Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Sutanto is my second book by the author and it came in much the same vein - ridiculous, easy reading and entertaining.

I actually started reading this a few weeks ago but I just wasn't in the mood for it. There were too many POVs for my liking and I kept getting annoyed at Vera and her meddling but once I just suspended my disbelief I managed to quickly get through it. Seems to be the only way with Sutanto's work in all honesty 😅.

In terms of narrative, the writing style didn't float my boat and the storyline was kind of lacking, like I said, it was ridiculous. Vera Wong runs a tea shop and one morning, she finds a dead man on the teashop floor. Vera takes it upon herself at this point to investigate what happened and in the process she decides on her four suspects - all of which have a POV. I did like the diversity of the characters but we didn't get much time with each one to really bond with them.

It's definitely not for everyone but it was very quick to read for a rainy day and enjoyable if you let yourself fall into it.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest, independent review.

Vera Wong is sixty years old and runs a tea shop. When she wakes one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her shop, she becomes a 'detective' too.

Because why not? She'll do a better job than the police could possibly do! It's down to Vera to catch Marshall's killer.

I thought this book was lovely! Vera started as a little annoying - extremely no-nonsense, quite upfront in her way of talking and thinking - but you do grow to love and adore her, as do all the other characters, who turn from murder victims to somewhat family as the story develops.

Several POVs work well with each character's story given a chance to develop and interweave with everyone else's. All of the characters are relatable, plus I enjoyed learning more about Asian culture and ways of doing things too.

In terms of plot, it is character-driven and I found it a little slow at first, but as my heart warmed to Vera, I found the pace picked up too. The mystery is great with plenty of twists and kept me guessing as to who killed Marshall - I was completely wrong! There are a lot of laugh-out-loud moments too.

A cozy, heart-warming mystery!

I wasn't a fan of Vera Wong when i started this book: I found her bossy and meddling. She grew on me reading the story and I enjoyed her and the other characters.
Jesse Sutanto description of the world of Vera is interesting, funny and moving at the same time
The mystery is solid, full of twists and kept me guessing.
I laughed, turned pages and thoroughly enjoyed this story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

4.5 stars. Having finished Jesse Sutanto’s latest book, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, I have come to the conclusion that everyone needs a Vera in their life.

Sure, she’ll probably tell you that you’re getting up far too late and should seize the day (because Vera Wong is a pig but should have been born a rooster and, in her book, 4.31am is very late) and, if you’re single, she’ll almost certainly try to match you up with any eligible (read: alive and unattached) person in your vicinity. But Vera Wong will also look after you. She’ll cook you black pepper beef, spicy garlic tofu, and steamed cod (honestly, the descriptions of food in this book will leave you with cravings). She’ll push you out of your comfort zone. She’ll serve you just the right tea for your mood (a word of advice: get some decent Chinese tea in before you begin reading because you’re going to want a cup or seven to sip on). And she’ll still do all of it even though she suspects you of murder.

As you can (hopefully) tell, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is a fun and cosy murder mystery with a unique protagonist at its heart. Sixty-year-old tea expert turned amateur sleuth Vera is, to put it quite bluntly, interfering, nosy, and judgemental. She’s also someone you’ll want to adopt as your grandma the moment you meet her. Provided she doesn’t adopt you first, of course.

Because over the course of Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers Vera does adopt several people. There’s Riki, a recent Indonesian immigrant who’s desperate to raise the money for his gifted brother Adi to go to school; Sana, an artist who dreams of being able to live up to the expectations of her high-achieving mother; Oliver, a twin who just wants to step out of his brother’s shadow; and Julia, a stay-at-home mother whose life seems to have ended up in an unexpected cul-de-sac. All four of them are connected by Marshall, the dead man who Vera wakes up to find in the middle of her tea shop one morning. All four of them have secrets. And, despite the fact that she likes them very much, all four of them are very high on Vera’s suspect list.

