects around as she gets to know them and their secrets. This relieves her boredom and gets her to enjoy life again. However, will she find the killer?
The story brilliantly captured the characters and the cultural lifestyles and traditions of the group. The plot has some twists and turns, but this story is about more than solving a mystery. Threads include found family, family relationships, loneliness, boredom, jealousy, personal boundaries, and regret, as well as generational differences and expectations.
Diverse characterization and great world-building details made this a fast and enjoyable read. I kept wondering what Vera would uncover next and how that would affect the story line. There are multiple believable suspects with motives to kill the man found in Vera’s shop. The joy of food, tea, and friendship are interwoven with the investigation into alibis and motives.
If you’re looking for an entertaining, heartwarming, lighthearted, and funny cozy mystery with a mature protagonist, I highly recommend this novel. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. I would love to see a series featuring Vera.
Berkley Publishing Group and Jesse Q. Sutanto provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for March 14, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 4.05 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
May 11, 2023
Vera Wong is a 60 year old busybody, tea shop owner/ tea pusher) and amateur sleuth.
Vera was such a great character. She was determined to solve the crime that took place in her tea shop and goes all out in her investigations. She gives herself pep talks and seems to seek out all the drama. She even keeps her own little murder notebook. She is a bit of a bother to Officer Gray who calls her CSI educated and wishes she would go away let her handle the case!
Vera was described as an elderly, frail "old lady" , but I thought she was energetic and lively!
This one is on the lighter/cozy side, but beware there is a bit of swearing if that bothers you (not squeaky clean).
I was anxious to learn who the killer was and who would solve the case, but the journey and following Vera along the way is what kept me reading! The tea shop setting was also a plus.
Thanks Libby for the listen! Narrated by Eunice Wong/ 10 hours, 41 min
Vera was such a great character. She was determined to solve the crime that took place in her tea shop and goes all out in her investigations. She gives herself pep talks and seems to seek out all the drama. She even keeps her own little murder notebook. She is a bit of a bother to Officer Gray who calls her CSI educated and wishes she would go away let her handle the case!
Vera was described as an elderly, frail "old lady" , but I thought she was energetic and lively!
This one is on the lighter/cozy side, but beware there is a bit of swearing if that bothers you (not squeaky clean).
I was anxious to learn who the killer was and who would solve the case, but the journey and following Vera along the way is what kept me reading! The tea shop setting was also a plus.
Thanks Libby for the listen! Narrated by Eunice Wong/ 10 hours, 41 min
April 28, 2023
4.5 stars, rounded up
For those in need of a murder mystery filled with more humor than angst, check out Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.
Vera runs Vera Wang’s World Famous Tea Shop and no, that’s not a misspelling. When she finds a dead body in the shop early one morning, she’s expecting the full police treatment, just like in one of the tv shows. But the police aren’t nearly as convinced it’s murder as she is. So, of course, Vera feels compelled to begin her own investigation.
Vera is a wonderful main character. Her son doesn’t pay her the attention she deserves, maybe because she still wants to run his life and find him a wife. She has a knack for brewing the perfect cup of tea for each specific person. And she is full of opinions and not afraid of butting her nose into others’ lives. As someone who thinks of Chinese mothers as “Tiger Moms”, Vera provided me with a more nuanced, well rounded version.
This is a surprisingly heartwarming story. Yes, it’s a murder mystery, but the murder isn’t really the main focus. The story switches between the POV of Vera and her four “suspects”. Sutanto has developed the perfect backstory for each suspect and I loved how they all came together.
The story isn’t fast paced, but I was engaged throughout. I figured out who the murderer was early on. But even then, there was a twist I didn’t see coming.
I listened to this and Eunice Wong was the perfect narrator. She could differentiate the voices and has one of the few child’s voices that doesn’t grate on my nerves.
For those in need of a murder mystery filled with more humor than angst, check out Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.
Vera runs Vera Wang’s World Famous Tea Shop and no, that’s not a misspelling. When she finds a dead body in the shop early one morning, she’s expecting the full police treatment, just like in one of the tv shows. But the police aren’t nearly as convinced it’s murder as she is. So, of course, Vera feels compelled to begin her own investigation.
