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Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers | Jesse Q. Sutanto
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 ladyah, lady of a certain agewho lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Franciscos 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 thinga dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesnt 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?
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BiblioBoyd
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Pickpick

I absolutely adored every minute of this book. The characters are loveable, the storyline is quirky, the humour will make you audibly chuckle, and the truth of the words will help you see a truth in yourself. And despite many of the scenarios and circumstances being far from anything I‘ve ever experienced, I still found it all relatable. The more I think back on my time with this story, the more I enjoy it and wish it would magically continue.

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SarahBookInterrupted
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Pickpick

This book was excellent. Vera‘s character is delightful. She actually reminds me of a friend of mine; brutally honest, assertive and loving. All the characters or “suspects”are lovable as well and I was rooting for each one and had sympathy for each of their stories. Also, it really makes you crave good tea, you‘ve been warned. I‘m so glad that a sequel is coming out next year I will definitely read it. I wasn‘t ready to let Vera go.

48 likes1 stack add
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ShyBookOwl
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Vera Wong is a pig, but she really should have been born a rooster.

Y'all, I've had such a bad cold that I completely forgot to put up my #FirstLineFridays yesterday 😅🤧
This one on audio has been exactly the funny, suspenseful pallet cleanser I need right now!

LiteraryinPA I hope you feel better soon! 3mo
ShyBookOwl @LiteraryinLawrence Thank you ❤️ 3mo
30 likes2 comments
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Twainy
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Pickpick

Funny, touching, simple murder/mystery. Great audiobook. This could easily be made into a movie. (If it hasn‘t already)

Characters are well developed & I liked them all. Everything is wrapped up with a happy ending.

Vera is hilarious as she burns through suspects in the mystery of a man found dead one morning in her tea shop.

You‘ll laugh/cry over this story with a found family vibe.

Can‘t wait for the next book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️3/4

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SomedayAlmost
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Pickpick

Fun who-done-it with strong AAPI characters. Vera Wong‘s An “auntie” Miss Marple with attitude, & she will solve the case of the dead man found in her tea house-even if the cops don‘t want her to do it. Her band of suspects all all hiding something, yet pull together to help Vera. Very funny audiobook narration. #5stars #mystery

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Michellesibs
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Pickpick

This book is such fun!

Vera is 60 and owns a world famous tea shop, except its not world famous and in recent years her customers are dwindling.

When she goes to open her shop one morning and finds a dead body, Vera takes it into her own hands to investigate.

This trots along at a decent pace and Vera especially is well rounded and her one liners made me smile. All round the character development is decent.

53 likes2 stack adds
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Lesliereadsalot
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Mehso-so

When Vera Wang discovers a body in her teahouse she sets out to find the murderer, and she meets four people with a connection to the dead guy. I just could not picture these characters, they all seemed one-dimensional to me. Only read to the end to see who did it.

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SanjanaGhosh
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Pickpick

This cozy mystery cozy-mysteried so hard! Such a cute book with completely lovable characters and the protagonist Vera‘s quirky nature was an absolute delight.

V for A to Z challenge!

26 likes1 stack add
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wanderinglynn
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Pickpick

This was delightful! I admit, it too me a minute to get into it. But Eunice Wong does a masterful job bringing Vera to life. I love this beautiful story of finding yourself & found family. I just wish I could visit Vera‘s tea house.

Thanks Mikala for putting this one on my radar. #auldlangspine

74 likes2 stack adds
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Deblovestoread
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Pickpick

I enjoyed getting to know Vera and her suspects. So much so that figuring out the murderer was secondary and a surprise at the end. Fun read 4 🌟. #ReadYourKindle

@CBee

CBee I agree! I loved how it was a bit of a found family story as well as a murder mystery 😊 5mo
lil1inblue I enjoyed Dial A for Aunties so much. I'll have to give this a go! 5mo
68 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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jlhammar
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Pickpick

Delightful cozy mystery. I wish I had a Vera to boss me around and cook me amazing meals! 🥢

Hooked_on_books She is such a great character! 6mo
89 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
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Pickpick

Adorable. More heartwarming than hilarious, and definitely shading into melodrama near the end, but gives good found family and loveable, indominatable old lady energy. I appreciated the emphasis on people making mistakes and being forgiven with the understanding that they have learned, are doing better, and circumstances in which poor/desperate decisions were made are taken into account. A heaping dose of compassion.

