Book Review - We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

Title: We Solve Murders (We Solve Murders # 1)
Author: Richard Osman
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2024
 
Description: Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigative work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: te pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.
 
Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for he soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job…
 
Then a dead body, a bag of money, and a killer with their sight on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a lethal enemy?
 
Review: Many fans must have been disappointed with the fact that Richard Osmam didn’t release a new book in his popular series “The Thursday Murder Club”. But no worries, “We Solve Murders” is the first book in a new series, that follow a retired detective and his daughter-in-law solving crimes.
 
Steve is a widower and a retired detective, living a quiet life in the English country. He still does some investigative work, but more in the line of finding someone’s lost dog. His daughter-in-law Amy is working in the private security sector and is in for some excitement. When a murder occurs, and someone’s are also after her, Amy asks Steve for help. Taking him our of his trusted, quiet habitat.
 
Richard Osman is a fantastic author and his strength lies in the way he brings his characters to life. Steve and Amy are both amazing characters and especially loved their dynamic together. It’s fun to read from a father and daughter-in-law relationship.
 
I’ve never given any of his books a 5-star rating, mainly for the same reason. The books are always a bit slow and dragging in the middle. But all of his books, so far, have been winners and they are all super solid. And so is “We Solve Murders”. Even though I didn’t like it as much as “The Thursday Murder Club” series, I did really enjoy the mystery and especially the two main characters. And I am looking forward to reading more about Steve and Amy’s adventures together.
 
Rating: 3,5/ 5

Book Review - The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

Title: The Last Devil to Die (Thursday Murder Club # 4)
Author: Richard Osman
Genre: Mystery/ Crime
Published: 2023
 
Description: Shocking news reaches the Thursday Murder Club. An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing.
 
As the gang springs back into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home.
 
With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck final run out? And who will be the last devil to die?
 
Review: The elderly members of the Thursday Murder Club always know how to get themselves into the craziest situations, convenient or inconvenient. Such is the case when, on Boxin Day, an acquaintance of the club becomes the victim of an unexpected murder. An innocent box filled with heroin worth over one hundred thousand pounds turns out to be the culprit, but that does not answer the many questions at play in the Thursday Murder Club.
 
“The Last Devil to Die” is the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series and for now the last. Author Richard Osman is coming out with a new mystery series, so no new one for the Thursday Murder Club this year.
 
I love a good mystery and Osman does it again. And the expressive characters in this series just stand out. When you’ve spend four books with (most) of them, you just become one of them. The quartet Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are one of the most loveable group of friends I have ever read about. I like each and every single one of them and can only hope that when I’m that age, I have a friendship like that. Joyce, not biased because we share a first name, is still my favorite. And I love her journal entries. She is so wholesome. Ibrahim is my second favorite, I love his diplomatic and charming nature.
 
I think it’s possible to read the book as a standalone, but you will miss out on a few things. You really should read all of them in order. Not only because you will miss details, but also because it’s a very good and solid mystery series.
 
I think “The Last Devil to Die” is my favorite in the series. It’s packed with emotion. It has so much heart, it’s funny, the mystery is captivating and the characters are the highlight. I think Richard Osman can do no wrong when it comes to mystery novels. I can’t wait for his next book.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

Book Review - The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

Title: The Bullet That Missed
Series: The Thursday Murder Club # 3
Author: Richard Osman
 
Description: One Thursday afternoon in the seniors’ venter, a decade-old cold case, their favorite kind, leads the Thursday Murder Club to a local news legend and a murder with no body and no answers. A new foe called “The Viking”, wants Elizabeth to kill former KGB chief Viktor, of he will kill her sweet best friend Joyce. Activist marked for death Ron and psychiatrist Ibrahim chase clues for Viking’s identity, and investigate mob-queen prisoner from the previous book.
 
Review: It’s just another Thursday and everything should be back to normal. But nothing could be further from the truth. A local news legend is on the hunt for a sensational headline and together with the Thursday Murder Club they track two cases that are ten years apart, but are somehow linked. And that’s not all. Elizabeth is visited by an old nemesis who gives her a choice: kill or be killed.
 
“The Thursday Murder Club”-series has become one of my favorite series, even though I have not given any of the books a 5-star rating. I just love reading about amateur sleuths, especially when they are in their seventies. The tight knit group living in Cooper’s Chase has really grew on me and I loved following them solve their third mystery.
 
The cold case they are trying to unravel is really interesting and exciting. Like the previous two books, this third one has some slower moments. Never dull, just slower. And it can get you out of it a bit.
 
What makes these books so enjoyable is the characters. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron are such a fun foursome and I can’t wait to tag along on every adventure. Joyce and Ibrahim are probably my favorites.
 