Alternating between the perspective of Vera and her four ‘suspects’, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is a riotous romp of a novel that combines witty wise-cracking (watching Vera boss her suspects around never gets old) with some perceptive reflections on the pressures that come with certain cultural, familial, and societal expectations. I laughed a lot and also shed a tear or two (although never for very long – despite the murder at the heart of it, this is a book that provides the warm fuzzies on a regular basis). I loved the diversity of the characterisation and was rapidly drawn into the lives of all five of the main protagonists. As with all good mysteries, there’s also plenty of twists, turns, and red herrings to keep Vera on her toes and the final denouement came with an unexpected – and surprisingly poignant – twist.

As a newcomer to Jesse Sutano’s work, I wasn’t sure entirely what to expect from Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. What I got was a genuinely delightful blend of humorous and heart-warming; a light-hearted cosy mystery with plenty of good old-fashioned sleuthing to keep the pages turning. I’ve already ordered my next Jesse Sutano book and very much hope that the author will revisit Vera and Co in another book – I’d love to see what she gets them all embroiled in next!

I have never read a book like this before and that has to change. This book was amazing. I normally like my murders dark, twisty and gruesome. I have never read a book about murder with such wholesomeness and tenderness!

There is so much to love about this book. The author has brought together an eclectic set of characters and epitomised the phrase “it takes all types to make the world go round”. A random set of strangers become fast friends. Bonded by a tragic chain of events. The characters will feel like your friends my the end of this. None more so than the main character Vera. She wormed her way into my heart the way she does with the characters in this book. I found her so refreshing with her unflinching honestly.

I really enjoyed learning about the different cultures in this book and how difficult it can be to live in a different country and try to adapt your culture to this new world. I loved Vera and her different teas. I liked the sound of so many of them.

Please go and read this book. It is heart warming, funny and insightful and there is a sprinkling of murder. What’s not to like!

Having read a few of Jesse Sutanto's books now, I kind of know what I'm getting with her books, which isn't a negative thing. If you're looking for something fun and a bit quirky, I have a feeling you'll really get on with her writing.
This is a cosier murder mystery than the Dial A For Aunties series, which I appreciated.
I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives and found myself gripped the whole way through.
It was also an interesting reveal in the end, even if the actual ending did feel a little bit rushed.
It kept me guessing and is easily right up there with my favourites from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh but this book was amazing.
Vera Wong has a routine, every morning she gets up at 430 and walks, returning to the World Famous Tea House that she runs.
Her one customer appreciates the efforts that she puts into creating magical teas to soothe his soul.
Then she waits for more customers in her old fashioned shop and heads to bed to rise again and take control of the day.

One day, a body appears on the floor of the World Famous Tea House and Vera's life changes.

This book made me laugh out loud, it is written so well that we understand the aching loneliness of Vera Wong but also her unique personality.
A great story.

Jesse Sutanto’s books never fail to entertain me and have me laughing out loud. Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is no different. This is the first cosy mystery book I’ve read by Jesse Sutanto and it was incredible! It has all the humour and heart of her romance books whilst also keeping you on edge.

Sixty-year-old Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of tea and doing some healthy online ‘detective’ work. But, when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it is going to take more than a strong Longing to fix things. She knows she will do a better job than the police possibly could, so Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.

Vera Wong is an extraordinary lady. She is intelligent, fiery, bold, hilarious and lonely. We learn of her very set ideas on how the older generation should be treated and isn’t afraid to tell people if they don’t meet her expectations. I adored her.

This book also has a number of main supporting characters. These are, Riki, Sana, Oliver, Julia and Emma. Each of these characters is unique, original and wonderful.

We get to learn about each of these characters’ personalities and backstories via the multiple points of view. The story gives readers an insight into Vera, Julia, Riki, Sana and Oliver’s perspectives throughout the book. Some may be worried that this would cause confusion or pacing issues but it does not. Vera always remains the focal point and the other points of view help add to the story whilst learning more about the characters

This book captures the characters, their lifestyles and their cultures incredibly. Whilst the plot of this cosy mystery does have some twists and turns, it is a story about so much more than solving a crime. It discusses found family, family relationships, loneliness, boredom, personal boundaries, regret and a lot more too. Each of these topics helps make this book more endearing and heart-warming.

