I really enjoy books by Jesse Sutanto. This one did not disappoint! A fun, light-hearted mystery that focuses on the relationships between the characters.

This was my first cozy, silly mystery from Jesse Q. Sutanto and it won't be my last! I'm not usually drawn to books with older main characters but this one was on my priority list for some reason. I knew I wanted to read DIAL A FOR AUNTIES but there were some mixed reviews - it seems like the style and absurdity of the story may not be for everyone. I'm glad I started with VERA WONG to ease in because I think Sutanto's books are definitely for me!

This book centers around Vera Wong, an older Chinese woman who owns a tea shop in San Francisco. One day a dead body appears in her shop and she decides the cops aren't doing anything right, so she launches her own investigation. Within the first 24 hours, she has four suspects (the people who showed up in her shop soon after the body was found): his wife Julia, his twin brother Oliver, an artist named Sana, and a programmer named Riki. All of these characters were charming in their own ways and they each had a POV in the book (plus Vera). I liked reading from each of their perspectives because they all had varying levels of guilt relating to Marshall's death. The story is set up to make you wonder if one of them is the murderer and why. It was a little jarring at first having five perspectives but I warmed up to it.

Vera was also someone I needed to warm up to. She was definitely annoying and overbearing for the first half of the book but she grew on me. I loved the found family element between these five characters and Julia's daughter Emma. The relationship between Vera and Emma was so sweet - I loved watching everyone grow and lean on each other. Another thing I loved? Vera's cooking! I was so hungry reading this and it made me so happy that she finally had people back in her life that she could cook for and enjoy meals with. Everything sounded delicious. 

I kept pausing this book and putting it down in favor of other books during my vacations and readathons, but I finished the final half of the story in a couple of sittings. I wasn't in love with it right off the bat because, as I mentioned, the characters and story took some getting used to.

Overall, this is a heartwarming cozy mystery with unique characters and an interesting ending (I predicted part of the mystery but missed a few of the connections to fully solve it). I would definitely recommend it!

Really enjoyed this one. I cackled multiple times and was excited to sit down and listen to it. At one point around 75% it felt like it was dragging, so a bit of editing there would have made this a perfect 5 stars. STRONGLY recommend the audio, expertly read by Eunice Wong.

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers was such a fun read! It was heartwarming, laugh out loud funny and charming wrapped in a well thought out mystery. Vera Wong's tea shop has seen better days. She is a 60 year old widow with an adult son who is too busy to take much time out for her. And only one regular customer. One morning, she comes downstairs from her living quarters into the shop and discovers a dead body. In anticipation of the police, she makes tea and prepares for their arrival. Vera is sure the man was murdered but the police aren't so certain. Vera comes to the conclusion that she can do a better job in finding the killer than the police.

Vera befriends her suspects as only Vera can, over tea and a little mothering, which they all seem to be in need of. The mystery is told from the point of view of several different characters, including Vera, a format that works very well for this novel. All of the characters (except the victim) are relatable, none of whom I wanted to be guilty but whom all had motives. Vera is really the heart of the novel, which, of course, will come as no surprise. I forgive author Jesse Q. Sutanto for putting off the next Aunties book to write this one. It's my favorite of hers yet.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! It's full of humor and quirky characters . Vera is a amateur sleuth always watching whats going on and trying to figure out the mystery of the murder. The book was a fun and quick read that kept my laughing. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

I needed a fun read, and this is it. Widow Vera is an extremely organized owner of a tea house in decline, but her collection of ingredients to make personal teas is unparalleled, even if they aren't used too much--she has one customer. She wakes at 4:30am to walk every day, makes tea for her neighbor, and googles the newest phrases to know what the younger generation mean. Like any good Chinese American mom, she guilt trips her son regularly. The scope of her activities expands when she discovers a dead body in her shop. She is unimpressed with the police investigation, and sets out to solve the crime. She befriends the suspects, and cooks for them--so many recipes! Perfect for relaxing and laughing.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the digital arc.

