Book Review of VERA WONG'S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS by Jesse Q. Sutanto

*SPOILERS*

Would you get close to a murderer and serve them tea? 

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This cozy mystery was just what I needed to unwind from the holidays. I finished this novel at the start of January and it totally jump started my reading energy. From the chaos of Christmas, birthdays, and the new year, I really needed to relax with a distraction. That is where Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Muder by Jesse Q. Sutanto comes in! 

After having this book on my shelf since its publication day, I was SUPER excited to finally start it. To get myself into the spirit of it, I heated up some water and paired it with my peach green tea. It may not be Vera’s choice, but I made do with what was in the cabinet. 

Speaking of Vera Wong, I was absolutely intimidated by her (in a good way!). She is a woman who knows what she is after and will burst any bubble to get it. If I were in her story, I for sure would have been labeled a murder suspect based on my nervous sweats alone. 

What led to Vera seeking a murder suspect in the first place began when she found Marshall Chen dead in the middle of her tea shop. The police thought it was an accident, but Vera pegged this incident as murder. What’s a lonely, grandmotherly woman to do than take matters into her own hands?

The day the police investigated the death, several suspicious people stopped by the shop; thus, revealing to Vera that these people had some sort of connection to the deceased. In a less-than-subtle way, she invited them all for tea where she announced that she would be investigating the murder and her first suspects were all her guests. 

Julia Chen is Marshall’s wife. They have been together for over a decade and have a young girl together. Julia is timid, cautious, and quiet. If it was up to her, she might say she was alert or protective over her daughter. But Vera knew deep down that Julia had so much to give, and being Marshall’s wife prevented her from spreading her wings. 

Sana is an artist stuck in a spiral. She trusted a person and lost everything; her inspiration, art, and success. It doesn’t help that her mother is also an artist and consciously placed pressure on Sana throughout every point in her life. So it was a surprise to her when she boldly entered Vera’s tea shop and lied that she was a podcaster digging into Marshall’s murder. 

Riki is a genius behind a computer. Although he is intelligent, his history clouded his judgments. The guilt he carried crushed the future that he rightly deserved. Riki always thought of everyone else, but his decisions may not reflect his big heart. This is how he ended up visiting the tea shop and alluding to Vera that he was a reporter for Buzzfeed to write about the murder that occurred that morning. 

Oliver had it worse than the rest. He is the twin brother of Marshall. The thread between the murder and the cause is stronger for Oliver. Since the day they were born, Oliver was always the least popular and least attractive. Marshall had a louder personality and got everything he wanted; until his untimely demise. Did Oliver have something to do with it? The police might think so. 

These suspects form an unlikely friendship throughout the novel. Vera has a charm to her that brings people together. The connection and development of the characters only happened thanks to Vera. Because of her wisdom and blunt nature, Vera was a guiding light for these four people. 

The novel allows readers to connect with these characters because of their genuinely human traits. Imagine what you would do in their shoes. How would you react? Some flaws and mishaps deter our goals as did for these characters. It’s what I enjoyed most from reading this novel, the characters were easy to relate to because of their honest truths. I came for the mystery but I stayed for the characters. 

Before I leave, I wanted to add that Jesse’s novel was picked up for a series adaptation! According to the Deadline article, “Warner Bros Television has acquired rights to Jesse Q. Sutanto‘s latest novel Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films will develop the book for television with Mindy Kaling’s production company Kaling International, which is under an overall deal at WBTV.” How cool is that!

What do you think of adaptations? I honestly enjoy them; I even went to school to learn screenwriting and adapting stories was my favorite class in university. Looks like Vera is at the beginning stages of pre-production but when it comes out you bet I will be having a whole release party!

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q Sutanto is heartwarming, page-turning, and relatable. Perfect for readers who love tea, human connection, and murder. Grab a copy today!   

You can find a copy here: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Kindle | Audible 

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Happy reading!