Vera is a wonderful main character. Her son doesn’t pay her the attention she deserves, maybe because she still wants to run his life and find him a wife. She has a knack for brewing the perfect cup of tea for each specific person. And she is full of opinions and not afraid of butting her nose into others’ lives. As someone who thinks of Chinese mothers as “Tiger Moms”, Vera provided me with a more nuanced, well rounded version.
This is a surprisingly heartwarming story. Yes, it’s a murder mystery, but the murder isn’t really the main focus. The story switches between the POV of Vera and her four “suspects”. Sutanto has developed the perfect backstory for each suspect and I loved how they all came together.
The story isn’t fast paced, but I was engaged throughout. I figured out who the murderer was early on. But even then, there was a twist I didn’t see coming.
I listened to this and Eunice Wong was the perfect narrator. She could differentiate the voices and has one of the few child’s voices that doesn’t grate on my nerves.
June 3, 2023
I heard this was a funny mystery full of complex, lovable characters with a heartwarming family.
I heard I would salivate over the many descriptions of food.
I heard that it would be light and fun and that I would laugh out loud.
I heard I would cry and fall in love with the characters.
I lasted a few pages. I think. I couldn't concentrate. I thought it was silly. It was a DNF for me. I am probably the only one who felt this way.
I heard I would salivate over the many descriptions of food.
I heard that it would be light and fun and that I would laugh out loud.
I heard I would cry and fall in love with the characters.
I lasted a few pages. I think. I couldn't concentrate. I thought it was silly. It was a DNF for me. I am probably the only one who felt this way.
April 7, 2023
Grab an egg roll and a cup of matcha tea and settle in for an adorable heart-warming cozy mystery!
Welcome to Vera Wang’s World Famous Tea House. No, not that Vera Wang. This tea shop is owned by savvy business woman, VERA WONG. Her store used to be the talk of Chinatown. However, now she just has one regular customer. On her own since the death of her husband and without the support of her successful son, Vera must keep the shop running. When she awakes to find a dead man in her store, she is determined to catch his murderer. Befriending a group of suspects and wooing them with her delicious homemade Chinese food, Vera vows to uncover the truth behind the murder. Who killed Marshall?
I listened to the audiobook, which is read by Eunice Wong. I highly recommend listening to this one, as Wong’s representation of Vera is terrific! Vera is hilarious and her chapters were my favorite.
This character driven cozy mystery is very predictable and over the top. However, I was still rooting for all of the suspects to be innocent. Vera’s mouthwatering food really made this book shine and had me craving a Chinese feast. Ayah! Don’t read this book on an empty stomach!
I hope that this is a start to a new series, as I would gladly read more about Vera and her new friends!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Welcome to Vera Wang’s World Famous Tea House. No, not that Vera Wang. This tea shop is owned by savvy business woman, VERA WONG. Her store used to be the talk of Chinatown. However, now she just has one regular customer. On her own since the death of her husband and without the support of her successful son, Vera must keep the shop running. When she awakes to find a dead man in her store, she is determined to catch his murderer. Befriending a group of suspects and wooing them with her delicious homemade Chinese food, Vera vows to uncover the truth behind the murder. Who killed Marshall?
I listened to the audiobook, which is read by Eunice Wong. I highly recommend listening to this one, as Wong’s representation of Vera is terrific! Vera is hilarious and her chapters were my favorite.
This character driven cozy mystery is very predictable and over the top. However, I was still rooting for all of the suspects to be innocent. Vera’s mouthwatering food really made this book shine and had me craving a Chinese feast. Ayah! Don’t read this book on an empty stomach!
I hope that this is a start to a new series, as I would gladly read more about Vera and her new friends!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
April 23, 2023
Only finished because I had to for book club. Somehow the 60 year old main character came off more like an 80 year old, and the 2 year old character was talking about inflation 😵💫. No character depth or development. Cheesy and unrealistic storylines. Cringey, forced dialogue between characters. It was just all around bad. The whole book came off as super juvenile and cheesy, and I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes.
November 2, 2023
Unfortunately, I can officially say that Jesse Q. Sutanto's books are not for me. I honestly don't know what I was thinking picking this up, I gave both Dial A for Aunties and Four Aunties and a Wedding 2 stars... but this cover was so cute, I had to give her one last chance.