The mystery does keep you guessing throughout. I was always thinking about what Vera would find next and how that would affect the character’s relationships. This book has made me want even more cosy mystery books by Jesse Sutanto. She has definitely become an auto-buy author for me now and I would highly recommend her books.

Overall, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is an entertaining, light-hearted, funny and heart-warming cosy mystery which I cannot recommend enough!

Cosy murder mystery with nods to the Agatha Christie style.

The protagonist is likeable if a little rigid and I imagine hard to live with. The plot is excellent and I really wanted to find out what happened and I hadn’t figured it out!

When a man is found dead in Vera Wong's teahouse the police seem unconcerned, however Vera takes it very seriously and starts to investigate. Narrowing her field of suspects down to four she wins their friendship by force of personality and lots of excellent cooking. The biggest fear for Vera is that one of these lovely damaged people will turn out to be the murderer.
This is a delightfully lightweight book. It is written with such joy that it is impossible to dislike. OK, it's not exactly high art but for a quick fun read it is excellent.

Thank you to @hqstories for letting me be a part of the #blogtour for this heart warming title! I loved Vera - although I can imagine that for some, at the beginning she’s quite full on! But she’s so full of energy, full of life and full of love! I really enjoyed the different perspectives of each character in each chapter, which I felt really helped to keep the reader guessing. The relationship Vera develops with little Emma is beautiful and actually, all the relationships she builds throughout the story is quite heartwarming. Add in a bit of a murder mystery and this book was such a great escape from reality. This book is out this week so go and add it to your #tbr pile.

***4.5***
Vera Wong Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Tea Shop Iwner. Matchmaker. Detective ?
Tea expert Vera Wong finds a dead man in her teashop and decides she will do a better job than the police at solving the murder.

This May be the most cosy Murder Mystery I have ever read. Loved the characters and that alone had me invested in the story. The murder mystery kept me guessing and I found myself laughing out load all the way through. Would definitely recommend for an easy heartwarming read.

Thank you to Netgalley, HQ and Jesse Sutanto for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest Review

Well, we all need a Vera Wong in our lives! A cosy murder mystery story, starring the wonderful Vera Wong , a 60 year old Chinese mother running a world-famous teashop who one morning discovers a body on the floor of that shop. Vera decides to investigate and we meet a cast wonderful characters. A murder mystery novel, but also a novel. of self discovery and friendship. The descriptions of the speciality teas and the food Vera prepares just had my mouth watering. You can probably tell I loved it – so much, but I also listened to it on audio where the narrator was brilliant I hope that Vera may return in the future, but one thing I do know – you don’t argue with Vera Wong. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for honest review.

unfortunately this one fell a bit flat for me and I didn't enjoy it. it may have been my mind set, or even the darker weather we've been having, but in the moments I was reading this one it just didn't do it for me. maybe I'll revisit it at a later date.

3 stars because marking it any less wouldn't be fair as I can't pinpoint why I didn't like it.

Is there any problem or difficulty in life that cannot be overcome with the help of a good cup of tea? It certainly seems unlikely as, whether due to the comforting warmth it provides or the reassuring ceremony involved in its preparation, tea has been making people feel better for millennia, and in the present day the versatile beverage even manages to play a defining role in Jesse Q Sutanto’s delightful new cosy mystery, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

As a woman of a certain age, Vera Wong has seen a lot of life, and she’s definitely not afraid to share her observations, particularly when it comes to the shortcomings of the younger generations. Unfortunately for the widowed Vera, she has increasingly few opportunities to do so. Her once thriving teahouse—named Vera Wang’s World-Famous Teahouse in an effort to attract a more upscale clientele—located in San Francisco’s Chinatown now only has one regular customer left. Even worse, her insufficiently filial son Tilly doesn’t phone for advice anywhere near as often as he should.

