Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
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4.2 • 344 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A USA Today bestseller
Edgar Award Winner for Best Original Paperback
Audie Award Winner for Mystery
Libby Award Winner for Best Mystery
A lonely shopkeeper takes it upon herself to solve a murder in the most peculiar way in this captivating mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.
Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady—ah, lady of a certain age—who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her Gen-Z son is up to.
Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing—a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. 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 safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would 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 knows the killer will be back for the flash drive; all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer.
What Vera does not expect is to form friendships with her customers and start to care for each and every one of them. As a protective mother hen, will she end up having to give one of her newfound chicks to the police?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
You’ll love the unlikely murder investigator at the heart of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s lighthearted whodunit. When 60-year-old widow Vera Wong Zhuzhu wakes up to find a dead body on the floor of her quiet tea shop in San Francisco’s Chinatown, her predictable daily routine gets flipped upside down. After she’s visited by a selection of colorful characters with ulterior motives (from the victim’s twin brother and jilted wife to a handsome young Indonesian man claiming to be a reporter), Vera decides she’s the only person who could possibly solve this mystery—and of course, she’s right! We were captivated by the riotous tea shop owner and her supernatural ability to extract secrets from even the most clever and mysterious visitors over cups of perfectly brewed tea. If you’re looking for a fun mystery that feels like a warm hug, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers will hit the spot.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
At the start of this stellar mystery from Sutanto (Dial A for Aunties), 60-year-old, strong-willed widow Vera Wong discovers a body with a flash drive in its hand in her tea shop in San Francisco's Chinatown. Vera contacts the police, but confident she can do a better job at pinpointing the murderer, she snatches the flash drive before their arrival. The authorities identify the victim as 29-year-old Marshall Chen and determine he died from an allergy attack. Convinced the death was no accident, Vera is thrilled to delve into detective work when a handful of people who knew Marshall come into her shop looking for information. The eclectic group includes Marshall's widow, his twin brother, a reporter for Buzzfeed, and the host of a true crime podcast. Seeing them as potential suspects, Vera lures them with her distinctive teas and cooking, developing genuine friendships with each one, but also easily able to sniff out their lies. The engrossing plot, which is full of laugh out loud humor and heartfelt moments, builds to a satisfying conclusion that will leave readers eager for more Vera. Sutanto has outdone herself with this cozy with substance.
Customer Reviews
Unsolicited advice: you won't regret reading this book
If you're looking for a cozy mystery, this is an excellent one! Good character development, a solid plot, a twist or two, and some tea; what more could you want?!
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
Entertaining and light. Vera’s character is so endearing (and clever!)
A must read (I love Vera so much!)
As someone who is currently getting back into reading this book had it all and kept me invested at all times! I laughed a lot, teared up at a certain part (iykyk), and could not put it down. Please give it a try!