This is a very character-driven story. Vera, the main character, who is a 60-year-old widow and tea shop owner, turned amateur detective, was very witty, however, her "I'm just an old lady I can do whatever I want" pushiness got old fast. The supporting characters were interesting enough, however, the plot was so weak that the characters didn't make up for it. I was waiting the entire time to figure out who had murdered Marshall in Vera's tea shop and it was underwhelming to say the least. It was "solved" in the last 2 chapters, and they briefly mentioned a trial but gave no real closure. There was way too many pop culture references, especially TikTok, which really wrecks the longevity of the book in my opinion.
I think one of the fundamental problems with Sutanto's books is that they are marketed wrong. For example, the blurb about Jesse at the back of this book described Dial a for Aunties as "women's fiction" and that is (in my opinion) entirely wrong. all 3 of her books have also been described as thrillers which couldn't be further from the truth. I really think they should all be labeled as young adult/humour. It is safe to say I will not be picking up her next book, however, I do think there is an audience out there for Sutanto's books, it is just not me.
Read my reviews for Jesse Q. Sutanto's books here:
Dial A For Aunties - 2 stars
Four Aunties and a Wedding - 2 stars
The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties - 2 stars (Release date: March 26th, 2024)
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers - 2 stars
This is a very character-driven story. Vera, the main character, who is a 60-year-old widow and tea shop owner, turned amateur detective, was very witty, however, her "I'm just an old lady I can do whatever I want" pushiness got old fast. The supporting characters were interesting enough, however, the plot was so weak that the characters didn't make up for it. I was waiting the entire time to figure out who had murdered Marshall in Vera's tea shop and it was underwhelming to say the least. It was "solved" in the last 2 chapters, and they briefly mentioned a trial but gave no real closure. There was way too many pop culture references, especially TikTok, which really wrecks the longevity of the book in my opinion.
I think one of the fundamental problems with Sutanto's books is that they are marketed wrong. For example, the blurb about Jesse at the back of this book described Dial a for Aunties as "women's fiction" and that is (in my opinion) entirely wrong. all 3 of her books have also been described as thrillers which couldn't be further from the truth. I really think they should all be labeled as young adult/humour. It is safe to say I will not be picking up her next book, however, I do think there is an audience out there for Sutanto's books, it is just not me.
Read my reviews for Jesse Q. Sutanto's books here:
Dial A For Aunties - 2 stars
Four Aunties and a Wedding - 2 stars
The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties - 2 stars (Release date: March 26th, 2024)
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers - 2 stars
March 27, 2023
Vera Wong is a quirky, humorous lady who is comfortable in her own skin and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She enjoys micromanaging her son’s life and sticking her nose where some say it shouldn’t belong, but I for one am glad that she does, as it brought us this delightful book! To be honest, I think the mystery took a bit of a backseat to the other aspects of this novel, especially since I had a hard time buying that the murderer would do what they did and why, but what a delight watching Vera bring together this list of suspects and somehow connect them all in a way that they never would have imagined. If you’re looking for a cozy mystery full of heart and chuckles, this one is it!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
December 20, 2022
✨ "Because nobody sniffs out wrongdoing quite like a Chinese mother with time on her hands."
Saying that I'm obsessed with this book might be an understatement. I simply loved everything about it! Just a couple of pages in and I was howling with laughter and less than 24 hours later, I was sad to reach the last page. It was such an enjoyable and flawless read that I never wanted it to end.
I adored all the characters, especially Vera! She reminds me so much of my mother, who is similarly very diligent in trying to keep up with the latest lingo and can whip up a mean lion's head 😂 I'm Chinese and nothing thrills me more in novels than accurate cultural representation + characters that I see myself in. As always, the author has nailed all of these perfectly.
Truly, there is nothing I didn't love about this heartwarming, captivating and highly bingeable book even though I guessed whodunit quite early on (but not the why).
I've said this before and I'll say this again: Jesse Q Sutanto never misses, regardless of what genre or age group she writes for. She has completely stolen my heart with Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, now one of my favorite cozy mysteries and found family stories ever! ❤️
Thank you Berkley Publishing for the Netgalley ARC.
