Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man)

VERA WONG'S GUIDE TO SNOOPING (ON A DEAD MAN) by Edgar Award winning author Jesse Q. Sutanto is the second in the series about this feisty, take-charge Chinese grandma. As such, it blends appearances by previous characters with a whole new set of people who need Vera’s help. One is Millie, a young girl who is clearly distraught about the disappearance of her friend, Thomas. Turns out he was also known as Xander Lin and appeared online as boyfriend to Aimes, a young internet influencer, trying to find herself. Xander was represented by the same firm, run by TJ (who has a charming teenage daughter, Robin). Readers learn that Xander had asked the people in his life, including his honorary grandfather, Qiang Wen, to help him set the record straight and reveal something big. Afraid of disrupting their own lives, they refused his request and are filled with despair when Xander’s body is found. Vera, generally unafraid of anything, steps in and pushes the group to solve the mystery of Xander’s life and death. I found the mystery to be quite puzzling and I really enjoyed the way a sense of community was developed with each other and with Oliver, Julia, and Sana who appeared in the first Vera Wong book. Although tackling some serious subjects, this is a fun, entertaining read – particularly the dialogue between Vera and her son, Tilly and his girlfriend, a cop named Selena Gray. Looks like there are more Vera Wong stories (including bickering with her neighbor, Winifred) in our future – likely away from her teahouse and its San Francisco setting. I am looking forward to them. VERA WONG'S GUIDE TO SNOOPING (ON A DEAD MAN) is a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection for April.