Robotswithpersonality ⚠️reference to emotional/psychological abuse, sibling abuse 8mo
13 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
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😆🫣

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Robotswithpersonality
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Congrats, Vera, I think you made that naughtier than the original. 😉

10 likes1 stack add
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MsLeah8417
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Margot0817

Please comment recommendations of similar books/ other cozy mysteries!

rwmg TBH I preferred the same author's Dial A For Aunties. 8mo
LiteraryinPA I think this one would fall into that category! 8mo
7 likes3 comments
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Margot0817
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Pickpick

Just finished this audio book and it continuously made me laugh out loud! A unique and funny story with well rounded characters about a murder in a Chinese tea shop and the unlikely friendships formed from it. I learned this genre is called "cozy mystery," and I'm on the hunt for more of these!
5 stars! ?????
If you have a library card, you can listen for free on the Libby app. ?

LiteraryinPA I‘ve been on hold for the audiobook from my library for a few weeks. Glad to hear it‘ll be worth the wait! 8mo
SarahBookInterrupted The Thursday Murder Club is a great series, it has a group of seniors solving murders and is a cosy murder mystery too. I‘d also suggest Finlay Donovan is killing it series. Also really good and super funny. (edited) 2mo
16 likes1 stack add2 comments
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rwmg
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Pickpick

Vera Wong finds a dead body in her tea shop. Since the police don't seem to be taking it seriously, she decides to investigate, starting with some unexpected visitors to the tea shop as her suspects.

It was funny, but mostly variations on a single joke - Vera's ability to cow or coax people round her into doing what she wanted. Not as good as the Aunties books

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Decalino
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Pickpick

This cozy mystery is not something I would have read on my own, but it was the pick for "Check Meowt", the library sponsored book club meeting in the humane society's cat habitat. I couldn't resist that combination! In this warm-hearted tale, Vera Wong finds a dead body in her tea shop and decides to investigate. She brings together everyone who had a motive to murder the victim, with unexpected results. Lots of delicious food descriptions!

Aims42 A book club that meets at the humane society‘s cat habitat?! That sounds SO FUN!! I‘d join in a heartbeat 😻 9mo
Decalino @Aims42 The librarian who started it said she'd set out to create "the book club of her dreams!" It was the book club I never knew I needed--delightful! 9mo
Aimeesue Vera and her sharpie outline cracked me up 😂 9mo
Decalino @Aimeesue yeah, she was a piece of work! 9mo
27 likes4 comments
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rwmg
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Aimeesue Aw, I loved Vera. 9mo
30 likes1 comment
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CaitlinR
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Pickpick

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read! Vera Wong has run a tea house in Chinatown for years, but the business is barely squeaking by and she‘s lonely. One morning she comes down to find a dead man on the floor. As she sets out to solve the crime,her primary suspects become closer than family, enriching her life. I loved the twist at the end.

If you‘re looking for mood lifting book, grab this quick read. You won‘t be sorry.

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CaitlinR
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“Vera Wong Zhuzhu, age sixty, is a pig, but she really should have been born a rooster.”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

ShyBookOwl 😬 9mo
25 likes1 comment
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CBee
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Thanks for this cool bracket, @CSeydel 😊 I read some amazing books in January, but Vera stole my heart ♥️ #readingbracket2024

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CBee
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Pickpick

I loved every minute of this! I need a Vera, you need a Vera…. pretty much everyone needs a Vera! Also, a found family story! I can never resist that. ♥️

90 likes5 stack adds
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Melismatic
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Pickpick

Book 5 of 2024.

