Vera Wong has opinions. Lots of them. And she shares them freely. She knows just how life ought to be lived and urges those around her to follow her example. The trouble is there aren't too many people around her. She is a widow, her business is in steep decline, and she has advised/nagged her only son unmercifully, so he avoids her. Then one morning, everything changes. Vera comes downstairs at 4:30 a.m. as usual and finds a dead man in her tea room.
Vera has watched CSI and the police do not meet her expectations. She decides that the man has been murdered and that is up to her to find the killer. Once the man has been identified and the murder has been publicized, several people show up at the tea room. Vera questions them and informs them that they are suspects. And then she bosses them all around. Miss Marple she is not.
There is gentle humour here, often making me smile as I read. But there are serious undertones. The loneliness of isolated seniors. The difficulty of family relationships. The predatory behaviour that takes advantage of innocent people. Sutanto does is all seamlessly without getting preachy.
If you enjoy this book, I would also recommend Aunty Lee's Delights by Ovidia Yu. Aunty Lee is an older Singaporean lady who also cooks up a storm and investigates, albeit more smoothly than Vera. Both are women of a certain age who have curiosity and the desire to help others.
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