This was a silly yet enjoyable read. One of Jesse Q Sutanto's strengths is writing characters who do and say humorous things (like the Aunties in her other series) yet have enough other realistic qualities about them so that they don't become caricatures. Vera is a heartwarming character who just can't help meddling. I enjoyed how her meddling actually led her to solving the mystery, and I thought the human trafficking plot was an interesting and relevant one. I had heard that scammers are often victims themselves, but this story made it more real for me. The main weakness in this book is the plethora of characters. It's been a few months since I read the first book, so I completely forgot who everyone was. Then, a bunch of new characters were introduced. Many of them didn't make enough of an appearance for me to remember them. I wish Sutanto would have pared down the cast and focused on fewer people. However, this was a minor detractor, and overall, this was a decent book.

thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

3.5⭐️, rounded down

I need an Auntie Vera in my life! She says it like it is, is hilarious without meaning to be, and the food she cooks sounds mouthwatering. Vera Wong is back in “Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping [on a Dead Man].” Vera is using her super sleuth skills to uncover what happened to Xander and more importantly, what is going on with Millie. With the help of her new friends, Vera emerges as a social media influencer and uses this status to help her gain information. Although too much publicity is not always a good thing. Vera may have gotten herself in over her head with this case. Our favorite characters from her first book return and we meet new suspects/friends!

I was so excited to see that there was a second Vera Wong book and it did not disappoint. I enjoy that Jesse Q. Sutanto writes in multiple view points that converge to tell the whole story in a way that makes it hard to put this book down. There are some more swear words in the book and Vera’s interpretation brings more humor.

Vera is a self-proclaimed Private Investigator which sometimes puts her at odds with her friends and family. The ending of this book alludes that there might be more Vera adventures to come. I am all in for this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the book for review.

Vera is at it again when she meets a young woman named Milly who is too scared to step into the police station (don't ask why Vera is there...a phone scam. She was phone scammed). Milly is afraid something happened to her friend Thomas, and Vera is happy to employ her considerable investigative skills to help her.

While this book has the same grandmotherly charm and Vera is up to the same level of nosiness-with-care as usual, this one didn't have quite the same impact for me as the first book.

Vera's personality still shines in this book. She's still as nosy and runs just as much interference here, and cooks even more than ever for those she cares about.

"You think I won't? I am Chinese mother, all I do is create conflict."

She is not afraid to stick herself into situations she's not invited to, and to smooth things over once she's caused some offense. It is her greatest skill.

The cast we love from book one is still around, particularly some characters that weren't explored much, her son Tilly and his new partner, the police officer Selena. Vera is tired of waiting on grandkids, and she's not afraid to mention it. Repeatedly.

One issue I had is Vera's first break in the case, the one that really allows her to make any headway at all, is waaay too convenient. I guess it kind of works given the tone and Vera's tendency to always find what she's looking for, but that one really pushed the line for me.

The other piece that bothered me a little bit is that the subject matter is incredibly dark and honestly disturbing. There is justice in the end, but the ones apprehended in the end are not the full scope of the problem, and that haunts me (and it should haunt you too). There is only so much an old Chinese mother can do to warm up coldness like that, and for me, it just wasn't enough.

HOWEVER

Is it still worth reading? Absolutely. Will I be continuing the series? What...and leave Vera to her own devices? I don't think so! I'll be there for her next adventure, and I'm sure she'll have a bowl of delicious Chinese cooking for us once we get there.

Note:: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The first Vera book was so fun and I was so pleased to hear we’d get a sequel and this did not disappoint. There’s a new group of suspects and everyone you liked last time is back again. Vera continues to be her unapologetic self and I’m here for it. If you are in the mood for a cozy, heartwarming, and hilarious murder mystery, you need to meet Vera Wong!

Thank you to the publishers for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Vera Wong is back! And just as hilarious as ever! I loved this book maybe even more than the first one! The collection of oddballs that she collects is just great. Would recommend!

New friends. New mystery. Same "old" Vera.

Jesse Q. Sutanto does it again with Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)!

This second book in the Vera Wong series sees Vera getting involved in a case of a missing man, who soon turns up dead as a supposed suicide. As she starts to investigate she finds that the man has a very rich online presence with what looks like a fabulous life, but what Vera doesn't understand at first is how fake an online life can really be. Once again Vera will take you on an exciting ride and once again I find myself wanting to be her when I grow up.

Another wonderful Vera Wong mystery!!! This one didn't disappoint and rolled right on along from where the first book left off. I like how the author included characters from the first book as side characters and introduced new characters to the overall mystery which is very relevant to the time. Vera's words and actions make me laugh out loud. I love this series and recommend it to those who enjoy a bit of comedy with their mystery.

