Review: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

 

Synopsis: 

Solving murders. It's a family business.

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He still does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers the pub quiz and afternoons at home with his cat, Trouble. His days of adventure are over - that's his daughter-in-law Amy's business now. 

Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul, which makes being a private security officer to billionaires the perfect job. She's currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D'Antonio alive. Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending Steve an SOS ...

As a breakneck race around the world begins, can they stay one stop ahead of a deadly enemy?

Review:

I'm a big fan of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club series and wouldn't be able to put them down; not the case, unfortunately, for his new series. This book took me over a week to read and if I'm totally honest it bored me at times. I wasn't keen on the main characters or the plot and maybe the hopping from one place to another didn't work. I also didn't find it as funny as previous books, and we all know Richard Osman can write humour very well. It was disappointing as I had waited a while to get the paperback and really enjoyed Richard's other books. Maybe I expected too much because of this. The best part of the book was as you approached the end and the gang were back in Axley; that's where it felt more realistic. I carried on to the last page as I wanted to know who was behind all the killings and only one book in all my time as a reader has beaten me. 

Don't let this review put you off, others have had a more positive experience and reading is a very personal experience so we are going to have different opinions. I'm still looking forward to what Richard Osman writes next, and rumour has it, The Thursday Murder Club will be back for a fifth outing. 

Star Rating: 3 out of 5

What comes next in the We Solve Murders series?

Richard Osman has announced that a second 'We Solve Murders' book is in the works and is expected to be released in 2025.

Review: The Trial by Robert Rinder

 

Synopsis:

ONE MURDER. ONE IMPOSSIBLE CASE. WHO IS GUILTY?

When hero policeman Grant Cliveden dies from a poisoning in the Old Bailey, it threatens to shake the country to its core.

The evidence points to one man. Jimmy Knight has been convicted of multiple offences before and defending him will be no easy task. Not least because this is trainee barrister Adam Green’s first case.

But it will quickly become clear that Jimmy Knight is not the only person in Cliveden’s past with an axe to grind.

The only thing that’s certain is that this is a trial which will push Adam – and the justice system itself – to the limit. . .

Review:

I came across Robert Rinder’s first novel as part of the online carers book club that I was hoping to be part of; unfortunately due to my health issues, I never got round to joining but did get emailed the books that had been chosen and The Trial was one of those books. I know who Robert Rinder is but wasn’t aware that he had ventured into the world of fiction writing. I am so glad I got the chance to read The Trial, as I did really enjoy immersing myself in the pages of this legal thriller and discovering a new author.

The Trial kept me interested from the first page to the last page; those are my kind of reads. Robert Rinder’s background as a barrister shines through and creates a very realistic and believable setting in both the court scenes at The Old Bailey and within Stag Court Chambers. The main character, Adam Green, is a trainee barrister, and The Trial follows him as he works through his pupillage and his first case, the poisoning of Grant Cliveden, a hero policeman, in the Old Bailey, with the evidence pointing to Jimmy Knight, a convicted criminal. However, as Adam delves into the case, it becomes very clear that Jimmy Knight is not the only person with an axe to grind where Grant Cliveden is concerned.

To make Adam’s first case more challenging is his pupil master Jonathan Taylor Cameron, who seems to be more interested in women and how he looks on camera. He also seems to have washed his hands of the case and lacking in giving Adam encouragement as he tries to get to the bottom of what really happened to Grant Cliveden, and who actually is the person or persons responsible for his murder.

I read The Trial by Robert Rinder via Kindle but this is also available as an Audible, Paperback & Hardback Book.

If you are looking to discover a new author, I would highly recommend The Trial by Robert Rinder.

Star Rating: 5 out of 5

Rating: 5 out of 5.

What comes next in The Adam Green series?

The Suspect

The Protest

 

Review: The Christmas Killer by Alex Pine

 

(DI James Walker Book Series, Book 1)

Synopsis:

As the snow begins to fall, the body count begins to climb…

DI James Walker is ready for a quiet family Christmas in the sleepy village of Kirkby Abbey.

But when he opens an early Christmas present left on his doorstep, he soon realises it is no gift. Inside is a gruesome surprise, and a promise – twelve days, twelve murders. Not long after, the first body is found, half frozen in the snow.

As the blizzards descend, panic spreads through the remote Cumbrian village – there’s a killer amongst them, and with eleven more victims to go, anyone could be next….

Can James stop the killer before they strike again?

Review:

Looks like 2025 is going to be the year of finding new authors; recommended via Kindle, The Christmas Killer is the first in a series of six books that follow Detective Inspector James Walker and is written by Alex Pine. I have to say that my first impressions were very positive as I began to swipe through the pages; I do enjoy a book that can hold my attention. The book begins in London, but due to a threat on James and his family, they relocate to the quaint village of Kirby Abbey in Cumbria; the perfect place for a murder. I liked that the book was set at Christmas (as are all the books in this series) and I did indeed read this just as 2025 was beginning, beside my own Christmas tree.

I get the feeling that DI James Walker is a character that I will grow to love as I continue through the six book series, similar to Steve Cavanaugh’s Eddie Flynn and Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar. Having a likeable main protaganist is a must when it comes to writing a book series; look how popular Harry Potter became. However, he is not without fault, and a little short-sighted when it comes to his own investigation. But like every good detective, he does get to the truth at the end, although I did feel that too many people came to a nasty end in the process.

There are a number of frequent characters as well as extras that added to the story, with their own secrets and backstories. The red herrings were cleverly thought out to try and throw you off the scent; however I did guess who the killer was early on. I think that was down to the many years of reading crime books, and watching crime programmes and the believe that ‘the killer is someone who inserts themselves into the investigation’.

If you are looking for a fast paced, book full of action, then you will be disappointed. The Christmas Killer by Alex Pine plods along nicely; something we all do around the festive period. It is not a complicated or confusing read with a beautiful snowy backdrop and adds to the jeopardy when a snow storm threatens to cut off the village with a killer on the loose.

I’m looking forward to see how Alex Pine develops the series, and what crimes he comes up with for DI James Walker to solve next and how he incorporates Christmas in this. Beware, it might leave you envious of the constant falling of snow during the festive period. Do you remember the last time we had a white Christmas?

If you are looking to discover a new author, I would recommend Alex Pine.

Rating: 4 out of 5

What comes next in The DI James Walker series?

The Killer In The Snow