3.5 stars rounded up

I enjoyed the first book a lot, so I was excited to read some more about Vera Wong and her sleuthing. She is such a vibrant character with and I find her humour to be really funny. I was glad this time to see the side characters pushing back when she declared that she was an old woman. 61 is not ancient! I love an older main character, so I had a lot of fun with this book.

This story was quite similar to the previous one. Vera gathered her persons of interest together, leading to some more cute found family moments. I did sometimes feel that the plot was a bit formulaic, but I was engaged with the central mystery, so I always wanted to keep reading. I also loved the food imagery throughout. Vera cooked the most mouthwatering sounding food, and I wanted to enjoy the meal around the table with the characters.

There were some darker themes present, which were handled with care. I was interested to read that Jesse Sutanto felt compelled to shed light on certain things (which can't be explained without spoilers) and I came away from reading feeling like I gained some more awareness on the topic.

Overall, I would recommend this book to readers looking for a fresh viewpoint from a funny, older character.

I was so disappointed when I finished the first Vera Wang book and found out there wasn't another book, so I jumped at the chance to read an ARC.

This book does not disappoint and is full of laughs (and some surprisingly sad moments) from the beginning. It's also quite eye-opening to the life of an influencer and how social media is often nothing like real life.

I absolutely love Vera, and I enjoy how she seems to accumulate waifs and strays everywhere she goes. It's such a sweet and grandmotherly touch. Can't wait for the next one!

Absolutely hilarious vera wong is my new heroine, everything she says is just laugh out loud funny and the similarity to all knowing irish aunts and mothers uncanny. You will Not want to put this down!!!!

Having been a fan of Jesse Sutanto since Dial A for Aunties I knew I would enjoy this one but it definitely felt more serious than her other books.

It took me a little longer to get into the story but once I was in I loved it! Its a real skill to write a book about dark topics and still have it feel light, heartwarming and uplifting by the end.

Vera is a fantastic protagonist and I love her energy, we should all be more Vera.

Another delightful mystery with Vera, a lively Chinese 60yr old who loves nothing more than a murder to solve and a bunch of lonely misfit suspects to adopt in to her ever growing found family. It’s easy to get invested in the characters, even if they are harbouring guilty secrets. A funny mystery with great characters! An easy read.

Wow what a book, but how did I miss the first one!

Vera Wong, tea shop owner and sometimes investigator, meets Millie outside the police station. Millie is searching for answers as to why her friend Thomas killed himself, Vera decides to step in and help her, very helpful that her future daughter-in-law had some of the case files in a locked briefcase which magically fell open, while Vera was doing a kitty drop in!

Fabulous characters, great food descriptions and just an all round likeable book, with an interesting story.

I think Vera also has the power of the Jedi with mind tricks/suggestions!

Recommended

This is really a wonderful, feel good book which I recommend to anyone who might need a pick me up - or just wants an entertaining read!

Vera is a 60 year old Chinese mother, and runs a tea house in San Francisco's China Town. She has discovered, relatively recently, a knack for gathering people around her - as demonstrated by the impressive range and diversity of her found family (in addition to her biological son Tilly) whom she feeds and loves and gently bullies into shape.

But fresh off the success in solving the mystery of a man who unexpectedly died - and, it turned out was actually murdered - in her tea house, a case that police had failed to solve, Vera is now convinced that she has a knack for solving murders too!

I have read Jesse Q Sutanto's work before, but in Vera she has created the most intriguing and adorable character, and exceeded herself in endowing her creation with a formidable amount of charm and humour. Hence, I predict that Vera's success will go beyond that of all her previous stories. And I certainly can't wait until the next book is out!

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers was a 5 star book for me. I binge-listened to the audiobook in one sitting and just adored Vera and the found-family aspect of the story. In this instalment of the series, Vera finds herself investigating another murder, recruiting new members for her found-family, and becoming a TikTok sensation?

Unfortunately, I feel that this book fell a little short of the first in the series. The dialogue and character interactions felt cringey at times and none of the reveals were particularly ground-breaking. I think a lot of the charm of the first book came from Eunice Wong's incredible narration and, although I'm grateful to have received the ARC, I am a little disappointed that I didn't get to experience this as an audiobook, too.

I will say, though, that this was exactly the book I needed to read right now. This was an incredibly quick, head-empty, no-thoughts-needed kind of book. I had a good time reading it and I am eagerly awaiting the next in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins (HQ) for the opportunity to review this book.

I love Vera and her meddling ways! I categorise this as cozy mystery but the reveal at the end turned out a lot sadder than I expected when starting the book. There are some funny moments, mainly Vera being a menace but it all works well. I like how we get introduced to the characters via their own individual points of view like the last book. A nice and strong sequel.

Delightful Romp…
Vera Wong really likes to think that she’s perfectly content being a tea shop owner. The reality, of course, is rather different - as whenever the opportunity for a snoop arises, Vera is your woman. Another enjoyable and entertaining outing with Vera and her thoughts with a pacy and highly amusing plot populated with a colourful and rather glorious cast of characters. A delightful romp.

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) is the sequel to Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, which I loved, and so this went straight to the top of my to-read list! It's no surprise that Vera gets herself involved in solving another mystery, with the help of her ever growing self-chosen family. I love Vera and want her to befriend me too, so fingers crossed there will be more books in this series!

Thank you to Jesse Q Sutanto, NetGalley and the the publishers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A big thank you to Netgalley and HQ because this second volume is even better than the first!

