We Solve Murders

This newest novel by Richard Osman was a treat. It is not a continuation of the "Thursday Murder Club" series, although, in the Acknowledgements he promises there are more to come with that crew. This features a new and delightful set of characters, set all over the world even though one of them, Steve, would really rather be home in his little English village of Axley. Steve, a former detective, now retired, still does a little bit of investigating for petty theft, missing dogs, etc. is the father-in-law of Amy Wheeler. Amy is a private body guard who works for Maximum Impact Solutions. Library Journal summarizes the plot:

"Her latest assignment is protecting Rosie D'Antonio, the world's second most popular mystery writer. But when Amy is set up as a patsy in a series of murders, and her boss disappears, she turns to the only person she can trust--Steve. He's reluctant to leave home, but Rosie can be persuasive. She sends her private plane for him, and they all learn that the quiet man has hidden depths. With a mysterious opponent able to call on a number of potential assassins, the unusual trio are on the run from Dublin to Dubai and back to England in a fast-paced adventure as they hunt for a killer who has targeted Amy for unknown reasons...." They go on to conclude "this humorous caper quickly picks up speed, and readers will root for the trio." 

Publishers Weekly calls this a "promising new series" and concludes their review by saying "Osman pulls off the tricky task of making his leads both zany and human, with a sufficiently brain-teasing mystery to boot." Kirkus says of the characters, "As in Osman’s other series, they cross paths with a variety of people—including drug-dealing politicians, customs agents, and social media influencers—who may or may not be inclined to help them, and watching the unlikely threesome charm each other and (almost) everyone they meet is a delight. The mystery isn’t all that mysterious, but Osman fans will be glad to hop on that private jet and go along for the ride." The Washington Post notes that, while giving the Thursday Murder Club a well-deserved rest, "Not that Osman has deviated entirely from his winning formula. While offering more in scale and scope, the British author continues to play to his considerable strengths by serving up a fiendish mystery and rollicking adventure suffused with warmth and wit." Read their review for a more comprehensive story line description.

I also loved these comments from The Indiependent, "What sets Osman’s novels apart from typical murder mysteries—and fiction in general—is the heartwarming and cosy relationships that flourish between his characters. While the plots are filled with intrigue and suspense, it’s the depth and warmth of these connections that truly shine. Osman has a gift for crafting realistic, relatable bonds that highlight the purity of human connection. His stories celebrate the strength found in friendship, loyalty, and love, showing that even in the midst of dark and dangerous circumstances, it’s these relationships that provide the emotional core and resilience his characters need to persevere."

The Undercurrent

This book by Sarah Sawyer kept me going to find out what lay at the bottom of the disappearance in 1987 of a 12-year old girl. It's 2011 and new mother Bee, who was just a couple years older than the missing girl, lived in the neighborhood where the girl disappeared; she comes to suspect that her estranged twin brother's best friend, Leo, was somehow involved. But the real tension in the story comes from her twin's disappearance from her life. It eventually comes clear why he has cut off his family, but in the intervening 15 years or so, Bee has tortured herself over this. The story is told from the perspectives of Bee, her mother at the time of the disappearance, and Leo's mother, also in 1987.

Library Journal summarizes the plot as follows: "When new mother Bee's childhood crush and neighbor Leo contacts her to tell her that her estranged twin, Gus, wants to see her, Bee travels from Maine back to her Texas home. She's seeking reconciliation and answers for why Gus vanished from her life." They go on to say that "The leisurely paced writing is oblique, with the plot unfolding slowly from different directions, coming into focus in the latter part of the novel." Publishers Weekly is considerably more positive in their review, concluding "Sawyer constructs a spellbinding mystery as she toggles between timelines and the viewpoints of three very different mothers." Similarly, Booklist sees "Sawyer's debut is a gripping and emotional domestic suspense novel that explores the complex trials and tribulations of motherhood from three female perspectives."

The NewYork Times says, "On the surface, the book follows the well-worn fictional path along which troubled young adults return to their hometowns to look anew at mysteries from their childhoods. But this is less a criminal investigation than a layered excavation of family secrets, misconceptions and the extreme measures mothers will take to protect their children....The novel features big emotions and incorrect assumptions on the parts of nearly all the characters. Fittingly, it begins and ends with Deecie, who is full of naïve wonder and innocent longing on what turns out to be her last night alive. The final, shocking twist comes at the very end."