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.

Another fantastic trip into the world of Vera Wong! I love these characters, and the humour in the book. I liked the author's note about the real-life inspiration for part of the plot. I found the whole read cozy and compelling!

Vera Wong's life took a turn when a dead man turned up in her tea house - a turn for the better, that is! Her son now has a girlfriend, she found a family from her list of (former) suspects, and she is less lonely. But now she's feeling a bit bored. Lucky for her, her future daughter-in-law, Officer Selena Gray, left her briefcase out when Vera was cat-sitting, and of course Vera just wants to help! She stumbles across the murder case of mysterious influencer Xander Lin. But the cast of characters she meets/forces herself upon don't seem to know the real Xander and they all have secrets they're hiding. But if Vera knows anything, (and she does, in fact, know just about everything, being a Chinese mother and all) good food, tea, and company can get people talking. The investigation takes some dark turns and it's up to Vera, now a TikTok star no less, to save the day. Anything for her future daughter-in-law, after all.

The dedication says this book is for those who aspire to be like Vera - sign me up! Vera is outgoing, hilarious, nurturing, a bit forceful, very snoopy, and persistent. From her aggressive morning walks, to her soothing tea making and her desire to feed everyone she meets, she is a force to be reckoned with. There is no outsmarting Vera, but she also has a tender side that's sweet to see when she interacts with the kids in her life. I also loved meeting the new suspects turned family that Vera harassed... er, helped. This book delved into some real life issues (don't want to spoil it!) and I appreciated the way this was handled with care. A cozy mystery at its core, this was clever, heartwarming, funny, and will make you crave pork dumplings!

Vera is a delight and it was fun reading a new group of potential murderers fall under her spell.

Much like the first book, there are a lot of characters and this story is told with several POVs. Of course, Vera is at the center and manages to get more out of everyone, but knowing everyone has some sort of secret really keeps it fun.

Plot wise, it's a low stakes, sort of cozy mystery. There isn't any real tension or build up, it just unfolds at a meandering pace. And the last chapter is absolutely wonderful.

Overall, it's a fun slice of time with characters to really root for. I hope there's another story after that ending.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

Vera is definitely a force. :) I really enjoyed this one. I think I liked it better than the first book. I was more used to Vera and her ways and it didn't seem as intrusive as it was before. The mystery was great and kept me guessing. And I loved the new characters. The overall theme/plotline was a little heavy, but important.

Vera Wong does it again! Jesse Q. Sutanto brings delightful humor, a new cast of damaged, devilish and dangerous characters, and of course, more delicious descriptions of food for another fun (and funny!), intriguing mystery set in San Francisco. I love that this book includes all of the characters from Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, so I’d recommend reading that book first. While there are some dark themes in this book, Sutanto’s deliberate and delicate use of humor makes this a light and entertaining story that I did not want to put down! Perfect to read with a cup of tea, and I see Chinese dumpling take-out in my near future! 4.5 stars

United States Publication: April 1, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Ever since Vera Wong found a dead body on the floor of her tea house, life has been good. Then, life was flat and uninspiring and very lonely. Now, life is full and vibrant and Vera is surrounded by people. Yes, life is great. Well. Okay, maybe Vera would like a little more action - is it too much to ask for a new dead body to present itself for solving? When Vera Wong meets a distressed young woman, to substitute for no new dead body to investigate, she makes it her business to get involved in Millie's business. Millie, equal parts cautious and longing for connection, tries to not allow Vera too close, but let's face it, Vera has a way of getting people to enter into her orbit, and before long, Vera gets Millie to confide in her. Millie's "brother" is missing. She fears the worst but hopes Vera, with her vast investigative experience (she was in the news a few months ago for solving that dead body in the tea shop crime), can locate him alive and safe.

When Vera snoops around Tilly and Selena's house and finds a file with a picture of Millie's brother under a different name, she gets excited. Finally, a mystery to solve, and maybe there will be a dead body at some point! But as Vera starts looking at this "brother" of Millie's, who seems to have several identities, it becomes clear that something devious is at play, and Millie can't risk Vera and her other newfound friends to find out what she and her "brother" were really up to. The problem is that what Vera uncovers puts Millie and Vera's adopted family in danger.

The dedication to Vera Wong's newest book says, "To those of us whose ambition is to turn into a Vera when we grow up." And that hit right. Vera Wong is someone who has several admirable qualities. One quality she possesses that I'm starting to lean into as I age is settling into my own skin and quitting making apologies for being who you are. I love how Vera's adopted family, which includes her actual son, humors Vera and helps her. I love how they expand their circle to welcome someone else in. The crime in this specific title was dark, and it was partly reading so dark because it is a very real problem in our world. Vera, as a character, is entertaining to read, but her wider circle is also fun to get to know. I also love the growth Vera, as an older person steeped in her culture, is open to experiencing and learning from. I've not read any of Sutanto's titles, but Vera Wong has piqued my interest in other characters and storylines she has crafted.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series so I was obviously so excited to receive this advanced copy. Thank you NetGalley!

I listened to the first Vera book and I must say I probably would have also preferred the audio on this one as well. There is just something about listening to Vera as opposed to making up her voice in your mind, but I will say her fun and quirky personality still came through.

The crime in this book is a little more serious than in the last book, but the ability of Vera to acquire quirky friends and companions is just so fun and I love going on her adventures with her.

If you liked the first book you will surely like this one, but I think the audio would be the best way to consume Vera and her investigations!!