cover image We Solve Murders

We Solve Murders

Richard Osman. Viking, $30 (400p) ISBN 978-0-593-65322-7

Bestseller Osman (the Thursday Murder Club mysteries) launches a promising new series with this sprightly tale of a father- and daughter-in-law who join forces to take down a shadowy killer. At the outset, bodyguard Amy Wheeler is on an island off the coast of South Carolina shielding bestselling novelist Rosie D’Antonio from a Russian oligarch who threatened to kill her after she used his real name in her latest book. While Amy and Rosie discuss the recent deaths of two popular influencers, someone takes a shot at them, and they narrowly escape. Meanwhile, private detective Steve Wheeler—father to Amy’s husband, Adam—is in the Hampshire village of Axley searching for a client’s lost dog when Amy calls to ask for his backup. He agrees, and as he helps Amy try to determine who tried to kill her (and why), more influencer bodies start piling up, the crime scenes strewn with evidence framing Amy for the murders. Steve and Amy then embark on a globetrotting quest to pin down their adversary that takes them from Ireland to Dubai. Osman pulls off the tricky task of making his leads both zany and human, with a sufficiently brain-teasing mystery to boot. This series is sure to garner a loyal following. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (Sept.)