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Busybodies Collection #2
The Reunion Dinner
A family reunion turns deliciously sinister when a murder threatens to spoil one mother’s big night in this short story from USA Today bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto.
Josephine Ying longs to overthrow Big Uncle as the best host, and after his roast duck incident, she’s finally getting her chance this Chinese New Year. Even better, her son is bringing a surprise. Unfortunately, the surprise turns out to be a gold-digging fiancée—who dies at the dinner table. Her problems just got a lot bigger than hosting the perfect meal. Certain there’s a killer at the table, Josephine sharpens her questions to find them out.
Jesse Q. Sutanto’s The Reunion Dinner is part of Busybodies, a collection of quirky mysteries featuring amateur gumshoes who stumble upon peculiar cases. Calling all snoops! Read or listen to each arresting story in a single sitting.
Josephine Ying longs to overthrow Big Uncle as the best host, and after his roast duck incident, she’s finally getting her chance this Chinese New Year. Even better, her son is bringing a surprise. Unfortunately, the surprise turns out to be a gold-digging fiancée—who dies at the dinner table. Her problems just got a lot bigger than hosting the perfect meal. Certain there’s a killer at the table, Josephine sharpens her questions to find them out.
Jesse Q. Sutanto’s The Reunion Dinner is part of Busybodies, a collection of quirky mysteries featuring amateur gumshoes who stumble upon peculiar cases. Calling all snoops! Read or listen to each arresting story in a single sitting.
35 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 2024
598 people are currently reading
2682 people want to read
About the author
Jesse Q. Sutanto
24 books7,852 followersJesse Q Sutanto grew up shuttling back and forth between Jakarta and Singapore and sees both cities as her homes. She has a Masters degree from Oxford University, though she has yet to figure out a way of saying that without sounding obnoxious. She is currently living back in Jakarta on the same street as her parents and about seven hundred meddlesome aunties. When she's not tearing out her hair over her latest WIP, she spends her time baking and playing FPS games. Oh, and also being a mom to her two kids.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 651 reviews
October 23, 2024
Oh boy, things get wild at the Chinese New Year table! What starts as a case of jealousy quickly escalates into a murder mystery—yup, someone ends up dead at the dinner table! The suspense builds, and just when you think you’ve got it figured out, the story keeps you hooked with a steady pace, leading to an unexpected but satisfying conclusion. Your excitement will be drying up as fast as the mystery unravels!
April 16, 2025
It’s Chinese New Year and the family comes together. Josephine has gone a bit overboard, spending a month planning this special dinner. But her son arrives with a surprise of his own: a gold-digging fiancée. The dinner’s not even over when the fiancée suddenly drops dead. Who could have done it?
It’s basically a family dinner. There are a few good twists in the murder plot that basically reveal themselves through family gossip, which lead us to the killer. It’s a solid little snack of a read in between the proper meal kind of books. It’s an entertaining and light short story.
It’s basically a family dinner. There are a few good twists in the murder plot that basically reveal themselves through family gossip, which lead us to the killer. It’s a solid little snack of a read in between the proper meal kind of books. It’s an entertaining and light short story.
November 18, 2024
3★
“…last year, sick of Big Uncle boasting about his famous roast duck, she’d turned the timer back an extra twenty minutes when no one was looking. The duck had come out so dry it was like gnawing on a piece of plywood, so hard and fibrous that Second Aunt had lost a crown trying to chew it. It had done Big Uncle a world of good to be taken down a peg or two.”
Josephine Ying is finally getting her big chance to gain control of the family’s traditional Chinese New Year dinner. Big Uncle has a broken leg this year and last year’s pork was very dry (see above!), so the family is gathering at her home.
“ ‘Do you think,’ Adam, Josephine’s husband, said as he and Josephine staggered into the kitchen under the weight of a whole roast pig, ‘that perhaps you might’ve gone a bit overboard?’
Josephine grunted. Adam was an Englishman, and even after decades of CNY celebrations, it still hadn’t sunk in just how important it was to go all out for the big reunion dinner.”
As the guests arrive, they are greeted with drinks and food and more drinks and more food. Josephine’s dialogue is slightly stilted English, showing her Chinese background, which emphasises why this dinner might be more important to her than to others.
As they converse, the jealousies and frayed relations become more obvious, as they do at an American Thanksgiving dinner. The story feels as if it were turned out quickly, with a lot of phrases like “a night to remember” and “groaning under the weight of all the food”.
We know we will end with a body and a murder to be solved by an amateur sleuth – that’s what the series is about - but this sleuth has quite a different perspective, which made for an entertaining twist.