Saying that I'm obsessed with this book might be an understatement. I simply loved everything about it! Just a couple of pages in and I was howling with laughter and less than 24 hours later, I was sad to reach the last page. It was such an enjoyable and flawless read that I never wanted it to end.
I adored all the characters, especially Vera! She reminds me so much of my mother, who is similarly very diligent in trying to keep up with the latest lingo and can whip up a mean lion's head 😂 I'm Chinese and nothing thrills me more in novels than accurate cultural representation + characters that I see myself in. As always, the author has nailed all of these perfectly.
Truly, there is nothing I didn't love about this heartwarming, captivating and highly bingeable book even though I guessed whodunit quite early on (but not the why).
I've said this before and I'll say this again: Jesse Q Sutanto never misses, regardless of what genre or age group she writes for. She has completely stolen my heart with Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, now one of my favorite cozy mysteries and found family stories ever! ❤️
Thank you Berkley Publishing for the Netgalley ARC.
March 22, 2023
"What the----?" the first officer mutters. "Hey, ma'am, who drew the outline around the deceased?"
"Ah." Vera swells with pride. They have noticed just how helpful and resourceful Vera is. "I do it. I save you some work."
And, that's when I fell in love with Vera Wong, the ever-helpful, ever-meddling, matchmaking, comfort-food baking, tea brewing dynamo. I loved this story of Vera's wacky and ingenious attempts to figure out who murdered the man she found lying on the floor of her tea room. She's a hoot, and this novel was pure fun from beginning to end.
"This is the correct reaction to this tea," Vera says, taking a sip. "It is very rare, all my teas are rare, you know, and when it is picked, the farmers sob because the fragrance is so beautiful it reminds them of the celestial gardens in heaven."
"Really?" Oliver sniffles, fighting to get his emotions under control.
Vera shrugs. "I don't know, I made it up. Americans like it when I tell them stories about each type of tea." Her accent becomes stronger, more exaggerated. "Oh, this tea, from Fujian Province in China, is guarded by a golden dragon that fly above the fields." She cocks an eyebrow at him. "See? Convincing, eh?"
"Ah." Vera swells with pride. They have noticed just how helpful and resourceful Vera is. "I do it. I save you some work."
And, that's when I fell in love with Vera Wong, the ever-helpful, ever-meddling, matchmaking, comfort-food baking, tea brewing dynamo. I loved this story of Vera's wacky and ingenious attempts to figure out who murdered the man she found lying on the floor of her tea room. She's a hoot, and this novel was pure fun from beginning to end.
"This is the correct reaction to this tea," Vera says, taking a sip. "It is very rare, all my teas are rare, you know, and when it is picked, the farmers sob because the fragrance is so beautiful it reminds them of the celestial gardens in heaven."
"Really?" Oliver sniffles, fighting to get his emotions under control.
Vera shrugs. "I don't know, I made it up. Americans like it when I tell them stories about each type of tea." Her accent becomes stronger, more exaggerated. "Oh, this tea, from Fujian Province in China, is guarded by a golden dragon that fly above the fields." She cocks an eyebrow at him. "See? Convincing, eh?"
Read
March 20, 2023A very enjoyable cosy mystery, in which an elderly Chinese widow living a rather lonely (but doggedly determined) life in the US finds a dead body in her teahouse and decides to solve the mystery, mostly for something to do. In the process, she turns most of the suspects into a found family.
Very amusing caper, with some horrible and many difficult people, and sharp edges but a kind, open heart. I do like a murder where we don't have to regret the murderee's passing in the slightest.
Very amusing caper, with some horrible and many difficult people, and sharp edges but a kind, open heart. I do like a murder where we don't have to regret the murderee's passing in the slightest.
December 12, 2023
Goodreads Choice Awards vlog: https://youtu.be/orDJrxESZzs
June 12, 2023
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers was hilarious! A fun story and even more entertaining as an audiobook!
Vera Wong is a 60 year old Chinese tea shop owner in San Francisco. She is well-versed in internet research and slang, frequently working it in when the opportunity presents itself, like referencing “slipping and sliding into DMs.”