Adult mystery. I was so excited to see that the beloved mystery I read had a sequel. Some books fade in and out of your memory, but some stick around and that's how I felt about Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. Vera is a lot less lonely these days, with her found family and her son very present in her life. She loves having people to care for but is honestly a bit bored. A chain of events leads her to the police station, where she's a distressed young woman trying to decide whether to go in. So Vera invites her for tea and learns that a friend of hers is missing. Vera decides that this is her next case. So when her son and potential future daughter-in-law, Officer Selena, ask Vera to catsit she does some snooping. She finds that Thomas was also known as the influencer Xander Lin, who was recently found dead by suspected suicide.

As Vera reports her findings to Millie, something doesn't sit right with her. Soon she finds Xander's girlfriend, his manager, and his grandfather; all grieving and dealing with their own perceived guilt. Vera takes this crew under her wing, feeding them and listening to them and introducing them to her other family. Along the way she connects the dots, becomes a bit of a social media sensation, and ultimately discovers the culprit before another life is taken.

Content warnings: use of alcohol, physical abuse, vandalism, and <spoiler>human trafficking</spoiler>

I read an advanced digital copy of this book provided by netgalley and the publisher.

Vera Wong is back and just as nosy, bossy, and delightful as ever. She is no longer lonely, having adopted the majority of her murder suspects from the previous book into a ragtag family group (and she even visits the murderer once a month), but she misses the buzz from crime-solving. After getting caught by a phone scam, she stumbles into a new investigation, becomes a social media star, and even makes friends with Winifred. I adored this and am ready for her next adventures immediately.

4.5/5 stars

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man isn’t your run-of-the-mill mystery—it’s a contemporary cocktail of humor, grit, and social commentary. Vera’s bossy, chaotic energy pulls you into a story where nothing is as it seems, especially in our age of endless online facades.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I'm very glad that I read it. It was a light-hearted yet serious, hilarious mystery that stays true to Vera’s indomitable spirit. This sequel is a bold, unfiltered take on modern life, and I hope the author continues to expand Vera’s world—because I’m still completely obsessed with her story.

From the outset, the novel throws you into a world where every character is living a double life. Millie, trafficked as a child and forced into cons, and Xander, who’s meticulously crafted an entire fake online persona complete with a fake girlfriend and even a fabricated grandfather, perfectly mirror our modern obsession with curated lives. Aimes and TJ also embody this blend of performance and pretense, highlighting how a life lived solely for social media isn’t truly living at all.

At its core, however, is Vera. On the surface, she’s the vivacious, fearless leader we fell in love with in the first book. But beneath that bold exterior lies a scared, lonely woman whose strength comes from her found family—a group that rallies together over cozy cups of tea in her charming shop. Whether it’s her empowering showdown in a principal’s office or her heartfelt quest for authenticity, Vera is a character who reminds us that genuine connection beats a thousand online likes any day.

The mystery itself is a clever twist on the genre. You're kept guessing whether the dead man’s demise was murder, suicide, or something else entirely—compounded by his secret identity and the life he carefully curated for millions. And just when you think you’ve got a handle on the case, the narrative takes a dark turn with the unexpected reveal of illegal trafficking, shifting the tone but deepening the intrigue.

The book wraps up with the case solved and Vera’s crew gathered in her tea shop, with plans to head to Paris—a tantalizing hint that the adventure is far from over. It’s a fitting end that leaves you craving more of Vera’s no-nonsense, yet deeply human, approach to life and mystery.

3.75 stars

Vera Wong is back - the aging Chinese tea shop owner/sleuth. She bounces between being an uber-confident, take no prisoners tough cookie and showing a little vulnerability. There is a lot of back story and a lot of characters so I highly recommend reading the first book in the series. The Vera in this book is a little different, more emotionally open.

The extended family she met and bonded with in Book One are here and there are some new additions as well. Vera is still nosy and controlling but also shows a talent for drawing people out and inspiring them. The plot is complex and serious but the antics are often hilarious. We watch Vera become a social media star, making tea and pondering a suspicious death and going viral.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

✨ Book Review ✨

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man by Jesse Q. Sutanto
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After solving a murder last year Vera is starting to get bored, she wants to manifest some excitement into her life and BAM another case falls into her lap. But, it may prove to be more exciting than Vera originally planned for.

Y’all I didn’t think I could love this one more than the first one but I was so WRONG. This book is AMAZING!! This book is funny, heartbreaking and so freaking heartwarming!! Vera is at her most Vera, her found family is as supportive as ever and she has a new bunch of kids (because you know Vera is so old) who she has taken under her wing and she is determined to save them.

Run to the bookstore, pick up this book and your most comforting food and DIG IN to this book! 🥹🫶💖


✨ Pub date: 4/01 ✨



Review will be posted on social media 3/28 ahead of pub day. And will be reshared on pub day.

My primary social is through instagram (@t.readsforfun). I currently have 1400 followers and get about 6,700 views on my account per month. Post gets approximately 300 views between followers and non followers with about 50 or more accounts engaged. My platform has been steadily increasing gaining 200 followers from December to current. I post 3-4x a week.

