book review of vera

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‘Vera’ bears witness to the lives ruined by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake

“For fifteen years I’d been waiting for a catastrophe greater than my birth,” says the eponymous protagonist of Carol Edgarian’s new novel “Vera.” “The quake gave it to me.” By “the quake” Vera means the devastating San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Vera, at 15, feels like most things revolve around her experience, including this disaster. She has a flair for the dramatic. Brought up by Swedish widow Morie (a diminutive for “mor,” or mother) alongside her stepsister Pie (for Piper), Vera has always known that her biological mother is notorious brothelkeeper Madame Rose, with whom she has intermittent contact.

Vera takes readers on a necessarily brief tour of her prosperous, thriving West Coast city. She and Pie negotiate steep streets to visit their friend Eugenie Schmitz, daughter of the mayor, and to head for open spaces away from their shabby home on Francisco Street. In the early 20th century, the City by the Bay is home to great beauty, great riches — and great crime. On a trip to Chinatown with Rose’s major-domo, Tan, Vera gets a close look at the violence the local Tong clans inflict on those who cross them.

Two historical mystery novels plunge readers into the past while keeping them guessing

Rose summons Vera, Pie and Morie to her grand house at the apex of Pacific Heights one night to gift them gowns and tickets to see the famous Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. She has a reason for this generosity, one that will entangle Vera in citywide corruption. First, though, the earthquake. “It was the sound of the earth breaking,” Vera tells us. “Forty-five seconds is an eternity. Time it, if you don’t believe me.” In a matter of seconds, San Francisco is in ruins, and so is life for Vera and Pie.

Eventually, the girls make their way back to Rose’s mansion, a gaudy exemplar of a Painted Lady Victorian. When we’re hearing about Vera’s experiences, the book races along, even more so when we’re meeting other catastrophe survivors. There’s Bobby Del Monte, whose enormous horse Monster helps effect a rescue, and Tan’s aloof daughter, Lifang, plus “the girls” who camp out at Rose’s mansion. Vera’s post-disaster education includes plenty of historical characters. We see city residents lining up, trading wine for soup, or some precious water for a teacup. Vera confesses that from then on, “the only folks I could ever care about would be fellow scrappers.”

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While the history strikes an authentic note, some of the narrative rings hollow. We care about Vera and her companions, but a subplot about urban graft doesn’t add much to the story, even when Vera’s path crosses with those of real-life pols Abe Ruef and Mayor Eugene Schmitz. Too much happens too near the end in a novel whose spiky, proto-feminist heroine should have been given more space to absorb the one lesson her mother imparts: “I know you because I know me. . . you do not fit in. You never will.”

Vera doesn’t quite fit the usual parameters for a heroine of historical fiction, but perhaps that’s why she makes such an arresting narrator. Readers looking for one of those, plus a new perspective on the Great Quake, will find them in this novel.

Bethanne Patrick  is the editor, most recently, of “The Books That Changed My Life: Reflections by 100 Authors, Actors, Musicians and Other Remarkable People.”

By Carol Edgarian

Scribner. 336 pp. $27

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Vera : Book summary and reviews of Vera by Carol Edgarian

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by Carol Edgarian

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Published Mar 2021 336 pages Genre: Historical Fiction Publication Information

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Book summary.

New York Times bestselling author Carol Edgarian delivers an astonishing feat of imagination, a grand adventure set in 1906 San Francisco - a city leveled by quake and fire - featuring an indomitable heroine coming of age in the aftermath of catastrophe and her quest for love and reinvention.

Meet Vera Johnson, the uncommonly resourceful fifteen-year-old illegitimate daughter of Rose, notorious proprietor of San Francisco's most legendary bordello and ally to the city's corrupt politicians. Vera has grown up straddling two worlds—the madam's alluring sphere, replete with tickets to the opera, surly henchmen, and scant morality, and the violent, debt ridden domestic life of the family paid to raise her. On the morning of the great quake, Vera's worlds collide. As the shattered city burns and looters vie with the injured, orphaned, and starving, Vera and her guileless sister, Pie, are cast adrift. Vera disregards societal norms and prejudices and begins to imagine a new kind of life. She collaborates with Tan, her former rival, and forges an unlikely family of survivors. Together they navigate their way beyond disaster. In Vera , Carol Edgarian creates a cinematic, deeply entertaining world, in which honor and fates are tested; notions of sex, class, and justice are turned upside down; and love is hard-won. A ravishing, heartbreaking, and profound affirmation of youth and tenacity, Vera's story brings to life legendary characters—tenor Enrico Caruso, indicted mayor Eugene Schmitz and boss Abe Ruef, tabloid celebrity Alma Spreckels—as well as an unforgettable cast that includes Vera's young lover, Bobby, protector of the city's tribe of orphans, and three generations of a Chinese family competing and conspiring with Vera. This richly imagined, timely tale of improbable outcomes and alliances takes hold from the first page, gifting readers with remarkable scenes of devastation, renewal, and joy. Told with unflinching candor and wit, Vera celebrates the audacious fortitude of its young heroine and marks a stunning achievement by an inventive and generous writer.