If you have enjoyed the other two books in this series, you will most likely have fun with “The Buller That Missed”. The fourth book is coming out in September and I can’t wait!
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

Book Review - The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

Title: The Man Who Died Twice

Series: The Thursday Murder Club (# 2)
Author: Richard Osman
 
Description: It’s the following Thursday. Elizabeth receives a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He’s made a big mistake, and need her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life. As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn’t that be a bonus? But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn’t bat en eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can The Thursday Murder Club find the killer before the killer finds them?
 
Review: After the immense success of “The Thursday Murder Club”, Richard Osman takes the same path with “The Man Who Died Twice”. This time he digs into Elizabeth’s mysterious past and her career as a spy. But, of course, he sticks to his introduced detectives of his debut. Old, but scratchy and handsome types. They always do well, Poirot, Miss Marple, Morse. The book is more enjoyable if you have already read the first, so I do recommend doing that.
 
“The Man Who Died Twice” is set mainly in Coopers Chase, the luxurious senior villag in Kent. Not feeling at home in any of the many activities offered, four septuagenarians form The Thursday Murder Club, where they try to solve old, unsolved murder cases. The enterprising natural leader is Elizabeth. Joined by psychiatrist Ibrahim, former union leader Ron and nurse Joyce. The story takes a surprising start when Elizabeth suddenly receives a letter from a certain Marcus Carmichael, whose corpse she identified during her active career. Which leads to an exciting but humorous murder investigation.  
 
“The man Who Died Twice” is another thriller with an unusual edge. On the one hand, Osman describes the cozy, quiet and sedate atmosphere of th nursing home. On the other, he provides a wildly exciting whodunnit. The mix of the two is strange, but getting more and more popular as the so-called cozy mystery, and it works so well. Osman does a fantastic job of portraying this while thing. The characters are so amazing, I love the foursome so much. I want to be in their club.
 
The side plot in “The Man Who Died Twice” is about Ibrahim getting beat up and spending time in the hospital. Ron doesn’t want to leave his side. This gives the book a sensitive touch around true friendship. Osman makes the whole thing very lighthearted and easy to read through short chapters, interspersed with Joyce’s diary entries that reveal a lot of additional information in a naive way. The novel has a lot of British humor and is full of irony and sarcasm, which I love.  But Osman does not shy away from serious themes either. The book deals very strongly with aging and its consequences: dementia, physical worries, the yearning for the pas and the confrontation with loneliness and parting. Yet the entertainment takes the upper hand.
 
“The Man Who Died Twice” is the perfect sequel and a funny, entertaining whodunnit with a highly original plot and loveable characters.  
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

Book Review - The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Title: The Thursday Murder Club
Series: Thursday Murder Club (Book #1)
Author: Richard Osman
 
Description: In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves The Thursday Murder Club. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly finds themselves in the middle of their first live case. As he bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it’s too late?
 
Review: Cold cases are always an exciting thin to write about. And various TV series have been devoted to this theme. We also like to read about or watch shows about older detectives: Poirot, Miss Marple, Morse. Richard Osman, most known as a comedian and TV presenter/producer at the BBC, decided to mix the two up for his debut novel. And it turned out to be a surprising and highly entertaining, funny and well-constructed thriller. 
“The Thursday Murder Club” is set primarily in Coopers Chase, an upscale senior village in Kent. The living facility has a swimming pool spa, mini-zoo and every amenity imaginable. Not feeling at home at any of the many activities offered, four elderly residents form a club together: The Thursday Murder Club. Here they try to solve ol, unsolved murder cases. The enterprising and no-nonsense Elizabeth is the natural leader of the group which further consists of psychiatrist Ibrahim, former union leader Ron and nurse Joyce as the newest member. She has taken the place of former inspector Penny who is now dying. It is Penny’s old files that are the subject of their meetings. When suddenly the complex’s contractor, Tony Curran, is bashed in the skull with a wrench and moments later real estate developer Ian Ventham is murdered in broad daylight on the Coopers Chase property, everything comes to a head for the murder club. They want to solve both murders, but in their investigation, more corpses surface. Luckily, there are detectives Chris Hudson and Donna de Freitas. They are touching in the dark about the murders, but the club comes to the rescue. Through all sorts of tricks of seduction with lemon cakes and walnut chocolate cake they manage to pry confidential information from the detectives. Their extensive network of relations does the rest and so the murders are becoming clearer and clearer. 
“The Thursday Murder Club” is a thriller with an unusual edge. On the one hand, Osman describes the cozy, quiet and sedate atmosphere of the retirement home, and on the other hand he provides a wildly exciting whodunnit. The mix of the two is strange, but works wonderfully well. The funny, meaningless and confused remarks of the elderly people are interspersed with the horrors of the various murders. Osman does a fantastic job of portraying this whole thing. The characters are very engaging people, confused, but at the same time alert and sarcastic. In addition, Osman does not shy away from serious themes. 
“The Thursday Murder Club” is a funny, entertaining whodunnit, with a highly original plot and likeable characters.
 
Rating: 4/ 5