BLOG TOUR - Vera Wong’s Guide for Snooping (on a Dead Man)

Title:  Vera Wong’s Guide for Snooping (on a Dead Man

Author:  Jesse Q. Sutanto

Series:  Vera Wong #2

Publisher:  Berkley Books

Genre:   Mystery & Thrillers

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:  336

Date of Publication:   April 1, 2025

My Rating:   5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Vera Wong is back and as meddling as ever in this follow-up to the hit Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.…

Ever since a man was found dead in Vera's teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. She’s surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly's girlfriend is none other than Officer Selena Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn't be ungrateful, even if one is slightly...bored.

Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena's, Vera finds a treasure Selena's briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for.

Online, Xander had it a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can't seem to actually identify him. Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his parents.

Vera is determined to solve Xander's murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and there is nothing she wouldn't do for her future daughter-in-law.

Link to shop the series

MY THOUGHTS:

Vera Wong, a teahouse owner with a knack for solving murders, contemplates incorporating investigations into her daily life, possibly starting her own agency. However, her current focus is on dealing with identity theft. Once that’s resolved, Vera’s neighbor and friend, Thomas, goes missing, prompting her to get to work.

This delightful story is presented in multiple points of view, keeping me engaged in the unfolding events around Vera. As a woman in her mid-sixties, I found Vera’s busy life, which has been quite fulfilling, endearing. Not only does she demonstrate maternal concern for others, but she also has a strong support system, including her future daughter-in-law, Officer Selena Gray. Vera’s determination to find out what happened to Thomas remains unwavering, and her resolve intensifies when a young man named Xander is murdered.

Reading Vera’s second adventure allowed me to witness her growth as an amateur sleuth. It was satisfying to discover at the end of the book that Jesse Q. Sutanto had mentioned that this book was not intended to be part of a series. While Vera’s fans, including myself, enjoyed her immensely, I genuinely hope that she has more adventures in the future. 

Many thanks to Berkley Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jesse Q. Sutanto grew up shuttling back and forth between Jakarta and Singapore and sees both cities as her homes. She has a Masters degree from Oxford University, though she has yet to figure out a way of saying that without sounding obnoxious. She is currently living back in Jakarta on the same street as her parents and about seven hundred meddlesome aunties. When she's not tearing out her hair over her latest WIP, she spends her time baking and playing FPS games. Oh, and also being a mom to her two kids.

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