This is the second story in Amazon’s #Busybodiescollection of six mysteries. Thanks to #NetGalley for a copy for review.
My reviews of the other stories:
My review of Staged by Elle Cosimano
My review of Crime of Fashion by Emma Rosenblum
My review of The Nosy Neighbor by Nita Prose
My review of One Lucky Subscriber by Kellye Garrett
My review of A Classic Case by Alicia Thompson
“…last year, sick of Big Uncle boasting about his famous roast duck, she’d turned the timer back an extra twenty minutes when no one was looking. The duck had come out so dry it was like gnawing on a piece of plywood, so hard and fibrous that Second Aunt had lost a crown trying to chew it. It had done Big Uncle a world of good to be taken down a peg or two.”
Josephine Ying is finally getting her big chance to gain control of the family’s traditional Chinese New Year dinner. Big Uncle has a broken leg this year and last year’s pork was very dry (see above!), so the family is gathering at her home.
“ ‘Do you think,’ Adam, Josephine’s husband, said as he and Josephine staggered into the kitchen under the weight of a whole roast pig, ‘that perhaps you might’ve gone a bit overboard?’
Josephine grunted. Adam was an Englishman, and even after decades of CNY celebrations, it still hadn’t sunk in just how important it was to go all out for the big reunion dinner.”
As the guests arrive, they are greeted with drinks and food and more drinks and more food. Josephine’s dialogue is slightly stilted English, showing her Chinese background, which emphasises why this dinner might be more important to her than to others.
As they converse, the jealousies and frayed relations become more obvious, as they do at an American Thanksgiving dinner. The story feels as if it were turned out quickly, with a lot of phrases like “a night to remember” and “groaning under the weight of all the food”.
We know we will end with a body and a murder to be solved by an amateur sleuth – that’s what the series is about - but this sleuth has quite a different perspective, which made for an entertaining twist.
This is the second story in Amazon’s #Busybodiescollection of six mysteries. Thanks to #NetGalley for a copy for review.
My reviews of the other stories:
November 3, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
Josephine Ying is finally getting a turn at hosting the family’s annual Chinese New Year dinner and she is determined to make it so memorable that she will be assigned permanent hosting duties!
But, will her son upstage her by bringing a surprise guest who turns out to be a gold-digging fiancée who ends up dying at the dinner table?
To save this dinner, Josephine will have to solve the case of who wanted her dead- THE MOST!
This one was definitely surprising!
Jesse Q. Sutanto (of Vera Wong fame) contributed “The Reunion Dinner” to “Busybodies” described as a collection of quirky mysteries featuring amateur gumshoes who stumble upon peculiar cases.
Read or listen to each cozy story in a single sitting. AVAILABLE NOW for free on AMAZON PRIME or Kindle Unlimited.
Josephine Ying is finally getting a turn at hosting the family’s annual Chinese New Year dinner and she is determined to make it so memorable that she will be assigned permanent hosting duties!
But, will her son upstage her by bringing a surprise guest who turns out to be a gold-digging fiancée who ends up dying at the dinner table?
To save this dinner, Josephine will have to solve the case of who wanted her dead- THE MOST!
This one was definitely surprising!
Jesse Q. Sutanto (of Vera Wong fame) contributed “The Reunion Dinner” to “Busybodies” described as a collection of quirky mysteries featuring amateur gumshoes who stumble upon peculiar cases.
Read or listen to each cozy story in a single sitting. AVAILABLE NOW for free on AMAZON PRIME or Kindle Unlimited.
October 24, 2024
the setup…
This year, Josephine Ying is hosting the Chinese New Year dinner, normally done at the home of Big Uncle (Liuyi). But she now has the chance to break the trend since he broke his leg after an unfortunate fall and Josephine is going all out. She and husband Adam are also excited about their son Keith coming home with a surprise. Unfortunately, that surprise is new fiancée Lacey who they’ve never met or known about. But others at the dinner seem to know her well…and they’re not happy.
the heart of the story…
It’s Josephine’s point of view here as she takes stock of the situation. There’s her sister Yolanda who divorced husband George a year ago and still hasn’t shared why. Her daughter Francine had the most viral reaction when Lacey showed up. And, nephew Porter was awfully uncomfortable at seeing her. Not long after her arrival, Lacey drops dead in the middle of the room! Whodunit?
the narration…
Eunice Wong was pitch perfect as Josephine, keeping me on edge through the end. She was a fantastic storyteller.
the bottom line…
This is a kick of a story that had a plethora of suspects and motives. But, I still wasn’t prepared for that surprise at the end. So very, very clever. Oh, and do yourself a favor…dinner is best served up on audio.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Brilliance Audio for my complimentary copy of the entire Busybodies Collection. All opinions are my own.)