Detective Vera Wong at your service!⁣
⁣
OK, so maybe she’s not officially a detective, but if I just happened to have a murder mystery one day that needed solving… I would definitely want Vera on the case!⁣
⁣
This book was delightfully dark but balanced perfectly with gut busting laughs and heartwarming humor.⁣
⁣
When bored and lonely teashop owner Vera Wong finds a dead man on the floor of her shop one morning, she sets out to find who killed him and why. Soon, she’s got a houseful of suspects she’s invited over for a dinner party, and I’ve never wanted to be a murder suspect more in my life! ⁣
⁣
I thought Dial A for Aunties was the funniest mystery I’d ever read - but hold my tea. ⁣
⁣
Vera is the epitome of meddlesome, but you can’t help falling in love with her determination and moxie as she charms her way into the hearts of unsuspecting potential murderers … and into our hearts as well.⁣
⁣
An absolute joy to read, with a clever mystery, a charming nosy amateur sleuth, found family, and just buckets of hilarious hijinks and side-splitting shenanigans!⁣
⁣
Forever fan here of Jesse Sutanto and this one's even more fantastic on audio... Eunice Wong's narration is perfection!

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice to Murderers was a great cozy mystery. I very much enjoyed the multiple perspectives, but especially Vera. She comes across the page vibrantly as she deals with being a somewhat-recent widow, her estranged relationship with her son, her "world famous" tea shop, and the body that somehow landed right in the middle of her shop.

Book club review!

Deciding on our May book was fun, and lucky enough, the book itself was also just as fun!

The story follows Vera Wong, a widowed owner of a tea shop in San Francisco Chinatown. Business has been slow, she doesn’t have the closest relationship with her only son, Tilly (her motherly nagging seems to bother Tilly), and has a lonely routine she seems to stick to each day. However, things suddenly change once a body is discovered in her shop and she takes it upon herself to deduce what happened since the police aren’t taking the investigation seriously. What transpires are new friends, sneaky suspicions, a whole lot of laughs, and delicious food.

The most common words used to describe this book by the group would probably be adorable and heartwarming. Firstly, Vera is a force to be reckoned with, but such a great character. She embodied big grandma energy and was just a hoot! Some of us found ourselves doing things in our regular lives and wondering “what would Vera say if she knew I was doing this?”.

As for the mystery itself, it was done well enough to where it did have people guessing and wondering who committed the crime and how it was all going to play out. Although, some wished there for a bit more suspense throughout the entire story instead of just revealing a bulk of it towards the end. While mystery and detective work done by Vera was fun to follow along, like with a lot of cozy mysteries, it definitely had its far fetched moments and you have to suspend disbelief. But when you learned who the killer was, it all made so much sense!

One thing though that everyone loved about this book was the found family aspect. What was once a bunch of strangers at the story of this adventures turned into such a wonderful group of people— even when a handful may have been suspects. It was especially sweet seeing Vera have these people to dote on because she genuinely seemed like such a great and caring person, constantly spoiling everyone with delicious food!

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and if cozy mysteries are your thing, you’ll probably like this one!

There is so much heart in this novel. This is more than a cozy murder mystery as Vera slowly wins over the hearts of the suspects and they become friends. Each of them is struggling in some way and Vera has a way of getting people to open up. She even wins the heart of Julia’s demanding 2 y/o daughter Emma, who has never warmed to anyone before! I loved watching Vera interact with all of the characters who were all very well described.

A delightful murder mystery full of colorful characters and found family feels. I absolutely adored Vera, our tea shop owning heroine who is determined to solve the murder of the dead body found in her store even though the police declared it an accident. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, this is a must-read.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! It's full of humour and quirky characters — Vera is a perfect amateur sleuth that kept me laughing the whole way through. Jesse Q Sutanto has a way with creating stories and this book is no different!

I absolutely loved this story, the quirky cast of characters, and the heartwarming feels that a cozy mystery brings.

From the delicious food descriptions, to the characters that brought the laughs, VERA WONG’S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS was so good, and I really enjoyed the audio.