This was quite wholesome! Cozy mysteries are usually a little too treacle-y for my taste but this injects a lot of humor which makes for an enjoyable quick read. Although the plot was a little predictable, all of the characters were fun to spend time with nonetheless. First book for #AuldLangSpine complete! 💖

Hooked_on_books I loved Vera. She‘s a hoot! 10mo
DGRachel I thought this had great characters. I‘m glad you enjoyed it! 10mo
33 likes2 comments
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Melismatic
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One last one from me today - was gifted this yarned masterpiece from my 6 year old niece 🥺😭

She knit me a bookmark! 😭 Looking forward to using in 2024 📖✨🫶🏻

dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 10mo
tpixie What a sweet gift! Pretty color and cool pattern! 10mo
Soubhiville Aw that‘s so sweet! 10mo
35 likes3 comments
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julesG
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Pickpick

It took me some time to get into this book, but I really liked it in the end.

An elderly Asian woman who's sleuthing out the murder of the Dead man she found in her tea shop. Her efforts lead to new friends and a found family.

Thanks for this recommendation, @rachelsbrittain.

#AuldLangSpine @monalyisha

#52bookclub24

81 likes2 comments
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MizzGraham
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Pickpick

Such a fun little mystery 📚🎉 My last book of 2023!

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Larkken
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Pickpick

#12Booksof2023 Day 7: I've been trying to lessen the overlap between this best of list and those for #auldlangspine and #Top23of23 but there's a couple that are on all three; this is one and August will be another. Vera Wong is just fun, and I feel like Sutanto really settled into a great balance of silliness, coziness, family, and meddling older women with her.

Andrew65 A popular book. 11mo
30 likes1 comment
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Sparklemn
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I had a few days worth of Litsy to catch up on and ended up adding 13 books to my TBR list (including the tagged)! So many books, so little time. Happy New Year, all! 🍻 📚 💙 🎉

Ruthiella Happy New Year! 🥳 11mo
AnnR Happy 2024! 🎉 11mo
thewallflower0707 Happy New Year 🎆 11mo
40 likes3 comments
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SusanLee
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Thank you so much @Smarkies I loved it all!!! I can‘t wait to dive into this book 😘 My girl has started with the chocolates without me 😅

Thank you @MaleficentBookDragon for organising this wonderful #jolabokaflodswap ❤️

Merry Christmas and happy holidays ya all 🫰🏻

Smarkies Hope it's a book that you were looking forward to! 11mo
SusanLee @Smarkies I am and thank you again 🙏🏻 Happy holidays 11mo
13 likes2 comments
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kimrenee
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Oh my gosh this book so much fun. It had humor, suspense and a lot of heart

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Traci1
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was so adorable. It sort of reminded me of Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. The story wasn't similar, but they have a similar vibe. If you loved AP, I think you'd love this one too.
(7hoursx6thonsx10)+21+(73wordsx10)=1,171 team #spookyghostclub #scarathlon @clwojick
#rushathon @Andrew65 @GHABI4ROSES @DieAReader #31by31 @Catsandbooks #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks #falling4books @Read4life #outrageousoctober #onemorechapter

Andrew65 Excellent 🎃💀👻 By the sound of it I need to get hold of this one. 13mo
Read4life Fantastic! 🍁👻🎃 13mo
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 13mo
See All 6 Comments
Catsandbooks 🙌🏼🦇🧡 13mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 13mo
Clwojick Woohoo! 13mo
66 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Mitch
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Pickpick

I loved Vera! I realised I don‘t read enough books that make me smile - and this was brilliant for that. I appreciated how the author wove serious topics and issues around a fun and warm hearted plot in ways that felt seamless. The best bit - Vera‘s cooking! Wish I had her on speed dial!
Thank you so much @DGRachel I absolutely loved this one 😍

SheReadsAndWrites I loved this book! I shared it with my book club and it was a hit. 🤓 14mo
DGRachel Oh yay! I‘m so glad you enjoyed it. I hope we get a series. 🤞🏻 14mo
Mitch @DGRachel the first thing I did when I reached The End - was try to get book 2! 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼 14mo
70 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Mitch
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Oh thank you gorgeous @DGRachel I‘ve wanted to learn to crochet for AGES! I tried to sign up for a local workshop last winter and all the spaces were gone! I‘m so going to make JoJo ( well I‘m going to try my best!) And the book looks fab. I‘m going to start reading it tonight. Love you xxx

