Review: Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)
- tatedecaro
- Apr 16
- 2 min read
4/5 stars
Another cozy murder mystery with your favorite old Chinese mother (her words!), Vera Wong. I thoroughly enjoyed Sutanto's first book about Vera, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, and was not disappointed with the continuation of her comedy of adventures!
Definitely read the first book before this one. While it is a different mystery, there are enough references to and characters from the first that would otherwise be lost. So, that said, don't keep reading this review if you haven't finished the first book.
....
Ever since Vera solved the case of the murdered man found on the floor of her tea shop, she's been happily cooking for and spending time with all of her family members. With her son, Tilly, of course, his new girlfriend, Officer Selena Gray, and all of the new friends (now old friends) she pulled into her orbit during her initial investigation. She's happy... but, truth be told, she's a little bit bored. She needs grand-babies &/or another murder to solve.
As luck would have it, Vera meets a mysterious young woman named Millie outside the police station, who is reluctant to report that her friend Thomas is missing. Vera takes Millie under her wing (of course), and decides that she will take the case! After a little light snooping in her son & hopefully-soon-to-be-daughter-in-law's home, she confirms that Thomas' body has been found, but is listed in the police report as a John Doe. Vera also uncovers the fact that Thomas had another identity called Xander, a successful social media influencer. Vera widens her search, uncovering information that the police know nothing about, and gathering more lost souls (new friends!) into her world.
The novel is told from five different points of view including Vera, Millie, and other new characters, though Vera always remains the focus of attention. As she should! Vera can be maddening in her stubbornness, her constant meddling, and her blunt approach to giving advice/telling people what to do. But she's also an incredibly devoted friend, who will go to the ends of the earth to ensure that the people she loves are taken care of. She exudes confidence, though she also loves to play the helpless old lady, when it suites her needs.
The book does have a serious side too - as the story unfolds we learn more and more about the dark underbelly of Millie and Thomas' checkered past, and what led to Thomas/Xander's death. Definitely a sad story, that. But with the happy ending everyone deserves.
Loved getting to know the new characters, seeing the old ones from the first novel, and just spending more time with Vera. If Sutanto keeps the series going, I'll definitely keep reading.
UP NEXT: The Only One Left, by Riley Sager
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