*many thanks to Berkley, PRH audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

The quirky group of characters especially Vera, made this mystery so much fun. Just when I thought I had figured out the murder I was surprised. There were many laugh out loud moments and I so look forward to more Vera adventures.

Vera Wong, teashop owner and protagonist of a new humorous mystery from Dial A for Aunties author Jesse Q. Sutanto, loves nothing more than making personalized brews, sensing just what they need to feel better. It’s one of the many things that makes her friends wonder if she might just be a little magic.

When Vera finds a body on the floor of her teashop, she expects the police will want her help in solving the case. Instead, they largely ignore her and even seem annoyed that she assisted by drawing a Sharpie outline around the man’s corpse before they arrived. When the authorities declare the man died of an allergic reaction, Vera sets out to conduct her own investigation. She has an ace up her sleeve — a flash drive she stole off the body she’s sure the killer will want back. As new customers come into the tea shop, Vera brews them a cuppa, attempts to suss out their possible motives and, in a complicated move, comes to befriend the people she expects committed a murder.

I wrote a few weeks back about how much I love books that feature quirky groups of people coming together to form unlikely communities, and Vera Wong fits that bill. (In fact Nancy Reddy suggested it in the comments that week!). It’s charming — and despite the subject matter — cozy. Vera is an unforgettable, loveable, yet deeply flawed character who I hope we’ll see more of.

Couldn't get enough of this mystery! Vivacious and acerbic, Vera Wong is not to be trifled with as she takes it upon herself to investigate a murder in her tea shop. She may have just become my new favorite amateur sleuth.

After listening to Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice For Murders by Jesse Q. Sutano, it is official. I love Sutano's books. Similar to Well, That Was Unexpected, I laughed so much while listening to this book. If you are looking for a book that is about murder, lonely old women, found family and a tea shop, PICK THIS ONE UP. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice For Murderers is about what happens when Vera, owner of the tea shop called Vera Wang's Famous Tea Shop, comes into work only to find a dead body. The police are basically useless. And so, she takes it upon herself to investigate the murderer. Along the way she has possible suspects who are people that she's also been giving advice to.

I genuinely loved this book. It felt so cozy even though it was about a murder. Vera is such an interpreid character -- she has strong opinions and honestly, she's not wrong most of the time. I loved her. I loved the side characters. The found family and Vera's knack for people really got me in my emotions. The audiobook of Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice For Murderers is narrated by Eunice Wong. Eunice Wong is a masterful narrator -- I was so invested in this audiobook and cannot recommend it highly enough - particularly for the narration. It's warm -- if that makes sense? It is 10 hours and 41 minutes long -- and a wonderful listen.

3.5⭐️

I had a great time with this book. I can't believe I loved a nosy 60 year old character so much but it's impossible not to adore Vera.

It's a mystery, yes, but it's also very humorous and reads like a cozy read.

It was hard for me to get into the story at first but I really liked the tone of the story as the pages turned. My only problem was that the mystery left me a bit indifferent. What I ended up liking the most was the development of the characters and how they were establishing bonds between them.

Overall, a fun story and a quick read. I recommend.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Vera Wong is a widow with one son who is not terribly filial. When a man dies under mysterious circumstances in her decrepit tea shop, it changes her life!

This book was very cute. Not very realistic, but very cute. It was a nice treatise on found family and the power of good food and tender loving care. Vera is a bit of a hot mess in terms of her meddling nature in the lives of her new acquaintances, but since this is a book, it all works out. I expect big things from this book, a la "Where'd You Go, Bernadette." This is like a quirky one of those books but with a sweet Chinese grandmother-type who holds everyone together instead of falling apart herself. Very enjoyable.

I hope this is the beginning of a series, Vera is 60 years old and runs her old run down tea shop in Chinatown. When she goes downstairs one morning she finds a dead body in her shop. The police think it was an accident and aren’t investigating very vigorously. Vera decides to investigates and makes some new friends in doing so. A sweet story of friendship and family. Also lots of good information of teas and Chinese customs.