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

“And anyway, the old lady promised her tea, and Millie really wants tea. And maybe unexpected is bad, but how bad can it be when it includes a little old lady? Little old ladies are known for being harmless.”

Millie’s thoughts reveal that she is underestimating Vera based on ageist assumptions. The sentence “Little old ladies are known for being harmless” is an example of dramatic irony since readers are aware that Vera is far from a “harmless” “little old lady.” The irony foreshadows that, contrary to appearances, Vera will stir up trouble for Millie.

“As Millie watches in wonderment, Vera brews her tea just like her nainai used to, pouring scalding hot water all over the teacups and then throwing out the water. She smiles at Millie as the tea steeps, then lifts the tiny teapot daintily and pours it into four teacups. ‘Two each,’ Vera says. ‘Come, you drink while is hot.’”

This quote emphasizes how rituals become a language of cultural memory and intimacy. Vera’s way of brewing tea mirrors the practices of Millie’s grandmother, evoking warmth and safety. This passage also highlights the motif of food and tea that runs through the novel, showing how they are symbols of nurture, family, and safety.

“Yunnan is indeed blessed with rich, fertile land that rewards its people with an abundance of glorious fruits and vegetables. Grapes so sweet they taste like candy and green beans that are tight and bursting with flavor. Mushrooms that are fat and tender and smell like rich broth. Tears fill her eyes once more. God, how she misses home.”

Loneliness is an important subject in the novel, with characters missing the past, a sense of belonging, and their culture. Millie—who is permanently separated from her home against her will—feels this loneliness like a physical pain. The sensory imagery and similes—grapes that taste “like candy” and mushrooms that smell “like rich broth”—conjure a vivid picture of abundance in Yunnan that contrasts sharply with Millie’s current life in an abandoned industrial park.

“She tries googling ‘Thomas handsome San Francisco’ and gets a whole lot of rubbish results. She scrolls through them, slowing down at the images of topless men, before her sensibilities get the better of her, then she slams down the phone and mutters, ‘What a waste of time.’ Though that last Thomas with the six-pack was maybe worth a second look.”

These lines playfully challenge assumptions about older women’s sexuality. Vera slows down her scrolling when she sees images of topless men, and she notes to herself that a particular Thomas was worth looking at. The narrative uses Vera’s response to normalize the idea that curiosity and desire persist with age, and it uses comic understatement—with Vera noting that “the six-pack was maybe worth a second look”—to keep the mood light while tackling this subject.

“Somehow, TJ manages to trudge to the front door. A sign on the window says: TJ Vasquez Talent Management. TJ wants to lolsob every time he sees it now. He can’t even manage his own life. He braces himself before pushing the door open.”

Sutanto weaves in social media references in the narrative to show how it is an inseparable part of the lives of the characters, with terms from social media entering the lexicon of their thoughts. For instance, TJ’s interior monologue notes that he wants to “lolsob”—laugh and cry at the same time, as depicted by the lolsob emoji—at the state of his career.

“Of course, all of their Instagram post captions talk about how impossible it is to reach perfection, how we shouldn’t strive for it, how we should always strive for authenticity instead. But that’s the thing about captions. You want to convey perfection while at the same time appearing like you haven’t toiled away at achieving it. You want to be effortlessly perfect. And that was what she and Xander were. Naturally, casually, perfectly perfect.”

Aimes’s observation illustrates the novel’s theme of The Clash Between Online Personas and Reality. She critiques the performance of “authenticity” on social media, noting its central contradiction: One must appear to be perfect while hiding the work that goes into achieving that perfection. Aimes’s voice juxtaposes the word “perfect” with the adverbs “naturally,” “casually,” and “effortlessly” to demonstrate this contradiction. The quote points out that digital platforms reward the appearance of sincerity while peddling true authenticity.

“And yet, for some strange reason, here they all are, and none of them is making a move to leave. It’s got to be some sort of spell. Maybe Vera is some sort of deity, or maybe some cunning fox spirit in the guise of an older woman. Her food is certainly bewitching.”

Qiang Wen’s observation highlights the novel’s motif of food and stresses its link to family and community, showing how sharing delicious, lovingly prepared food weaves a kind of magic. The imagery he uses is of bewitchment, with the food lulling people into submitting to Vera. The metaphor of her being a deity underscores her commanding presence.

“But the thing is, there’s just nothing quite like the heartwarming joy of gathering a bunch of new people who are obviously slightly terrified, and brazenly accusing them of murder. And also, to her credit, Vera has refrained from outrightly accusing anyone of murder this time round. See? Old dogs can learn new tricks.”