This year, Josephine Ying is hosting the Chinese New Year dinner, normally done at the home of Big Uncle (Liuyi). But she now has the chance to break the trend since he broke his leg after an unfortunate fall and Josephine is going all out. She and husband Adam are also excited about their son Keith coming home with a surprise. Unfortunately, that surprise is new fiancée Lacey who they’ve never met or known about. But others at the dinner seem to know her well…and they’re not happy.
the heart of the story…
It’s Josephine’s point of view here as she takes stock of the situation. There’s her sister Yolanda who divorced husband George a year ago and still hasn’t shared why. Her daughter Francine had the most viral reaction when Lacey showed up. And, nephew Porter was awfully uncomfortable at seeing her. Not long after her arrival, Lacey drops dead in the middle of the room! Whodunit?
the narration…
Eunice Wong was pitch perfect as Josephine, keeping me on edge through the end. She was a fantastic storyteller.
the bottom line…
This is a kick of a story that had a plethora of suspects and motives. But, I still wasn’t prepared for that surprise at the end. So very, very clever. Oh, and do yourself a favor…dinner is best served up on audio.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Brilliance Audio for my complimentary copy of the entire Busybodies Collection. All opinions are my own.)
October 22, 2024
4/5 ⭐️ This was a fun short story with a little murder mystery and I really enjoyed it! It literally took me 30 minutes to read! I hope the other short stories in this collection are just as good as this one 🙏🏼
November 2, 2024
I enjoyed this one - the author packed a lot into this Chinese New Year gathering, including some really good twists.
November 20, 2024
This was so good I decided I needed to read more by the author (she's been sitting on my TBR for a while).
The setting of a family dinner for Chinese New Year really felt on point as we roll into Thanksgiving. I felt Josephine with all her preparation and wanting to have everything go well (and also out Big Uncle). She was a great character to center on and I liked meeting her family. Though this was short it felt like it got a lot in. Lacey Lee (our murder victim) did not die at the outset and when she did, the rest did not feel rushed. I liked how it all came together to reveal the killer in the end and I would have happily read more.
This is the second story I've read in this Kindle Unlimited series. I did not like the first I read but this was great. YMMV.
The setting of a family dinner for Chinese New Year really felt on point as we roll into Thanksgiving. I felt Josephine with all her preparation and wanting to have everything go well (and also out Big Uncle). She was a great character to center on and I liked meeting her family. Though this was short it felt like it got a lot in. Lacey Lee (our murder victim) did not die at the outset and when she did, the rest did not feel rushed. I liked how it all came together to reveal the killer in the end and I would have happily read more.
This is the second story I've read in this Kindle Unlimited series. I did not like the first I read but this was great. YMMV.
October 16, 2024
That was brilliant brilliantly done and I didn't see it coming. And that was bonkers in a good way on to the next story.
Full review: "The Reunion Dinner" follows a Chinese family on Chinese New Year. One of the aunties, Josephine Ying has wanted to host the big annual dinner for the family, and now that her brother/big Uncle is out of commission, she can do it. Everything is going perfectly, except her son Kevin is missing, and when he arrives, pops up with a woman he is engaged to and who has several connections to the family. Too bad she winds up dead and someone in Ying's family has to be the culprit.
Once again, nice send up of "cozy mysteries" here, but there's a darkness in the book that does not get fully realized until the very end when we get some nice reveals. I do think that Sutano did a great job with developing Josephine and her relationships with her husband, son, sister, and other relatives. I don't know how realistic it was though that she would not have heard of her son's fiancée. That part didn't read right when you realize her connections.
As I said though, the ending was really great and that's why I gave this 5 stars, but did not favorite it.
Full review: "The Reunion Dinner" follows a Chinese family on Chinese New Year. One of the aunties, Josephine Ying has wanted to host the big annual dinner for the family, and now that her brother/big Uncle is out of commission, she can do it. Everything is going perfectly, except her son Kevin is missing, and when he arrives, pops up with a woman he is engaged to and who has several connections to the family. Too bad she winds up dead and someone in Ying's family has to be the culprit.
Once again, nice send up of "cozy mysteries" here, but there's a darkness in the book that does not get fully realized until the very end when we get some nice reveals. I do think that Sutano did a great job with developing Josephine and her relationships with her husband, son, sister, and other relatives. I don't know how realistic it was though that she would not have heard of her son's fiancée. That part didn't read right when you realize her connections.
