We Solve Murders is a hilarious romp through the worlds of money smuggling, Internet influencers, hired hitmen, and rogue security agencies. Author Richard Osman, who also wrote The Thursday Murder Club series, brings the same heart to We Solve Murders but ramps up the humor. This novel is the first in a series and I can’t wait until the second book is released!

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Here’s a quick summary of We Solve Murders.

Amy Wheeler enjoys her job in private security because she’s an adrenaline junky who sometimes finds herself in danger and occasionally gets to hit people. Her current assignment is protecting an 80-year-old bestselling author named Rosie D’Antonio. Rosie is kind of a Jackie Collins figure whose novels contain danger, sex, adventure, and sex. A Russian oligarch recently ordered a hit on her after she publicly embarrassed him.

Amy is on Rosie’s private island off the coast of one of the Carolinas when an Instagram “influencer” with ties to her firm is murdered nearby. A bag with $900k in cash is found on board the boat he was murdered on. This isn’t the first time Amy has been in close proximity when an influencer has been murdered, and she quickly figures out that she’s being set up. And when a hitman comes after her, that’s just further proof that something nefarious is going on.

Amy feels that she can no longer trust anyone at her firm, so she does what most of us would – she calls her father-in-law for advice. She and Steve, a retired cop, are very close, and he would do anything for her. In this case, it means leaving his mild life of cats and pub trivia to fly to America to meet up with Amy and Rosie. So, he packs three pairs of underwear and Van Halen and Def Leppard t-shirts and boards Rosie’s private jet.

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Steve is unusually good at connecting with people, getting them to reveal information, and subtly convincing them to do favors. So, when he lands at the private airfield near Rosie’s island, he bonds with the customs official over Van Halen and gets him to send a suspected hitman on a wild goose chase by telling him that Rosie’s plane is scheduled to go to Hawaii.

Meanwhile, Amy, Steve, and Rosie head to St. Lucia to search for answers about another influencer’s murder. This begins a quest that takes them to Ireland, Dubai, and back to England, where Steve introduces everyone to Trouble the cat and pub trivia. Throughout their journey, they come across individuals involved in money laundering, meet an action film star, evade hitmen, uncover deceit within the security agency, and ultimately identify the perpetrator. It’s a fun and entertaining romp!

I absolutely loved We Solve Murders! At times, I got a little confused by the story line, but the characters, dialog, and fast-paced action made up for that.

Although ostensibly Amy is the main protagonist, Steve and Rosie stole the show. Steve is a sweet widower who spends time every day talking to his dead wife at her grave. He’s also a skilled investigator who does just fine using “old school” techniques. His character adds poignancy and humor to We Solve Murders.

Rosie also adds humor – in buckets. She’s a likeable, debauched old lady with a very interesting past. Even at eighty, she’s a femme fatale who craves adventure and is always looking for ideas for her next book. She has some of the funniest lines in the book.

We Solve Murders is a fast-paced murder mystery that never lets the reader get bored. When it’s not focused on the main group, it’s gently poking fun at an action star whose ego is much bigger than his talent, a budding influencer who yearns to make it big, and a villain who hilariously asks ChatGPT to rewrite his threatening emails so that they have the tone of a friendly Englishman.

You don’t even have to like mysteries to enjoy We Solve Murders. Next time you’re looking for a fun read with heart and humor, put this in your shopping basket. You won’t be disappointed.

I would love some recommendations for other lighthearted books. Do you have any suggestions?