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Reader reviews.

"Brilliantly conceived and beautifully realized." - Booklist (starred review) "[V]isceral...Despite some anachronistic word choices, the author paints a vivid portrait of a metropolis teeming with sex workers, immigrants, corrupt politicians, and artists, and it's fun to follow two strong young characters with very different views on life. The result makes for a stirring testament to a resilient city that never knew the meaning of the word quit." - Publishers Weekly "The novel shines in painting a vivid picture of early-20th-century San Francisco, including its rowdy politics, but it falls short of truly immersing the reader...Frustratingly, the plot takes a huge leap after the early post-earthquake days, barely skirting by Vera's adulthood before we catch her again in old age. Even a memorable historical event can't shake up a mostly bland story." - Kirkus Reviews "In addition to being an all-encompassing and enthralling historical novel, Vera parallels with the current era, and all of its accompanying losses." - O, the Oprah Magazine "Sisters, mothers, heroines, charlatans, buffoons, scam artists, prostitutes, and the uncontrollable, passionate brawn of a young nation: in Vera we see, taste, smell the marrow of a country intoxicated on hope—all evidence to the contrary. Amazingly, Edgarian has captured a rolling, earnest, perpetual ruin so complex it could just be called life. She's conjured another wonderful novel out of dust, history, love." - Rick Bass "In Vera , the past is as alive as you are, the brilliantly illuminated characters loving and surviving, breaking and building, destroying and redeeming, in rich detail and true color. Vera's 1906 is a world we see and live in." - Amy Bloom "A novel of resilience in the face of disaster, just what we need right now. Carol Edgarian's tale couldn't have come at a better time." - T.C. Boyle

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Author Information

Carol edgarian.

Carol Edgarian is the author of the New York Times bestseller Three Stages of Amazement and the international bestseller Rise the Euphrates , winner of the ANC Freedom Prize. Her articles and essays have appeared in the Wall Street Journal , NPR , and W , among many others. She is cofounder and editor of Narrative , a nonprofit digital publisher of fiction, poetry, and art, and Narrative in the Schools , which provides free libraries and writing resources to teachers and students around the world. Edgarian lives with her family in San Francisco.

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• Rave and Reviews

About The Book

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About The Author

New York Times  bestselling author Carol Edgarian’s novels include  Vera,   Three Stages of Amazement,   and  Rise  the Euphrates . Her essays and articles regularly appear in national magazines and anthologies, and she is editor of  The Writer’s Life: Intimate Thoughts on Work, Love, Inspiration, and Fame . She is cofounder and editor of  Narrative , a leading digital publisher of fiction, poetry, essays and art, and Narrative in the Schools, which provides free reading and writing resources to students and teachers in nineteen countries. She lives in San Francisco with her family.

Product Details

• Publisher: Scribner (March 1, 2022)
• Length: 352 pages
• ISBN13: 9781501157530

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Raves and Reviews

“An all-encompassing and enthralling historical novel, Vera parallels with the current era, and all of its accompanying losses.” — O, The Oprah Magazine “Written with distinctive and elegant prose, Edgarian paints a beautiful portrait of devastation… at times reminiscent of Doctorow’s Ragtime... a character-driven novel about family, power and loyalty, Vera ultimately asks if it’s possible to belong to another person.” — San Francisco Chronicle “Immersive. . . . Vera is a reverent ode to the resiliency of San Francisco and her people.” — San Francisco Examiner "Edgarian's gritty yet hopeful historical novel doesn't gloss over the countless tragedies rising like the smoke and dust in the 500 devastated city blocks, but Vera personifies the pluck that revived San Francisco... riveting." — Shelf Awareness “Brilliantly conceived and beautifully realized.” — Booklist, STARRED review "Edgarian weaves a wonderful tale of struggle, youth, perseverance, love and the lack of it, and much of what makes us human beings... captures a difficult but evocative time in the life of one of America’s great cities. It is well worth a read for this alone, if not for the gripping story of a young girl’s struggle and coming to age during the life-shattering events of the earthquake and fires of 1906.” — New York Journal of Books "If there’s a book that speaks urgently to a time of grief, resilience, wounding loneliness, and collective hope in one of the deadliest pandemics in history, it is Vera —a work to be cherished for what it uncovers in the pages and, possibly, the heart of the reader." — LA Review of Books "Edgarian's work contends elegantly and meticulously with historical detail, placing us at the center of a fateful event and allowing us to imagine how we’d respond… The star of Vera —sparkling with luxuriance and offering hope in the midst of devastation—is San Francisco, the great civic entity that reinvents itself time and again.” — Alta “The City by the Bay, leveled by the 1906 earthquake and fire, is vividly evoked in Edgarian’s engrossing saga… an ingenious Vera navigates a world sharply divided by affluence and poverty that exposes discrimination and injustice, requiring a special resilience to survive.” — The National Book Review "Engaging…memorable… Vera is feisty and chafes at the confines of life in this era; her refusal to conform brings to mind a more street-savvy Scout Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. She is forced to be stronger than any 15-year-old should have to be." — BookPage "A lovely, constantly surprising novel… this tart-tongued female Huck Finn leads a ragtag gang... serious research underlies Edgarian’s novel... a brand-new California classic." — Historical Novels Review “The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 extinguishes all sense of normalcy for 15-year-old Vera Johnson, who must survive by sheer pluck and intelligence in the newly rattled landscape.... The novel shines in painting a vivid picture of early-20th-century San Francisco, including its rowdy politics." — Kirkus Reviews "The author paints a vivid portrait of a metropolis teeming with sex workers, immigrants, corrupt politicians, and artists... The result makes for a stirring testament to a resilient city that never knew the meaning of the word quit." — Publishers Weekly “Vera has always had to be scrappy and resourceful, even as a child. But the great earthquake of 1906 shakes even Vera, who is forced to imagine a new world for herself among an unlikely band of survivors.” — BuzzFeed “A beautifully imagined coming-of-age drama… Vera comes of age explosively, brilliantly and unforgettably. Inventive and poignant, Vera is full of heart-stopping descriptions of catastrophe and tragedy, but equally gorgeous and moving scenes of renewal and reinvention.” — BookReporter “Vera shines. [Edgarian] does a masterful job of placing the reader in an authentic landscape, a time and era of a young West Coast city coming into its own. . . . a timely story for disaster-prone days, showing us that healing, hope and fortitude make up the true ground beneath us.” — Charleston Post Courier

