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Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders delivers a warm, comic murder caper built around three appealingly mismatched investigators. Its chief pleasure is spending time with Amy Wheeler, her father-in-law Steve, and bestselling author Rosie D’Antonio as they race across countries; readers seeking a tightly contained, tightly paced puzzle may find the plot more meandering than the premise suggests.
What is We Solve Murders about?
This is the first book in a Richard Osman series separate from the Thursday Murder Club novels. Amy Wheeler works in private security and is protecting bestselling author Rosie D’Antonio on a remote island when a body, a sum of money, and danger aimed at Amy pull her father-in-law Steve into the case. Steve is a retired police officer who prefers familiar routines; together, the unlikely team pursues a killer across borders.
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The mystery expands into a globe-spanning chase involving deaths among influencers and efforts to frame Amy. It has a genuine puzzle at its center, but also the scale and momentum of an action caper. Publishers Weekly describes the mystery as brain-teasing and its leads as both zany and human, a useful indication of the balance: this is not pitched as a hard-edged thriller. Publishers Weekly’s review
Why the trio makes the story work
Amy brings an appetite for danger, Steve brings a preference for routine and a deep devotion to family, and Rosie brings celebrity, confidence, and self-possession. Their contrasts supply much of the comedy, while the relationship between Amy and Steve gives the book its emotional anchor. Alison Flood’s Guardian review identifies their understated bond as the story’s heart.
#1 Best Overall
That character focus is why the book’s pleasures survive even when the mechanics of the investigation recede. The fun is not only in guessing who is responsible; it is in watching an odd family-and-friends alliance handle danger in its own mismatched way.
A cheerful trip, with a pacing caveat
Samyukta Bhowmick’s Scroll.in review follows the team through South Carolina, St Lucia, Ireland, the New Forest, and Dubai, with luxury hotels, a wellness retreat, and abundant food and drink along the way. The rapid changes of place and short chapters create brisk, episodic energy, but can also feel dizzying.
Rank #2
Flood’s Guardian assessment is similarly warm but qualified: the plot can meander, and solving the villain’s identity may not be the reader’s strongest incentive. The story’s broad international route is best approached as part of the caper’s comic momentum rather than as a promise of a perfectly streamlined puzzle. Its return to the comfort of a pub quiz gives the journey a domestic landing.
Is it part of the Thursday Murder Club series?
No. We Solve Murders begins a separate series, with Amy, Steve, and Rosie as its central crime-solving team. It shares Osman’s affinity for gentle humor and character-led mysteries, but it is not another Thursday Murder Club installment. The UK publisher identifies it as book one of its own series: Penguin Books UK.
Rank #3
Formats and publication details
Publication dates and edition details vary by market. Penguin Random House US lists a 400-page hardcover dated September 17, 2024, a 528-page large-print edition with the same date, ebook and audiobook download editions, and a 400-page paperback dated May 13, 2025. The listed US paperback ISBN is 9780593653241. Penguin Random House US edition details
The UK Penguin page identifies a September 12, 2024 edition, ISBN 9780241998441, and lists paperback, ebook, audio download, and audio CD formats. Availability and format options depend on the edition and market.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
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