Vera Wong is a punctilious, loquacious sexagenarian who runs Vera Wang’s World Famous Teahouse in the Chinatown area of San Francisco. But here’s the thing, the tea house isn’t famous (even in Chinatown!) and she has no one to talk to (her only son Tilbert ignores her for the most bit). It all changes the day she discovers the dead body of a certain Marshall Chen in her tea house. This attracts a slew of new visitors to her establishment, who also turn out be murder suspects. When Vera fails to get a satisfactory response from the local police, she takes it upon herself to solve the murder mystery.
Amateur sleuth Vera’s list of suspects include Julia, the wife; Oliver, the brother and Marshal’s two other acquaintances Riki and Sana. As she goes about her way in knowing these people and unearthing their motives and intentions; she also starts forming unlikely and unforeseen bonds with them. The camaraderie between all of them develops so organically that Vera feels hesitant to know who the murderer is. Nonetheless her forthrightness makes her go all the way till she actually nabs the culprit.
As much as the book is a taut, crisp whodunnit; it’s also a heartwarming story about human relationships and friendships. The author has written every character with utmost consideration and has spent time in developing each of their mental and emotional arcs. But the stand out has to be Vera Wong. She is fiesty and funny with a pertinent dislike for mendacity. Though she mostly despises youngsters and their nonchalant way of life; she remains the most inquisitive person when it comes to new technology, terminology and even tiktok. The highlight of the book has to be the uplifting narrative, the unassuming feminism and Vera’s pragmatic attack on misogyny and chauvinism. Jesse Sutanto’s emphasis on the need for building social connections and a safe community is so relevant in these current times of a loneliness epidemic.
The book brews over with an abundance of aromatic teas and concoctions. Vera serves us steaming cups of delicious teas for every occasion and emotion. She has a solution for everything in a tea. Well not just that, she cooks up a storm and the pages are laden with scrumptious and luscious Chinese dishes. The author meticulously describes the cuisine such that, you can smell the piquant aromas whilst reading the book.
This murder mystery is one delectable fare. Dig in, as I sip on my tea whilst not spilling any!
~ JUST A GAY BOY. 🧐
the shiny diaries 