A review by aurabora
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Another "found family" book, but one where I found the characters to be more interesting. Vera was over-bearing, loving, thoughtful, incredibly misguided, frustrating, inspiring, rude, and generous. She was a real person with faults, which were understood and accepted by the people who gathered around her.  In the mystery, no one was blameless and yet everyone was innocent.

I didn't guess the ending, although if I thought about it for a little longer, I guess I could have.  I think that's a good sign for an easy to read mystery novel.  I found the very prevalent themes of domestic abuse to be somewhat surprising within the greater "lighter" feel of the book, but it turned the reader to the side of the murderer, so I get why it's there.

The audiobook narrator was EXCELLENT.  Highly recommend listening to the audiobook for her characterization of Vera, which really brought her to life.
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