First off, Jesse Q. Sutanto is a master storyteller. Any genre that she chooses to write is a beautiful piece of work!!

Secondly, the second chapter in Vera Wong's story is such a fun time! Admittedly, this does have some dark moments due to murder and some heavy subjects. But overall, Vera is back in full force, forging ahead, feeding people, asking questions, going to parties, and stirring the pot.

Get ready to laugh at her hijinks and cheer for her bringing lonely people into her community.

This was also from multiple POVs, which is always a plus for me, and helps move the plot along and keeps it fresh.

My biggest gripe with this book is that it made me hungry.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!!

I really like this series I’ve read almost all of them now, the first one is still my favorite but I still enjoy reading about Vera and all her cute and interesting ways she goes about things..
This is a charmful warm and cozy mystery Crimes that I believe you will enjoy.
Pick up any Vera Wongs books I think you will enjoy this series
Thank you netgalley

I was very excited to read a sequel to Jesse Q. Sutanto's first Vera Wong book, and it did not disappoint!

This installment follows Vera as she attempts to solve another mystery after she falls victim to a phone scam. Vera meets a new cast of lost, down on their luck characters associated with of the death of a young man that the police ruled as a suicide (but, Vera, of course, knows that that is not the case. It was murder. It is always murder.). There are appearances from all of the characters from book one, though they mainly play peripheral roles in book two and do not have point of view chapters.

As in book one, Vera is the star of the show of this book. While I found the second book to be slightly less compelling and emotionally hard-hitting than the first, I couldn't help but enjoy myself as Vera (lovingly) interrogated her suspects while simultaneously brewing them tea and cooking them extravagant meals. To be honest, I could nit-pick some things I didn't like or could've used improvement, but I am inclined to let slide some downsides in favor of my love of Vera as a character. Ultimately, this book is a feel-good story that provided an escape and a good laugh.

I also loved how this book was inspired in part by a true story (as talked about in Sutanto's acknowledgments), and I thought it brought light to some very important topics that many people may not know too much about.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! I’m glad I got to read this, I’ve missed Vera and have recommended book 1 to so many people!

While nothing can ever top the first book I quickly got immersed into Vera’s chaotic world and fell for her new mystery!

I love Vera’s character, her frenemy in the bakery next door, and the hodge podge of characters Vera pulls into her orbit.

The only struggle I had was remembering the characters from the first book. Vera demands attention and attracts a new crowd in this book so I ended up just not worrying too much about book 1’s characters and it worked out fine.

I had a different idea for what the ending would be but there’s still so much of the book I enjoyed.

Definitely another hit of a cozy mystery by Jesse Q Sutanto!

I really enjoyed the first VERA WONG book and was pumped to hear there would be a sequel! I thought the premise was well-suited to a series because Vera is such a unique and interesting main character. I loved the found family vibes and all of the people she brought into her life (that she originally accused of murder...). I thought they'd turn into a nice crime-solving crew for future books!

This story follows Vera as she tries to solve the mysterious death of Xander Lin. Is that even his real name? Or just his online persona? She finds a young distressed woman crying over his death and then just so happens to see some case files in Selena's briefcase... suddenly Vera has another case to spice up her life.

Vera always describes herself as a "Chinese mother" and that's why she's so good at everything she does lol. She has a unique personality that honestly is a little abrasive and off-putting at first. Once you get used to her unique charm, her behavior can be lol-funny at times! I also am desperate to eat some of her food. 

Vera collects her suspects and people connected to Xander (very much like the first book). The bones of the book are very similar to the original Vera Wong story in this way. However, the actual plot/mystery is a lot darker and more grim - especially for a cozy mystery. I don't want to spoil it but look up trigger warnings if you're concerned about it. 

The side characters from the first book were in this, but not as much as I would have hoped or expected. Vera manages to find another group to create a family with in this book, while mixing in some of the previous book's characters. It was fun to get to know more people but I kind of hope if there are more books, she keeps up with the existing folks she's adopted and we don't get yet another group of people. I like how she's building out a community; there were some nice vulnerable moments about loneliness here from Vera and other characters. She's not usually vulnerable.

I think people who enjoyed the first book will probably enjoy this sequel - like I said, the general setup of the story is the same and Vera hasn't changed either. The heavy mystery "topic" felt a little out of place for a cozy mystery and honestly a bit unrealistic given the wider vibe of a Vera Wong mystery, so I would still say I preferred VERA WONG'S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS. There's a big implication we could see another book (along with a potential change of scenery?!), which could be a fun way to change up the story structure we've now seen twice. I will absolutely continue to read this series if more come out!

Vera is a treasure. This light-hearted murder mystery was a quick read with a good amount of love. 3.95 stars! Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC..

The second installment of the Vera Wong series, it hit a lot of good notes but also seemed rather crowded with setting up new characters (maybe for a third in the series?) and a little slower than the first installment. It is still a good book, but I thought the first one was much sharper than this edition.