Literary in the City

RATING: 4.5/5

“No regrets. We live our lives forwards, not backwards. So always make the best of what’s in front of you.”

We Solve Murders

Well, I promised to write a review of Richard Osman’s latest novel, We Solve Murders, as soon as I finished it, and here I am! As Tangled’s Rapunzel once said, “…when I promise something, I never ever break that promise. Ever.” 

Frankly, this book was exactly what I needed to tide me through a rather busy week. If you haven’t read anything by Richard Osman yet, what are you doing?

We Solve Murders follows retired police officer Steve and his daughter-in-law turned bodyguard Amy. When an assassin starts targeting Amy, she enlists the help of Steve (and some other eccentric characters they meet along the way) to figure out who’s targeting her and most importantly, why.

You’d think I’d be sick of Osman’s writing after reading five of his works, but I am not. He’s mastered wit, humor, and gravitas. His characters are hilarious; the way they interact, think, and talk always surprises me. I do not physically laugh out loud often, but I did several times reading We Solve Murders.

The plethora of perspectives in this book was extremely entertaining. If you’re an avid mystery reader, I’m sure you’ve felt that uncovering a story through one person’s eyes can get stagnant pretty quickly. However, you may also notice that if a writer does have multiple perspectives in a book, it’s challenging to have a good handle on all of them and properly plan out the plot. Osman is so experienced with this that nothing is confusing–everything flows like water!

Gosh, the mystery itself is nailbiting. I don’t want to brag, but I did figure out a good portion of it halfway through the book. Usually, when this happens, I get annoyed, but this time I just felt excited. Reading even after unravelling the plot is a tell-tale signal of a good story.

The only flaw I could find with this book: There wasn’t enough of it. By the end, I was so invested in these characters, and I just wanted more scenes with them. The way this book ended clearly sets up the possibility of it becoming a series, but I am impatient and waiting for another book will torture me.

I’m thinking of doing a review on all of The Thursday Murder Club books, so keep an eye out for that. Until then, keep reading and keep cozy!

Sipping some hot chocolate,

H.