Vera Wong is happily living her life. Up early every morning, goes for her walk, has a good breakfast, and then spends her day working at her “famous” tea show that she named Vera Wangs in hopes of confusing people to think she is a famous designer. When she comes downstairs one morning to find a man dead in her shop, Vera is determined to solve the case. The police are useless after all. She ends up with 4 suspects, and needs to get close to them to find out who is the murderer. Lucky for her, it’s really hard to say no to Vera.

If you were wondering if Jesse Q Sutanto could EVER do anything wrong, let me help you…at least when it comes to writing books, she can’t! Vera was just one of the most fabulous characters I have ever read. I did feel like there were a few points where she seemed older than 60, but overall she was just freaking fantastic. I loved that she forced her friendship on Oliver, Julie, Riki, and Sana, and the way the story wove together as to how Marshall ended up dead was just perfect. I swear, Sutanto could write a manual on how to put on socks and I would read it. She is such a freaking talent! If you haven’t read anything by @jesseqsutanto what are you waiting for?

This book was an absolute ride in the best kind of way! I loved the book from start to end! Vera was such a funny character to follow along with. Seeing her worm her way into the other characters hearts was so incredibly endearing. At first, when the other characters were being introduced I was nervous that it was going to take away from the central story due to there being so many povs - but it did the opposite. Reading from all these characters had me laughing and falling more in love with this little family that Vera found for herself.
Also the mystery, the actual murder had such a great pay off! 10/10 read!

I really enjoyed the personality of the quirky yet forceful main character, Vera, the teashop owner. I loved how she decides to solve the murder mystery herself and how she goes about drawing possible suspects to her teashop.

That the people she helps while sleuthing will later help her in turn is an excellent plot feature. There were a few personality inconsistencies with Vera, however, in how she takes care of her own shop versus how she takes care of other people and their homes.

Overall, an enjoyable read.

Calling all cozy mystery fans! This is a fun one you don't want to miss! Perfect for fans of Finlay Donovan is Killing It and Arsenic and Adobo!

Vera Wong is just an innocent old lady who runs a "world famous" tea shop and minds her own (and everyone else's) business until one day a dead body turns up in her tea shop! She decides to take it upon herself to solve the murder and mayhem ensues. While she narrows down her list of suspects, she finds that everyone involved has secrets of their own and that there's more to all of them than meets the eye.

I really enjoyed this one and found much of it laugh out loud funny! Vera is a character I won't forget anytime soon and I would love if there was a book two!

Thank you so much to Berkley for the advanced copy of this book! It will be available on March 14th!

We were pleased to share this title at our live Spring Book Preview event for the Modern Mrs Darcy and What Should I Read Next communities on January 10, 2023, when 1200 readers attended live and twice that many watched the replay in the following week. The PDF from that event is attached. Long story short: I was totally sold on the Knives Out v Kim's Convenience teaser, and this story did not disappoint—I enjoyed it even more than Aunties!

I adored this book! I sincerely hope there will be a sequel, let's face it we need to see more of Vera Wong. Vera Wong is not who you would typically picture working on a murder case, but when a body is found in her tea shop she jumps right in. After contacting the police and feeling they are not taking the murder or her advice seriously she decides it is up to her to figure it out. As "possible suspects" begin to visit the tea shop days after the murder Vera puts on her detective cap and starts to work. Along the way, she finds it harder to not befriend these suspects and imagine that once the murderer is caught going back to her old life.

This was a fabulous book that makes you fall in love with Vera's quick wit and her fierce personality.

Written with wickedly sharp humor and a tightly woven plot, the book’s also about the hurt that our families can give and the unexpected joys of found family. Vera is a delight as she bosses everyone around, investigating her four main suspects even as she weaves bonds of friendship with and between them. I couldn’t put it down and laughed out loud multiple times. And the descriptions of the tea and food were mouthwateringly delicious. Perfection!

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers was absolutely delightful. Vera, owner of a barely operational tea shop (although you'd be hard pressed to convince her of that), discovers a dead body in her shop early one morning. Convinced that the police are doing it all wrong, Vera sets out to determine who murdered the mystery man and why. Along the way and in her overbearing body manner, Vera builds relationships with each of her murder suspects in a way that leaves the reader hoping that none of them committed the crime. I hope that this is not the last we read of Mrs. Vera Wong and her magical teas.

I loved this book so much!

A sweet book to end the year on. Jesse Sutanto has done again with yet another overbearing, but well-meaning Asian auntie. In this case, the auntie is Vera Wong, owner of a teashop in San Francisco's Chinatown. One morning, to Vera's great delight, a dead body turns up in her World Famous Teashop. Vera is determined to solve this case, never mind that the police don't want her eager help, never mind that her son thinks this is a terrible idea, never mind that through cooking and baby sitting for her murder suspects she is becoming fonder of them than she thought possible. Everyone in this book is keeping secrets, and while it's annoying to watch the secrets be teased out, ultimately it's fun to watch the narrative bring all the characters together. It's especially fun to watch Vera steal every scene, and to watch her not so subtly intrude on everyone's lives with the best of intentions. This book doesn't quite have the heart of Dial A for Aunties, but I would highly recommend it for fans of cozy mysteries, and goofy family dramas. I found that by the end I was quite fond of all the characters, and I definitely would read more about them.

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a cute cozy mystery. It takes the same idea as the authors Aunties series, where lovable older women help the younger generation by generally bulldozing them and their opinions. However, in the end, problems are solved and everyone is happy. The previous series was fun to read and this book was also enjoyable. Although the ending was fairly predictable, I enjoyed the ride. Recommended for cozy mystery fans.

