Synopsis: Vera Wong, a thriving 60-something tea shop owner, prides herself in keeping a routine, having filial piety and giving others unsolicited advice. One fine morning her routine is rudely interrupted by the appearance of a dead body on her shop floor. Given her self-proclaimed keen skills of detection, a slight helping of free time, and a lack of faith in the good for nothing police, who better than to solve the case than Vera herself? Join Vera as she narrows down the suspects and creates a found family along the way!

Thoughts: When I say this cosy mystery was funny, I mean strangers on a train watched me sporadically howl as I poured over the pages. The beauty of this story is that it’s not just funny but that there are a whole mix of emotions wrapped up into it: acceptance, fear, loneliness, and love, amongst others. Some of us will be able to recognise our first generation immigrant parents and grandparents in Vera, while others of us will be able to understand the anguish that is being an adult but not feeling fully with it. This work acknowledges that we all battle with our own demons while both drawing boundaries and giving grace.

Verdict: I freaking LOVED this book! This has to by far be my favourite of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s books. Read this! The story was good, the audible narrator was good, it was published on my birthday and basically it’s just all good!

I really enjoyed reading about and getting to know Vera Wong, it was a delightful “ cosy crime” read, interesting, fun and light hearted look at murder but with a lot of family dynamics and life issues too.
Highly recommend
Thank you

I really enjoyed Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers… but not for the reasons I was expecting. Going in, I was expecting this to be a sort of cosy mystery with a kick-ass elderly lady as its sleuth and set in a tea shop and to a certain degree, yes that it is exactly what you get. But what stood out to me most about it is that it’s much more of a family drama. It’s much more dramatic than it is suspenseful. And not only are there these family dynamics at play but there’s a beautiful found family element that I absolutely adored. Was I disappointed with the mystery itself? Maybe a little. I think that if you go into this expecting lots of suspense and thrills then you might come out disappointed. Or maybe, like me, you’ll find yourself enjoying something entirely different about it. It’s a really lovely book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

Vera Wong is a 66 year old widow with one son who she doesn't see that often and a teashop that hardly anyone goes to. One day she wakes up to a dead body in her teashop and when the police don't seem to be taking the case as serious as Vera would like she takes it upon herself to do some investigating because an amateur sleuth can obviously do a much better job.

3.5 stars rounding up.

I have read the two Aunties books by Jesse Sutanto which i absolutely adored so i had high hopes for this. This was fun but not as funny as I was expecting. I felt that there could have been a little bit more character development and I was disappointed in the reveal as it was just a bit too simple. However, it was a quick read, I had a good time reading this and if there was to be a book 2 I would pick it up.


Thank you NetGalley and HQ, HarperCollins UK for my ARC in exchange the review.

I feel really bad about this but I didn’t enjoy this book and I do not know why. Vera is sweet and I love the descriptions of her shop and the teas she makes. I should have liked this book but something about the writing irritated me. It is very slow paced and repetitive, which is fine for a cosy mystery but I am not sure that is what the author is going for. The frequent use of the f word in this setting is jarring and kept pulling me out of the book. I wasn’t sure what it was supposed to be. The mystery element wasn’t interesting to me but I thought maybe I could rely on Vera to pull me through the book but it wasn’t enough.

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is hilarious. Vera Wong is sixty, a tea-shop owner and a widow with one son. The characterisation by the author is excellent and I was encouraging each one on throughout. I chuckled my way through Vera's antics and sniggered through her detective techniques. A truly enjoyable and compulsive mystery novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

This book was wonderful, I loved the characters so much. Vera was like no other character I've seen before and yet I could imagine her perfectly. She had such life to her. I would love to go to her tea shop and try her tea, it sounds just like the sort of place I like to go.

As with all mysteries, obviously, the case was important to the book. But I found the more we got into it, the less I was actually bothered by it. I didn't want to see it solved and see one of the characters I'd grown attached to locked up for murder! I loved them all. But the solution came and I was satisfied with it. It had just the right number of twists to stop it from being predictable and yet the clues were all there in the text.

I think this is standalone, but I would quite like to see it become a series. Now Vera's got a taste for solving crimes will she really go back to just running the tea shop and managing the people in her life? I'm not ready to be done with this characters yet.

I loveeed this. Honestly, Jesse Sutanto does comedy SO WELL! Vera is an unforgettable character and I loved her sleuthing and investigating.

I loved the cast of characters and the numerous little twists that were plotted all the way through.

There were so many cute moments and laugh out loud moments and this is definitely one to read and enjoy! I’d love a Vera series, she’s such a fabulous character!

I listened to some of the audiobook for this one too as I was reading, and loved the narrator. She was excellent!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I just started reading this book that was an absolute delight. Jesse Sutanto never disappoints me and I’ve definitely found an autobuy author for sure. I was laughing most the way through this book Vera Wong is just amazing and honestly when I finished I just felt so good and warm such a great ending.

When Vera Wong comes downstairs to her teashop one morning & finds a body on the floor she doesn't collapse in an attack of the vapours- it will take a lot more to upset this sixty year old Chinese mother! In fact it is something she feels quite invigorated by- it might be more interesting that trying to find out if her son is dating & likely to make her a grandmother! She sets out to solve the murder herself- after all she is a master at observing people & coming to her conclusions about them!

