Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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Sipping Tea and Solving Mysteries While Eating Delicious Chinese Food

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

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This was a cute, low-stakes cozy fantasy with a great cover that really fits the vibe of the novel. It features Vera Wong, a Chinese immigrant and widow who owns a rundown teahouse that doesn’t get much traffic. She has a distant relationship with her grown son, probably due to frequent nagging texts like this: “Tilly, are you awake? It is 4:31 AM, very late. When I was your age, I wake up at 4AM every morning to cook breakfast for Ah Gong and Ah […]

Watch enough tv crime shows and cook for everyone and you’ll find the killer

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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I needed a cozy mystery and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is indeed just that. Vera’s the stereotypical Chinese mom/grandma who runs a tea shop virtually no one goes to anymore. Then she finds a dead guy in there when she goes to open her shop, and people just start turning up (not just the police but them too, a little). Various folks who have some connection to the victim or crime including his wife Julia, “reporter” Riki, “podcaster” Sana, and the victim’s brother […]

“She’s very proud of her crime scene; it must surely be the most pleasant crime scene the cops have ever been to.”

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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“You don’t describe your job like that,” Vera scolds. “Is a small job, hah! Can you see men saying that? No, men will talk it up with bullshit, that is why they get even bigger job next time. There is no such thing as ‘small job.’ And don’t say in that silly tone, oh so apologetic, I am just silly woman having a small job. No!” Her index finger shoots up and points at Julia’s face like a sword. “You go and do this job […]

And the daughter who had no choice but to keep them all out of jail

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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Ma’s hand flies to her mouth again. “Did I get boy killed because I say I want to eat his eggplant?”― Jesse Q. Sutanto, Dial A for Aunties This is the story of a loyal daughter, who accidentally murders her date, and the group of aunties who have no choice but to help her cover up the crime while running an over-the-top Indonesian Chinese wedding. It’s Dial A for Aunties. I bought this book while on vacation. Although I didn’t read it until I got […]

Komodo dragon fascinators!!

Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties, #2) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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30 Books in 30 Days, Vol. 2 Book 2/30 A more than worthy follow-up to Dial A For Aunties, which was one of my favorite reads last year (and favorite audiobooks; Risa Mei is a great narrator). If you liked Meddy and the Aunties the first time, you will like them here as well. I keep seeing people describe these books as cozy mysteries, but they’re not, at all. Cozy mysteries are a very specific thing, and I wouldn’t describe this as one, despite aspects […]

This whole book is SHENANIGANS and it is beautiful.

Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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This was extremely fun. It was nearly a five star book for me, except that I did think it had one weak spot, but more on that in a bit. I wouldn’t quite call this a black comedy⁠—it’s a little too lighthearted and frothy for that⁠—but it’s definitely leaning in that direction. The plot kicks off when Meddelin Chan accidentally kills her blind date, and panicking, enlists the help of her mom (and thus her three aunties) to deal with the body. Meddy and her […]



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