Jesse Q Sutanto – Jill Grinberg Literary Management

Jesse Q Sutanto

Jesse Q Sutanto is an award-winning author of books for adults and young readers. Her debut romcom, Dial A for Aunties, was an instant IndieBound bestseller, an Amazon Best Book of 2021 and Editors’ Choice, and won the UK’s Comedy Women in Print prize. Her recent releases include Four Aunties and a Wedding, named an Amazon Best Book of the Month, and Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit, her debut middle grade novel and the first in a planned duology. Her forthcoming books include Well, That Was Unexpected, her first YA romcom; Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, a comedic murder-mystery; I’m Not Done With You Yet, her first thriller for adults; and a third and fourth novel in the Aunties series. She is also the author of the YA thrillers The Obsession and The New Girl. She received her Masters from the University of Oxford. She grew up in Indonesia and Singapore and currently lives in Jakarta with her husband and two daughters.

Agent

Katelyn Detweiler

I'm Not Done With You Yet

DIAL A FOR AUNTIES author Jesse Sutanto’s I’M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET, pitched as THE PLOT meets YOU, about the complex and twisted friendship between two women writers—one successful and the other not—and the obsession one has with the other, exploring racial stereotypes, classism, and social status, to Cindy Hwang at Berkley, in a five-book deal, for publication in 2023, by Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management (NA).

Publisher

Berkley

Publication Date

2023

Age Category

Adult

Genre

Thriller

Rights

JGLM

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

A lonely shopkeeper takes it upon herself to solve a murder in the most peculiar way in this captivating mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.

Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady—ah, lady of a certain age—who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her Gen-Z son is up to.

Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing—a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn’t know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of . . . swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could, because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands. Vera knows the killer will be back for the flash drive; all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer.

What Vera does not expect is to form friendships with her customers and start to care for each and every one of them. As a protective mother hen, will she end up having to give one of her newfound chicks to the police?

Publisher

Berkley

Publication Date

March 13, 2023

Age Category

Adult

Genre

Mystery/Comedy

Rights

JGLM

Well, That Was Unexpected

An outrageous, laugh-out-loud YA rom-com about a girl who’s whisked from LA to her mother’s native Indonesia to get back to her roots and finds herself fake-dating the son of one of the wealthiest families there, from the author of Dial A for Aunties.

After Sharlot Citra’s mother catches her in a compromising position, she finds herself whisked away from LA to her mother’s native Indonesia. It’ll be exactly what they both need. Or so her mother thinks.

When George Clooney Tanuwijaya’s father (who is obsessed with American celebrities) fears he no longer understands how to get through to his son, he decides to take matters into his own hands.

To ensure that their children find the right kind of romantic partner, Sharlot’s mother and George’s father do what any “good” parent would do: they strike up a conversation online, pretending to be their children.

When the kids find out about their parents’ actions, they’re horrified. Not even a trip to one of the most romantic places on earth could possibly make Sharlot and George fall for each other. But as the layers peel back and the person they thought they knew from online is revealed, the truth becomes more complicated. As unlikely as it may seem, did their parents manage to find their true match after all?

Praise for Well, That Was Unexpected

“A delightfully lively rom-com.” –Kirkus

“WELL, THAT WAS UNEXPECTED is a delightful, hilarious, captivating love letter to Indonesia, and coming of age in a large meddlesome family, and the thrill of finding your person where you least expect it!” –Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis

Publisher

Delacorte

Publication Date

September 27, 2022

Age Category

Young Adult

Genre

Romantic Comedy

Rights

JGLM

Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit

After inheriting a grieving fox spirit, a Chinese American boy must learn to embrace his heritage to solve the mystery of his brother’s death in Jesse Q Sutanto’s magical, action-packed middle grade fantasy, Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit.

Theo Tan doesn’t want a spirit companion. He just wants to be a normal American kid, playing video games, going to conventions, and using cirth pendants to cast his spells like everyone else. But, when his older brother dies, Theo ends up inheriting Jamie’s fox spirit, Kai.

Kai isn’t happy about this either. Theo is nothing like Jamie, and the two of them have never gotten along. But, when they realize the mysterious journal Jamie left Theo is filled with clues and secret codes, it’s clear that something strange was going on with Jamie’s internship at Reapling Corp.

