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Popular mystery novelist Richard Osman is on an impressive roll. All six of the books he’s authored since 2020 in two separate series have been No. 1 international and New York Times bestsellers.
His newest book, “We Chase Shadows,” is the second installment in the “We Solve Murders” series and is on target to keep his spectacular winning streak alive.
Osman is the author of the wildly popular Thursday Murder Club series, first reviewed by The Epoch Times last year and made into a Netflix film starring Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley. His new collection of cozy mysteries is told in the same style as the TMC books, featuring engaging characters, fiendishly clever plots, and laugh-out-loud, deadpan humor.
Steve Wheeler, Amy Wheeler, and Rosie D’Antonio return in “We Chase Shadows” after their first adventure. Steve is a retired Metropolitan Police officer who became a low-key private investigator.
His daughter-in-law, Amy, is a former private security agent for the rich and famous who thrives on adventure and derring-do, and Rosie is a flamboyant and successful thriller novelist who uses real-life adventures as inspiration for her books.
The trio embarks on a thrilling, globetrotting adventure encompassing Italy, Barcelona, Palm Springs, and Steve’s home away from home, The Brass Monkey pub in Axley, England.
Their First Case
Six months into their new partnership, the We Solve Murders gang is still looking for their first murder to solve. A chance viewing of a Rosie interview on a television talk show leads to their first case involving a mysterious client living in Italy who believes his life is in danger.
The client doesn’t want to involve the police because, admittedly, he’s “a sort of criminal.” His business involves advertising and selling vitamins and supplements online with no scientific proof that they actually work.
He believes his life is in danger because a note threatening him, signed by a mystery man, is found on the body of a slain bodyguard.
Identifying who sent the note and why was considered a simple task. On the contrary, that puzzle quickly erupts into a witty, clever whodunit as more bodies pile up, and the mystery man they are seeking proves more elusive and clever than they knew.
The gang is soon drawn in deeper when a surprising act of violence occurs closer to home, warning the three detectives to stay away from the case they’re investigating.
Detective Agency
Osman has the Midas touch with his character portrayals. All his protagonists have their flaws and eccentricities, yet are as good as gold in their intentions.
After the death of his wife, Debbie, Steve had been content running a small private investigator’s office, tailing cheating spouses and finding lost pets. The highlight of a good week for Steve was the weekly pub quiz with his mates at the Brass Monkey and time spent at home with his cat, Trouble. Teaming up with Amy and Rosie changed Steve’s simple lifestyle.
Amy is the opposite of her father-in-law and business partner. Married to Steve’s son, Adam, Amy is a 28-year-old who experienced a difficult childhood. Stoic Amy prefers action and adventure over introspection and emotional reflection. She craves excitement and is happiest when confronting peril.
The author illustrates this trait with his usual tongue-in-cheek style. “Steve is keenly aware that Amy has not even had to punch anyone for six months now, and you can see that she’s itching to,” he wrote.
The wisecracking Rosie is bankrolling the new detective agency. She’s a larger-than-life personality who relishes excitement and celebrity. She’s proud of her wealth and success, but inwardly she fears aging and losing her star status as a bestselling author. Upon learning that her publisher is not renewing her contract, Rosie thinks about it:
“Rosie has never been ‘let go’ by a publisher before. She has changed publishers a number of times, sometimes for creative reasons, sometimes because a managing director has fired a crossbow in an editorial meeting. But no one has ever left her before.”
As with his Thursday Murder Club quartet, Osman brings his disparate, quirky characters together with all their strengths and weaknesses to form a formidable team of crime solvers.
Osman’s characters are likable because they are relatable. Readers often find themselves empathizing with them during their quiet, introspective moments, as well as enjoying their audacity and humorous observations while sleuthing.
Even Osman’s minor characters are memorable, such as Spanish Interpol Assistant Detective Inspector Ernesto Manuelo Santiago DeSousa de Cueller and Rosie’s daffy book agent, Elspeth.
Clever and Hilarious
Aside from his talent for creating brilliant characters, Osman has a gift for crafting clever plots, hilarious banter, and zany situations. One of many that stand out in his newest book is Amy’s husband surprising her by flying halfway around the world on their seventh anniversary, posing incognito, and almost getting himself shot by her for his trouble.
Osman navigates seamlessly between the mundane and audacious better than anyone else in the business. One scene involves Steve and Rosie on one of their flights aboard Rosie’s personal jet. “I’m bored,” says Rosie. “Entertain me, Stevie. Do you tap dance?”
“No such thing as bored,” says Steve. “Only boring. Have a nap.”
“A nap?” says Rosie. “How old do you think I am?”
“Genuinely no idea,” says Steve. “Low hundreds?”
“We Chase Shadows” is just the ticket for murder mystery lovers who like their stories flavored with a dash of intrigue and sprinkled with generous amounts of comic sensibility.
‘We Chase Shadows’
By Richard Osman
Pamela Dorman Books: Sept. 15, 2026
Hardcover, 352 pages
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