The endlessly endearing Vera Wong is back in a new installment of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s hilarious cozy mystery series.
Vera Wong is a Chinese mother, tea shop owner and part-time murder investigator. She’s ready for a new mystery to solve, and when she meets a young woman named Millie who believes her friend Thomas is missing, Vera takes on the case. Unfortunately, her investigation reveals that Thomas is dead, and that Millie only knew him by an alias. Who was this mystery man, who had a strong social media following under the name Xander Lin and legions of fans but few, if any, real friends? Vera identifies four people of interest in his death: Millie, who was Thomas/Xander’s neighbor; TJ, Xander’s agent; Aimes, Xander’s girlfriend and fellow influencer; and Qiang Wen, a dumpling shop owner who took on a grandfatherly role in Xander’s life. Vera takes a liking to all four people—like her, they’re lonely and searching for purpose. With her trademark confidence and humor, Vera barrels through the investigation, determined to find justice for Xander. Along the way, she develops new friendships, dodges threats to her life and becomes a viral social media sensation in her own right.
Vera Wong is a standout character: She’s wholly original, deeply funny and committed to her found family. She meddles and bends the truth as needed to help others, and her friends and family are better off for it. Sutanto also does an excellent job of juggling a large cast of supporting characters, including many from the first installment of the series. Millie adds a great deal to the story: From the start, it’s clear that she’s hiding something from Vera. As readers discover more about Millie, they may find themselves rooting for her, too, and her growth through the novel is admirable.
Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) is full of humor and heart, despite touching on heavy topics like murder, suicide and more. The mystery itself is easy to follow, despite a bevy of suspects and a victim who used aliases. Fans of cozy mysteries, found families and humor will delight in following Vera Wong through this exceptional novel.
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