In fact, although Vera maintains a strict routine of early starts and constant availability in the teahouse (“Late mornings, Vera believes are only for toddlers and Europeans”), she is both a little lonely and a little bored, not that she would ever admit as much of course. However, Vera’s life suddenly becomes much more full and exciting when she trudges down the stairs to open the teahouse one morning, discovers that there has been a break in and finds a dead man in the middle of the floor.

She’s watched enough detective shows to know that she should phone the police, and while waiting for them to arrive she even takes the time to helpfully draw the outline of the body with a Sharpie, but she also knows that she is likely a better detective than any of the professionals, which is why she removes the flash drive that the dead man is clutching and hides it in her apron before the police get there. After all, “she’s sure she would do a better job than they possibly could, because nobody sniffs out wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands”.

After her suspicions regarding the incompetence of local law enforcement are proved correct, and firm in her belief that the criminal always returns to the scene of the crime, Vera decides to place an obituary for the deceased chap, who is identified as Marshall Chen, in the local newspaper in order to draw the killer back to her teahouse. When this plan rapidly proves successful, Vera finds herself with four viable suspects to investigate, and they find themselves with a straight-talking and interfering elderly auntie with a staggering degree of determination and gumption.

While the savvy sexagenarian sleuth is no stranger to the cosy crime genre following the success of series such as Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club and Robert Thorogood’s Marlow Murder Club, there’s never before been an amateur detective quite like Vera Wong. She’s strong-willed, meddlesome and most definitely not afraid to speak her mind, but she’s also kind-hearted, generous and helpful to those she meets, even when she considers them potential murder suspects. She’s also extremely funny, perhaps particularly when she doesn’t mean to be.

Sutanto relates Vera’s investigation in the third person from the perspective of five different characters: Vera herself; Julia, Marshall Chen’s widow; Oliver, Marshall’s twin brother; Riki, an acquaintance of Marshall who is pretending to be a Buzzfeed reporter; and Sana, another acquaintance of Marshall, albeit this time one who is pretending to be a true crime podcaster. While Vera’s motive in drawing the latter four characters to her teahouse is clear, their reasons for following up on the obituary are far more murky, and just as Vera keeps her possession of the flash drive a secret, they all harbour secrets related to their relationships with Marshall.

Although any scheme to bring together potential murderers would initially appear fraught with danger, Vera’s plan actually has the effect of quickly forming an unlikely bunch of people into a kind of family. Whereas Vera is full of certainty and forthrightness, her four suspects are all plagued with self-doubt and vulnerability, much of it caused by the despicable Marshall. It is Vera’s belief that her tough love and sage advice could be just what they all need to turn their lives around, and if she is able to catch a killer in the process then all the better.

As for the investigation itself, it is definitely more of a marathon than a sprint. A marathon that is broken up by plenty of breaks to stop and indulge in some delicious Chinese food anyway. Vera manoeuvres herself into her four suspects’ lives with ease, drawing them all together as she does so, and then sets about learning all she can about them, even telling them things about themselves that they previously little suspected. Her brash and opinionated ways often leave the other four lost for words, but there’s no getting round the fact that she is most often correct—she did insist from the outset that Marshall was murdered after all.

As Vera pursues her inquiry into Marshall’s death and attempts to discover how his corpse fortuitously came to be found in her teahouse—all the while brewing the perfect blend of tea to match each aspect of the case—Sutanto carefully weaves the complex relationships among the characters in such a way that they are slowly and satisfyingly revealed. Both the main plot and the various subplots concerning the four suspects are carefully and intriguingly crafted, and there are several clues to the identity of the murderer hidden amongst such details. Moreover, the setting of San Francisco in general and Chinatown/Vera’s teahouse in particular are evocatively drawn.

A wonderful read for those who enjoy murder, mayhem and home cooking, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is a funny, complex and heart-warming cosy mystery featuring a truly unique amateur sleuth. Any murderer who attempts to stand again the redoubtable Vera Wong is certainly a murderer to be pitied.

