This comfortable mystery will make you laugh out loud
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The comfortable mysteries are the best. In a way, they manage to take the murder and transform it into the equivalent reader of a giant blurred coverage. One of my favorite comfortable mysteries of all time is Jesse Q. Sutanto’s novel in 2023 Vera Wong’s unsolicited advice for murderers. I will be the first to admit that when I discovered that Stantanto released a second book in the Vera Wong series, I was worried. After all, the first book was so good! And I thought it was supposed to be an autonomous mystery, so I did not expect a second book at all. Then came Vera Wong Guide to spy (on a dead).
In Alexa Phillips’ article on the reasons why most of the consequences are absolutely horriblePhillips maintains: “The reason why most of the consequences are zero is that there is no significant transformation that the characters go through the following payments.” It sounds true enough for me, but the way Sutanto wrote this novel manages to get around this question in a fairly significant way. Most importantly, even if Vera is as strongly than in the first book, all the other main characters are secondary characters (although they do delicious cameos) Vera Wong Guide to spy.
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Vera Wong Guide to spy (on a dead) By Jesse Q. Sutanto
Vera Wong is back, and she is just as hilarious as it was the first time. Her tea room is doing well and she is certain that her son, Tilly, is about to get involved and make her grandchildren. But when Vera is targeted by a scam by phone and finds herself again at the police station, things quickly become uncontrollable. As she leaves, Vera meets a young woman named Millie who seems to be in trouble. She brings Millie back to her teashop for tea and comfort, and finds herself with another possible murder to solve: Millie’s friend, Xander, has mysteriously disappeared.
Thus begins Vera’s accidental foray into the world of social media influencers. Yeah, the one and only Vera Wong ends up rubbing the elbows with influencers, so you can imagine the types of problems it results, especially when it decides that it is time to start her own social media account. As her investigation develops, she meets new lost souls who need a little love (and a lot of food).
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To come back to the idea that the consequences tend to be disappointing because they skimp on the development of the character, I think that part of what makes Vera Wong Guide to spy So good (even if it is the second book in a series) is that we see a development of characters for the characters in the first book even though we meet a new group of characters. Readers who appreciated the first book to see Tilly in a new relationship (with a character from the first book !!) and learn a little more about some of the neighboring business owners of Vera (the Arc of the history of Winnie was among my favorites), even if they continue during the wild promenade of Vera while she tries to crack the affair.
In addition, to present yourself to a new group of characters who fight to find their ways – a star of social media who simulates everything, an agent who is on the brink of ruin, an aging restaurant tolerated with guilt and a young woman dealing with a horrible reality – perceives to extend the family found from Vera in a fun and complex way. It’s fun to catch the first group of characters through a series of well -placed cameos, and even more fun to look while the new characters interact with them. For readers who loved the first book for his incredible characters, you can catch them a little while meeting beginners.
Another convincing aspect of this book is Sutanto’s commitment with greater social problems. Although the first book has definitely explored some of the harmful effects of gentrification in the Chinese district of San Francisco, it did not framed it as a central component of the plot in the way this book is the darker problem at the heart of the disappearance of Xander. I cannot say more without spoiling the intrigue, but I will say that it is somewhat unusual for a comfortable to fight so explicitly with real problems like this, and SUTTanto does it with reflection and care (and includes a short note on this subject in the thanks which is really worth it).
Despite the severity of the problems at the heart of Xander’s disappearance, Sutanto has managed to develop an absolutely hilarious story (still). You might think that it would not work with heavier content, but it is absolutely the case. Partly, is because what made the first book so GOOD It was the way he took care of the humanity of the characters. In his heart, the first book was a study in human condition, with a distribution of characters who were all extremely alone and had lost their ways. Vera helped them (and herself) meet, build a community and discover a beautiful family. All these elements are back in this second episode. The characters are different people confronted with their own specific situation, but they are also very isolated. This means they need Vera to work on her magic – and she doesn’t disappoint!
Fortunately for readers, Vera’s magic brand will make you laugh (and cry) aloud. Its latest pussles will leave you very much to think. So take handkerchiefs and a cup of tea and prepare to read until the sun rises because you will not be able to put it!
For more comfortable content, consult the best comfortable books of 2025 and this guide of all comfortable genres.
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This week, we highlight an article that offers you a guide for everything that is comfortable for gender books! Get to know exceptional comfortable mysteries, a comfortable horror and much more. Read the rest for an extract and become an All Access member to unlock the full message.
A guide of all comfortable genres
Cozy has certainly become a fashionable word attached to gender fiction. It all started with comfortable mysteries, which have existed for decades. Now we see a comfortable science fiction and fantasy, and even a comfortable horror. So what exactly means “comfortable”?
There are some common features of so -called comfortable books. Generally, they evoke a charming atmosphere with their framework. In comfortable mysteries, it is often a small town – think of a picturesque village in the English countryside. Fantasy adds magic to this picturesque village; Horror adds ghosts. For science fiction, comfort is often manifested as a ship, a space station or a colony with a united team. Readers can expect rich descriptions of the frame and a lot of atmosphere for a fully transporting reading experience.
Another common factor in these books is the challenges of history. The comfortable mysteries are somewhat confusing because the crimes they solve are generally murders! However, the reader is not subject to bloody details or put in the extreme suspense position. Likewise, comfortable and scientific novels can face the consequences of a large -scale conflict, but the characters are likely to face smaller, more internal or interpersonal challenges.
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