As I said though, the ending was really great and that's why I gave this 5 stars, but did not favorite it.
October 26, 2024
This is the second in the Busybodies Collection, and this one mildly surpassed the first.
I hope the rest are all as much fun!
I hope the rest are all as much fun!
December 28, 2024
A short story reminiscent of Vera Wong and the Aunties series!
Jesse Q. Sutano wowed me with Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders and I am anxiously awaiting the second book in the series which will be published on 4/1/25.
Honestly, I could have read this sooner, but really wanted to wait for the audiobook, expertly read by Eunice Wong.
I was super excited to find out that Wong also narrates The Reunion Dinner! If you haven’t listened to her yet, you are in for a treat!
Josephine Ying is happily preparing to host the annual Chinese New Year celebration. It is finally her turn, and she is determined to continue the tradition. After the extended family assembles, she realizes her son Keith has not yet made an appearance. Where could he be? He said that he was bringing a surprise! When Keith finally arrives, everyone is surprised by his mystery guest. When someone ends up dead, Josephine’s family members are all under suspicion. Who is the real murderer?
I am surprised at how much I am enjoying this short story series considering the lower reviews!
4.5/5 rounded down
Jesse Q. Sutano wowed me with Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders and I am anxiously awaiting the second book in the series which will be published on 4/1/25.
Honestly, I could have read this sooner, but really wanted to wait for the audiobook, expertly read by Eunice Wong.
I was super excited to find out that Wong also narrates The Reunion Dinner! If you haven’t listened to her yet, you are in for a treat!
Josephine Ying is happily preparing to host the annual Chinese New Year celebration. It is finally her turn, and she is determined to continue the tradition. After the extended family assembles, she realizes her son Keith has not yet made an appearance. Where could he be? He said that he was bringing a surprise! When Keith finally arrives, everyone is surprised by his mystery guest. When someone ends up dead, Josephine’s family members are all under suspicion. Who is the real murderer?
I am surprised at how much I am enjoying this short story series considering the lower reviews!
4.5/5 rounded down
December 30, 2024
2.5 stars
Cool twist at the end.
Cool twist at the end.
December 31, 2024
i don’t know what that was but it certainly wasn’t good
January 7, 2025
⭐️⭐️ (2.5)
There was a twist at the end that was fun, but ultimately did not enjoy the characters.
There was a twist at the end that was fun, but ultimately did not enjoy the characters.
October 19, 2024
From Primes Busybodies collection....another murder mystery. Number 2 in the series
January 19, 2025
'Somehow, though, she managed to wrestle a smile onto her face, though it fought her the entire way.'
The Reunion Dinner is such a quick, fun read! I definitely did not figure out who the killer was LOL. Always love that Jesse Q. Sutanto writes older women protagonists. This time it's 60-something Josephine Ying hosting Chinese New Year dinner at her house and things get wild as more and more of her relatives arrive and the dinner goes underway. Also, Lacey gotta be a contender for one of the most terrible characters in fiction like damn.
Highly recommend!
The Reunion Dinner is such a quick, fun read! I definitely did not figure out who the killer was LOL. Always love that Jesse Q. Sutanto writes older women protagonists. This time it's 60-something Josephine Ying hosting Chinese New Year dinner at her house and things get wild as more and more of her relatives arrive and the dinner goes underway. Also, Lacey gotta be a contender for one of the most terrible characters in fiction like damn.
Highly recommend!
December 5, 2024
I have been plowing through Amazon's short stories to clear my palette between longer novels, and if it adds to my Reading Challenger stats, well, that's the game we play. ;-)
Anyway, not all Amazon stories (even by stellar authors) are worthy of more than 3 stars, but this one delivered by painting appealing (and not so appealing) characters and crafting a quick, little complicated mystery. It was great fun. I'll be adding this author's Vera Wong mysteries to my list.
Anyway, not all Amazon stories (even by stellar authors) are worthy of more than 3 stars, but this one delivered by painting appealing (and not so appealing) characters and crafting a quick, little complicated mystery. It was great fun. I'll be adding this author's Vera Wong mysteries to my list.
October 28, 2024
I just love this author's sense of humor.
November 29, 2024
okay i love the family drama in this book
October 20, 2024
I enjoyed this one a lot. I haven’t read any from this author yet, but I want to now. I love that about these Amazon series, it always introduces me to authors I haven’t read in a fun way.
October 19, 2024
What a mess but an unexpected ending. Loved it
May 7, 2025
Long winded to say the least. It is a very short story and the amount of introductions of characters that were not important to the plot not to mention food and small talk was over the top.
