Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

 

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers / Jesse Q. Sutanto
NY: Berkeley, c2023
338 p.

This one was a hoot! Vera Wong is a sixty year old Chinese tea shop owner; her small shop, Vera Wang’s World- Famous Teahouse, in San Francisco, is tiny and pretty much forgotten. She's set in her routine of one daily visitor, and making calls to her busy son, until one morning she comes downstairs to find a dead body in her shop. Of course she calls the police, but before they get there she helps them by drawing an outline around the body in Sharpie, and inexplicably pocketing a flash drive she finds in the dead man's hand. 

She knows that she will be a better investigator than the police, who don't seem to believe it was a murder. Vera gathers her suspects, but begins to befriend them as she investigates. The change that her homegrown investigation brings to her life spice it up immensely, and she is busy and involved in other lives again -- so much so that her son begins to call her, wondering why he's not receiving constant texts and messages from her anymore. 

It's entertaining, with lots of description of teas and amazing food (don't read it while hungry). And while Vera is a bit of a stereotype, it's a loving depiction. The plot is fairly easy for a careful reader to guess, but the variety of characters and all their interactions keep you reading. It's a light and enjoyable story with some fun elements, and also a few deeper themes to consider. There's also a thread about art which I thought was fascinating.

The only issue I had with it is that Vera Wong is only in her sixties...not an old woman like she comes across in the book. Anyhow, aside from that I really enjoyed this quick and entertaining read. It's a fresh entry into the cozy murder mystery world, and I'd recommend it.

A Distinctly Bookish Tea!

As longtime readers may know, I'm a big tea drinker as well as a reader -- "tea & books" is one of the best combos I can think of.

Last year, I worked with our local tea store, Distinctly Tea, to develop an Evergreen Tea Blend in celebration of the Ontario Library Association's Evergreen Award (part of the Forest of Reading). It was a special "Evergreen" blend made up of organic green tea with a touch of piney, smokey Lapsang Souchong. It's the signature blend, but it's also one that divides tea drinkers into those who love lapsang and those who really, really don't. (I love this blend by the way, and it's still available)

This year, thanks to the continued enthusiasm of Dianne Krempien, tea sommelier and owner of Distinctly Tea, we've created a new blend. Introducing....

the Evergreen OWL Blend!

(Orange With Lime Rooibos blend)

It's $10 for the 75 gram tin; it is a delicious, fruity non-caffeinated blend that smells absolutely luscious. I can attest to its yum factor both as a hot tea and as iced tea. And because it's non-caffeinated while being revivifying, you can have it day and night, and it's great for kids too. (tea party, anyone?) And don't forget to check out the Ontario Library Association's 2015 Evergreen Nominees for some fantastic reading suggestions to go along with your tea.

Distinctly Tea ships outside of Canada, and are generously donating 30% of sales to my library. Celebrating great reading with a marvellous tea, how could it be better? I encourage you to take a look -- order online or use it as a reason to come and visit Stratford!

But be sure to say hello if you do ;)

I Love Books, and I Love Tea...

Hello my tea loving friends... Like many of us, my love for books is nearly matched by my love of tea. After all, even the great C.S. Lewis felt this way --

Because of this, I've been working on a project lately which is near to my heart: a tea blend to celebrate the Evergreen Award run by the Ontario Library Association. My local tea shop, Distinctly Tea, is one of my regular hangouts, and the owners are fabulous -- they're certified tea sommeliers who are fantastic at recommending and sharing new teas (even if I usually stick to my regular order!) Dianne Krampien, the community-minded owner, created a new blend, the fully organic Evergreen Blend, in honour of this award, and is giving a portion of the proceeds to my local library (and employer), the Stratford Public Library.

Take a look! 

It's only $10 for a 75 gram tin, and if you're a tea drinker, it's a delicious blend of a sweet, mild green tea with a pinch of lapsang souchong. It has a smoky, campfire scent, which only comes out faintly in the flavour. If you can't get away to the lake this summer, have a cup of this in the backyard and you'll feel like you're ready to start singing Kumbaya ;)

It's available online -- or, it's just another excuse to come visit us here in Stratford!


(all the details can also be found on our library blog)

The Attractive Rattle of Tea Things

Today I thought I'd share a few quotes from Pym's work about one of my own favourite subjects, and one she talks about extensively... Tea!

Perhaps there can be too much making of cups of tea, I thought, as I watched Miss Statham filling the heavy teapot. Did we really need a cup of tea? I even said as much to Miss Statham and she looked at me with a hurt, almost angry look, 'Do we need tea? she echoed. 'But Miss Lathbury...' She sounded puzzled and distressed and I began to realise that my question had struck at something deep and fundamental. It was the kind of question that starts a landslide in the mind. I mumbled something about making a joke and that of course one needed tea always, at every hour of the day or night.

 ~Excellent Women

I was so astonished that I could think of nothing to say, but wondered irrelevantly if I was to be caught with a teapot in my hand on every dramatic occasion.

~ Excellent Women

‘Do you know, Wilmet—’ the dark eyes looked so seriously into mine that I wondered what horror was going to be revealed next — ‘he hadn’t even got a teapot?’

‘Goodness! How did he make tea, then?’

‘He didn’t — he never made tea! Just fancy!’

‘Well, one doesn’t really associate Piers with drinking tea,’ I said.

‘He drinks it now,’ said Keith, in such a governessy tone that I began to feel almost sorry for Piers.

~ A Glass of Blessings

Ianthe was not the type to pour herself a glass of sherry or gin as soon as she got home from a day's work, nor yet to make a cup of tea. One did not make tea at half-past six in the evening like the 'working classes', as her mother would have called them.

~ An Unsuitable Attachment

It was to be a confrontation in daylight and at the tea table, Leonora realised, dealing as calmly as she could with the business of getting an extra cup and saucer and pouring tea.

-- The Sweet Dove Died

‘There is tea over here,’ said a voice at Dulcie’s elbow, and she found Miss Wellcome standing by her. ‘You take a plate and choose what you want, then pay for what you have — a good idea, I think.’

‘Yes, isn’t it — and rather like life,’ said Dulcie. ‘Except that there you can’t always choose exactly what you want.

— No Fond Return of Love

The subject of Miss Clovis’s quarrel with the President was known only to a privileged few and even those knew no more than that it had something to do with the making of tea. Not that the making of tea can ever really be regarded as a petty or trivial matter and Miss Clovis did seem to have been seriously at fault. Hot water from the tap had been used, the kettle had not been quite boiling, the teapot had not been warmed…whatever the details, there had been words, during the course of which other things had come out, things of a darker nature.

-- Less Than Angels

She went out of the room and I could hear her filling a kettle and collecting china. I also heard a step on the stairs and Julian's voice saying, “May I come up? I can hear the attractive rattle of tea things. I hope I'm not too late?”

~ Excellent Women

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And of course I must share once again the delightful mixture of tea and libraries that I found recently in a history of my local library from 40 years ago -- the last page had only this: