Fans of the Thursday Murder Club novels are in for an exciting treat as Richard Osman has launched a new series, beginning with WE SOLVE MURDERS.

In the small English village of Axley, Steve Wheeler has retired from police work. But as often happens, he couldn’t quite leave it entirely, so he hung out a shingle as a private investigator. Now, if there’s a missing dog to be found or a set of keys lost on a local trail, turn to Steve Wheeler of Steve Investigates. He’ll handle it. But don’t ask him to travel much beyond one town over.

Steve is nicely settled into Axley with his cat, Trouble, where he can take his daily walk, sit on the bench bearing a plaque dedicated to his late wife, Debbie, and talk out whatever might be on his mind. He gives Debbie the latest updates on their son, Adam, whom he rarely sees, and daughter-in-law Amy, whom he speaks with almost every day. He also lets Debbie in on the score of the weekly pub quiz that he and his team are keen on winning.

"Solving the murders with Steve and Amy --- with Rosie thrown in for extra fun --- is high entertainment, not to mention a jolly good mystery."

So when Amy asks for Steve’s help on a case, he’s torn. Amy is working as a bodyguard for world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio, who is currently secluded on her private island off the coast of South Carolina. Someone is out to kill Amy, and Rosie still has a bounty on her head. Complicating matters is the fact that the agency Amy works for has lost three clients recently. They were all internet influencers, murdered and linked to a mysterious man named François Loubet. The evidence is trying to implicate Amy, and her boss has gone missing. So it’s probably time to find this François character and see where that takes them. However, it seems that the name might be fictitious, adding another layer of intrigue to the hunt.

Seeing no choice, Steve boards a plane --- Rosie’s private jet, no less --- to America. He could never say no to Amy, especially when her life is in danger. There already has been at least one attempt to kill Rosie by the time Steve arrives, meaning that whoever wants her dead is deadly serious. So the three of them --- two skilled detectives and an imaginative writer with loads of money who’s up for anything --- head out to follow the clues as to who killed the influencers in order to save their own lives.

With a hit man on their tails, they will have to throw him off their scent while jetting off first to St. Lucia to investigate and then to Ireland. This may suit Amy and Rosie, but it most certainly is not Steve’s cup of tea. Especially since it is beginning to appear that he will miss Wednesday’s pub quiz, a most annoying turn of events. Maybe somehow he can figure out a way to work it all in.

Solving the murders with Steve and Amy --- with Rosie thrown in for extra fun --- is high entertainment, not to mention a jolly good mystery. Richard Osman has a new hit series on his hands. Of course, we hope he doesn’t forget about Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim of the Thursday Murder Club. But I, for one, want to see a lot more of this crime-solving duo.