Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)
Jesse Q. Sutanto. Berkley, $19 trade paper (336p) ISBN 978-0-593-54625-3
Edgar winner Sutanto’s quirky second adventure for the eponymous tea shop owner (after Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers) opens with Vera falling prey to a phone scam. After reporting the incident to Officer Selena Gray—who’s dating Vera’s son, Tilly—Vera notices a distressed young woman waiting outside the police station. Vera insists on taking the woman, Millie, to her shop, where the woman reveals that her friend Thomas went missing three nights earlier. Then, while feeding Selena and Tilly’s cat, Vera stumbles upon Selena’s briefcase, which includes a file outlining the apparent suicide of social media influencer Xander Lin. Using her well-honed sleuthing skills, Vera discovers that Xander and Thomas are the same person, and she then proceeds to ingratiate herself with a group of suspects including Xander’s girlfriend, talent manager, and grandfather to suss out the young man’s fate. Laugh-out-loud antics from the nosy, no-nonsense Vera keep the plot moving at a steady clip, but fans of the first book may be jarred by the somber final reveal. Still, Sutanto’s lively storytelling will keep readers on the hook for Vera’s next case. Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary. (Apr.)
Details
Reviewed on: 02/03/2025
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Hardcover - 336 pages - 978-0-593-54624-6
Other - 1 pages - 978-0-593-54626-0