In an allusion to the previous novel of the series, Vera insists that her investigation tactics have improved. In Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice to Murderers, Vera was more direct with her accusations against Oliver, Sana, Adi, and Julia, which alienated them for a brief time. Now, she simply brings the suspects together so she can observe them. Vera’s gleeful self-awareness satirizes and honors the detective genre; many detective novels, especially those by Agatha Christie, feature scenes in which the detective gathers all the suspects together. Her tongue-in-cheek declaration that “Old dogs can learn new tricks” challenges myths around ageism by highlighting her capacity for reinvention.

“Vera quite likes social media; it’s a wonderful way to learn about the new generation. When Tilly was a teen, he hated having Vera or Jinlong knowing anything about his life. He was so protective over everything that had to do with his life. But now, young people can’t seem to share enough about their lives with the world. It’s very handy for nosy parents.”

Vera cannily senses the potential social media offers to inquisitive parents and murder investigators alike. While the youth of older generations guarded their privacy, the new generation has moved into oversharing. Vera’s observation also highlights how new technology and digital transparency reshape power dynamics across generations.

“Making tea in front of an audience makes Vera feel like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, unfurling her glorious wings to luxuriate in the attention. She moves with liquid grace, patiently taking out dried rose buds from a jar with a pair of chef tweezers and measuring them out on an old-school weighing scale […]. Next, she sprinkles some dried osmanthus onto the small pile of rose buds, the flakes so delicate that they fly weightlessly. The entire process, Vera feels, is laced with magic. A small smile plays on her mouth as she pours the hot water. When it is done, she glances up and says, ‘Tea is served.’”

This passage’s lyrical descriptions frame Vera’s tea making as performance as well as an act of transformation, with Vera basking in the attention “like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis.” Vera’s audience finds her grace and precision captivating, and she capitalizes on this. This also develops the novel’s motif of food and tea, with food imagery creating a cozy, calming atmosphere.

“I am social media star, so I will splash this story all over the social media. You think I won’t? I am Chinese mother, all I do is create conflict. You think CIA know anything about destabilizing? They know nothing compare to me!”

Vera’s exaggerated attacks against Principal Burns is an example of the novel’s use of hyperbole to create humor. Eager to defend Robin, Vera claims her “destabilizing” powers are superior to that of even the CIA. Vera illustrates the fierce love and protectiveness that is often attributed to mothers from diasporic communities.

“‘Okay. Well. That was pretty freaking badass, Grandma.’

‘Yes, my ass is quite bad.’”

The humor in this exchange derives from wordplay and the cross-generational interactions. When 13-year-old Robin describes Vera as a “badass,” Vera preens in the compliment, but her literal interpretation of the word adds humor and also underscores her willingness to claim power on her own terms.

“Hasn’t this been what she has dreamed about for years and years? To be able to go shopping with her grandkids. Oh, what happiness. Almost better than solving a murd—no. Nothing is better than the shot of serotonin that comes with solving a murder. Well, maybe this comes close.”

In its characteristic juxtaposition of the domestic with the morbid, the novel humorously shows how Vera loves shopping with her grandchildren almost as much as she loves solving a murder. The “almost” is an important qualifier, asserting Vera’s individuality and her need for intellectual stimulation alongside human connection. These lines also highlight the theme of The Importance of Community and Found Family. Vera has found her heart’s desire—shopping with the grandkids—not through biological ties, but the bonds of community.

“Vera’s glare slices into TJ, and he shrinks back. ‘TJ, nobody like a no-sayer. No-sayers say nothing, that is why they called no-sayer.’”

Sutanto gives Vera a unique, distinctive voice in the novel, filled with self-congratulatory humor and warmth. She tends to use aphorisms, many of her own coinage, and in this passage, they transform her irritation into wisdom. Her rejection of TJ’s caution as “no-saying” shows her preference for action and courage.

“There are so many pictures and videos of Xander, and Qiang Wen misses him so much he can practically hear Xander’s voice, laughing with him, calling him ‘Ah Gong.’ His own grandchildren don’t even call him that. They call him ‘Gramps,’ a horrible English word that sounds so grouchy, so harsh to Qiang Wen’s ears. But when he tried to tell them to call him ‘Yeye’ or ‘Gonggong,’ his own daughter had told him off and accused him of taking away their autonomy. Qiang Wen hadn’t even known what an autonomy was, how could he take it away?”

These lines highlight the links between loneliness, intergenerational conflict, and linguistic alienation. Qiang Wen feels lonely despite having daughters and grandchildren, because he is cut-off from their vocabulary and culture. Qiang Wen’s discomfort with “Gramps” and confusion over “autonomy” reflect generational and cultural gaps that deepen his loneliness. Alienated from his language and culture, Qiang Wen gravitates toward Xander, who addresses him as “Ah Gong,” which is a familiar honorific from Qiang Wen’s culture.