“Reading about the sudden destruction of a world right in the middle of our own 21st century crisis helped me understand that the question we’re asking now is one we’ve asked before: where do we go from here? Vera brings to vivid life a historical moment that defined a city, an era. It’s an extraordinary glimpse into the American DNA." — Mary Beth Keane, author of Ask Again, Yes "Vera is a triumph—a story of disaster and healing, power and humility, grit and grace set against the lush, lascivious backdrop of San Francisco during the 1906 earthquake. This book is as whip smart as its heroine and as electric as her city and will haunt me—in the best way—for a long time to come." — Anna Solomon, author of The Book of V "A novel of resilience in the face of disaster, just what we need right now. Carol Edgarian's tale couldn't have come at a better time." — T.C. Boyle "Though it has a panoramic sweep, Carol Edgarian’s Vera is a novel of great immediacy and heart. From the early scene at the opera, to its shocking real-world correlative, this novel exists in the zone – let’s call it the world. In so many ways, it sings.” — Ann Beattie “In Vera , the past is as alive as you are, the brilliantly illuminated characters loving and surviving, breaking and building, destroying and redeeming, in rich detail and true color. Vera’s 1906 is a world we see and live in.” — Amy Bloom "Sisters, mothers, heroines, charlatans, buffoons, scam artists, prostitutes, and the uncontrollable, passionate brawn of a young nation: in Vera we see, taste, smell the marrow of a country intoxicated on hope—all evidence to the contrary. Amazingly, Edgarian has captured a rolling, earnest, perpetual ruin so complex it could just be called life. She’s conjured another wonderful novel out of dust, history, love.” — Rick Bass “Set in San Francisco during the great quake and fire of 1906, this wonderfully compelling novel takes us deeply into the heart and mind of an unforgettable fifteen year old girl, one who must find her way alone through a mother’s neglect, through bordellos and corrupt politicians, through the debris and ashes of what was once 'The Paris of the West.' Vera is that rare novel that you’ll want to buy for loved ones just as soon as you reach its shimmeringly beautiful ending. And its streetwise, resilient protagonist will stay with you for a very long time indeed.” — Andre Dubus III

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Books to the Ceiling: The Author Blog of Teresa Trent

Vera book review.

The 1906 earthquake in San Francisco changed lives and leveled the city. The daughter of a bordello owner fights to survive through earthquake and then fire. I’ll admit I’ve seen every disaster movie out there probably because I’ve been through a couple myself.

About the Book

New York Times  bestselling author Carol Edgarian  delivers an astonishing feat of imagination, a grand  adventure set in 1906 San Francisco—a city leveled  by quake and fire—featuring an indomitable heroine  coming of age in the aftermath of catastrophe and her  quest for love and reinvention.

Meet Vera Johnson, the uncommonly resourceful fifteen-year-old illegitimate daughter of Rose, notorious proprietor of San Francisco’s most legendary bordello and ally to the city’s corrupt politicians. Vera has grown up straddling two worlds—the madam’s alluring sphere, replete with tickets to the opera, surly henchmen, and scant morality, and the violent, debt ridden domestic life of the family paid to raise her.

On the morning of the great quake, Vera’s worlds collide. As the shattered city burns and looters vie with the injured, orphaned, and starving, Vera and her guileless sister, Pie, are cast adrift. Vera disregards societal norms and prejudices and begins to imagine a new kind of life. She collaborates with Tan, her former rival, and forges an unlikely family of survivors. Together they navigate their way beyond disaster.

