We Solve Murders

Richard Osman introduces fans to a new detective duo in We Solve Murders, the first book in a new mystery series. Amy Wheeler works in private security. She’s currently on a private island off the coast of South Carolina guarding bestselling author Rosie D’Antonio. In the nearby waters, a dead body and a bag of money are found on a yacht. Amy calls her father-in-law, Steve Wheeler, for help.

All of the primary and main secondary characters are well-drawn. Amy loves adrenaline and hates relaxing. She’s loyal, good at fighting, strong, and fast, but lacks experience with murder investigations. She’s married to Steve’s son, Adam. They love each other, but spend most of their time apart as they both travel extensively for their jobs. It seems to work for them at this point in their lives. Steve is a retired police officer who is enjoying his familiar routines including the weekly pub quiz, sitting on his favorite bench, and spending time with his cat, Trouble. His relationship with Adam is somewhat strained, but he talks almost daily with Amy. He handles the occasional local investigation. He helps people when he can and is steadfast and resilient. Rosie is an extremely successful author who loves adventure and is brash and funny.

What a whirlwind of a book! Readers are taken on a trip around the world as Amy and Steve, with help from Rosie, work to solve various murders. From South Carolina to England to St. Lucia to Ireland and Dubai, this duo is joined by Rosie and others as they try to unravel the mystery.

Blended with humor, the twisty plot has several puzzles to be resolved before the criminal mastermind can be unveiled. My biggest quibble is that the story switches points of view frequently which adversely affected the pacing of the story for me. These transitions weren’t as smooth as I expected. Despite this, the dialogue, relationships, great characterization, and humor, as well as the mystery, kept me fully engaged in the story. Readers get insight into the lives of several of the criminals in this novel which adds another layer of context and interest. Threads of family, friendship, connections, loss of a loved one, communication, social media influencers, corruption, justice, and criminal organizations add depth to the novel.

Overall, this was an entertaining, fun, and delightful novel with some tense moments that kept me engaged throughout. It’s a good start to a new series. I’m looking forward to seeing where the author takes this dynamic trio on their next adventure.

PENGUIN GROUP Viking – Pamela Dorman Books and Richard Osman provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for September 17, 2024.