Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of death.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. As an elderly woman sleuth, Vera Wong bears a resemblance to Agatha Christie’s famous Miss Marple, who appears in several novels, including Murder at the Vicarage and A Pocket Full of Rye. If you’ve read any of Christie’s Miss Marple novels, how would you compare Vera and Miss Marple’s personality traits and detective styles? In general, what do you think makes this kind of sleuth appealing to many readers?

2. How does the novel fit into the “cozy” subgenre of detective fiction? What did you think of its subversion of genre conventions—e.g., Vera taking her murder suspects under her wing?

3. Are you familiar with Sutanto’s award-winning debut, Dial A for Aunties (2021)? If so, discuss the author’s usage of elements from mystery, romantic comedy, and contemporary domestic fiction in both Dial A for Aunties and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. How does this combination of genres contribute to the author’s distinctive style?