The first novel by Jessie Sutanto I’ve read (she’s an author I’ve been eager to read for a while) and it did not disappoint! It’s a lovely cosy mystery novel packed with heartwarming humour and surprises, and I loved that the main protagonist was an older woman as often the books I read focus on younger characters. This was such a fun read and it’s made me want to read Sutanto’s previous novels more.

A brilliant cosy mystery book. These have always been my favourite genres to read and this one didn’t disappoint

Lighthearted, funny and wonderfully entertaining. I loved this brilliant read. It was the first book I have read by this author and it will not be the last.

Absolutely brilliant! One of the best books I've read this year (although this review is very, very, very late). Although this is my first book by this author, I loved everything about it. The characters and how they were brought to life in this story were a joy to read about with distinct voices, quirks, etc., and is so clever and funny.

I honestly hope this becomes a series, because I will line up to read them!

A hilarious read! Flew threw it and can’t wait to see more of this protagonist unique and fresh made me laugh

The moment I met Vera, I absolutely loved her. She is so eccentric and purely loveable. The entire cast of characters within this book, are an absolute joy. They are all relatable, which I loved. The story over-all gave me cosy mystery vibes, and was a heartwarming and interesting read.

Absolutely brilliant! This cosy mystery blended with some strong found-family flavours, lots of sly humour and a splash of pathos had me rushing out to buy a paper ‘keep’ copy and recommending it wholeheartedly to all my family and friends. I even rang my mum up specially, just to rave about it… I’m sure Vera would approve!

The story follows tea-shop owner Vera as she finds a dead body in the middle of her floor, and quickly sets about organising police, suspects and random customers as she attempts to find the inconsiderate killer and accidentally improves lives – including her own – along the way.

As well as being both funny and touching, this book has a solid mystery plot. It all makes sense and the clues are all there but it kept me guessing throughout, and although I managed to get an inkling of who the murderer was before the reveal, I had absolutely no idea why or how it was done until Vera patiently explained it to me.

But the main joy here is the characters. Vera, obviously, but also Julia and Emma, Riki, Sana, Oliver and even Officer Gray – they might not be on the same page as far as the murder goes (everyone has their secrets!) but they definitely conspired to win my heart and I was firmly rooting for them all to survive Vera’s whirlwind approach to investigation.

This is the perfect book for fans of found family, humour and mystery – full of warmth, heart, good food and well-meaning meddling. I’m going to have to pick up a copy of Jesse Sutanto’s Auntie books now, as I may very well have found another new favourite author!

At the beginning of this book, I was pretty intrigued by it. It was a fun cosy mystery, and I had so much fun trying to figure out (alongside Vera) who the killer was.

I did lose steam a little around the middle. There felt like far too many characters to keep up with at times, and they started to blur together for me. At times, I just felt myself think "just tell me who it was already!"

I loved the relationship between Emma and Vera, a beautiful grandmother/granddaughter relationship that was wonderfully nourished and grew over the book.

I'm a fan of Vera and how she refuses to let the outside world change the way she operates! The book was paced well and raised interesting questions about cross-cultural interactions, loneliness and making friends as an adult. The twist at the end felt a little clunky somehow, but it was nice to have everything wrapped up. As a fan of the Aunties too, I'll continue to look out for Sutanto's work!

A light-hearted and fun book, with good characters. I enjoyed it, and would read more from this author.

A compelling storyline with well developed characters. It was gripping and kept me guessing all the way through. Really enjoyable

I loved this one so much!! It made me feel like I definitely want and need a Vera in my life. This one really made me laugh out loud and warmed my heart - it was a brilliant book from start to finish a proper cosy crime mystery!

This book was so fun! This was the first book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was different from anything I've read recently and really captured my attention. It was so well written and the characters were fantastic...will be buying this as a gift

The characters are all well drawn and all have something to hide. The clues to who caused the death are there but they are well hidden. There were a number of blind alleys which Vera dutifully follows. Her cooking feats are extraordinary. There is humour. It is a book I shall recommend to others.

Several recent domestic thrillers and ‘cosy crime’ releases have featured mature women as their protagonists, so I was intrigued to see what new slant on this concept this novel could offer. Quite a lot actually, as I was soon to discover!

Sutanto’s heroine is Vera Wong who runs a teashop and is a stickler for routines. She has no expertise in investigating unexplained deaths but soon finds she has to develop some when one morning, she happens upon a deceased man, Marshall, and decides to counter the apparent police apathy by investigating his demise herself. This means Vera finds out more about Marshall’s wife Julia and small daughter Emma too – as well as several of her usual customers who cannot stay away from the scene of the crime. Well-written and full of explicit and implicit irony, I warmly recommend this book for lovers of the genre. I am grateful to the publishers and NetGalley for the free ARC that allowed me to review this book on an honest, unbiased basis.

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

This book was so fun! This was the first book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was different from anything I've read recently and really captured my attention. It was so well written and the characters were fantastic.

This will be one of my books of the year - wholesome found family with an amazing cast of characters. Lots of laughs and lots of happy tears. The food descriptions made me want to try everything and I just fell in love with everyone in it.

This is cosy and a lot of fun, but something wasn't quite working to make me love it as much as I wanted. That said, I do think I'd recommend it to those who love cosy mysteries or OAP detectives!

Vera is brilliant and caustic and funny, and the main suspects were well fleshed out. I had my own suspicions throughout, and while I didn't quite nail it, I did have the general gist of it. I didn't fall for quite so many of Vera's wild theories, but I had the benefit of seeing more than Vera does lol. I did get frustrated at her lack of trust in the system - I understood some of it, but when it came to actively withholding, I was less keen on her actions, if only because I didnt want her to end up in jail or become the focus of the investigation haha.

Definitely a fun romp, 3.5 stars.

I've always enjoyed Sutanto's novels and this is no exception. In Vera Wong we follow Vera a tea-shop owner who finds herself inextricably involved in a murder investigation that occurred in her shop. In fact, only she thinks it was murder and only she is investigating. She sorts of befriends all her suspects as they start bonding over life and food. It's heartwarming how these characters come together and although not intricately weaved, it felt well shaped as a cozy mystery.

I found this novel a bit more grounded than the aunties books, but just as wild and funny in some instances. A big recommend if you enjoy a comedy/mystery with hints of family drama.