I love these books and this author! While this one was not as good as the first this absolutely is a worthwhile read. I just love the character of Vera! I also particularly enjoyed the inclusion of human trafficking awareness in this book. The story is still light hearted and funny with a few mild heavy moments. If you read the first, very similar to the mild heavy moments in the first.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early digital copy!*

Vera Wong is one of those characters that you wish was real because she is so lovable, witty, and brave. I couldn’t wait to read this book and it did NOT disappoint!! Same amazing Vera up to her same amazing ways.

After having solved her first murder mystery, Vera is on the hunt for a new murder to solve. Instead, Vera falls prey to a credit card scam on the phone. After contacting police and getting help from Vera’s son Tilly’s girlfriend, Officer Selena Gray, she runs into a girl named Millie outside the police station. The two have tea at Vera’s teahouse where she learns that Millie is trying to find out what happened to her friend Thomas, who we later learn is also Xander, a popular social media influencer.

Through ways only Vera can, it’s discovered Xander has died and right before he was to reveal a big secret online, so something definitely seems fishy. As the story progresses, suspects are gathered, connections are made, and stories are unraveled, but in the process, a new found family is gathered by Vera instead.

I was super into this story and it was hard to put down. Great mystery element that addresses real and important issues, incredible found family story, great new characters, and lots of cameos from characters we love from the first book. The ending is heartwarming with an opening for a possible third book, so I hope there are many, many more Vera Wong books to come!

I think I had forgotten quite what a true CHARACTER Vera Wong is in this series, and this book was a welcome reminder of just that! Vera and her found family (that keeps expanding!) kept the story moving at a quick pace.

The central premise took a much darker turn than I expected, and — without giving anything away — I’ve learned more about the subject than I expected to. Like the author, a single nugget of information led me down an internet rabbit hole that gave me more and more insight and left me sad for the people involved.

I enjoy this series and can’t wait to read more about Vera’s future madcap misadventures! In another country, maybe? Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

OMG!! This is a laugh out loud funny book. Vera Wong is a 61 year old Chinese immigrant woman who tells people that she is an old woman so that they will underestimate her. This is book 2 in the Vera Wong series and I have not read book 1, but it worked fine for me as a stand alone.
Vera is a meddling woman with time on her hands. In book 1 she solved a murder that the police had not solved and now she wants to do more investigating. Her son Tilly is now dating Selena, a police officer from book 1. The blurb explains:
"Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena's, Vera finds a treasure Selena's briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for."
Of course Vera dives into an investigation while questioning the people mentioned in Selena's file. She also interposes herself into the lives of the people mentioned in Selena's file. The scene where the 13 year old daughter of a single father is about to be suspended for 1 week due to her refusal to wear a bra is hilarious, with Vera bullying the principal into backing down, while she points out that he is looking at her breasts and she is not wearing a bra.
She also berates her son telling him that he has to do "the sexy thing" with Selena and give her grand babies, much to the embarrassment of Tilly. Vera is responsible for rescuing the distressed young woman from dangerous people. There is more about the rescue, but it would go into spoiler territory.
One quote on Vera: "Ever since Vera turned fifty, she has been telling Tilly, that she is 'ancient' and 'will die any day now,' and it worked wonders getting him to chores around the house. So, if she wants to be regarded as a venerable old lady, then she will be regarded as a venerable old lady, damn it."
Absolutely 5 shining stars!!! I recommend it to fans of the author, mystery fans in general and fans of humorous crime authors such as Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen. I read this book in 2 days.
#VeraWongsGuidetoSnoopingonaDeadMan #NetGalley
Thank You Berkley Publishing group for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
Pub Date Apr 01 2025

I absolutely LOVED this! Vera Wong is so hilarious, sweet, and sassy! I'd love to have a neighbor or grandma like Vera! All of the found family and friends in this story truly made it so unique and remarkable. Vera was the glue putting the found family and group together every time, but I'm sure her amazing food/tea helped as well! This story was so beautiful. I loved the mystery aspect of the "who done it" factor. But the beauty of the story was learning more about Vera and the other characters more in depth. I loved EVERY main character in this story (except of course, Mother and Father). This made me laugh, made me smile in how sweet some moments were, made me cozy, made me suspicious of too many people, but it also made me teary-eyed. I loved this and poor Millie and Thomas! Ugh! It's such a beautiful story, though. * Please check trigger warnings as this does contain a few things that can be triggering. *

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

Vera is back to her shenanigans, but now life is good. She is surrounded by the people she loves, her tea shop is busy and her son finally has a girlfriend who is none other than Detective Selena Gray. When Vera finds herself on the wrong end of a phone scheme she runs into a woman outside of the police station looking for her missing friend. Obviously there is no one else who can help her find him other than Vera, but when Vera finds out he has died she knows only her sleuthing skills will solve this case, she is the very best Chinese mother after all.