Vera is also a busybody and when she finds a dead body in her tea shop, she first outlines the area around it with a Sharpie and expresses disappointment when the (regular) police arrive on the scene, unaccompanied by CSI. Vera knows she’ll do a better job investigating the murder than the police will, so she makes it her business to get involved, befriending the various suspects in order to help solve the mystery. But Vera gets to know each of the suspects, she grows to like them and hopes she is wrong about their involvement in the murder.
Though I’d more than likely find Vera at least somewhat annoying in real life if I was one of the other characters in this book, I found the story very entertaining and know she was well-intentioned. Eunice Wong did a wonderful job narrating the audiobook. This is a comedic mystery with themes of friendship and found family.
Vera Wong is a 60 year old Chinese tea shop owner in San Francisco. She is well-versed in internet research and slang, frequently working it in when the opportunity presents itself, like referencing “slipping and sliding into DMs.”
Vera is also a busybody and when she finds a dead body in her tea shop, she first outlines the area around it with a Sharpie and expresses disappointment when the (regular) police arrive on the scene, unaccompanied by CSI. Vera knows she’ll do a better job investigating the murder than the police will, so she makes it her business to get involved, befriending the various suspects in order to help solve the mystery. But Vera gets to know each of the suspects, she grows to like them and hopes she is wrong about their involvement in the murder.
Though I’d more than likely find Vera at least somewhat annoying in real life if I was one of the other characters in this book, I found the story very entertaining and know she was well-intentioned. Eunice Wong did a wonderful job narrating the audiobook. This is a comedic mystery with themes of friendship and found family.
November 25, 2023
This book is definitely one of my favorites that I have read this year! I loved everything about it! I love Vera Wong and her love of CSI and Law and Order and tea which I happen to share with her. I love all of the wonderful teas that she created. I love the found family that Vera had in the book. There’s so many funny and sad and sweet moments in the book. I also love the amazing food that Vera cooks for everyone. I love the mystery and how Vera was able to solve the crime. Also, I had something that I thought would trigger me and while I can’t go into it because it is a bit of a spoiler I wound up not being bothered by it.
May 15, 2023
An example of a book I would never revisit.
I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. This is the problem! This book didn’t inspire any strong feelings in me.
Vera Wong is cute in places. It’s wholesome, but it also feels strangely out of place. Is this novel trying to be a cozy mystery, or is it trying to be a found family story? Is this a dramedy or is it a tragedy?
Let’s start from the beginning:
Vera Wong is the proprietor of a down and out tea shop in China town. She has a son that doesn’t respond to her texts or take much interest in his Chinese heritage. She’s lonely, and has one customer per day.
Until she finds a dead body in her shop!
Overbearing Vera decides to get to the bottom of this, even if the police don’t think it’s suspicious.
Vera finds four suspects: Julia, Olivia, Riki, and Sana.
Now, this is where things get a little bit off the rails for me.
Do these people find Vera’s accusations accusatory? Nope! They all become fast friends, almost like a found family. Sure, because I’d love to hang out with potential Murderers and the strange woman accusing me of murder.
*I think this concept could have worked if it was over a longer period of time, but as it stands the plot occurs only over the span of a week or two. It’s all very fast (and yet the book is sooo long!)
It was like one of my least favorite tropes: insta love, but instead insta family.
Now the good: the beginning is the strongest part of the story, it sucks you in and makes you want to keep reading. The ending twist I also was surprised by, and was glad it wasn’t completely predictable.
Sutanto writes SCRUMPTIOUS SUMPTUOUS! scenes around food. She should really play to her strengths and include more of this comfort food based writing to more stories. (I’d love to read about Vera cooking and bringing food to loved ones, a lot more than I loved reading about her murder investigation. Something along the lines of a Becky chambers-esque series involving cooking would be so cozy.)
And drum roll… the bad
Unfortunately I thought the book was all over the place and largely unbelievable. Disbelief I can handle… but it was also so long that it constantly reminded me that the characters and the plot were behaving in ways I didn’t find realistic.
I don’t think the writing is bad. I don’t think the initial plot is bad. But I do think the author got lost in it. The story meanders, it stumbles.
And don’t get me started on a two year old character speaking on a level more on par with a five year old.
Also don’t get me started on the contrived good twin versus evil twin fall in love with the same girl trope. Maybe this just makes me roll my eyes because my husband is a twin and my sister in law is also a twin, but I just think it’s so cheap. There are better tropes.
