Jesse Q. Sutanto

In this cozy mystery novel, Vera Wong is a widowed sixty-year-old woman living alone and running a teahouse in San Francisco's Chinatown. Unfortunately, her teahouse doesn't see many customers—–until one day, she walks in to discover a dead body!

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Jasper

Like a mother goose, Vera herds her three suspects out of her shop.

karina

And then Julia opens her mouth and laughs, and god, Vera thinks, what a sound it is. 

This is what life about, Riki. No one is perfect, making right decisions all the time. Only those who are so privileged can make right decision all the time. The rest of us, we have to struggle, keep afloat. Sometimes we do things we are not proud of. But now you know where your lines are. You are a good boy, Riki. You have good heart. That is all that matters. 

Julia <3

"So, what is the holdup? Young people should be moving fast, take the world by its male genitalia, and SO on"

this was so freaking entertaining. This leaned on some stereotypes but in a good way that made Vera a charming and cunning character that you couldn't help to love.

the reason this is not full 5 stars it is just because of some details in the plot that I didn't find convincing or polished enough.

the found family vibes are strong in this one, tho.

I listened to the audiobook for this one, and it was sooo good.

actually 4.75⭐️ 

this was so freaking entertaining. This leaned on some stereotypes but in a good way that made Vera a charming and cunning character that you couldn't help to love.

the reason this is not full 5 stars it is just because of some details in the plot that I didn't find convincing or polished enough.

the found family vibes are strong in this one, tho.

I listened to the audiobook for this one, and it was sooo good.

Rebecca Joy Tan

I enjoyed this book immensely!  What I do not need is another cozy mystery series to keep up with.  After reading this book, what I have is another cozy mystery series to keep up with, lol.  I really enjoyed this book.  The mystery seems pretty clear-cut, with a selection of 4 suspects, and all Vera needs to do is figure out which suspect did it.  What readers get to enjoy is the spark of new friendships and the gentle warmth of a family being created.  Readers are also kept guessing about the identity of the killer, or indeed, if there was even a murder, until the very end, and then the plot twist is amazing and unexpected.  This is definitely a book for fans of the Aunty Lee Singaporean mysteries series by Ovidia Yu.  There are enough differences that people will be entertained, but enough similarities that I think Vera and Rose (the protagonist of the Aunty Lee books) would be friends.  

shellybn

Low on mystery but high on charm. Cozy Chinese grandmother mystery is what I’ve been waiting for in this genre!

Margaux Yiu

radhika dhawan

Cute cozy about food, found family, and murder. I liked it a lot.

Cheri McElroy

Linta

4.5 ⭐️ 


I read this book on a road trip and I was thoroughly entertained whilst reading it. Vera Wong was just something else and I love how she was trying to solve the murder. I couldn’t even guess what the ending was gonna be. The plot twist (kind of) had me shooketh

Cortni Bell

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice to Murders' is a delightful and underappreciated gem in the realm of crime fiction. With a quirky sense of humor and unexpected twists, Sutanto crafts a narrative that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. The blend of wit and suspense makes for an entertaining read that stands out from the typical crime novel. Sutanto’s unique storytelling style and clever character dynamics make Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice to Murders' a must-read for fans of the genre."

I've never felt this satisfied in another murder mystery novel that isn't from Agatha Christie! 

The moment that the one line showed up, everything started clicking into place for me. Still, the moment the twist and revelations were out, I still had the chills. 

I am not a fan of tea, but the descriptions in here made want to try it! Though, I think I wouldn't be satisfied if it didn't come from Vera herself, which came with her funny comments. 

The food descriptions here were just right for me, enough to make me crave. It's better than the other book I read which were too much that it strayed away from the murder plot. 

This book had the right amount of mystery mixed with humor and wit. I thought I wasn't going to like her character in the beginning. But I found, a few pages later, that she grew on me. She reminded me of my grandmother, both with their witty and sassy mind. 

Lia ♡

I've never felt this satisfied in another murder mystery novel that isn't from Agatha Christie! 

The moment that the one line showed up, everything started clicking into place for me. Still, the moment the twist and revelations were out, I still had the chills. 

I am not a fan of tea, but the descriptions in here made want to try it! Though, I think I wouldn't be satisfied if it didn't come from Vera herself, which came with her funny comments. 

The food descriptions here were just right for me, enough to make me crave. It's better than the other book I read which were too much that it strayed away from the murder plot. 

This book had the right amount of mystery mixed with humor and wit. I thought I wasn't going to like her character in the beginning. But I found, a few pages later, that she grew on me. She reminded me of my grandmother, both with their witty and sassy mind. 

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Hannah Yoon

I couldn’t stop listening. This was pure chaos but also endearing. It was a little bit overly descriptive for my liking but overall a fun read. Highly recommend as an audiobook. I’ll never forget Vera Wong’s voice saying “killer”

Vera Wong has a teashop she calls Vera Wang’s world famous tea house (as to cash in on the designers name). A 60 year old mother, who is set in her ways and she thinks her routine is the best one in the world. Generally she thinks she knows best about everything. She has very dry humor and is pretty funny.

Then one day, she finds a dead man in her shop. She thinks the police are inadequate and tries to help investigating.

The narrators (all connected to Marshall, the dead guy) keep bouncing around from people in the story. It makes the story really dynamic and gives the reader an insight to how other people see Vera.

This is a cozy murder mystery, more focused on peeling the layers of the characters. Its tempo is slow, but not annoyingly so. I really enjoyed this book.

