Reading between the Lines
A.I., money smugglers and a cat named Trouble: We Solve Murders has it all
by Jessica Martell
In “We Solve Murders,” readers are treated to a fast-paced, clever plot and the same brand of comedy author Richard Osman delivered in previous books. Image credit: Amazon.com
“We Solve Murders” is the latest work of Richard Osman and his first novel outside of his wildly successful “Thursday Murder Club” series, the fifth book of which is expected in 2025. Osman made a name for himself producing and presenting British television programs for nearly two decades, when, in 2020, he made his literary debut with “The Thursday Murder Club.” That book was an instant hit, even catching the attention of film industry royalty, Steven Spielberg, who bought the book’s film rights.
In “We Solve Murders,” readers are treated to a fast-paced, clever plot and the same brand of comedy Osman delivered in his previous books. Early on, readers learn of three minimally successful social media influencers, all clients of the same private security firm, who have been murdered by François Loubet. Recurring examples of the book’s dry comedy are evident in email communications from the mysterious Loubet. For an added layer of security, Loubet runs all of his online demands and death threats through ChatGPT with the prompt “rewrite in the style of a friendly English gentleman, please.” The result is that the emails “become increasingly threatening, yet they’re all written in that strangely jolly tone of his.”
When we meet the female lead, bodyguard Amy Wheeler, Osman characterizes her with a humorously unexpected combination of a love of excitement and an interest in skincare.
“Amy finds adrenaline good for the soul, and very good for the skin. Sometimes she watches skincare tutorials on Instagram, but there is not a single one that will do for your skin what being shot at and then jumping out of a plane will do. Perhaps she should do her own videos?”
Similarly unexpected is Amy’s charge, Rosie D’Antonio, an eccentric, award-winning, writer, who, quite ironically, saved Amy’s life when Loubet sent an assassin after her.
“I hit him with an Oscar, you know, and not a scratch on it.”
As the bodies continue piling up, Amy calls on her father-in-law, Steve, for help. Steve was hardened by his career as a cop, and softened by retirement in a cozy village. It’s that softness in the face of crisis that creates the comedy. Amy’s life is in danger, and she asks Steve to fly to South Carolina to help, but he is concerned about leaving England. More specifically, he’s worried about letting his trivia team down, leaving his cat Trouble, and missing Bolognese night at the pub.
Amy presses her case in a conversation that suggests the title of the book:
“There are murders to be solved, and I can’t do it by myself. It’s you and me.”
“But we don’t solve murders,” says Steve.
He can hear Amy smiling down the phone. “Then we’re going to have to start.”
Richard Osman scores another win with We Solve Murders. Readers who love a cozy murder mystery, dry British humor, and unexpected whodunnits, will want to pick up this new book, or add their names to the waitlist almost certainly growing at the local library.
