Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

" I look at the ceiling. Pretty sure that when Glad was planning their marketing campaign, they didn’t think their target market would be a bunch of middle-aged Chinese women arguing about how to best dispose of a body.”

I’ve been in a little bit of a reading slump if you couldn’t tell. Most books I would usually run to read just didn’t sound all that appealing anymore. This happens every now and again, so I knew the right book would pull me right on out of that slump. Dial A For Aunties was on my most anticipated reads for 2021 list! I pride myself on trying to pick good diverse authors for all my list and this one really caught my eye. It had some months to go till it was released when I first read up on it, so I knew patience was going to be a virtue waiting for this. I am pleased to say my patience paid off!

Disposing of a dead body is most definitely a stressful situation, and add onto that trying to work the wedding of two billionaire families?! When Maddelin Chan accidentally kills her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls her even more meddlesome aunties to help dispose of the body. That ends up being a much harder task than anticipated, especially when it is accidentally shipped in a cake cooler to the outrageously over the top billionaire wedding that the whole family is working. It’s the biggest job yet for the Chan wedding business and nothing will get in the way of the aunties succeeding, even a dead body. But things go from bad to downright horrible when Meddy’s first love/ biggest heartbreak makes a surprise appearance during the wedding chaos. Can Meddy escape murder charges, win her ex back, and pull off the wedding of the century?!

I don’t think I realized before I was reading this, how much of a murder mystery Dial A For Aunties is. The entire novel is one big mystery with many different parts. Not only about how will these crazy Chan women dispose of the body but by a much bigger mystery. I can’t say too much because that would ruin half the book! Duh! By the end, the mystery took me by surprise and I was pleasantly surprised by the conclusion! I love a book about a crazy, large family and that’s exactly what this book is full of. The Chan women were some of the funniest characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading about. The way they supported and loved one another was heartwarming to read about. Yes what they decided to do to keep their niece out of trouble was most definitely illegal and insane. But it also showed just how much the Chan women loved each other and took care of one another. It was the epitome of a truly supportive family.

This book has many moving parts. While there's a huge mystery, a lot of the book has to do with Meddy running into her first true love again. The novel flashes back from past to present, to show how they met, fell in love, and how their romance sadly ended. Nathan is Meddy’s first love and they run into each other again during the wedding the Chans are working. Nathan is sweet, kind, and it broke my heart reading how hurt he was after their breakup. The romance plays a part in the novel but I enjoyed how it only added to the plot. It wasn’t too overbearing and it made sense with the plot. I can’t stand when author just throw in romantic plot line and there’s no need for it. It also showed how Meddy allowed her perception of how overbearing her family was to ruin things for her. Meddy is a relatable and hilarious narrator. She’s quick on her feet and made decisions I would’ve made myself. Especially in moments where everything was one big smoking hot mess!

I would easily rate Dial A For Aunties 4 out of 5 stars! It was an enjoyable read that had me cracking up laughing out loud. Meddy and her family made some of the funniest, craziest situations I’ve read about in awhile. This book definitely got me out of my book slump! This is a great read for anyone who wants to laugh, solve a mystery, or just enjoy a lighthearted book. You won’t regret reading this one!