I love reading Jesse Sutanto. She's a wonderful storyteller and VERA WONG'S UNSOLICITED AVICE FOR MURDERERS is another example of the talent of this author. VERA WONG... is for those who love a "cosy", a mystery in which we're not going to get too scared but will be delighted with quirks and fabulous characters and surprising reveals. Jesse Sutanto delivers in every way. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to either enjoy reading a cosy or who want to know how to write one.

I love Vera Wong and I think every reader will find her irresistible. The other characters are also fabulous, but Vera Wong is unforgettable.

Yet another big hit from a talented author who never misses. I am grateful to NetGalley for letting me have a sneak peak at this fabulous title.

Vera Wong Zhuzhu is a 60-year old tearoom owner, a widow, and a mother of one.

Her husband, Jinlong died of a stroke – he acted as a buffer between her and their son, Tilly – it’s fair to say that the mother and son have a non-existent relationship. Vera messages him every day; it’s rare if she receives a reply.

She wakes up every day without fail at 4:30 am and before she opens her teahouse, she goes for a long walk.

Vera’s teahouse has seen better days. It’s covered in dust and appears unloved. Probably that’s why nobody ever visits. Vera has one loyal customer, who comes in every day, called Alex. His wife, Lily, has dementia and he is her sole carer. Vera feels sorry for him, therefore, she will make up her own teas and pass it on to his wife.

One day, Vera wakes up to find a dead man in her shop. She decides straight away it was murder, and begins her own investigation, going against the police wishes to let them do their job.

On her list of suspects are: Oliver Chen (the dead man’s brother), Julia Chen (dead man’s wife), Riki Herwanto (a reporter), and Sana Singh (a podcaster).

It soon transpires that all four are hiding secrets… Will Vera uncover the murderer’s identity?

I loved this book!

Vera is such a larger than life character, so interfering, yet hilarious. She started meddling in her suspects’ lives, but at the same time it was a beginning of their friendship. Vera was lonely and I could sense that on every page. That’s why she latched on the idea that Marshall Chen (the dead man) was murdered – she wanted a bit of ‘excitement’ in her life.

I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the delicious food she was cooking for everyone. I wish she could cook for me!

This is my first book by the author, but it won’t be my last. I have a copy of Dial A for Aunties on my Kindle and it will be my next read!

3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars.

Having read the authors previous Dial A for Aunties duo I was excited to meet Vera Wong and was grateful for the e-arc.

While I loved Vera I did find the cosy crime plot a little bit stretched. There seemed to be more time spent on the other characters rather than Vera becoming a detective. I guess I needed more of that.

It was a fun read but maybe a little rushed. There were a few issues that I couldn’t see past in the character development.

1. Vera is meant to be an elderly lady but there is mention of her being only 60 - not even retirement age!
2. Emma - for a 2 year old her speech and general development was that of a 4 year old. Was this changed during editing?

Nobody spills the tea like this amateur sleuth. Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective?

If you’re looking for a mystery story with plenty of twists and lots of laugh out loud moments, read this book! I’m a big fan of Sutanto (if you haven’t read the Aunties series, get your hands on a copy!). Told from multiple POV’s, the story flows effortlessly and you can’t help but want to meet the eccentric Vera who stole the show for me. I love how Sutanto gives us an insight into Asian culture and Vera’s love of all things tea-related makes you feel like you’re there with her in her tea house (the name of the teahouse is just hilarious- no spoilers!)

Highly entertaining, it’s the perfect cosy mystery to lose yourself in. Out now in all good bookshops. Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the arc. 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book so much!! I liked the mystery element but also found it had me laughing out loud. I don't know if this is the first book with Versa but I certainly hope it is not the last!! Really well written and I couldn't read it quick enough.

I do enjoy a cosy mystery and Vera Wong doesn’t disappoint! Vera is a brilliant Chinese mother quietly insisting on running her ‘world famous’ tea shop in San Francisco despite dwindling customers, when one morning she awakes to discover a dead body in her tea shop. Time for Vera to turn amateur sleuth and put into action all those tips she’s picked up from TV cop shows. Cue the steady arrival of Vera’s list of suspects at the scene of the crime and so begins her investigation. This was a laugh out loud story with a great cast of characters. Vera’s wit is simply brilliant. It kept me guessing until pretty much the end too. Highly entertaining and I’ll definitely be reading more of Jesse Sutanto in the future.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

This book seems to go from 1 star to 5 star during its course. I was very underwhelmed in the first 20% or so. On reflection, I think it took a little adjustment to get into the groove of the style.
As the novel progressed, the tension definitely ramped. Vera is a wonderful character. Very opinionated and perhaps bombastic, but also very loving and caring. It was on those emotions that my opinion started to change.
Super sleuth Vera is not, but that makes this amusing. The Tiger Mum of Asia is an implicit character and gentle fun is made of all.
Definitely well worth the 3 stars in the end, but I want to be fair here. I did receive a copy of this novel for review. I didn’t influence my rating at all and I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this.

