“Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the 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 the 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 sights 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?”
I admit, I didn’t know what to make of this new series from The Thursday Murder Club writer Richard Osman. I suspect, at first, this was going to be in the same vein as his Coopers Chase books, just with a slight variation of the main characters. But instead, I got something a bit different (yet the same), but I don’t think it’s what some might think is a British “cozy mystery.”
It is, however, addictive as his main series, which makes this a fun read. It’s paced vastly different, somewhat like a James Patterson tale, with short chapters. But this book is infinitely better than anything Patterson can write (or farm out to other writers). It carries some of the DNA of the TMC, but these characters are younger (well accept Rosie, and of course, Steve), but they all live a wilder life. Amy, I guess, could be younger version of Elizabeth, but she seems to be not as clever. But she’s tough, and able bodied.
As with the TMC, there is a bendy plot to figure out just what’s going on, but it’s laced with some great humor and a few laugh out loud moments (Rosie is a hoot) and a bit of sadness as Steve negotiates being a widower. I do hope Adam, Steve’s son and Amy’s husband, gets more to do in later tales, but he could become a character like Columbo’s wife – someone we never see in flesh and blood, and only on a phone or email.
It’s a good start to a new series. And while I’m looking forward to the fall release of Thursday Murder Club 5, I can say I’ll also be looking forward to seeing where Osman takes this dynamic trio on their next adventure.
Also, in his Afterword, he notes that this new series and TMC are set in the same universe (only about two hours from each other), so I could see an eventual crossover. That would be fun!!