DGRachel YAY!! I‘m glad they arrived safe and sound. Enjoy and I can‘t wait to see your JoJo! 🐰 14mo
AmyG I can‘t wait to see it, too. And hear how it went…as I have always wanted to learn how to crochet, too. 14mo
quietlycuriouskate Once you start crocheting there'll be no stopping you: I love it! 14mo
LiteraryinPA Crocheting is fun! Jojo looks like he will be super cute! 14mo
63 likes4 comments
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Laughterhp
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Pickpick

Omg this book was just delightful!! I basically listened to it in a day. A body shows up in Vera‘s tea shop one day. And she‘s convinced it‘s murder. The cops don‘t. So she posts an obituary to see who shows up.

It turns into a found family story. You get multiple points of view from all the people who were affected by the dead person.

Would definitely recommend!

JoyBlue I liked this one a lot, too! Fun! 1y
66 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Larkken
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Pickpick

Tagging my first fav read of the summer, but i think I had a pretty good reading season ( thanks in part to #camplitsy, it seems! ).
#Top10Summer2023Reads
If you want to play, consider yourself tagged! I'm enjoying adding to my tbr 🙂

Cinfhen So happy to see your picks!!! We have a few crossovers which means I MUST add some of your other favorites 💗😁 1y
37 likes1 comment
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Eggbeater
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Pickpick

Vera Wong is the meddling grandma PI you never knew you wanted. The book is funny and heartwarming and there was a big surprise. My favorite character was the toddler Emma. This is a cozy mystery. It is creative, light, and fun. The characters are unique, charming, and endearing.

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kimmypete1
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Pickpick

A delightful read with a little bit of murder.

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booksandsympathy
Pickpick

This was such a fun book! I loved the humor in it. It also made me want some good tea and Chinese food. Loved the found family in this book. Vera is quite the character. Such a fun, cozy mystery.

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booksandsympathy
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Started this audiobook this morning: Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than a good cup of Wulong & doing ‘detective‘ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son).

But when she wakes up one morning to find a dead man in her tea shop, it‘s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she‘ll do a better job than the police could, Vera decides it‘s down to her to catch the killer.

17 likes1 stack add
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melzen
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Pickpick

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5716193133
⭐️⭐️⭐️3.0
recently finished Jesse Q Sutanto's novel, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, and I'm feeling a bit conflicted about how to rate it. On one hand, the author did a great job of keeping me interested and engaged throughout the entire story. I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next, and I appreciated the way the plot kept developing in unexpected ways.
#mystery

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ncsufoxes
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Pickpick

This was a quick, fun audio book to listen to. I liked the cast of characters. There were some laugh out loud moments throughout the story. It made me want to learn more about tea. It was a fun cozy mystery. Vera was such a fun character, someone you‘d definitely love to have as a houseguest (especially with all the amazing food she makes). #bookspin book

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1y
28 likes1 stack add1 comment
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suvata
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Pickpick

Vera Wang is a lonely widow living in San Francisco‘s Chinatown. She wakes up one morning to find a dead body on the floor of her little tea shop. Vera decides to start her own investigation into the incident. This novel weaves the relationships between a cast of quirky characters in a way that slowly reveals their true motivations. Just like Sutanto‘s “Auntie books” this book is a fun cozy mystery that will appeal to most fans of the genre.

45 likes2 stack adds
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Arvena
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Pickpick

Delightful, funny and entertaining. A heartwarming & feel-good read. I really enjoyed this story.

58 likes1 stack add
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Sharpeipup
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I want a Vera Wong in my life! 🥡🥢
#audiobook

Aims42 I would gain so much weight, but it would be worth it 😋😍🍜🥟💖 1y
DGRachel Yes! 1y
35 likes1 stack add2 comments
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MallenNC
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! It had a fun cast of characters, especially Vera, and the solution to the case was interesting. I think it ended really well so I don‘t know if it needs a series, but if there are more of these I‘ll definitely read them.