I ADORE these books. When I saw there was a second Vera Wong book I was so excited. Vera is the grandmother I’ve always wanted and I absolutely love everything about these stories. They are hilarious and had me laughing out loud throughout this whole book. These funny cozy mysteries are exactly what everyone needs. I highly suggest picking up the first one Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders and then this one when it releases on April 1. It’s so good!

4.5 stars – This was a really great read, and it was wonderful to reconnect with Vera once again! The author has truly made her feel like a real person, and I am so in love with her - I wish Vera would adopt me, too!

The author does such a great job with Vera’s character. In the first book, we got glimpses of her loneliness beneath her tough exterior. This time, we see her moments of fear for herself and her loved ones, even when she pretends otherwise. The layers to her personality are so complex, and the author makes her jump right off the page.

Our side characters, however, fell just a bit flat for me. I liked them, but they didn’t feel as developed as the crew in the first book. Plus, the side cast has grown quite large, and I struggled a bit to keep track of everyone since many only appeared briefly.

That said, the writing was fantastic, and the story stayed engaging throughout. Upon reflection, the plot might have been a bit slow-moving, but there was always enough happening that it never felt like it dragged - so everything worked out!

I’m glad I listened to the audiobook the first time around because I could still "hear" the narration as I read this one. Honestly, I wish I hadn’t requested the ARC just so I could’ve waited to experience it fully in audio - the narration really enhances the story!

Overall, this was a great read, and I hope other Vera fans have as much fun with it as I did!

Vera Wong is back and in the Vera Wang's World-Famous Tea Shop in Chinatown. Everything in her life is going well after finding a dead man in her tea shop. Her son has a girlfriend; all her friends are happy to be with her and eat her delicious food, but just one thing is missing...a mystery to solve. When she goes to visit her son's girlfriend at the police station, Vera finds a frightened young woman who is concerned about her friend that left the premises where they were staying and never returned. Vera discovers that the missing man's body was fished out of the Bay and she is determined to catch his killer. Only a few problems present themselves: who is this young man, he has two separate identities and there are a lot of suspects involved. So Vera does what she does and begins interviewing everyone who might have known Thomas/Xander. And, as usual, she ends up in danger from a gang of human traffickers. Just another normal day at Vera Wang's World Famous Tea Shop. This sophomore effort is every bit as entertaining as the first; I am looking forward to more humorous outings for Vera and her gang.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early review copy.

Sometimes second novels let you down, but not Vera! Vera will never let anyone down! Vera Wong is a delight, a national treasure, and quite possibly my favorite book character ever!!!

All of our old friends from the first book show up, some of them play a major role in this plot, and a new cast of friends join the, uh, fun. <i>Snooping</i> gets darker than the first book, because this time the people Vera is up against are actual hardened criminals. They are NOT messing around. Even Vera gets a little scared (not that she'll admit that out loud). The mystery is just as satisfying, and never feels like a retread.

Vera's delicious food is back (you WILL need to have your favorites on standby, you will have cravings), and Vera's "can't stop me" attitude is in full force, no matter how much her "almost" daughter-in-law, Selena, tries to hold her back.

Best of all, the epilogue strongly hints at a third Vera book, set in Paris!


TW: human trafficking

Really enjoy Vera and her new found friends and family. While searching for a missing man, Vera unearths some secrets and evil doing - and of course - murder.

VERA WONG’S GUIDE TO SNOOPING (On a Dead Man) is the second book in the Vera Wong’s Mysteries by Jesse O. Sutanto. I was ecstatic to find that Vera Wong’s story continued with this new release and it lived up to and exceeded my expectations. As the main character, Vera is someone I’d love to take me under their wing and ply me with food and tea, as she does for other fortunate people on the pages. Yet, her self-deprecating humor—she calls herself ancient at only 61 years old but is full of life—brings humor to the page along with her meddling in the lives of those in need. Ms. Sutanto brings Vera to life on the pages with descriptive similes and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the scenes with the Chinese grandmothers creating social media videos. Beneath the humor, there are serious social issues addressed, which the author treats with great sensitivity. There are some tender moments that brought some unshed tears to my eyes, yet Vera’s no-nonsense sensibilities remained on full display. I hope, hope, hope there will be future Vera Wong mysteries because I, for one, love spending time with her!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A hilarious and engaging story.

Vera Wong is currently my favorite detective. I keep recommending the first book (Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders) to people and I can't wait for this one to come out so everyone can read it as well.