Eunice Wong is a delightful narrator that does different voices and intonations for all the people. I would definitely listen to other books she narrates.

Suzanne

Narrated by Eunice Wong.

Vera Wong has a teashop she calls Vera Wang’s world famous tea house (as to cash in on the designers name). A 60 year old mother, who is set in her ways and she thinks her routine is the best one in the world. Generally she thinks she knows best about everything. She has very dry humor and is pretty funny.

Then one day, she finds a dead man in her shop. She thinks the police are inadequate and tries to help investigating.

The narrators (all connected to Marshall, the dead guy) keep bouncing around from people in the story. It makes the story really dynamic and gives the reader an insight to how other people see Vera.

This is a cozy murder mystery, more focused on peeling the layers of the characters. Its tempo is slow, but not annoyingly so. I really enjoyed this book.

Eunice Wong is a delightful narrator that does different voices and intonations for all the people. I would definitely listen to other books she narrates.

Bethany s. 

A sweet little cozy mystery. I enjoyed it very much, and I loved the characters and the world of Vera. It was pretty predictable; some of the dialogue is a tad stilted at times. Parts of it felt a little underdeveloped. But 100% worth a read. I love spunky Vera, and it was such fun to watch her grow. 

I noticed a weird thing that bumped me- one very unique sentence repeated twice in different chapters as though it was an error.

Jesse Sutanto’s Vera is amazing portrayal of a quick-witted Asian Auntie carries this hilarious whodunnit.

A man has died in Vera’s tea house and she suspects it’s a homicide regardless of the police treating it as an accidental death. She expertly collects a group of suspects each which their own unique connection to the case. But what really happened?

Sutanto brilliantly combines humor,culture, and a bunch different characters in this story. Vera is a typical auntie, she observes, she helps in her own way, and takes no BS from anyone.

All her suspects each have their own compelling backstories and it al moves the narrative along, making you doubt your theories along the way.

Rabia Sitabi

Jesse Sutanto’s Vera is amazing portrayal of a quick-witted Asian Auntie carries this hilarious whodunnit.

A man has died in Vera’s tea house and she suspects it’s a homicide regardless of the police treating it as an accidental death. She expertly collects a group of suspects each which their own unique connection to the case. But what really happened?

Sutanto brilliantly combines humor,culture, and a bunch different characters in this story. Vera is a typical auntie, she observes, she helps in her own way, and takes no BS from anyone.

All her suspects each have their own compelling backstories and it al moves the narrative along, making you doubt your theories along the way.

3.5 stars rounded up ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 

Had a great time with Vera Wong's "Unsolicited Advice for Murderers" audiobook! 🎧📖💫 It's a surprisingly fun and lighthearted story about an old Chinese woman stumbling upon a mysterious death in her tea shop. The audiobook narration added an extra layer of enjoyment for me. While the characters felt a bit one-dimensional, it was still a decent listen overall!

oh i loved it. found family +10000 a cast of characters that u came to care for (along with vera, who was the beating heart of everything). a lot of love here, even with the twist at the end. 

a very easy and fun read! i’m someone who loves reading stories about people, and boy did this deliver. there is also something very important to me in the way that vera loves (it is so familiar) and how fiercely she does everything. food as a love language, the careful preparation, the nagging, everything <3 it was good. 

oh i loved it. found family +10000 a cast of characters that u came to care for (along with vera, who was the beating heart of everything). a lot of love here, even with the twist at the end. 

a very easy and fun read! i’m someone who loves reading stories about people, and boy did this deliver. there is also something very important to me in the way that vera loves (it is so familiar) and how fiercely she does everything. food as a love language, the careful preparation, the nagging, everything <3 it was good. 

fatru tamzil

I read this expecting a hillarious drama and delicious whodunnit, but I came with so many tears on this characters and how they became themselves. 

TL; DR I AM SANA, SANA IS ME.

Aehg

Heart-warming! Nggak bisa berhenti baca di pertengahan dan NANGIS GARA-GARA MAU HABIS!? Di kalimat-kalimat terakhir gue nyipitin mata demi apapun GAK RELA. I really like it when everything is connected... one by one.. gokil sih gilakkkkkkkkkkk. An easy read for a beginner like me! After reading this I felt guilty because I was holding my usual coffee latte... World ❤️ ASIAN MA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

indri

“Why should a mere discovery of a dead body in her little shop makes her lose sleep?”

that’s just. very asian of her.

cute and funny and made me feel some things 

Petaco

I really enjoyed Vera. I love her thought process and how she interacted with people and justified her actions. I wish I had someone that would cook a ridiculous amount of food for me... It was a joy to read about the unexpected friendships that popped up! I love reading about unconventional friendships.

I look forward to other books about Vera. Please tell me this is an ongoing series!

Also, something about the description of her eyebrows just made me smile. It was so easy to visualize!

Caitlin Moore

This was such a cute and funny story about a murder in a community. I loved the main character Vera, and always looked forward to hearing her snark/wit. The story was engaging however predictable. Although I really liked listening to the audiobook, I feel like that probably was what moved the story forward often times. The characters felt the same to me, as many of them had the exact same thoughts/intentions - with Vera being the exception. Overall, it was a cute easy read.

I honestly loved this book, the only reason I docked a star is because I figured it out, and I’m a reader who actively tries to NOT figure it out when reading mysteries. Vera was equally annoying and lovable I’m guessing like all Asian Aunties. I loved learning about cultures I’m unfamiliar with and the narrator of the audio was spectacular. Highly recommend!

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

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