Richard Osman hits pause on his mega-bestselling Thursday Murder Club franchise to introduce readers to a loveable new cast and series headlined by a dynamic crime-solving duo in We Solve Murders, a fiendishly clever, brilliantly witty, and hopelessly addictive mystery that easily stands among the year’s very best.
Amy Wheeler lives for excitement, so when the young private security officer has an opportunity to head to a remote island to help protect Rosie D’Antonio, the world’s most famous author, she jumps at the chance to take on the plum assignment. The downside to the gig is that Amy will see very little of her husband, Adam, who works in finance and juggles a travel-heavy schedule, but the two have learned to overcome the obstacles to make their marriage work. It helps, too, that Amy is so close with Adam’s dad, her father-in-law, Steve, a retired London police officer, whom she speaks to often. They’re a close family, with Amy and the widowed Steve sharing a special relationship filled with daily phone calls and similar worldviews to go with their dry but witty sense of humor.
At first, things on the island off the coast of South Carolina are going well. But things take a turn when a number of clients that Amy’s employer, Maximum Impact Solutions, has been charged with protected start turning up dead. For reasons she can’t explain, each death can be linked to her, making Amy a prime suspect in the killings, which later leads to her being targeted by a former Navy SEAL co-worker who attempts to bring her down. Of course, others have their sights set on Amy and her protectee as well, including some shady Russians who didn’t take kindly to some of the things Rosie D’Antonio wrote about in her books. Desperate to save Rosie and keep them both alive, Amy takes the author on the run before calling on Steve, the only person she can trust to help her make sense of whatever is going on.
Armed with all the resources the world’s most famous author can provide, including a private jet and near-unlimited funds, Amy, Steve, and Rosie go on a harrowing, epic adventure in hopes of uncovering the truth in order to solve a string of murders and make sense of the mayhem playing out all around them.
The Thursday Murder Club franchise soared to unthinkable heights, in part, due to readers’ love of Richard Osman’s character-rich universe. Understandably, many were less than thrilled when news broke earlier this year that the British TV personality turned #1 bestseller would be taking a break from the Thursday gang to launch a new series in 2024. Fear not, though, because Osman seems to have struck gold again with Amy and Steve, who share a wholesome bond and embody many of the traits found in characters from his other works. Amy is a go-getter with a deep drive and an unwavering loyalty to her father-in-law, whose dry wit perfectly compliments Amy and Rosie. Even when he’s not trying to be funny, much of Steve’s dialogue is hilarious, but what’s most impressive is that Osman continues to paint his cast in a charming light. And make no mistake, there is charm galore here, but it works in the kind of way that only Richard Osman seems able to pull off without it feeling forced or cheesy. There are some slick twists and misdirection, but for the most part, as has always been the case with Osman’s mysteries, it’s less about whodunit and more about who is trying to solve the case, which is just fine because the real fun is hanging with Amy, Steve, and Rosie for a few hundred pages.
From the #1 bestselling author of The Thursday Murder Club Series comes a fun new mystery that blends humor, heart, and high-stakes thrills as a loveable new duo embarks on a high-octane adventure across the globe, outwitting killers and unraveling a tangled conspiracy in the process. Brimming with Osman’s signature wit and irresistible charm, We Solve Murders is a bloody-good romp and a brilliant first outing for what promises to be another mega-hit series that demands a follow-up—and soon.
Book Details
Author: Richard Osman
Series: We Solve Murders #1
Pages: 400 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 059365322X
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Release Date: September 17, 2024
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor in addition to running TRBS. He is the author of FIELDS OF FIRE, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr says “will leave you speechless and begging for more,” LETHAL RANGE, OUT FOR BLOOD, and TED BELL’S MONARCH. For more information, follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and BookBub. To interact with other readers and talk about your favorite books and authors, join The Real Book Spy’s Discord server.