Thank you to #netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a treat to find Jesse Sutanto has once again brought Vera Wong and her community into our lives! Sutanto has created a gem with Vera’s character, although 61 is not what I would term “old” by any means. As I read the humorous dialogue, I can see and hear Vera. In my mind as though I am enjoying a movie. Vera is bold and unfiltered and able to garner the attention of those around her while drawing them in with her food dishes and grandmotherly concern. She turns community members into faithful family and meets her goal of being valued by those around her.

Sutanto not only creates a mystery in this new title but is able to bring attention to social issues such as the joys and dangers of social media as well as human trafficking. I can certainly see how Vera could become a social media sensation. For me she is a star, and I can’t wait to see what she does in her next adventure!

Thank for making my day, Miss Sutanto and Berkley Books, with this enjoyable creation.

I adored the first book in this series, and adore found family novels in general. This time Vera is back to solve another mystery and this time it’s pretty dark. There were quite a few characters to keep track of and I didn’t feel the same warm fuzzies as I did the first time but it was still a really enjoyable romp. Everyone should have a tiger grandma like Vera in their life.

I won't be reading this. I've tried multiple times and haven't gotten into it. Thank you though for the opportunity. If I read it in the future I will come back and change this review.

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man is the 2nd-book in the Vera Wong series. I absolutely adored the 1st-book when I read it in 2023.
At that time, I was expecting it to be a standalone novel, so was giddy when I discovered we would be getting more with the indomitable-Vera Wong and friends.

This novel involves a new mystery for Vera to investigate, as well as a whole new set of side characters. We still get appearances from all her old friends, but she does make some great new ones here. The mystery involves the death of an up-and-coming influencer. Online, Xander, was the type social influencer people love to follow. His feed generally featured things like enviable travels on private jets, stays at luxury resorts, and all the newest fashion trends, but who was he really?

Xander's story is at the heart of this investigation, and what Vera uncovers is sure to tug at your heartstrings. I know it did mine. My emotions were an absolute roller coaster over the course of this novel.

The moment I was reunited with Vera, I had a smile on my face. She is a sharp-witted 61-year old, who loves to act like she's ancient. It's hilarious. She is so far from that. Vera Wong has been one of my absolute favorite characters written within the last few years, and she's def one of my favorite amateur sleuths ever.

While I wouldn't say I connected with the cast of side characters in this one as much as I did in the 1st-book, I still loved all of their interactions with Vera, as well as the value brought by their personal stories. Again, it was easy to see how Vera was touching their lives in different ways and it filled my heart to read. We all need a Vera in our life. Better yet, be a Vera in someone else's life. It could make all the difference in the world!

In addition to the character work, I also appreciated so much the topics Sutanto explored in this one, and her note at the end describing her real life inspiration was touching and brought more insight into this story. I highly recommend reading that Author's Note at the end.

Thank you to Berkley for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm such a fan and certainly hope we get more installments to the Vera Wong series. I think these books hold an emotional depth that would be surprising for a lot of Readers. If you haven't checked this series out, I definitely recommend that you do.

I was so happy to see Vera back in action and I have to say, if it's possible, her sequel is better than her first!

Vera, the owner of Vera Wang's Famous Teahouse, has solved her first murder and seen an uptake in business at the teahouse. Vera has also adopted a host of characters from her first adventure and views them as family. The feeling is mutual as her adopted family dotes on her and keeps an eye on her.

Vera falls for a phone scam and this event starts her down a new road of investigating. Along the way she adopts more lost souls, expanding her family more and more. What starts as a phone scam ends in a murder investigation and the take down of a human trafficking ring. No mean feat for Vera! I laughed, I love Vera's wit and personality, and I enjoyed this extra time with this cast of characters.

Perfection. Jesse Q. Sutanto is such an amazing writer, I loved the first Vera Wong so much and I knew this would be just as good but! I wasn't expecting how good, if not better, this would be than the first. I love the ensemble cast, every character becoming beloved in their own way. Vera remains such a perfect character, so layered and interesting. I absolutely loved it and the lovely dedication about the real life events that partially inspired this.

I cannot wait for more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Vera is back to her old tricks as she inserts herself into another potentially dangerous situation, but this time she's a little softer (just a bit) and actually listens to her friends, so that's a nice change! Just like the first book, there is too much of the 'suspects' worrying about Vera finding out their real connection and last interactions with the victim, Xander/Thomas, in the first half of the book but it zips right along and the new additions to Vera's quirky gang of misfits are enjoyable. I'm glad most of the sidekicks from book one were only briefly mentioned because there are dozens of people to keep track of in this short book!

Thanks to Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Vera will always go down as one of my favorite characters for her unintentional hilarity. I listened to the first book and wish I'd gone that route again, as the narrator did Vera so much more justice than I could ever do myself. I did find that this one took a bit of a darker turn than the first in series, however I still found the overall themes a fitting reminder for how important community is especially in the times we are living.