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This is the story of Vera Johnson, a resilient young woman who has just turned fifteen. We find out that she is the daughter of a notorious madam and that her mother has parked her with a Swedish woman and her daughter so that she doesn’t have to grow up in a brothel. The relationship between Vera and her mother, Rose, is complicated. Vera’s drive for survival even at such a young age is something she shares with her mother, and when the earthquake of 1906 hits, she has to find her. Even though her mother has never been friendly, Vera needs to care for her. The earthquake and the recovery story are fascinating as the reader sees Vera overcome struggle after struggle. There are crooked politicians, good people, and a little romance. Great book! I obtained this book from Net Galley and have left an honest review.

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In 1906 San Francisco, 15-year-old Vera hovers on the edges of the movers and players. The secret daughter of a mysterious brothel madam, Vera longs for her mother’s affection. Vera’s sharp wit is her only hope–and is key to her survival when the earthquake rips through the city, leaving it burning. Determined to find her missing mother, she assembles a rag-tag group to find a path forward, with both the fires and the crack-down on the city’s corruption closing in.

Vera is a singular character, vivid and memorable. This was fast-paced, character-driven  historical fiction  with a unique perspective on a major event that shaped San Francisco. I loved it.

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Publisher’s Description

Meet Vera Johnson, fifteen-year-old illegitimate daughter of Rose, notorious proprietor of San Francisco’s most legendary bordello. Vera has grown up straddling two worlds—the madam’s alluring sphere, replete with tickets to the opera, surly henchmen, and scant morality, and the quiet domestic life of the family paid to raise her.

On the morning of the great quake, Vera’s worlds collide. As the city burns and looters vie with the injured, orphaned, and starving, Vera and her guileless sister, Pie, are cast adrift. Disregarding societal norms and prejudices, Vera begins to imagine a new kind of life. She collaborates with Tan, her former rival, and forges an unlikely family of survivors, navigating through the disaster together.

“A character-driven novel about family, power, and loyalty, ( San Francisco Chronicle ),  Vera  brings to life legendary characters—tenor Enrico Caruso, indicted mayor Eugene Schmitz and boss Abe Ruef, tabloid celebrity Alma Spreckels. This “brilliantly conceived and beautifully realized” ( Booklist , starred review) tale of improbable outcomes and alliances takes hold from the first page, with remarkable scenes of devastation, renewal, and joy.  Vera  celebrates the audacious fortitude of its young heroine, who discovers an unexpected strength in unprecedented times.

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VERA WONG'S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS

by Jesse Q. Sutanto ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 14, 2023

Literary comfort food in the guise of a quirky whodunit.

Investigating a murder gives a lonely widow purpose.

Every day at 4:30 a.m., Vera Wong Zhuzhu, 60, wakes without an alarm; texts her son, Tilbert, to say he’s sleeping his life away; and takes a brisk walk around San Francisco’s Chinatown before returning to open her business, Vera Wang’s World-Famous Teahouse. (The name isn’t a typo but a calculated choice; “even white people” have heard of Vera Wang.) While fellow immigrants used to frequent the shop, now it has only one regular customer, and though Vera and her late husband paid off the building’s mortgage years ago and she lives upstairs, the utilities alone are sapping her savings. Solitude and irrelevance are wearing on Vera until she comes downstairs one morning to find a male stranger dead on the floor. Vera calls the police, who determine that the man—Marshall Chen, 29—likely broke in and then overdosed. Vera, however, believes it was homicide, seeing as Marshall died clutching a USB drive. Granted, the cops don’t know about the drive, as Vera pocketed it before picking up the phone, but that’s probably for the best; “nobody sniffs out wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands.” Gentle humor and abundant heart elevate Sutanto’s spirited mystery, which focuses primarily on the tender relationships that form between Vera and her four main suspects. A kaleidoscopic third-person narrative allows Sutanto to fully develop each character, investing readers in their fates. Vivid sensory descriptions of the custom teas Vera concocts and the elaborate feasts she prepares further heighten the feel-good appeal.

Pub Date: March 14, 2023

ISBN: 9780593546178

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Berkley

Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023

MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | COZY MYSTERY | DETECTIVES & PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS | GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE

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A CONSPIRACY OF BONES

by Kathy Reichs ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2020

Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival.

Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.

A week after the night she chases but fails to catch a mysterious trespasser outside her town house, some unknown party texts Tempe four images of a corpse that looks as if it’s been chewed by wild hogs, because it has been. Showboat Medical Examiner Margot Heavner makes it clear that, breaking with her department’s earlier practice ( The Bone Collection , 2016, etc.), she has no intention of calling in Tempe as a consultant and promptly identifies the faceless body herself as that of a young Asian man. Nettled by several errors in Heavner’s analysis, and even more by her willingness to share the gory details at a press conference, Tempe launches her own investigation, which is not so much off the books as against the books. Heavner isn’t exactly mollified when Tempe, aided by retired police detective Skinny Slidell and a host of experts, puts a name to the dead man. But the hints of other crimes Tempe’s identification uncovers, particularly crimes against children, spur her on to redouble her efforts despite the new M.E.’s splenetic outbursts. Before he died, it seems, Felix Vodyanov was linked to a passenger ferry that sank in 1994, an even earlier U.S. government project to research biological agents that could control human behavior, the hinky spiritual retreat Sparkling Waters, the dark web site DeepUnder, and the disappearances of at least four schoolchildren, two of whom have also turned up dead. And why on earth was Vodyanov carrying Tempe’s own contact information? The mounting evidence of ever more and ever worse skulduggery will pull Tempe deeper and deeper down what even she sees as a rabbit hole before she confronts a ringleader implicated in “Drugs. Fraud. Breaking and entering. Arson. Kidnapping. How does attempted murder sound?”