Initial review: 2.5 stars. I’ve decided to round down. I objectively don’t think this is a bad book, and I do think it will work for others, but for me this story didn’t work. I have too many issues with the construction.
I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. This is the problem! This book didn’t inspire any strong feelings in me.
Vera Wong is cute in places. It’s wholesome, but it also feels strangely out of place. Is this novel trying to be a cozy mystery, or is it trying to be a found family story? Is this a dramedy or is it a tragedy?
Let’s start from the beginning:
Vera Wong is the proprietor of a down and out tea shop in China town. She has a son that doesn’t respond to her texts or take much interest in his Chinese heritage. She’s lonely, and has one customer per day.
Until she finds a dead body in her shop!
Overbearing Vera decides to get to the bottom of this, even if the police don’t think it’s suspicious.
Vera finds four suspects: Julia, Olivia, Riki, and Sana.
Now, this is where things get a little bit off the rails for me.
Do these people find Vera’s accusations accusatory? Nope! They all become fast friends, almost like a found family. Sure, because I’d love to hang out with potential Murderers and the strange woman accusing me of murder.
*I think this concept could have worked if it was over a longer period of time, but as it stands the plot occurs only over the span of a week or two. It’s all very fast (and yet the book is sooo long!)
It was like one of my least favorite tropes: insta love, but instead insta family.
Now the good: the beginning is the strongest part of the story, it sucks you in and makes you want to keep reading. The ending twist I also was surprised by, and was glad it wasn’t completely predictable.
Sutanto writes SCRUMPTIOUS SUMPTUOUS! scenes around food. She should really play to her strengths and include more of this comfort food based writing to more stories. (I’d love to read about Vera cooking and bringing food to loved ones, a lot more than I loved reading about her murder investigation. Something along the lines of a Becky chambers-esque series involving cooking would be so cozy.)
And drum roll… the bad
Unfortunately I thought the book was all over the place and largely unbelievable. Disbelief I can handle… but it was also so long that it constantly reminded me that the characters and the plot were behaving in ways I didn’t find realistic.
I don’t think the writing is bad. I don’t think the initial plot is bad. But I do think the author got lost in it. The story meanders, it stumbles.
And don’t get me started on a two year old character speaking on a level more on par with a five year old.
Also don’t get me started on the contrived good twin versus evil twin fall in love with the same girl trope. Maybe this just makes me roll my eyes because my husband is a twin and my sister in law is also a twin, but I just think it’s so cheap. There are better tropes.
Initial review: 2.5 stars. I’ve decided to round down. I objectively don’t think this is a bad book, and I do think it will work for others, but for me this story didn’t work. I have too many issues with the construction.
September 5, 2023
4.5 stars!
This is the kind of cozy mystery book I absolutely adore.
Vera Wong runs a tea shop in Chinatown, San Francisco. Her son has grown up and rarely calls or visits and her husband passed away. With a dwindling customer base, Vera doesn't have much to occupy her time. Until one morning she walks into her tea shop and discovers a dead body. Vera doesn't like the way the police are investigating, she begins her own investigation and integrates herself into the daily life of her suspects.
I adored this book so much, there's just something really cute about a pushy older woman getting her way to the surprise of everyone around them. The side characters were all interesting in their own ways and well developed, I never got bored of any one of their personal stories or perspectives. One of the best parts were all the descriptions of the food Vera made, everything sounded delicious and I was beyond hungry listening to the audiobook. I was riveted until the end, with a slightly rough beginning to the story. But overall I can see myself recommending this to many people, it's a comfort read.
This is the kind of cozy mystery book I absolutely adore.
Vera Wong runs a tea shop in Chinatown, San Francisco. Her son has grown up and rarely calls or visits and her husband passed away. With a dwindling customer base, Vera doesn't have much to occupy her time. Until one morning she walks into her tea shop and discovers a dead body. Vera doesn't like the way the police are investigating, she begins her own investigation and integrates herself into the daily life of her suspects.
I adored this book so much, there's just something really cute about a pushy older woman getting her way to the surprise of everyone around them. The side characters were all interesting in their own ways and well developed, I never got bored of any one of their personal stories or perspectives. One of the best parts were all the descriptions of the food Vera made, everything sounded delicious and I was beyond hungry listening to the audiobook. I was riveted until the end, with a slightly rough beginning to the story. But overall I can see myself recommending this to many people, it's a comfort read.
