We Solve Murders by Richard Osman: A review


 Having previously read and enjoyed two Richard Osman mysteries - The Thursday Murder Club and The Last Devil to Die - I couldn't resist when I saw he had a new one out. So, once again, I abandoned my planned reading list and jumped right on it.

In We Solve Murders, Osman introduces us to some new characters:

Amy Wheeler is a private security guard who works at protecting VIPs. She is married to Adam, a man who she almost never sees. At the time that we meet them, they are on opposite side sides of the world. Strangely enough, it is a very happy marriage. (Or maybe that isn't so strange.) Her closest relationship seems to be with her father-in-law, Steve Wheeler.

Steve is a widower who is still grieving for his beloved wife and still talks to her every day, telling her about the events of that day. He is a retired cop and presently a private investigator. He is known at his local pub as a quiz and puzzle expert. He is a lover of cats, especially his own, named Trouble, and he can't resist a stray. And, of course, he is devoted to Amy.

Rosie D'Antonio is the VIP that Amy is presently charged with protecting. She is probably in her 80s, although her actual age is unknown, but she lives like a much younger person. Rosie is a successful and very famous writer. In her latest book, she has a character who seems a bit too close in description to a Russian oligarch named Vasiliy Karpin. That has earned her the unwanted attention of said oligarch and is the reason she needs protection.

Amy and Rosie, along with a former Navy Seal named Kevin who is now a chef, take refuge on a private South Carolina island. When an "influencer" named Andrew Fairbanks is found murdered on a yacht near the island, Amy realizes it is time to move on. She enlists Steve's help and together they drag Rosie with them as they embark on a heart-stopping adventure always just one step ahead of the hitmen who have been sent to eliminate Rosie. 

And who is the person sending those hitmen? His name is François Loubet. He is a powerful money smuggler whose modus operandi is sending influencers on fake jobs and using them to move his money around the world. Will Amy and Steve be able to outsmart Loubet and elude his hitmen long enough to ensure Rosie's safety? You can probably guess the answer to that question.

Osman is adept at drawing each of these characters. We feel that we know them all very well and we certainly know who to root for and who to boo! The plot itself is carefully explicated with nothing left to guess at. And there is plenty of action to keep us turning the pages, making for a very enjoyable and quick read. 

This, apparently, was the first in what Osman plans as a series. I'll be keeping an eye out for the next adventure featuring Amy and Steve.

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