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

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) is the second installment in the Vera Wong series, continuing the adventures of its titular character as she uncovers mysteries and builds unconventional friendships along the way. In the first book of the series, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, Vera is gripped by feelings of loneliness and boredom. Her tea shop is flailing, and she has only one regular customer, her friend Alex Chen. Vera’s life is turned upside down when Marshall Chen, Alex’s son, dies in her tea shop. Though the police first assume Marshall died of natural causes, Vera is sure he was murdered. Using her natural sleuthing skills, which Vera believes originate from her motherly watchfulness, Vera sets to work on solving Marshall Chen’s murder. As she gathers information about Marshall, Vera makes a list of possible murder suspects from his friends and acquaintances. In the process, she grows close to many of the “suspects,” building a large community along the way. As the novel ends, Vera discovers that Alex Chen, Marshall’s father, was the one behind Marshall’s murder. Following this, Vera decides to become a private investigator, and she revels in her new community of friends.

The second book sees many of the characters from the first book return, such as Vera’s son Tilly, Marshall’s twin Oliver, Marshall’s ex-wife Julia, and their daughter Emma. Little Emma and Vera have a special bond, with Emma referring to Vera as her grandmother. The themes of loneliness, generational conflict, and The Importance of Community and Found Family continue in this book, and Vera has now become more adept at solving murders, growing into her natural calling as a super-sleuth.