Pub Date: March 17, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-9821-3888-2

Publisher: Scribner

Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020

GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | SUSPENSE | THRILLER | DETECTIVES & PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS | SUSPENSE | GENERAL & DOMESTIC THRILLER

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New York Times Bestseller

NONE OF THIS IS TRUE

by Lisa Jewell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 8, 2023

It's hard to read but hard to look away from.

When two women who share a birthday meet, a journalist becomes the subject of her own true-crime mystery.

On their 45th birthdays, Josie Fair and Alix Summer meet at a pub and discover they were born not only on the same day, but in the same hospital. Alix is a successful journalist, and Josie convinces Alix that her story is worth telling: Josie met her husband when she was 13 and he was 40. “I can see that maybe I was being used, that maybe I was even being groomed?” she confesses to Alix. “But that feeling of being powerful, right at the start, when I was still in control. I miss that sometimes. I really do. And what I’d like, more than anything, is to get it back.” From this premise Alix creates a Netflix series, Hi! I’m Your Birthday Twin! which investigates Josie’s life as she reconciles what happened to her as a teen and seeks a new path. With the story unfinished, the narrative unfolds in the present tense, with prose that jingles like song lyrics: “He turns to see if the girl is behind him, and sees her wishy-washy, wavy-wavy, in double vision through the glass windows of the hotel.” Alix is both intrigued and repulsed by Josie, but she initially gives her the benefit of the doubt. After all, Alix’s husband, Nathan, has a drinking problem, and Alix knows what it’s like to be reluctant to leave a bad situation. But Josie seems more interested in being part of Alix’s seemingly glamorous life than she is in fixing her own, and when three people end up dead and Alix’s life is turned upside down, the evidence points to Josie—and turns the TV series into a murder mystery. Transcripts from Alix’s interviews alternate with the narrative, offering increasingly varied perspectives on Josie’s story as told by her neighbors, friends, and family members. With so many versions of events, the ending shatters, leaving readers to decide whose is the truth.

Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2023

ISBN: 9781982179007

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Atria

Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023

MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | SUSPENSE | DETECTIVES & PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS | GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | SUSPENSE | GENERAL FICTION

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Book Lists, Book Reviews, and Editing Tips

September 28, 2023

Book Review: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links—at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

This spoiler-free book review of Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers covers all you need to know about this cozy mystery book. I share my favorite book quotes from Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers , frequently asked questions, a brief book summary, book club discussion questions, similar books, other books by Jesse Q. Sutanto, and more!

Content warnings: Murder, stealing, robbery, toxic relationships, estranged relationships

Thank you to Penguin Random House Audio for gifting me this complimentary book. My review reflects my honest thoughts.

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers Book Review / Summary

This cozy mystery novel is the perfect buzzy book club pick for fall or winter. Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers summary is all about Vera, an older Chinese woman who really needs no introduction—but I’ll try, anyway.

Vera is routine-oriented, meticulous, and full of—let’s be real—judgments about the younger generation. She’s up at 4:30 every morning and is committed to the small habits that make up a disciplined life. She owns a tea shop in China town and spends her days sleuthing on her grown son . . . who would rather neglect her then try and stay in her demanding orbit.

Everything in Vera’s life is quite predictable—that is, until she stumbles upon a dead body in her tea shop one morning.

Vera tries to piece together what happened to the man, and she’s not convinced the police are doing their job to solve the case. But the truth is there’s a little more mystery than Vera’s letting on.

RELATED: 18 Best Audiobooks of All Time to Pick Next

For reasons she can’t easily explain, Vera swiped a flash drive off the man’s dead body, harboring crucial evidence in a case that isn’t as straightforward as the authorities think.

What follows is a mystery that involves a group of strangers who stumble into Vera’s tea shop, individuals who have their own secrets and fears.

Vera’s sleuthing goes well beyond the case of the man who died in her shop.

Suddenly, she’s intimately intertwined in the lives of several people—young people she wants to help and protect.

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is a story of found family. It’s a story about how the strangest of circumstances can lead to new opportunities to grow and welcome—to see yourself and others in a new light.

My Thoughts on Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

I thought this cozy mystery was so. much. fun. The concept of a whodunit dinner party for murderers?! An old lady sleuth who gets into everyone’s business? Lovable characters with past secrets who form unlikely friendships? What a ride!

This book is heartwarming , light, fast paced, and sweet. I’m definitely partial to a found family trope.

The descriptions of the food . . . omg. If you like foodie books , check this one out. My mouth was watering the whole time. And the teas! So damn cozy . I only wish I could go into Vera’s tea shop and try them for myself.

