Title: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Publication date: 14 March 2023

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Mystery, Contemporary

Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady-ah, lady of a certain age-who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco's Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her college-aged son is up to. 

Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing-a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn't know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of . . . swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could, because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands. 

Vera knows the killer will be back for the flash drive; all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer.

What Vera does not expect is to form friendships with her customers and start to care for each and every one of them. As a protective mother hen, will she end up having to give one of her newfound chicks to the police?

Knives Out meets Kim's Convenience in this captivating mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.

***

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers has been on my wishlist forever! I’ve always been curious about Jesse Q. Sutanto’s books—not just because she’s technically an Indonesian author, but also because I’ve heard so many fun things about her Aunties series. While waiting for my turn on Libby to read Dial A for Aunties, I decided to dive into Vera Wong’s first, and let me tell you—I was not disappointed!

The Story

Vera Wong is an energetic and opinionated Asian grandma who proudly runs “Vera Wang’s World-Famous Tea House.” (Yes, she’s aware it sounds like the designer’s name, but that doesn’t stop her from claiming her teahouse is world-famous!) After her husband passed away and her son, Tilbert—or Tilly, as Vera calls him—moved out, Vera settled into a predictable routine: morning walks, breakfast, and waiting for customers in her nearly empty teahouse.

Unfortunately, Vera’s tea house isn’t quite living up to its “famous” reputation anymore. Her only regular is Alex, a kindhearted man who stops by for tea and a chat while caring for his bedridden wife. Despite Tilly’s attempts to convince her to let the business go, Vera stubbornly holds on. The teahouse is more than just a shop to her—it’s a cherished link to her late husband, Jin Long.

One ordinary morning, Vera’s life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers a dead man in her teahouse. Is this really happening? Drawing from her extensive “training” (a.k.a. watching countless episodes of NCIS), Vera calls the police and does her best to preserve the crime scene—though her enthusiasm ends up being more of a headache for the authorities.

The victim, Marshall, is a mystery to Vera and her neighbors. Even stranger, the police dismiss the death as non-suspicious. But Vera’s gut tells her otherwise. Fueled by her unshakable confidence and knack for meddling, she decides to investigate on her own.

Soon, she narrows her list down to four suspects: Riki, an ambitious Indonesian IT tech bro; Sana, a struggling artist; Marshall’s twin brother, Oliver; and Julia, Marshall’s wife. As Vera interviews them (and even stays at Julia’s house!), she uncovers secrets, motives, and surprising connections. But with everyone seeming guilty, can Vera untangle the truth and solve the case?

Maybe you do something slightly bad, so what? Now you learn from it. You have a better judgment now. Better morals, because you learn from your personal mistake. This what life is about, Riki. No one is perfect, making right decisions all the time. Only those who are so privileged can make right decision all the time. The rest of us, we have to struggle, keep afloat. Sometimes we do things we are not proud of. But now you know where your lines are. You are good boy, Riki. You have good heart. That is all that matters.

The Opinion

I couldn’t quite pinpoint another book with the same vibe as Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, but Vera’s enthusiasm and charm make her unforgettable. She’s the epitome of an Asian grandma—lovable but nosy enough to give you a headache! In some ways, she reminded me of Ah Ma from How to Make a Million Before Grandma Dies, though Vera is definitely nosier.

While the story focuses on Vera solving Marshall’s mysterious death, it’s also about personal growth. Each suspect she interrogates ends up rediscovering their passion, self-worth, and connections with others. Vera’s meddling, as frustrating as it is, helps them rebuild their lives—and in the process, they become like family to her.

One of my favorite moments was when everyone rushed to the hospital when Vera fell ill. It was heartwarming to see how much they’d grown to care for her, showing that family isn’t always about blood ties. Vera’s interference, while chaotic, left a positive impact on everyone’s lives.

I also loved the little tidbits about tea! Learning about the different blends Vera prepared added a unique touch to the story.

As for the mystery, while it wasn’t the main focus, the plot twist caught me off guard. I only started suspecting the real culprit when they avoided Oliver, Julia, and Emma, but I couldn’t figure out how they did it until the reveal. Jesse Q. Sutanto definitely kept me guessing!

Conclusion

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! Vera is such a vibrant, high-spirited grandma—always nagging, cooking up a storm, and meddling in everyone’s business in the most lovable way. I also appreciated how every character’s story wrapped up in a satisfying way.

Now I can’t help but wonder about the next installment. What kind of case will Vera dive into next? And will any of the characters from this book make a return? Fingers crossed, because I absolutely can’t wait to find out!

Judul: Rumah Lebah
Penulis: Ruwi Meita
Tebal buku: 284 halaman
Penerbit: Bhuana Sastra
Tanggal terbit: 30 September 2019
ISBN: 9786232164840
Baca di Ruang Buku Keminfo

Mala, gadis kecil berusia enam tahun yang terobsesi dengan ensiklopedia. Dia hanya membaca buku ensiklopedia dan selalu mengurutkan buku satu sampai buku terakhir dari sisi kiri ke sisi kanan. Dia juga tertarik dengan beruang.

