Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

By: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Narrated by: Eunice Wong

A USA Today bestseller
Edgar Award Winner for Best Original Paperback
Audie Award Winner for Mystery
Libby Award Winner for Best Mystery


A lonely shopkeeper takes it upon herself to solve a murder in the most peculiar way in this captivating mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.

Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady—ah, lady of a certain age—who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her Gen-Z son is up to.

Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing—a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn’t know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of . . . swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could, because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands. Vera knows the killer will be back for the flash drive; all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer.

What Vera does not expect is to form friendships with her customers and start to care for each and every one of them. As a protective mother hen, will she end up having to give one of her newfound chicks to the police?

©2023 Jesse Q. Sutanto (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“A staggering, masterful suspense confection, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is quite simply one of my favorite novels of all time. The kind of book you want to reread every year in order to revisit its brilliant world. Vera will delight, charm, and steal your heart. A propulsive, delectable blend of Knives Out meets The Maid shot through with Sutanto’s customary raucous sense of humor and gift for astonishing twists, Vera is an instant classic.”—May Cobb, author of My Summer Darlings

"Following the success of Dial A for Aunties, Sutanto is back with another charmer, this time following the exploits of orthopedic-sneaker-wearing Vera Wong Zhuzhu, who finds a dead body in her Chinatown tea shop. When the police investigation isn’t thorough enough for her liking, she concocts a plan to find the murderer, aided by a locked flash drive she found on the body and stashed away for safekeeping. Sutanto excels at skewering with affection, and an earnest hilarity shines through in this entertaining whodunit."—The Washington Post

“Vivid sensory descriptions of the custom teas Vera concocts and the elaborate feasts she prepares further heighten the feel-good appeal. Literary comfort food in the guise of a quirky whodunit.”—Kirkus

Better than my first impression!

The title is a little decieving from what the story actually is, and it’s a great story! Kept me guessing the whole time until the very end! Heartwarming, funny, unexpected turns. The narrator did a FABULOUS job with her different voices for so many characters. Couldn’t stop listening!

Super cute book!

Great narrator, quick listen, entertaining, sweet and interesting. Really liked it. Would definitely recommend to anyone.

Loved it!

This book was like a cup of chicken noodle soup for the soul. How many times can you say a murder mystery is heartwarming and sweet? We could all use a Vera Wong in our lives.

Perfect and joyful

This was such a great story. I felt for all of the characters, especially Vera, and I enjoyed the story from start to finish. Great read. Happy ending.

Great cozy mystery!

Great narration, great story. I figured out what happened to the guy who was killed, but I enjoyed listening to the story unfold anyway. Sutanto’s other books have been a little juvenile but fun. This one has a bit more depth. I have enjoyed her writing so far and hope she keeps giving us funny but poignant mysteries for years to come. Definitely worth a listen if you want a lighthearted feel good story with characters you will love.

Fun and sweet

Such a fun story. I really enjoyed everything about it. The characters I felt like I could really picture them and get to know them and the plot twist at the end. I did not see it coming.

Fun Read. Loved the Food!

Great narration. Fun and easy listen. Endearing characters. Love the multiple character backgrounds and ethic food descriptions.

Love this!

Vera and the unlikely collection of other characters form a community of flawed and endearing people. This story is heartwarming, uplifting and so much fun. I listened to it more than once.

Lovely

This is a great mystery with themes of found family and Vera is absolutely hilarious. There is a good amount of cursing which I wasn’t expecting but I still loved this book.

So enjoyable!

Loved it, laughed out loud. Mystery, romance, friendships, and families. Want more books by this author if she can deliver more like this.