March 24, 2023
Absolutely loved it!!!!!!!!
March 16, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up. What worked for me - the quirky characters with heart & the charming San Fran Chinatown tea shop setting. And what didn’t - the “murder mystery” itself - the perpetrator was very obvious & just too simple & too long in explanation. Still, loved the MC & secondary characters, and the off-beat fun of this one.
April 27, 2024
Vera Wong is 60 years old gets out of bed each morning at 430am her eyes snap open like roller shades shooting up her upper body levitates from the mattress no lazy rolling out of bed for Vera, though admittedly sitting up in bed 🛌 now comes with clicks & clacks of her joints, Vera runs a Tea Shop right in the heart of China Town her son Tolbert (aka Tolbert} helps with the running of the shop.
Vera Wongs Tea Shop sounds more like Vera Wangs Tea Shop which sounds more famous, but one day she goes to her Tea Shop early to find a dead body laying there… well you could imagine how shocked she is that a murder occurred there officer Gray & his partner officer Ha investigate the murder with amateur sleuth Vera right beside them doing some investigating for herself.
I will not go any further but to say this was so funny, very cool the characters were engaging & likeable Vera had me in stitches at times I loved her vitality for life this is highly recommended this will not be my last read by this author will be waiting for her next novel loved this one.
Vera Wongs Tea Shop sounds more like Vera Wangs Tea Shop which sounds more famous, but one day she goes to her Tea Shop early to find a dead body laying there… well you could imagine how shocked she is that a murder occurred there officer Gray & his partner officer Ha investigate the murder with amateur sleuth Vera right beside them doing some investigating for herself.
I will not go any further but to say this was so funny, very cool the characters were engaging & likeable Vera had me in stitches at times I loved her vitality for life this is highly recommended this will not be my last read by this author will be waiting for her next novel loved this one.
August 23, 2023
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, a comedic whodunit written by Jesse Q. Sutanto, was a wonderful breath of fresh air this week. Burdened by work fatigue, I needed something to lighten my day and easily fell prey to the magical Vera Wong and her tea shop. If only this woman existed in real life! Drawn from stereotypes but ripe with truth and life commentary, this book offered charming characters who burrowed their way into your heart and mind.
Vera finds a dead body in her tea shop. She does the preliminary policework, then calls the cops to check it out. She tells her customers what teas they may drink and never lets them choose. She has thoughts on all her neighbors. And she texts her adult son every morning to wake up before her, because that's how you show resect to your elders. What a hoot.
As she gets to know the victim's family and potential murderers, we learn the lengths Vera will go to in order to solve the crime. I easily guessed the murderer but only because I've been reading these kinds of books for decades now... that said, there were several surprise connections and the author clearly has a way with revealing clues and surprises at all the right moments. Definitely planning to read more by Sutanto.
Vera finds a dead body in her tea shop. She does the preliminary policework, then calls the cops to check it out. She tells her customers what teas they may drink and never lets them choose. She has thoughts on all her neighbors. And she texts her adult son every morning to wake up before her, because that's how you show resect to your elders. What a hoot.
As she gets to know the victim's family and potential murderers, we learn the lengths Vera will go to in order to solve the crime. I easily guessed the murderer but only because I've been reading these kinds of books for decades now... that said, there were several surprise connections and the author clearly has a way with revealing clues and surprises at all the right moments. Definitely planning to read more by Sutanto.
January 2, 2024
Loved loved LOVEDDDD!
Ugh! Can grandma fiction be a genre!? Because I'm obsessed!!
Vera is one of those visceral characters. Someone whose presence you just feel as you read about them. She's so genuinely herself. She's so charming. She's so assertive. And she's so lovely. I truly meant it when I said, Vera can come stay with me any day. I just adored her so so much!
Ugh! Can grandma fiction be a genre!? Because I'm obsessed!!
Vera is one of those visceral characters. Someone whose presence you just feel as you read about them. She's so genuinely herself. She's so charming. She's so assertive. And she's so lovely. I truly meant it when I said, Vera can come stay with me any day. I just adored her so so much!
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