Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto: A Cozy Mystery

"Vera Wong Zhuzhu, age sixty, is a pig, but she really should have been a rooster. We are, of course, referring to Chinese horoscopes."

💚 With that first line, I was instantly hooked to this cozy mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto, the first ever of the genre from an Indonesian writer (that I’m aware of). Moreover, I, too, am a pig - still referring to Chinese horoscopes, mind you. I am what people call Chinese-Indonesian - though my Chinese part is certainly very small in proportion. I even have a proper Chinese name, though I never use it, nor people ever call me by that name. Sharing the same Chinese horoscope to Vera Wong, added my enthusiasm to read this mystery. It is guaranteed to be relevantly funny too, judging by that first line!

💚 Vera Wong lives in the Chinatown of San Fransisco. She owns a tea house: VERA WANG'S WORLD FAMOUS TEAHOUSE. I wasn't mistyped Wong to Wang, neither did they who made the sign board. Vera had conveniently (and deliberately) put the famous designer's name for her tea house! Cheeky old darling, isn't she?😉

💚 Vera is a bold, brave, disciplined old woman who lives alone up her shop, after her husband Jinlong died and her only son Tilly (Tilbert) moved out. Her business nowadays is decreasing, only one of her customers, Alex, loyally comes to enjoy Vera's special concoction almost every day. Vera always knows which leaves her customers need in every situation.

💚 One morning as she went downstairs to open shop, she found a dead body of a stranger lying on the floor! But don't worry, Vera has watched enough CSI series that she knows what to do. She didn't touch the body at all, well... maybe only a tiny inch when she's taken the flash drive from it?... And while waiting for the police to come, she even drew a mark round the body as the police always do (again from CSIs she's watched). But when the police came, they said it's just an accident and even throw her out of her own house. Vera was adamant, as she's sure it's a murder! First there are scratches on the man's face, then there's the flash drive - but this she didn't mention to the police! Alright, as the police can't do it properly, she determined that she, Vera Wong, will solve the murder herself!

💚 Vera knew that murderers usually return to the crime scene to make sure they didn't left traces. So, she waited patiently in her tea house. And sure enough, one by one they came - all with different 'motives'. “Here they come - my four suspects!” - thought Vera. They were Riki Herwanto, Sana Singh, Oliver Chen, and Julia Chen with her cute little daughter Emma.

💚 The dead man, Marshall Chen, was, apparently, a scoundrel. Little by little, through her soothing tea concoctions, delicious foods, and warm heart, Vera managed to - not only unfolding each suspect's involvement with the dead man - but also to make them feel loved and accepted. They grew fond of each other in no time - especially Riki and Sana (ahem), and Oliver and Julia (who were Marshall's brother and wife, respectively). The four of them had one bond: one way or another, Marshall had, separately, manipulated them. And Vera slowly becomes like their mother or grandmother, with whom they can tell everything, struggles and all. And Vera always knows how to cheer them up and bring them new hope.

💚 It's not an easy task for Vera to do her job well. How could you put four lovely people into suspects when you loved them like family? But Vera Wong wouldn't budge, not even when somebody ransacked her tea house!

💚 This is a jolly hilarious cozy mystery, with a depth of humanity. It's heartwarming with love and friendship, and... there're numerous feasts of mouthwatering dishes, which reminded me of my grandmother. Whenever we came to her house, there're always at least four or five different dishes at the table. It's just the ordinary Chinese family meals.

💚 How about the murder mystery? It's not disappointing. You would or wouldn't guess the murderer, but it is a bit of a twist, and the ending is satisfying. I loved the book so much, and earnestly hope Vera Wong would investigate yet more murders to come! She might possibly be, considering that Warner Bros. TV has just acquired this book rights, with Oprah Winfrey's and Mindy Kaling's production houses to produce a TV series! Yay to Vera Wong, and bravo to Jesse Q. Sutanto!

Rating: 4,5 / 5

P.S.
Which cover you like most? My e-book copy has the blue one, but I think the black one with an old lady peeping through the blinds is more adorable, and somehow fits the book. And in the blue one, the writer's name is missing 'Q', which is rather annoying.