First of all, what a pleasure to find Vera again, this truly incredible character. From the first pages of the novel, she is the victim of a phone scam and this little detail will lead her to embark on a second exciting investigation. I liked discovering in the acknowledgements that the author was inspired by a story told in a police station when she accompanied her mother who was herself the victim of a scam.

The investigation is well led by Vera and her friends, the novel is really very funny (even more than the first I think) but the end turns out to be darker, and terribly tragic. Human trafficking is something that really sends shivers down your spine.

The end seems to announce a sequel to Paris? I am impatiently waiting for it because I already miss the characters terribly. I think that each of us could really do with having a Vera in our lives, and I enjoyed discovering the bonds that are woven throughout the novels between the characters: couples that form (Tilly - Selena or Sana and Riki), deep friendships that are created (Julia and Sana) or even this adorable relationship between Vera and Emma.

I also want Vera Wong to adopt me 🥹🫶

The first book that REALLY got me back into reading was Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. I just love the way that Vera is unapologetically her. The way that she can convince someone to go along with her chaos while also making sure that they are well fed. I love that she is just known for sorting peoples’ lives out for them.

When I heard there was going to be a sequel I was delighted. 🤩 It really did live up to my expectations. I loved the new characters and the plot lines were intriguing enough to have me keep turning to the page.

You don’t even know how happy I was when I received review copy from NetGalley. 🥹🥰🫶 Thank you NetGalley, you’re just out here casually brining dreams to life.

I have not read the first of the Vera Wong stories but this did not stop me enjoying this book.

Vera is a character - a Chinese mother force of nature - who attracts trouble! This time she finds herself investigating the death of Xander Lin.

This brings her into contact with the online world where nothing is what it seems. As she delves into Xander’s life and finds those who knew him, she realises that he had lots of secrets - which he wanted to expose.

She uses her own online fame to find out more and finally to expose his real life and the reason for his death.

A delightful cast of characters - a book which made me smile even as it uncovered a hard murky world.

I hope more books in the series will be forthcoming.

Vera Wong is back and this time…. She’s snooping on a dead man. I cannot tell you how much I love this sequel. It is funny, heartfelt, the murder mystery itself is so chilling but delicately written. Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this. Five stars.

I absolutely loved the first Vera Wong mystery from @jesseqsutanto, so I was delighted to be approved to read a free review copy of the upcoming sequel via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well I’m pleased to say this sequel was just as good as the first book. Vera is a fab character - kinda like a Chinese Jessica Fletcher! I love how she works her way into her suspects’ lives, but she does so with such heart. I want Vera to adopt me too!

In this case, Vera hears about a dead body which the police are calling suicide - but Vera’s not so sure. Is it a sign of something bigger at play? (Yes. Yes it is). The characters from the first book all return, but there’s some great new ones too.

This book could be read as a stand alone, but I think you’d get way more out of it if you read these in publication order. So if you love cosy crime, now is the time to read these first book in the series so you are all caught up in time for the release of this second instalment in April.

All in all, a fab cosy mystery. I hope there’s a third Vera adventure in the works!

This is my first experience of Vera Wong and I absolutely loved it. A murder mystery lead by a little Chinese grandmother who meddles in everyone’s affairs but somehow turns out to be oh so right. This murder is ominous and dark and tge tip of a bigger iceberg but none of this fazes Vera. She is infuriating, stubborn, caring and oh so funny. Can’t wait for the French installment.

What fun to read another Vera Wong book. So many laugh out loud moments. Vera just gets better and better and her ever growing cast of supporting characters are wonderful.
This is a quick read, a cosy mystery and very entertaining.
Highly recommended.

After thoroughly enjoying the first book in the Vera Wong series, I can confidently say that the second instalment is even better. Sutanto’s warm relationships and humour shine through once again, making this a delightful read from start to finish.

The charm of Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) lies in its unique blend of light heartedness and wit, which kept me laughing out loud at several points. Sutanto’s skill in bringing characters to life with authenticity and depth adds an extra layer to the storytelling. These characters, while often comedic, are imbued with such richness that they feel incredibly real.

While the central mystery may feel a bit drawn out in places, it wasn’t a significant issue for me. The humour and the endearing nature of Vera's character made it easy to overlook any pacing concerns. Vera herself remains a wonderfully quirky protagonist, and I found myself deeply invested in her journey. Her charm, determination, and growth throughout the book kept me eager to turn the pages, despite the occasional lag in the plot.

Overall, Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) is a hilarious, heart warming, and clever continuation of a series that has a special place in my heart. I sincerely hope there will be more books to come—Vera's adventures are far from over, and I can't wait to see what she gets up to next. Highly recommended for fans of cosy mysteries with a strong sense of humour and unforgettable characters!

Vera Wong, tea expert and crime solver, is one of my all-time favourite fictional characters. So, it was the best surprise to find she's back with a sequel. I could fan-girl about her all day but essentially she is a straight-talking, interfering, curious, traditional Chinese mother with a heart of gold. She "looks like a helpless little grandma" but acts like an "army general looking for a new recruit to bully". Obviously Vera steals the show but once again she's supported by a great cast - old and new. As Vera herself says: "There's just nothing quite like the heartwarming joy of gathering a bunch of new people who are obviously slightly terrified, and brazenly accusing them off murder". And that's the brilliance of the author in that she's managed to pull off a very similar book to the much-loved first but in a believable and fresh way. I really, really hope that Vera and Winifred do take that trip to Paris and we get to read all about in a third book....