And Vera's son Tilly has a girlfriend, Officer Selena Gray, who we were introduced to in book one. Vera couldn't be happier but she is a bit anxious:
There is no need for her to be nervous. Tilly and Selena will settle nicely into their new place, and before she knows it, there will be a proposal, then a wedding, and then … twin grandbabies. Nay, triplets! When Vera closes her eyes, she can just see it—Vera sitting on an overstuffed sofa with one arm around Emma and the other arm around three fat grandbabies".
Life is going well. Vera's tea shop is packed and the suspects/friends from book one have become family. They don't appear too much in book two and that's a good decision by the author because a new murder case has landed in Vera's lap and she has a new group of suspects/friends to deal with.
The new case starts out with Vera being taken in by a phone scam. The scamner pretends to be calling from Vera's bank and asks for her social security number. Vera gives them the number but soon realizes the big mistake she has made. Vera runs down to the police department and Selena is able to stop the scam from proceeding.
Vera is relieved and as she is leaving the police precinct she spots a young woman she had noticed on her way in. The young woman, Millie, appears nervous and seems to be trying to decide whether to walk into the precinct. Vera comes over to Millie asking if she can help.
Millie doesn't really want to share what the problem is but before you know it she is sitting in Vera's tea shop explaining that her friend Thomas has gone missing. Thomas just wouldn't up and leave like that and Millie is worried. A day or two later Thomas is found dead. His death is ruled a suicide. A handsome young man with his whole future ahead of him? Vera is not buying it and so the investigating begins.
For me Vera Wong's Guide To Snooping On A Dead Man took this series to a deeper level. The murder Vera is tasked with solving shines a light on a serious issue that most of us don't know or think about. I can't go into the specifics without revealing too much of the plot. Suffice it to say that fans of book one will be just as pleased, if not more so, with this second Vera Wong mystery.
Oh, this sounds really excellent. Definitely planning to read this at some stage, must check if it's available yet in the UK.
ReplyDeleteI think you will really enjoy book two and the author has said that originally she had planned for the first book to be a stand alone.
DeleteBut she was so touched by how many readers loved book one that she decided to write book two.
This does sound super fun. I still need to read the first one! I'm hoping this summer I'll have time to check both books out. :D
ReplyDeleteI hope you do Lark and I do advise that you begin with the first book because it tells you where Vera has been in her life when the book begins. And you need that first book to really appreciate the second book and the changes for the better that Vera has made.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog
ReplyDeletePlease read my post
ReplyDeleteYay! That's good to know Book 2 lives up to Book 1. I'm still planning on reading these ... Vera does sound charming. I'm glad for your report. It sounds like you liked it maybe even a bit more.
ReplyDeleteIt's a fun and hopeful series and yes I found book two even better than book one and I enjoyed book one alot.
DeleteIt will be at least September before I can read this book or maybe later but I am looking to it. I am glad you liked it so much and felt it was a good addition to the series.
ReplyDeleteIt is a good addition to the series Tracy and even if there is no 3rd. book Jesse Sutanto did a really nice job with these two novels.
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