Ohh, how I adore Vera and the perfect cozy niche that Sutanto created in this novel (which I hope will be the first of a new series?) Vera Wong owns a rather unsuccessfully tea shop in Chinatown, wakes early every morning to walk the neighborhood, and texts unwanted advice to her son. She also, one day, discovers a dead body on the floor of her tea shop. What follows is a rollicking mystery, with plenty of red herrings, but also the perfect blend of women's fiction into cozy mystery as the delightfully interfering Vera not only wants to solve a crime but also solve the problems of the suspects' lives. Love, family, career, inspiration: nothing is out of bounds for Vera's not so soft touch. This book is a warm hug, with a dead body thrown in.

Big five stars.

A funny, lighthearted cozy mystery! I loved the premise of an elderly teahouse owner solving a murder that ends up on her shop’s doorsteps. Vera is on the case of solving the mystery of the dead man as the police dismiss the suspicious murder. Vera quickly draws in her suspects and tries to befriend her suspects. I loved the multiple perspectives in this novel and seeing their motivations for wanting to kill the dead person. I loved every character and was rooting for them not to be the murderer. In the end, I did not see this one coming! I’m hoping that there is a book 2 for Vera Wong 😊

This is a fun, new cozy mystery (hopefully one that will expand into a series) from the author of Dial A for Aunties. Vera is the semi retired owner of a tea shop who one day finds a body on her floor. Suddenly, her once-dead shop is being visited by a series of unusual customers, some of whom inspire the mother hen in Vera. This is lots of fun, and I look forward to recommending it.

This is a thoroughly delightful story. So much care goes into each character, their histories and troubles and redemptions. Touching and funny and brilliant. I hope this is made into a movie!

I want to be like Vera when I grow up- she uses her powers for good, doesn't apologize for being herself, and always knows which tea to make (although I'd probably make coffee). Great cast of characters, a twisty mystery, and food that reads as delicious...

Thank you Netgalley for the free ARC in return for ann honest review.

Vera owns a tea shop in San Francisco Chinatown. One morning she finds a dead body lying in the floor and because Vera is so bullheaded she does whatever she wants, she takes the flash drive in the man’s hand thinking she can solve the murder better than the police. Better or not, Vera befriends a few suspects with secrets about the last night of the dead man’s life. It is hard to believe any of the delightful suspects could be a murderer.

Vera is a spunky, manipulative woman who is also lonely. But she grows on the reader and characters whose lives she infiltrates. Here’s hoping for more!

A cute and cozy murder mystery. I loved the cast of characters who were funny, relatable, and eccentric. I liked that Vera became a motherly figure to this group of characters and they formed a sort of family.

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q Sutanto

This book was such a delight! An older adult solving mysteries- what's not to love? Vera lives in China Town in San Francisco and runs a tea shop. One day, Vera finds a dead man in her tea shop clutching a flash drive in his outstretched hand. What does Vera do? What any curious, and maybe a little bored, person would do, call the police and the swipe the flash drive. Vera is catapulted into a mystery where a murderer is always nearby. Vera is hilarious and heartwarming. I loved the intentional diversity of this book- an older adult Asian heroine is not one I've read often and I am now looking for more!

VERA WONG’S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS, by Jesse Q. Sutanto, is the first book in what I hope will turn into a long-running series. With an unassuming, lonely elderly Chinese woman as the unlikely protagonist, Ms. Sutanto proves once again that she’s a master storyteller. Stumbling across a dead man in her almost defunct tea shop, Vera starts her journey to solve his murder. Along the way, she comes in contact with several people who all seem to have a good reason to have wanted the man dead. They all have secrets and tell lies, but somehow Vera manages to look beyond that and find the truth. Despite the human flaws of each person, Vera included, they become endearing with the wit and humor the author bestows on each page. This book contains character in spades along with a great mystery to solve. If you enjoy a charming, cozy mystery that’s full of humor and heart, I highly recommend Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

Many thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Lonely elder & fledging business owner, Vera Wong, is lost in the monotony of life when her routine is spectacularly upended as a dead stranger is found in her teahouse one morning. The police astoundingly underwhelm Vera as they don’t take the case, Vera’s offer of assistance or her tea seriously. Vera then takes it upon herself to Nancy Drew her way to answers as she locates & befriends several people, who she believes are suspects or persons of interest. Through her investigation, she stumbles upon the most eclectic group of friends as she navigates her way through all the lies, secrets & drama surrounding this dead stranger.

It has the unquestionable charm of a cozy mystery along with a fascinating whodunnit to solve involving multiple side characters that intertwine together this fascinating tale.

Jesse Q. Sutanto’s trademark wit & humor are the backbone to the incredible storytelling that takes place in this delightful cozy mystery. Jesse Q. Sutanto elevates the genre of cozy mystery with the equally endearing & formidable main character that is Vera Wong & the exquisite manner to which humor & pure love is braided into the story.

I love books that circumvent the norm by increasing diversity & representation & with this book having an elder Asian woman as the main character, this book delivers on this front. Vera Wong is unforgettable, delightfully stubborn, hilarious & bold in the best way possible. I also adore books like this that have heart, charm & realistic life lessons that can fully captivate readers. The side characters & in turn, their stories are fully developed so that you care for everyone involved.

I finished this story with a smile on my face. I will happily read anything this author writes & I hope everyone else delights in reading this story as much as I did.

If you love cozy mysteries or just want a story with a lot of heart mixed with a heaping of mystery, then I highly recommend Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I will post my review on my social media as it gets closer to the review date. I will add links once I do this. I will post on Amazon on release day.