An unusual, quirky crime story. Strong, likeable characters, the main character Vera is a force to be reckoned with, she draws in the other protagonists and we become involved with their lives. The story took me along with it and had twists and turns along the way.

Vera Wong is a sixty year old tea expert who owns 'Vera Wangs world famous teashop'. But its failing until she wakes one morning to find a man dead in her tea shop. Vera knows it was murder as why would a man break into her shop to die. There's also scratches and a bruise on his face and because of crime shows Vera knows the killer will come back to the scene of the crime. Soon Vera's once very empty tea shop becomes very busy and Vera makes new friends in Riki, Sana, Oliver, Julia and Julia's daughter Emma. But Vera believes one of them must be the killer, will she manage to put the friendships aside to get justice?

Jesse Sutanto has done it again this book was so well written. It kept me gripped the whole way through and was full of love and laughter. I adored Vera and I definitely want to see more from her.

This was written in multiple perspectives but it just added to the story getting to see everyone's thoughts and views.

Definitely recommend this to everyone I loved it

``Vera Wong Zhuzhu age sixty is a Pig, but should have been born a Rooster!. How could a book with that opening line not turn out to be an utter Heart stealer, making you laugh, cry, frustrated & so wound up in all the characters lives that it's hard to stop reading even for your own life necessities . What an amazing character Vera is, someone I'd truly love to know in real life. I will be highly recommending this Book to Family members & Friends all around the Globe & I would have given it Ten plus starts if that were possible ! #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #Amazon.co.uk, #FB, #Instagram, #BetweenTheCovers, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

This book was so entertaining with lots of laugh out loud moments and a great mystery running through it. This was my first time reading Sutanto and now I want to read more 👏🏻

When Marshall Chen is found dead in the middle of Vera’s ‘world famous’ tea shop one morning, Vera knows she can do a better job than the police. As a sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert and amateur sleuth, she sets off on her own detective mission. God love her 🤣 Vera rounds up a group of possible suspects and starts her investigation 🔍

The story is told from multiple POVs (Vera and the suspects) and it flowed really well. Vera really was the star and I couldn’t get enough of her 😍When you meet Vera, she comes across direct and regimented in her ways. She gets up early as she wants to seize the day, and doesn’t take any nonsense. As the story develops, you can’t help totally falling in love with her! She has a big heart, brilliant wit and can’t help sticking her nose in everywhere. I want to spend time with her even though she is fictional character 😂

I ended up loving all the characters and I liked how their stories weaved together. This book was a joy to read and kept me guessing until the end 👀 I hope this becomes a series as I can’t get enough of Vera. Warning ❗️ - you need snacks reading this book as Vera’s comfort cooking sounds delicious 🤤

If you are a fan of cosy mysteries then definitely check this out.

I love the trend in [cosy] mystery/thrillers where older characters are in the starring role, I really hope this spreads to other genres, as much as I like reading about younger people.

A quick infodump (no, don't worry, this isn't fantasy) of my opinions so I don't forget what I want to say:

-San Francisco really came alive in this book
-I loved Vera's voice, I thought it was incredibly clear and vibrant, which is very important if you want me to root for your protagonist, which I did
-The writing was fine, not anything special, but it told me what I needed to know
-I always appreciate books that read like a movie in my head -- when I can't picture it, that's when I start to question the point, and not once did I do this while reading
-I wish the perspective had just stayed to Vera, rather than changing after every chapter. A few interjections -would be fine, but not as many as there were in this book.
-The only character that was given more than a few traits was Vera, which is an issue if we're meant to care about the growing relationships between everyone (which were definitely told to us and not shown)
-The reveal did get me, a round of applause for Sutanto
-I think there could have been a few more adjustments to the ending though; it did feel a little rushed.

In conclusion, I thought this was a very fun cosy mystery, and I would read something else from the author in the future