Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping

Once again Jesse Q. Sutanto has brought readers a funny cozy mystery with a thought-provoking and serious twist. Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) is the second book in the Very Wong series and it continues to deliver an entertaining read.

Since a man was found dead in Vera’s teahouse and she solved his murder, life has been good. She is surrounded by her loved ones, her shop is busy, and her son, Tilly is dating Officer Selena Gray. However, she has become bored and misses the excitement of her last investigation.

When Vera meets Millie, who is looking for a missing friend, she decides to help her. While cat-sitting for Tilly and Selena, Vera finds a file on the missing friend. Online, Xander was a jet-setter and social media influencer. However, his body has been found in the bay and the police can’t identify him. Vera decides to investigate his death.

Vera is inquisitive, meddling, intelligent, bold, and funny. She likes acting like a helpless old lady, but doesn’t like being one. She’s also curious, confident, outgoing, and not always politically correct. New characters related to her investigation of Xander’s death lent focus, originality, and depth to the story. Additionally, old friends from book one make an appearance.

Told from five points of view, the novel gives readers extra insights into Vera and those she connects with in her daily life. Amazingly, this did not cause pacing issues. Vera remains the focal point; ordering her suspects (persons of interest) around as she gets to know them and their secrets.

The story captures the characters and the cultural lifestyles and traditions of the group. The plot has some twists and turns, but this story is about more than solving a mystery. Threads include found family, family relationships, loneliness, boredom, greed, and death. The author also shows generational differences and expectations and brings in additional threads that are darker and intensify the suspense.

Diverse characterization and great world-building details made this a fast and enjoyable read. I kept wondering what Vera would uncover next and how that would affect the story line. The joy of food, tea, and friendship are interwoven with the investigation. Secrets, lies, relationships, isolation, and danger abound.

Overall, this is an engaging novel and if you’re looking for an entertaining, heartwarming, and funny cozy mystery with a mature protagonist and a dark and serious undertone, I highly recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Berkley Publishing Group and Jesse Q. Sutanto provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for April 01, 2025.