Di rumah, Mala hanya tinggal bersama orangtuanya, tetapi dia selalu membicarakan enam orang asing yang hidup bersama di dalam rumahnya. Dia selalu takut pada Satira, bersahabat dekat dengan Wilis, berbicara dengan Tante Ana yang suka berdandan, belajar bahasa Spanyol dengan Abuela, dan si Kembar yang hanya bisa mendengar, melihat dan mencatat.

***

Siapakah sebenarnya enam orang asing yang selalu dibicarakan Mala? Rahasia apakah yang dimiliki oleh enam orang asing tersebut?

Rumah Lebah menjadi buku pertama yang kuselesaikan di tahun 2025. Sepertinya, aku sudah mengetahui soal keunikan buku ini dari lama. Hanya saja, baru kemarin aku mendapat kesempatan untuk membacanya di Ruang Buku Kominfo (RBK).

Mala adalah anak tunggal dari pasangan suami-istri, Winaya dan Nawai. Dulunya, Winaya adalah seorang wartawan investigasi di salah satu majalah yang terkenal seantero negeri. Sedangkan Nawai adalah ibu rumah tangga yang memiliki latar belakang di bidang pendidikan. Suatu kejadian membuat Winaya dan Nawai menyadari bahwa Mala bukanlah anak yang biasa-biasa saja. Banyak orang yang menyebutnya sebagai anak istimewa karena ia memiliki kemampuan yang tak dimiliki oleh anak seusianya.

Khawatir akan keistimewaan Mala, Winaya dan Nawai memutuskan untuk pindah ke desa yang berada di kaki gunung Wilis. Nawai memilih untuk mengajari Mala sendiri sesuai dengan pengetahuan dan kemampuan yang ia dapatkan semasa kuliah. Winaya pun telah berhenti dari pekerjaannya sebagai wartawan dan beralih profesi menjadi penulis novel misteri. Meski telah jauh dari hiruk-pikuk ibu kota, Mala masih tetap bisa berinteraksi dengan sejumlah orang yang dianggap hanya khayalan oleh Winaya dan Nawai. Mereka adalah Wilis, Abuela, Tante Ana, Satira, dan juga si kembar. Lalu, bagaimanakah kehidupan Mala dan orang tuanya selanjutnya? Siapakah Wilis, Abuela, dan lainnya itu?

"Aku suka gelap karena kehidupan ini dimulai dari kegelapan. Aku suka air karena air bisa menenggelamkan ke tempat yang terdalam di mana kegelapan akan cepat menjadi kawan baikmu."

— Satira.

***

Dari awal, aku sudah mengharapkan adanya plot twist dalam cerita di buku ini. Akupun sudah menyiapkan diri untuk mendapati unsur horor dalam kisah Mala. Awalnya aku menduga kalau Wilis, Abuela, Tante Ana, ataupun Satira adalah teman bayangan Mala--atau malah memang hantu. Tapi ternyata dugaanku salah total. Aku tidak menyangka kalau seluruh kondisi Nawai menjadi breadcrumbs untuk klimaks dalam cerita ini.

Harus kuakui kalau Ruwi Meita telah berhasil membungkus cerita ini dengan apik. Kita dibuat penasaran dengan identitas orang-orang yang bisa dilihat Mala itu. Lalu, kita juga dibuat bertanya-tanya, apakah orang-orang itu bersifat baik atau malah bisa mencelakakan Mala pada akhirnya.

Untuk Nawai sendiri, aku sebetulnya sudah menyadari bahwa kisah dalam buku ini tidak hanya tentang Mala. Nawai juga memiliki porsi penting karena berkali-kali penulis menggunakan perspektif Nawai dalam ceritanya. Jadi, ketika kondisi Nawai terbongkar di akhir, aku tidak terlalu suprised.

Meski demikian, aku merasa kalau masih banyak bagian yang rumpang dalam cerita ini. Aku masih penasaran bagaimana awal mula Rayhan bisa bertemu dengan Tante Ana--dan apakah pertemuan sekali saja itu betul-betul bisa membuat Reyhan terlena? Lalu, aku juga jadi kasihan dengan Winaya. Apakah dia betul-betul tak menyadari perubahan dalam diri Nawai--sekecil apapun perubahannya? (view spoiler)

Sebetulnya, aku suka sekali dengan cerita yang diangkat. Misterinya cukup kuat dan membuat kita penasaran dengan kelindan keluarga Mala dengan pasangan Reyhan-Alegra. Tapi, aku tetap merasa banyak sekali pertanyaan yang muncul setelah aku selesai membacanya. Rumah Lebah ini tidak ada lanjutannya, kan? Rasanya ada banyak hal yang masih belum tuntas dalam cerita ini.

Meski demikian, aku tetap akan merekomendasikan novel ini kalau kamu ingin menemukan novel misteri lokal yang punya plot twist enggak biasa. Sepanjang cerita, kamu akan dibuat bertanya-tanya karena saking banyaknya hal yang terjadi di sekitar Mala.

3.5 dari 5 bintang untuk kecerdasan Mala yang sungguh tidak terduga.