Vera Wong has solved one murder, and formed a small family in the process. But Vera isn’t satisfied with just one triumph so when a distressed young woman called Millie stumbles into her tea shop, it’s time to spring into action – well, as much as an elderly Chinese tea-seller can spring, that is.

With her stunning ability to befriend/force her way into the lives of nearly anyone – and sneaking a look at the case file as well – Vera is soon on the hunt for Millie’s missing friend Thomas. Or should that be Xander? As Vera gets closer to the truth, however, things are going to get dangerous, and not just for Vera…

The second book featuring Vera Wong. You’ll remember, of course, that I really enjoyed Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice To Murderers. The character of Vera was a breath of fresh air, it was a genuinely funny book and was full of surprises.

This book is more of the same but without the novelty of the format, it enables the reader, as is often the case with book two in an original style of series, to take a perhaps slightly more critical look, without the “wow” factor.

And to me, it’s a book of two halves. The characters, especially Vera, are superb and genuinely funny and affectionate. But the mystery – which you may recall is the point of this blog – I found rather lacking. It is a very slow burn and there’s no great reveal. Perhaps that’s the point, as the darkness of the crimes are in direct contrast to the setting, and when they directly clash, it is very effective.

All in all, though, I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first one – there just didn’t seem to be as much plot as I would have liked. But if you’re after enchanting characters and (eventually) uplifting stories, then this could be just for you.

Vera Wong’s Guide To Snooping (On A Dead Man) is out this Thursday from HQ. Many thanks for review copy via NetGalley.