Shortcomings

Character development.

The characters could have been more developed. Julia and Sana had the same negative thought patterns. They were both doormat pushovers and victims to everyone in their lives, which is sometimes hard for me to read.

The young men (Oliver, Tilly, Riki) all sort of had the same personalities, minus Tilly’s standoffish attitude toward Vera.

The villain is pure villain—there’s no grey area, really. So some of the twists and turns might feel . . . extreme.

And listen, Vera isn’t for everyone. She’s kind of insufferable at times. That said, I found myself smiling at her words and actions more often than not. There’s something endearing and funny about her.

Cozy Mystery Formula

The cozy mystery genre is formulaic, and flat characters are kind of par for the course. At times, the plot felt sloppy.

I won’t say too much, but I did find the ending to be slightly predictable. But again, I don’t seem to be bothered by it when it’s a cozy mystery??

I’m not sure why, but even with these shortcomings, I enjoyed this book . It’s definitely not for everyone.

If you like a complex, airtight thriller/mystery with morally grey characters, Vera Wong may not be for you.

If you like a cozy mystery with a found family trope, give it a try!

Favorite Quotes from Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

People always say that your wedding day is the happiest day of your life, but honestly, people should try solving murders more often. —JESSE Q. SUTANTO, VERA WONG’S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS

Destiny, Vera thinks, is something to be hunted down and grabbed tightly with both hands and shaken until it gives her exactly what she wants. —JESSE Q. SUTANTO, VERA WONG’S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS

Frequently Asked Questions about Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

What is vera wong’s unsolicited advice for murderers about.

This cozy mystery is about an amateur sleuth and sixty-year-old woman who stumbles upon a dead body in the middle of her tea shop one morning.

She takes it upon herself to investigate when she doesn’t trust the authorities, and she gets herself into some sticky situations.

She meets a group of strangers who are all connected to the man who died in her shop.

Each stranger has secrets, and Vera spills the tea in one way or another.

Who are the characters in Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers ?

The main characters: Vera Wong, the sixty-year-old sleuth who finds the murder victim (Marshall); Julia, Marshall’s widow; Emma, Marshall’s two-year-old daughter; Riki, a journalist; Sana, a podcaster; Oliver, Marshall’s twin brother.

Of course, there are other characters, including Vera friend Alex and her son, Tilly. But those are the main people!

Where is Jesse Q. Sutanto from?

Jesse grew up in Indonesia and Singapore.

What are Jesse Q. Sutanto’s books in order?

Here are the other books by Jesse Q. Sutanto, in order:

• Dial A for Aunties (Aunties, #1)
• Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties, #2)
• The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties (Aunties, #3)
• The Obsession
• The New Girl
• Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit (Theo Tan, #1)
• Theo Tan and the Iron Fan (Theo Tan, #2)
• Well, That Was Unexpected
• Didn’t See That Comin g
• Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
• I’m Not Done with You Yet

Is there a movie for Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers ?

In April 2023, it was announced YES! Warner Bros. TV acquired the book rights , and Mindy Kaling is apparently going to produce it! I can’t wait to see how it all goes down.

RELATED: Book Review: The House in the Pines

Book Club Discussion Questions for Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

• Ice breaker question: Favorite coffee or tea drink?
• Vera is such a unique character! What did you think of her? Did your opinion of her change throughout the novel?
• Julia and Sana have their own secrets and past hurts, but what did they have in common?
• How did all of the characters change when Vera entered their orbit?
• Were there any twists and turns that surprised you? Why or why not?
• How did the Asian American family traditions and dynamics play a significant role in the plot?
• This cozy mystery features a strong found family theme. What was your favorite “unlikely friendship” that formed in the book?

Similar Books to Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

These books explore similar themes or are reminiscent of Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers in some way:

• The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley
• Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano
• Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
• Charlotte Isles Is Not a Detective by Katie Siegel

Buy the Book

I recommend Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers for folks who enjoy cozy mysteries that are almost more in the women’s fiction category, fun, heartwarming, lighthearted, and not too spooky or deep.

This is a sweet story about the family we’re born into and the family we choose—and how every decision we make impacts family in one way or another.

If you like reading about toxic or dysfunctional family relationships, found family, and amateur sleuthing with funny, quirky personalities, you will probably enjoy this book.

If your need your mysteries to be airtight, dark, and full of complex character development, I’d reach for something else!

I do think this book is perfect for fall or winter—those reading months where you want to cozy up with a good book and (duh!) tea. I really enjoyed it, and I hope you do, too!

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Thursday, June 6, 2024

2 children's books embrace emotional support for youngsters [reviews & 1 book giveaway], social emotion learning with new picture books.

Foster and teach social emotional learning with picture books that discuss self expression, believing in yourself, understanding your moods, making friends, and learning to be brave. Important reads for little ones to learn problem solving and emotional acceptance.

Terrible Horses by Raymond Antrobus & illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max | Ages 3 to 7

Later the sister finds the book and it moves her to console and pay loving attention to him.

An interesting take on sibling rivalry.

