Judges’ Comments
The lonely owner of a struggling tea-emporium finds a new lease of life after discovering the body of a dead man in the middle of her shop and devoting her cunning, charm, and a significant amount of home-cooking to solving his murder. A tale of widowhood, friendship, and finding your tribe in the least likely of situations. This warm hug of a book will have you rooting for its cast of unlikely characters from beginning to end. And did we mention the food Part part mystery, part Chinese-mum’s guide-to-life; Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice to Murderers is the self-help book you never knew you needed. Pop some fresh tea in a pot and settle in, because this heartwarming and hilarious riot of a novel “leaves” you wanting more!