By Meghan Mazzaferro
Content warning: toxic relationships, bullying, death, emotional abuse, panic attacks/disorders, violence, cursing, domestic abuse
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers follows Vera, an older woman whose vigorous routines and diligent internet snooping keep her young at heart—though neither her son nor her potential customers seem interested in that. With so little to keep her superior mind occupied, who can blame Vera when, after finding a dead body in her tea shop, she decides to steal a little bit of evidence and investigate the murder herself? The police think it was an accident, but Vera knows that if she just waits long enough, the guilty party will show up and make her a hero. Unfortunately, not one but four young people with their own motives and ties to the dead man turn up in Vera’s shop. Now it's up to Vera to uncover the truth even as her snooping brings all her suspects together in a way that just might be exactly what they all need.
This book is both hilarious (which I was expecting) and very heartwarming (which I was not). I knew that Jesse Q. Sutanto could pull off the humour of writing a meddling mother while still creating a well-rounded and loveable character, and Vera is exactly that. She is outrageous and arrogant while also being smart, caring, and so full of love—and all of that makes her delightful to follow. What I did not expect was for Sutanto to also introduce four complicated characters with their own traumas and have this group help heal each other in a really beautiful way. The book is split between Vera’s point of view and the perspectives of each of her four suspects, which really elevated the story. Each POV has their own individual arcs and connections to the mystery, and they each grow and provide something for the others, culminating in a found family that I did not know I needed in my life.
The actual mystery was really interesting. It took a lot of twists and turns that I did not expect while still giving enough hints and clues to solve the mystery along with Vera. Vera’s snooping and aggressive motherly interrogations divulge in equal parts real, important clues as well as ridiculous theories that had me giggling while still providing helpful character insights. The pacing of the mystery may unfold a little bit inconsistently but that makes sense for the plot of this story, and I was never bored.
This book had me laughing constantly, and while I was worried that I would end up laughing at Vera, this book never feels malicious. Yes, you definitely do laugh at her as she can be a bit ridiculous at times and while the book pokes fun at her, she has so much heart that you fall in love with her and her ridiculousness. The other characters in this book all fear and want to please her in equal parts, which helps this book feel like it is gently teasing rather than outright mocking. I’m just so pleasantly surprised by how this book blended comedy with real emotional connection, with each character feeling grounded and real in a way that makes you miss them once the book is over.
If you’re looking for a funny mystery full of complex, loveable characters with a heartwarming found family and so many descriptions of food that will have your mouth watering, I would highly recommend this book. I picked it up when I needed something light and fun, and it made me laugh and cry and fall in love with these characters. I had a great time with it.
Thank you, Penguin Random House Canada, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.