About the book: In a relatable tale about two siblings at constant odds, a child discovers that expressing himself through stories can help resolve conflict and generate understanding. Secret word: support

My sister is cooler than me. 

I want her friends to be my friends. I want her things to be my things.

For one little boy and his older sister, fights are always waiting to happen—when he takes something without asking, jumps on her bed without asking, even wanders off without asking. And when they fight, they don’t use words: it’s all push, pull, hurt, hide. To cool off after, the boy retreats to his room to write and draw stories—stories about terrible horses trampling and galloping, while he is a lone pony unable to compete or speak or sleep. One morning, the boy wakes up to find his sketchbook missing, taken by his sister. What now? Will this make things worse, or could it help them to finally understand each other? With empathy and simplicity, Terrible Horses has much to say about using creativity to rein in anger, reflect, and see life through someone else’s eyes.

Gray by Laura Dockrill & illustrated by Lauren Child | Ages 3 to 7

The child is young and is not feeling like he usually does. He feels off color or "gray." He is bewildered. His mother speaks kindly and understandably to him helping him understand that even though he feels off, or "grey," it doesn't mean the brightness or the other colors have gone away. 

She explains that she loves him no matter how he feels.

The illustrations on this sturdy book are bold, eye-catching, colorful yet infused with lots of gray to illustrate the point of the book. There are eye grabbing (and finger stabbing) cutouts on the pages that lend interest and artistry.

I totally enjoyed and recommend this book.

About the book: Poetic words, evocative art, and die-cuts throughout combine to explore a child’s moods through color—or the lack of color—and offer a reassuring message of love and acceptance.

Today I feel gray. But that’s OK.

Some days you may feel sunshine yellow or orange-balloon bright. Other days you’re gray, or even night-sky black—like a dark scribble on a page, a storm in the clouds, or a puddle in the road. Gray is when you don’t feel like yourself, or like you don’t belong. But however you feel, there are big hugs (red) and loving lullabies (blue) waiting, and even the grayest sidewalk is a canvas for you to fill with the colors you choose. A tender narration from British spoken-word poet Laura Dockrill and subtle, spare artwork from former UK Children’s Laureate Lauren Child offer a comforting read for young children that addresses feelings of sadness and assures them that they are never alone.

DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of the books to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's copy is provided and shipped to the winner by Candlewick Press, its imprints, or publicist. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.

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• United States

Los Angeles

Osteria Vera

• Neighborhood gem
• Good for business meals

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Additional information

• Dining style Casual Dining
• Price $31 to $50
• Cuisines Italian, Modern Tuscan, Wine Bar
• Hours of operation Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–2:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
• Phone number (310) 571-3800
• Website http://www.eatatvera.com/
• Payment options AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
• Dress code Casual Dress
• Executive chef Nicola Mastronardi
• Catering We at Osteria Vera handle all types catering events from casual office events to sophisticated events for up to 600 guests. We offer full service with personal cooks, servers, bartenders and rental needs. We also have a catering liquor license. We handle events with professionalism and sophistication to make your event special and successful.
• Private party facilities We would love to handle your private party. Please call for more information.
• Private party contact our Private Event Coordinator : (310) 571-3800
• Location 11604 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049
• Neighborhood Brentwood
• Cross street Barrington & Wilshire
• Parking details Private Lot
• Additional Banquet, Beer, BYO Wine, Chef's Table, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Popular dishes

Seafood salad.

Steamed calamari shrimp mussels and clams on a bed of seasonal greens ExtVOlive Oil lemon dressing

Steak Salad

Thin slices of Strip Steak sauteed with fresh arugula sun dried tomatoes and shaved parmigiano cheese

Spaghetti with beaten eggs crispy homemade pork jowl pecorino cheese and black pepper

LATTUGA $17.00

Romaine, parmigiano, polenta croutons, anchovy dressing

RADICCHIO $18.00

White radicchio, endive, rucola, caramelized pistachios, white balsamic, apple, mustard dressing

BURRATA $20.00

Roasted red and yellow beets, hazelnuts, balsamic dressing

FOCACCIA BREAD $12.00

Spicy garbanzo spread

FOCACCIA BREAD $22.00

Truffle cheese fondue

ZUPPA DI ASPARAGI $18.00

Asparagus, mushroom soup

MINESTRONE $17.00

House made seasonal vegetable soup

POLIPO $24.00

Roasted octopus, fava beans, asparagus, artichokes

CALAMARI $22.00

Crispy calamari and zucchini, spicy tomato sauce

GAMBERI $25.00

Roasted shrimp, fava bean puree, chicory, guanciale, aged balsamic vinegar

POLPETTE $22.00

Beef and veal meatballs, fava beans, pecorino fondue, balsamic reduction

INVOLTINI $20.00

Eggplant rolls with tomato/parmigiano sauce, basil

CAVOLETTI $18.00

Crispy brussels sprouts, toasted almonds, mint, pecorino, aged balsamic vinegar

PACCHERI $35.00

Lobster, shrimp, cherry tomatoes, basil

TAGLIOLINI NERI $30.00

Squid Ink tagliolini, asparagus, sauce of uni and shrimp

ORECCHIETTE $27.00

Orecchiette, ragu of house made sausage and rapini, toasted breadcrumbs

PAPPARDELLE $30.00

Spinach pappardelle, wild boar ragu, burrata

RAVIOLI $30.00

Ravioli filled with fresh pea puree, mushroom, parmesan sauce

CACIO E PEPE $30.00

Chitarra tableside

GNOCCHI $35.00

Gnocchi filled with burrata, zucchini, shaved black truffles

SOGLIOLA $44.00

Pecorino gratin petrale sole, zucchini, potatoes

BRANZINO $40.00

Mediterranean sea bass filet, potato tortino, rapini, cherry tomatoes, olives, capers