The ending left me puzzled and confused, it came from nowhere. Instead of discussing so many food items a little bit of the psychological aspect of each characters was in order.
The ending left me puzzled and confused, it came from nowhere. Instead of discussing so many food items a little bit of the psychological aspect of each characters was in order.
October 19, 2024
Omg yikes I wasn’t expecting THAT.
December 8, 2024
Yeah, okay.. I saw that coming but the buildup was not what I was expecting 🤡
January 21, 2025
Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰
This kindle e-book novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account book two of six
They are having a family reunion party but their son is late. He shows up with his fiance. She ends up dead. Who? Why?
I would recommend this series and various authors to readers of romantic family and friends relationships adventure mystery novels 👍🔰. 2025 😡😀
This kindle e-book novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account book two of six
They are having a family reunion party but their son is late. He shows up with his fiance. She ends up dead. Who? Why?
I would recommend this series and various authors to readers of romantic family and friends relationships adventure mystery novels 👍🔰. 2025 😡😀
October 21, 2024
How can you not love a good plot twist?!
↠ 4 stars
Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
↠ 4 stars
Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
October 22, 2024
Busybodies Collection
Source: Audible via KindleUnlimited
Dates Read: 10/18/24 - 10/22/24
Average Stars: 3 Stars
Staged - Elle Cosimano - 2.5 Stars - Lyda, Dani - This may have suffered from being too quick. There’s only so much you can do in 43 pages so the mystery was figured out very quickly.
The Reunion Dinner - Jesse Q. Sutanto - 4.5 Stars - Josephine Ying and Family - Now THIS is how you do a short mystery. I was hollering in the car at the twists. And my jaw dropped at the conclusion. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Crime of Fashion - Emma Rosenblum - 2 Stars - ??? - Way too many characters and they were boring. I will admit the fashion world is not my thing so it is difficult to get my interest.
The Nosy Neighbor - Nita Prose - 3 Stars < /i> - Marge, Doris - This one had me messed up. Imagine living across from a psychopath ".
One Lucky Subscriber - Kellye Garrett - 3 Stars - Kennedy, other players, “Kid” - Another meh story for me. The premise was interesting but the characters feel flat. I did like the twist though.
A Classic Case - Alicia Tompson - 3.5 Stars - Audrey, Grant, Mr Hoffman - This one leaned a lot more romance than thriller to me, even with the “missing” Character. The characters were cute and it was nice to learn a little something about them.
Source: Audible via KindleUnlimited
Dates Read: 10/18/24 - 10/22/24
Average Stars: 3 Stars
Staged - Elle Cosimano - 2.5 Stars - Lyda, Dani - This may have suffered from being too quick. There’s only so much you can do in 43 pages so the mystery was figured out very quickly.
The Reunion Dinner - Jesse Q. Sutanto - 4.5 Stars - Josephine Ying and Family - Now THIS is how you do a short mystery. I was hollering in the car at the twists. And my jaw dropped at the conclusion. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Crime of Fashion - Emma Rosenblum - 2 Stars - ??? - Way too many characters and they were boring. I will admit the fashion world is not my thing so it is difficult to get my interest.
The Nosy Neighbor - Nita Prose - 3 Stars < /i> - Marge, Doris - This one had me messed up. Imagine living across from a psychopath ".
One Lucky Subscriber - Kellye Garrett - 3 Stars - Kennedy, other players, “Kid” - Another meh story for me. The premise was interesting but the characters feel flat. I did like the twist though.
A Classic Case - Alicia Tompson - 3.5 Stars - Audrey, Grant, Mr Hoffman - This one leaned a lot more romance than thriller to me, even with the “missing” Character. The characters were cute and it was nice to learn a little something about them.
November 22, 2024
The perfect dinner, the perfect setting, and the perfect host all add up to the perfect Chinese New Year.
That is until Josephine's son arrives with his new fiancee, a woman who has more enemies at the dinner than friends.
And then she has the audacity to get murdered....
It's a brilliant short story!
That is until Josephine's son arrives with his new fiancee, a woman who has more enemies at the dinner than friends.
And then she has the audacity to get murdered....
It's a brilliant short story!
March 17, 2025
I wasn't expecting the twist ending, but also don't know how much it works with everything previous. Either way, this is my sign to read more by this author. I have now enjoyed this one and The Obsession.
December 6, 2024
3,75, uwielbiam Jesse Q Sutanto ale to by było dużo lepsze gdyby to była full length książka 🙈
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