Told from various points of view, this is a rather exhausting read. Overall it wasn't a great read as far as I was concerned. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This started off promising but as the story went on we spent less time with Vera, and the less interesting it became. There was some clunky dialogue (someone actually verbalizing the word ‘Stahp’?) and if you decide to write out ‘Noooooo’ as inner thoughts it just reads awkward. Maybe it’s meant to sound casual but for me it failed at that, and just made me grimace instead. The reveal was impossible to guess for me, and not only did it come out of nowhere, the motivation behind it and the immense jump seemed crazy dramatic. It was enjoyable enough but after DNFing Four Aunties and a Wedding earlier in the year I’m wondering if Sutanto is just not for me.

I really enjoyed this one! It was such an entertaining, cozy mystery. I liked watching Vera poke her nose into everyone's business as she tried to identify the murderer. I also enjoyed reading the story unfold from various point of views as it allowed us to get more of an insight to the supporting characters.
Overall, this is a highly funny, enjoyable read that I recommend to anyone.

🌟 Heartwarming & highly bingeable!
🌟 Oh how I LOVE Vera, such a special character.
🌟 The rest of the motley bunch are pretty marvellous too, unique in their own rights.
🌟 Brimming with all the feels funny, endearing & a few tear jerking moments.
🌟 Sutanto NEVER disappoints, I can't wait to see what see comes up with next! I do hope one day we see more of Vera.

This was brilliant - who wouldn't like a story about an interfering Asian tea shop owner, who tries to solve a murder, and gets involved in the lives of all the suspects. Really well written, and nicely paces

If you have come across the Dial A for Aunties books then you will know that Sutanto writes entertaining books full of hilarious, larger than life characters and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is no exception. And if you haven’t read her previous books, but enjoy cosy crime that combines laugh out loud moments with a fabulous cast of characters, then this is one you definitely need to read!

Vera is a 60 year old Chinese lady who runs a somewhat run down tea shop in San Francisco - when she comes down one morning to find a dead man lying on the floor and the police seem decidedly uninterested in the case, she takes it upon herself to investigate and in doing so gets to know four “suspects’, getting involved in their lives in ways which go well beyond the original investigation.

Vera is a delightful character, blunt and no nonsense, infuriating at times but ultimately enormously endearing, and I equally enjoyed getting to know the other four main characters as we learnt more about them. With a murder mystery element, this is ultimately a story about friendship and found family as Vera helps both herself and others by bringing everyone together. This is such a fun read, a book that will make you smile, make you laugh - and I do hope we see more of Vera.

This is such a ridiculous, fun, camp, hilarious cosy murder mystery about a Chinese Grandmother attempting to solve a murder that took place in her tea house.

Vera is such a funny and ridiculous, larger than life character. The author I feel did a good job of keeping the humour, but keeping the line away from being silly (if that makes sense).

This is a really quick, fun, read, which doesn't take itself too seriously.

Completely in love with this book – Vera is an incredible protagonist and I have purchased copies for my Mum and Nan, as the effortless blend of hilarious and heartfelt made this a 5* read for me this year. I am hopeful that there will be a sequel and more of Vera and her ragtag gang of found family.

Finding a body in your tearoom isn’t an everyday occurrence, but one that Vera Wong relishes. She’s not the type to be pushed aside, and if the police aren’t going to investigate then Vera definitely is.

An entertaining story that rushes along with a cast of characters that don’t just hold your attention but demand it. Vera is particularly addictive in her interference with the case of Marshall’s death, but also with the lives of the various people that she suspects and her determination to uncover their secrets. I loved how the author wove serious ideas around a fun mystery that was character driven with moments of real poignancy as well as amusement.

Don’t read this book on an empty stomach, as you will just end up hungry and longing for the sumptuous dishes that Vera makes!

I have flown through this book – it’s so darn good!

I loved it from start to finish.

All of the characters are interesting and complex and you find yourself rooting for all of them.

Vera herself is particularly wonderful. She is nosey and bossy but so thoughtful and kind-hearted. She can sense how people are feeling and what they need before they themselves know. She is too easily dismissed by people who think they know better and see her just as an old lady. But she is intelligent and resilient and determined.

Vera’s life is one of strict routines. She is an early riser, she keeps herself fit and she works in her teashop. But she has very few customers and a son she rarely sees and is lonely. When she wakes up one morning to find a dead body in her shop, instead of shock, she feels excitement. Convinced its a murder she begins investigating.

Vera’s investigations lead her to meet a group of people who were all somehow connected to the victim. They could all be suspects, but as she gets to know her new friends, she really doesn’t want any of them to be revealed as this killer.

This is such a wonderful book filled with good humour, friendship, and love. Vera brings people together and allows them to heal and love. Her found family gives her a renewed sense of purpose and energy. She is an absolutely wonderful character!

I don’t want to say too much more as it was such a joy, I don’t want to spoil it!

Thank you, Netgalley, for my gifted copy! This is one of my favourite reads of the year so far.

I really enjoyed this book. For me it started off a little slow but once I got my head around Vera and her meddling ways I actually really loved her and the story!
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 tea house used to be the talk of Chinatown but now she only has one regular customer.
A widow with a son who is busy working, the tea house is all she really has.
When she awakes one morning to find a dead man in her tea house, she is determined to catch his murderer, she doesn’t think the cops know what they are doing!
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 and why?

Vera is hilarious.

This character driven cosy mystery is at times very predictable but nonetheless very enjoyable.
Vera’s food sounds absolutely amazing I wish she would cook a Chinese feast for me even if she was trying to suss out whether I could’ve killed Marshall