Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Suntato is not what I expected. I did not like the perspective (it was odd). The author's writing style made for an awkward story. It makes for a slow-moving story with repetitive details. There are multiple points of view (five). We get these detailed backstories on each person (I really did not need to know that much about each character). With the multiple points-of-view, it leads to a significant amount of repetition. I do not need the details of the case told to me five times. Vera Wong is made out to be an elderly woman with a strong personality. Vera is only in her sixties (the closer I get to that age the less it seems old). She is still active as proven by her morning powerwalks. Vera is a woman of strong opinions. She is a widow with a grown son who largely ignores his mother. The book moves at a snail's pace. The story needed action and excitement. We are privy to each character's backstory, thoughts, and feelings. Two-year-old Emma was a baffling character. The author gives her characteristics of an older child (talks in complete sentences and can do detailed drawings instead of scribbles). Vera is excited when she finds a dead man in her tea shop. The police are not happy with Vera's assistance. I was surprised that some of her actions did not find her behind bars. I believe the police wrote off Vera as a silly, interfering old woman. The mystery was simple. It felt as if more pages were devoted to Vera's thoughts and ideas than the actual case. The reveal is long and drawn out. There is a âtwistâ which may or may not surprise readers (it depends on how many mysteries you have read). I ended up skimming to get through the story. I did like the ending. The investigation brings new friends and changes to Vera's life. The story was too long (350 pages) especially for such a straightforward whodunit. I found myself bored by Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders. There is some mild foul language (just to let you know). I liked the setting of San Francisco's Chinatown. The author brought the area to life with her vivid word imagery. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers has an inquisitive tea shop owner, a slain stranger, curious suspects, stimulating strolls, a dispassionate detective, and a surprising solution.

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Vera Wong is a 60-year-old woman who runs a tea shop in San Francisco's Chinatown. She is very set in her ways, she is lonely, and she is bored. One morning her routine is disturbed when she enters her tea shop to find a dead body on the floor. She calls the police; but isn't impressed with their investigation. She watches TV and knows exactly what the police should be doing. She even outlined the body on the floor using a sharpie. Eventually Vera decides that she can do a better job than the police; so, she sets out to start her own investigation.

The victim, Marshall Chen, was not a well-liked man. In fact, there are several people who were not upset about his death. Vera talks to the people who visit her suddenly popular tea shop, knowing that the killer always returns to the scene of the crime. Vera picks out four people, one of them Marshall's widow, who become her main suspects.

This book was not what I expected. The murder is actually not the main focus of the story. We read about Vera and her suspects. Each person has an interesting story to tell. Vera inserts herself into their lives, getting to know them and ferreting out information that could help her pinpoint the killer.

The story is slow-paced, but worth the time to stick with it. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the excellent narration by Eunice Wong. My rating: 4 Stars.

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I thoroughly enjoyed Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto on audio, narrated by Eunice Wong. It was the perfect balance of humor, heavier themes, and mystery.

When 60-year-old Vera finds a dead body in her "world famous" San Francisco tea shop, she's frustrated by the police's response, or lack thereof. So she decides to conduct her own investigation, but in the process, she creates a found family with her suspects. To call her methods unconventional is an understatement.

At times, I wondered if it was wrong to laugh at the stereotypical depiction of a Chinese mother, but I decided to trust the author (and narrator) and enjoy the fun. The author's novels are hit or miss for me, so I was happy this one worked, primarily because it included deeper themes involving friendship and parent-child relationships.

I hope this is the first in a series of adventures with Vera Wong.

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