BISTECCA $44.00

Grilled NY steak (8 oz), mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, parmigiano

AGNELLO $48.00

Roasted New Zealand lamb chops, couscous, zucchini, mint

POLLO $35.00

Chicken and potatoes stew, tomatoes, mushrooms, taggiasca olives

What 1,139 people are saying

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• 4.5 Service
• 4.4 Ambience

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Does Osteria Vera offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

Osteria Vera offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (310) 571-3800.

How is Osteria Vera restaurant rated?

Osteria Vera is rated 4.4 stars by 1139 OpenTable diners.

Is Osteria Vera currently accepting reservations?

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

11604 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049

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Vera (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov) Paperback – April 4, 2000

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Print length 496 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Random House Publishing Group
• Publication date April 4, 2000
• Dimensions 5.22 x 1.1 x 7.93 inches
• ISBN-10 0375755349
• ISBN-13 978-0375755347
• See all details

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From the inside flap, from the back cover, about the author, excerpt. © reprinted by permission. all rights reserved., product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Publishing Group; Modern Library Pbk. Ed edition (April 4, 2000)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0375755349
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0375755347
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.6 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.22 x 1.1 x 7.93 inches
• #529 in Author Biographies
• #1,546 in Women's Biographies
• #4,435 in Memoirs (Books)

About the author

Stacy schiff.

A Pulitzer Prize-winner, Stacy Schiff is the author of several bestselling biographies and historical works including, most recently, The Witches: Salem, 1692. Her previous book, Cleopatra: A Life, appeared on most year-end best books lists, including the New York Times’s Top Ten Books of 2010, and won the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for biography. Cleopatra was translated into 30 languages. Schiff’s other work includes Véra (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov), winner of the Pulitzer Prize; Saint-Exupéry, a Pulitzer Prize finalist; and A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America, winner of the George Washington Book Prize, the Ambassador Award in American Studies, and the Gilbert Chinard Prize of the Institut Français d’Amérique. Schiff is a Guggenheim and NEH Fellow and was a Director’s Fellow at the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library. Among other honors, she was named a 2011 Library Lion by the New York Public Library, a Boston Public Library Literary Light in 2016, and in 2017 received the Lifetime Achievement Award in History and Biography from the New England Historic Genealogical Society. She received the 2019 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award. In 2018 she was named a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. Awarded a 2006 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, she was inducted into the Academy in 2019. Schiff has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New York Review of Books, The Times Literary Supplement, and The Los Angeles Times, among many other publications. She lives in New York City.

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RSC Advances

Electro-chemical studies of zn doped nickel oxide nanoparticles synthesized via solution combustion method using green and chemical fuels.

* Corresponding authors

a Department of Physics, Government College for Women, Chintamani-563125, India

b Department of Science, School of Applied Sciences, REVA University, Bangalore-64, India

c Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada

d Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, East West Institute of Technology, Bangalore-91, India E-mail: [email protected]

e Department of Chemistry, Ballari Institute of Technology and Management, Bellary-583104, Karnataka, India

f Department of Applied Sciences, Papua New Guinea University of Technology, Lae, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea

g Department of Prosthodontics, Saveetha Dental College & Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Science (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai 600077, Tamil Nadu, India

This study presents a new green solution combustion method (aloe vera gel extract as fuel) and chemical method (glucose as fuel) to synthesise Zn-doped nickel oxide nanoparticles (Zn:NiO NPs). The face centered cubic crystal structure (FCC) phase was validated by PXRD, while the produced samples' spongy, spherical, agglomerated, and porous characteristics were shown by electron microscopy. The energy band gap values of 4.21 eV and 4.09 eV, respectively, were deduced for green and chemically synthesized Zn:NiO NPs. The reversibility was demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry with a lower E O – E R value for the green-Zn:NiO electrode. The studies on electrochemical impedance confirmed strong conductivity for the NPs by demonstrating a low charge transfer resistance. The Zn:NiO NPs are easily convertible into a stable electrode material that may be used in supercapacitors. According to the findings, Zn:NiO is an economical and promising material for use in supercapacitors in the future.

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N. Nasir Ahamed, J. Pattar, M. R. Anil Kumar, N. Basavaraju, N. Raghavendra, S. T. M., C. R. Ravikumar and H. C. A. Murthy, RSC Adv. , 2024,  14 , 17664 DOI: 10.1039/D4RA01706D

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