What can I say other than this book was so much fun? I loved the Dial A for Aunties books by Jesse Sutanto so much that when I saw Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers was on its way — a standalone novel — I knew I had to request it.

And sure enough, it did not disappoint. This author knows how to write a cozy mystery that keeps you engaged and guessing while simultaneously drawing a cast of characters that is as endearing as it is flawed. And no one better to head up said cast than Vera Wong herself.

Very Wong and her world-famous teahouse, named after the fashion designer in an non-accidental typo to attract more customers, knows just the kind of cuppa any of her customers need in any particular moment. When a dead body appears one morning in her tea shop, she decides that it’s up to her to solve the murder-mystery, having absolutely no faith in the San Francisco PD.

With the efficiency of a meddling Chinese mother, she sets about solving the case — while doing some life-coaching in the process.

I had so much fun reading this book — I loved everything about it, from the cultural representations of the various characters, to the hilarious interactions that Vera has with pretty much everyone around her. Big, fat chef’s kiss from me!

This book was so fun! It follows Vera, an older lady who runs a tea shop which sadly is pretty unsuccessful, until one day she comes downstairs and finds a dead body in the middle of the floor!

The police rule Marshall Chen’s death an accident but Vera is not convinced! She becomes engrossed in the case and creates her own list of suspects, soon integrating herself into each of their lives until she can work out which of them killed Marshall.

Despite being about death and murder this was such a funny, heartfelt read. I absolutely adored Vera and all the side characters were great too. It was a wild ride from start to finish and I didn’t guess the plot twist which is always a win for me!

Absolutely loved it! Highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of cosy mysteries. I really liked the main character Vera and thought the other characters were good too. The plot flowed well and kept me interested. Thank you #netgalley

An enjoyable and amusing read.

I was drawn to this book title and the fact that it involved the owner of a tea shop. Not much other than Vera finding a dead body in the tea shop happens in the tea shop though, as Vera only has one customer!

Vera is 60 - described as elderly - so if you identify with that age group you may think differently. Otherwise I loved Vera, she is a no nonsense straight talking lady with firm ideas about what needs to be done. She's not too clued up on police procedure though, evident from her actions when she discovers the dead body. However, Vera thinks otherwise and is determined to help the police, who in her opinion don't have a clue.

One by one Vera makes a list of suspects and then befriends them. She cooks for them, match makes for them and generally takes over their lives, but in a nice way. There are plenty of descriptions of the teas Vera makes, but it was the food that I found intoxicating. I just need Vera to pop round and make it all for me.


Very funny at times and then at others a little sad. I felt it dragged a little in the middle, and wondered why the story was meandering so much. Of course a few more things get revealed along the way and the ending was just ingenious.

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is a quick, fairly-lighthearted read, surrounding a murder. If that seems a bit of a contradictory statement, this book does well with it, leaning into the fact that, primarily, the story is about a found family. The murder is merely a precipitating event.

The story follows the eponymous Vera Wong, owner of a tea shop who, one day, opens it up to find a dead body. This is how she meets the disparate people who’ll form the found family gooey centre of this book. Each of them has reason to want the victim dead, and Vera is determined to find out who did it.

As with Jesse Sutanto’s Aunties series, at the core of this book is a family. In this case, it’s one that comes together almost by accident, as each of them is somehow involved in the murder case. Vera is the driving force behind it all, wedging herself squarely in the centre of things. You’ll find yourself rooting for everyone though, hoping that none is the killer.

Honestly, it’s the found family that elevated the novel for me. On the whole, this was one I found simply okay. It wasn’t particularly special, surprisingly. Less humourous than the Aunties books and somewhat weak on the mystery front, if there hadn’t been this relationship at the centre, it would have only merited 2 stars from me. Additionally, the writing was average, in a way I don’t remember noticing at least with the other books.

That being said, if you have enjoyed Jesse Sutanto’s previous books to any capacity, you’re almost certain to like this one too. It was a fun enough read, and that’s all I can really ask.

I absolutely loved this book and especially Vera, although I probably wouldn’t want her as an interfering mother. However as a character she was as delightful as her teas sounded.

It all started off simple enough with a slightly decrepit tea shop with little to no customers and meeting a very opinionated Vera, until the next morning when she goes downstairs and discovers a body. I did have to laugh when Vera, trying to get ahead of the police, outlined his body with a Sharpie but she has also taken a piece of evidence from the victim and not told Officers Ha and Gray.

After placing an obituary, Riki a fake journalist, Sana a fake podcaster, Julia the victims wife with their daughter Emma and Oliver his twin brother appear at the tea shop and start asking questions leading Vera to put them on her list of suspects and start asking questions of her own.

It really says something about an author when they cleverly twist the narrative and you find yourself hating the victim and loving the suspects. However that is exactly what Jesse has done with this murder mystery. I didn’t want any of them to be revealed as the killer and instead I was more than happy to sit back and watch Vera turn matchmaker instead.