“Her makeup is kept simple; Mother said that too much makeup would age you, and society as a whole much prefers young women to older ones. ‘Young and vulnerable,’ Mother had said, a mantra that has accompanied Millie for as long as she can remember. Just a layer of mascara, a light brown eyeliner, some blush, and a thin layer of lip tint.”

This passage focuses on the motif of perfect appearances that runs through the novel, showing how gendered expectations pressure women to look a certain way. Mother wants Millie to look as young as possible because of the premium placed on women’s youth and vulnerability. The passage critiques the idea that a woman’s worth is tied to her age and beauty.

“‘You know, reading the comments is a two-edged sword,’ Aimes says from behind Vera’s shoulder. ‘They are all very nice.’ ‘For now. Don’t be surprised though, when the trolls show up.’ ‘Why are you talking about fairytale creature?’”

While these lines are funny because of a linguistic misunderstanding—Vera mistakes internet trolls for fairytale monsters—they also foreshadow the dark side of social media. So far, Vera has only seen the validating, creative aspects of being on social media, but Aimes warns that there is far more to the comments section.

“The first guy I dated ghosted me as soon as I tried pulling the scam, and that got me locked in my room for three days. When Father and Mother let me out, they hugged me and said, ‘Poor Millie.’ Then they gave me a treat—more McDonald’s. Break me, then soothe me, remember? It really is a very good strategy on their part. I was scared of them and grateful to them in equal measure. They then sat me down and we had a debriefing session, where they went over everything I did wrong.”

Millie’s description of manipulation and abuse in her letter to Vera uses the metaphor of “break [and] then soothe” to expose emotional conditioning. Her simultaneous fear and gratitude toward Mother and Father reflect the complexity of reactions to abuse and trauma. Sutanto incorporates social realism into the novel’s cozy mystery format. The letter also humanizes Millie, contextualizing her ambiguous actions.

“‘The guy literally said that to you?’ Aimes says. ‘Stop digging? And you’re not only continuing to dig, you’re involving us in the digging?’ ‘Yes,’ Vera says. ‘I thought is very obvious, why I have to spell it out for you?’”

This snappy exchange between Aimes and Vera shows how Sutanto uses humor to keep the novel’s tone lighthearted even when the plot gets tense. Vera’s rhetorical question reveals her blunt style of speech as well as her impatience with caution and her dedication to the truth. The humor derives from Aimes’s exasperation and Vera’s defiance.

“‘Trust me,’ Vera says. ‘Truth is always the right path to choose.’”

These lines function as the moral center of the novel. Characters struggle to accept and express their truths, but Vera champions truth even when it is uncomfortable. Vera herself models integrity, so this line resonates.

“Maybe the most responsible thing a parent can do is to be themselves. To show their kids who they really are. And when TJ looks back on the things he regrets most, it’s the ones where he decided to play it safe. Like when Xander asked him for help and TJ turned him away.”

TJ reflects that emotional transparency is at the heart of parental responsibility. This moment reflects his growth as a character as he realizes the importance of choosing what is true over what is convenient. He regrets turning Xander away, realizing that he preferred to use safety as an excuse for avoidance.

“‘It’s a safe thing to be. Also, Selena says she will end our relationship if any of us gets in her way.’ Vera gasps. ‘That is emotional blackmail!’ ‘She learned it from you.’ Vera grunts. ‘Very good lesson from me,’ she says grudgingly.”

Selena smartly beats Vera by her own game by using tools from Vera’s own arsenal. Since cautioning Vera hasn’t worked, Selena resorts to emotional blackmail, a move even Vera acknowledges is very good. Vera’s begrudging admiration of Selena infuses humor in this tense exchange between Vera and Tilly.

“[He] was so tired, and so scared. All he wanted was one person, someone he’d connected with in the last few months, whether it be Aimes, or Qiang Wen, or TJ, to stand by him and tell him that yes, he was doing the right thing. Someone who could help him show the fakeness of social media, prove that nothing was as it seemed. Someone who could hold his hand and tell him that he was doing the right thing. Because the one thing Xander was, was scared. He was piss-himself-in-his-pants-terrified, and he didn’t know if he could go through with it, but he must. He had to. For the first time, Xander was going to do the right thing.”

Xander’s inner monologue reveals the vulnerability behind his carefully constructed persona. Even though he is “piss-himself-in-his pants terrified,” it does not stop him from choosing authenticity. This passage highlights his humanity and his tremendous bravery, showing that he chose to do the right thing despite his fear.