But the only way onto the campus is the highly competitive “Know Your Roots” summer camp program, a celebration of Chinese and Indian cultures designed to help connect students with their heritage. Theo and Kai will have to put aside their differences long enough to honor Jamie’s last wishes, or the mystery he died for will remain unsolved forever…

Praise for Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit

“”Heart-felt and heart-pounding, this book will have you cheering Theo on as he sets out to find the magic of his heritage! (Both figurative and literal!)” –Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Iron Widow

“This is a natural choice for kids who like Rick Riordan’s brand of mythology-fueled fantasy adventures, and it will be an especially good read-alike for Laurence Yep’s classic Tiger’s Apprentice series, another action-packed fantasy with a distinct Asian perspective that pairs ancient Chinese mythology with modern San Francisco.” –Booklist

“Kai, the wily fox spirit, is a star, all sass and blustery confidence covering up her shattered heart, bereft of her human companion. Her shapeshifting is a boon to their quest, and it carries them both as Theo slowly comes into his own as a smart, capable co-hero in their adventure.” –BCCB

“In Theo and Kai’s alternating perspectives, Sutanto weaves the duo’s shared grief and path to healing with Theo’s journey toward embracing his Chinese heritage in this rewarding fantasy adventure.” –Publishers Weekly

“Readers dependent on their own technological devices might take a lesson from the book’s message about finding resources within—or perhaps they’ll just enjoy this engrossing mystery set among ancient Chinese spirit grudges and modern-day corporate malfeasance.” –The Horn Book

Publisher

Imprint/Macmillan

Publication Date

May 31, 2022

Age Category

Middle Grade

Genre

Fantasy

Rights

Macmillan

Dial A for Aunties (Aunties #1)

An IndieBound bestseller

What happens when you mix 1 (accidental) murder with 2 thousand wedding guests, and then toss in a possible curse on 3 generations of an immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family?

You get 4 meddling Asian aunties coming to the rescue!

When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working at an island resort on the California coastline. It’s the biggest job yet for the family wedding business—”Don’t leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!”—and nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntie’s perfect buttercream flowers.

But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy’s great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life, and pull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend?

Praise for Dial A for Aunties

“Comparisons to Crazy Rich Asians are apt, as the author details the wild spending and luxurious lifestyles of the superrich. But this story is filled with mistaken identity, a gaggle of intoxicated groomsmen, five lovably hilarious sisters, and slapstick humor that leans more toward the film Clue. Readers will die for the delightfully absurd hijinks in this dark comedy.” –Kirkus Reviews

“A hilarious, heartfelt romp of a novel about—what else?—accidental murder and the bond of family. This book had me laughing aloud within its first five pages… Utterly clever, deeply funny, and altogether charming, this book is sure to be one of the best of the year!” –Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read

“Sutanto brilliantly infuses comedy and culture into the unpredictable rom-com/murder mystery mashup as Meddy navigates familial duty, possible arrest and a groomzilla. I laughed out loud and you will too.” –USA Today

Publisher

Berkley

Publication Date

April 27, 2021

Age Category

Adult

Genre

Mystery/Romance

Rights

JGLM

Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties #2)

The aunties are back, fiercer than ever and ready to handle any catastrophe—even the mafia—in this delightful and hilarious sequel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties.

Meddy Chan has been to countless weddings, but she never imagined how her own would turn out. Now the day has arrived, and she can’t wait to marry her college sweetheart, Nathan. Instead of having Ma and the aunts cater to her wedding, Meddy wants them to enjoy the day as guests. As a compromise, they find the perfect wedding vendors: a Chinese-Indonesian family-run company just like theirs. Meddy is hesitant at first, but she hits it off right away with the wedding photographer, Staphanie, who reminds Meddy of herself, down to the unfortunately misspelled name.

Meddy realizes that is where their similarities end, however, when she overhears Staphanie talking about taking out a target. Horrified, Meddy can’t believe Staphanie and her family aren’t just like her own, they are The Family—actual mafia, and they’re using Meddy’s wedding as a chance to conduct shady business. Her aunties and mother won’t let Meddy’s wedding ceremony become a murder scene—over their dead bodies—and will do whatever it takes to save her special day, even if it means taking on the mafia.

Praise for Four Aunties and a Wedding

“Sutanto deftly blends preposterous humor (British slang, mafia posers) with enduring devotion to prove ‘there is no right or wrong way to ‘being Asian.’'” –Booklist

“Charming, chaotic, and sometimes ridiculous, this tale will appeal to anyone who both adores and is embarrassed by their family, which is just about everyone.” –Publishers Weekly

“You can’t help but get a kick out of the auntie’s outrageous stunts and their even bigger hearts. Keep your friends close and these four aunties closer.” –Kirkus

“Sutanto pushes you to the edge of your seat with this suspenseful rom-com that infuses humor and heritage.” –USA Today

Publisher

Berkley

Publication Date

March 29, 2022

Age Category

Adut

Genre

Mystery/Romance

Rights

JGLM