Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block

"I don't know if I like spotted dick, is sounding quite unhygienic." ~ 39%

A funny cozy mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto? Sign me up! 

In this new fiction novel from the bestselling author of the Vera Wong series, we are introduced to a nearly divorced housewife who enrolls in cooking school to win back her husband. Mebel is 63 years old. Retirement should be long-awaited trips, not a husband of more than forty years announcing he's leaving for their 20-something-year-old private chef. But Mebel has the perfect plan to win him back: learn how to cook!

Oh, you want a chef, not a trophy wife? Bet, Mebel said! So she enrolls at the renowned Saint Honoré School of Culinary Arts in France. Then realizes it is really in a small village outside of Oxford. Mebel adjusts and befriends a much younger classmate named Gemma. When Gemma stops showing up for class, Mebel's goal turns into finding out what—or who—caused her friend's sudden disappearance. 

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block has a clever title and unique premise. I love a good found family trope. The jokes were there, true to Sutanto's writing style. Let this be exhibit fittylem that Sutanto can write the hell out of an older Chinese woman character. I always learn tidbits about Chinese-Indonesian culture while reading her books. Even though this one seemed a bit over the top, it was an enjoyable read.

Happy Early Pub Day to Jesse Q. Sutanto! Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block will be available Tuesday, April 28.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Published: April 2026
Pages: 304
Edition: Galley
Genre: Cozy Mystery Romance
Rating: 🖤 🖤