This was also surprisingly emotional in places, with Vera obviously being quite lonely, and how these strangers soon became her people and the relationship between her and Emma was especially touching.

This had me drooling at the food descriptions, laughing at Vera’s antics and drinking copious amounts of tea while I tried to solve the mystery along with Vera and her new friends/suspects. A hugely entertaining book and I hope there will be more.

4.5 stars

Cosy mysteries are so much fun and I definitely need to read more, particularly from this author! This was really heart-warming and fun, telling the story of finding a family and how the elderly are treated nowadays. It was really fast=paced and enjoyable, and I wanted to spend way more time with these characters. If you're having a bad day, I would recommend picking this book up because it is the perfect way to lift your spirits, with lots of really hilarious moments that had me giggling away. I would say if you enjoy the Thursday Murder Club books, you should definitely check this book out! I did find that the mystery was a little predictable, but that didn't matter so much in the face of the charm of this story. The characters were all well-developed, especially Vera, who is such a funny old lady, I wish I could meet her in real life. I definitely want to read more from this author now!

An engaging and entertaining cosy-style mystery with a unique and likeable amateur sleuth and a diverse cast of supporting characters and suspects. The writing is full of sensory imagery, which sets the scene and reveals the players in this cosy mystery in a way that makes it all easy to imagine.

The contemporary and historic are explored insightfully, and despite the lighthearted nature of the story, Vera's loneliness is evident. The mystery has the necessary twists, and Vera's unique sleuthing skills give this story its inherent humour.

I like the characters, the setting and the way the author brings Vera's world to life.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Hilarious character driven cosy crime, I loved the characters, especially Vera, although I suspect I would hide from her in real life. Didn’t guess who the murderer was, very clever conclusion.

I loved this! Raced through it in no time and it's a great cosy crime with some fabulous characters.

Vera Wong runs a teashop in the Chinatown district of San Franciso, but trade is slow and she often just has the one loyal customer each day. When Vera discovers a man named Marshall dead in the teashop, her life turns upside down. She decides to track down the killer and in doing so meets a whole new group of friends, including Marshall's brother and wife. All of whom seem to have a motive for killing him.

The police aren't best pleased with Vera interfering in the case, but there's no stopping this little old Chinese lady! Vera is the most loveable character and I'm keen to see this made into a film, it's great!

It’s 05.30 and Vera Wong, 60, gets up as usual and goes downstairs to her shop – where a man lies dead on the floor. So not such a usual morning then! Vera’s response is not to panic – Chinese mothers can cope with anything, especially after a nice cup of tea. And Vera’s shop, in San Francisco’s China Town, is a Tea Shop so the first question is “What Tea is suitable for this occasion?” Of course she calls the police (what sort of tea should be offered to the officers?), but not until she has quickly checked over the body, found out some details about the deceased and removed a pen drive from his hand. A strange thing to do, but Vera harbours thoughts of being a sleuth and is not confident that the police will investigate properly, if at all. Or perhaps she is just craving excitement, an escape from her quotidian life, She is a widow, her only son is a busy lawyer and, on most days, her shop only has one customer, Alex, who lives nearby with his ailing wife, and for whom Vera provides specially blended teas every day. Her only other acquaintance is Winifred who runs the French (aka Chinese) Patisserie next door. Vera knows the cliché that the murderer always returns to the scene of the crime, so her plan is to wait and see who turns up and then investigate them for clues which will point out who is the murderer (assuming this is a murder; the police don’t think so). Shooing Alex and Winifred away, she meets four strangers: Riki (an online reporter), Sana (a true crime podcaster), Oliver (the dead man’s twin, and Julia (the dead man’s wife, with her two-year-old daughter, Emma). Vera needs to find out their backstories, but she can’t just interrogate them so instead she befriends them, with the help of copious amounts and varieties of tea, and lavish amounts of exotic and delicious Chinese food.
Vera is a wonderful creation, and Jesse Sutanto’s lyrical writing makes this otherwise incredible woman totally believable. It is easy to understand how the disparate ‘suspects’ fall under her spell; how could they not? The attention to detail in the background is subtle but poetic, and the story ambles along at a gentle pace to a conclusion which is not terribly hard to work out. But that isn’t really the point; this might look like an ‘amateur detective solves a murder’ story, but that is really just a McGuffin to allow Sutanto to bring Vera to our attention and entertain and amuse us.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

A mixed emotions book, that is, an easy read that anyone will enjoy, a totally charming story and a mystery that keeps you turning the pages.

Jesse Sutanto is one of my favourite authors. In a market where cosy crimes are EVERYWHERE, Jesse Sutanto's novels always feel completely original and never fail to make me laugh-out-loud. With memorable lines, loveable characters and another great setting (I would definitely visit Vera Wang/Wong's teashop if it really existed) this is a great book for murder mystery addicts.