We Solve Murders Summary – A Sharp, Globe-Trotting Cozy Thriller

Last Updated: August 25, 2026

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Table of Contents

TL;DR: The Case Without Spoilers

Amy Wheeler works as a bodyguard.

When three of her agency’s high-profile clients are killed, evidence points toward her.

The only person she fully trusts is Steve Wheeler, her father-in-law, a retired detective who prefers small village routines to international intrigue.

With author Rosie D’Antonio paying the travel bills, the three follow a money-smuggling operation across America, the Caribbean, Ireland, and Dubai.

The real danger sits inside Maximum Impact Solutions, not outside it.

By the final chapters, the villains are caught and the trio opens a private investigation firm called We Solve Murders.

The story is a mystery first, with family loyalty, grief, and the lure of adventure running through the events.

No prior series knowledge is needed.

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We Solve Murders Summary: Framed, Hunted, and Solved

SPOILER WARNING: This section reveals the full plot, including the ending.

Andrew Fairbanks dies first. The fitness influencer is shot and thrown from a yacht in South Carolina with a bag holding nearly a million dollars.

Amy Wheeler, a bodyguard for Maximum Impact Solutions, is protecting author Rosie D’Antonio on a private island at the time.

Amy notices a pattern. Fairbanks is the third Platinum client of her agency to die recently.

Bella Sanchez died in St. Lucia, and Mark Gooch died in Ireland. Amy was near all three locations. Someone has turned her own movements into a frame.

A colleague named Kevin tries to kill her. Rosie knocks him unconscious with an Oscar trophy. Amy calls her father-in-law, Steve Wheeler, a retired detective in the Hampshire village of Axley.

Steve still spends nights talking to his late wife, Debbie, on a park bench. The grief remains part of his daily life.

Steve flies to America on Rosie’s jet, leaving his cat Trouble behind. The trio finds Sheriff Justin Scroggie dead. Scroggie killed Fairbanks. A blood sample, later identified as Amy’s, was sent to him to plant at the scene. That points to a mastermind named François Loubet and an internal contact called Joe Blow.

They travel to St. Lucia and Ireland, followed by hitman Eddie Flood. In Ireland they meet Henk van Veen, a former business partner of Amy’s boss Jeff Nolan. Henk suspects Jeff and Amy are the real culprits.

Read Also: The Thursday Murder Club Summary

Back in England, Steve’s friend Tony Taylor examines Vivid Viral Media. He and elderly agent Felicity Woollaston learn the company recruited influencers for money-smuggling assignments.

Actor Max Highfield introduced the victims, but he appears to be an unwitting pawn.

The climax splits between London and Dubai. Amy stages a confrontation and identifies Susan Knox, Head of HR, as Joe Blow. Susan had access to Amy’s blood and client files. She was embezzling from Jeff and turned to Loubet.

In Dubai, Steve tracks down Mickey Moody, an unassuming scrap-metal dealer. Steve suspects Mickey is François Loubet. The alias comes from his grandmothers, Lou and Bet.

Steve uses Mickey’s smart doorbell camera to record him returning from murdering broker Rob Kenna.

Mickey and Susan are arrested. Influencer Bonnie Gregor keeps a million pounds to protect her children, with Felicity as her new agent.

Amy quits her job and proposes a new private investigation firm. Steve agrees after consulting with Debbie. They call the agency We Solve Murders. The quiet routine in Axley gives way to international cases.

Summary by Chapter

SPOILER WARNING: The grouped chapter summaries below reveal key plot developments.

The Inciting Incident and Setup (Chapters 1–21)

The murder of an influencer on a yacht in South Carolina triggers the case. Amy Wheeler is introduced while protecting author Rosie D’Antonio on a private island.

Amy realizes she is being framed for several high-profile murders and survives an assassination attempt by colleague Kevin. Rosie subdues Kevin. In England, retired cop Steve Wheeler is pulled out of his peaceful village routine when Amy asks for help.

Flight and Investigation (Chapters 22–41)

Amy and Rosie break into a dead sheriff’s home and find evidence of planted blood and money smuggling. Steve flies on a private jet to join them in America.

He shows investigative instinct during a tense customs encounter. The team identifies shadow players: money-smuggler François Loubet and an internal mole called Joe Blow.

The Caribbean and the Smuggling Trail (Chapters 42–55)

The trio travels to St. Lucia to investigate Bella Sanchez’s death. They learn she was used as a cash courier. Steve is forced to use a firearm for the first time during a dangerous meeting.

Hitman Eddie Flood keeps following them. In England, Tony Taylor starts looking into Vivid Viral Media and realizes the company fronts the smuggling operation.

The Irish Gambit and Internal Strife (Chapters 56–71)

The investigation moves to an Irish vineyard, where a media stunt exposes a pursuer. Henk van Veen presents evidence suggesting Jeff Nolan is the mastermind. The group’s loyalties become unclear.

In Dubai, Steve’s son Adam interviews a jailed influencer and finds her dead, signaling witness silencing.

The Traitor Revealed (Chapters 72–92)

The group returns to the New Forest and realizes Max Highfield is a decoy.

The true Joe Blow must have deep access to company files. Amy stages a confrontation and identifies Susan Knox as the mole working for Loubet. The focus shifts to Dubai for the final showdown.

The Dubai Showdown and Resolution (Chapters 93–101)

Steve confronts Mickey Moody in a Dubai pub. A mix of old-school logic and doorbell camera footage proves Mickey is François Loubet. Eddie Flood reveals he wants to be a writer.

Bonnie Gregor is saved from prison. The novel ends with the villains caught and the trio launching We Solve Murders in Steve’s village.

We Solve Murders summary — We Solve Murders by Richard Osman Book Cover

Similar Books to We Solve Murders

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman — Shares the same blend of humor, sharp-minded older protagonists, and intricate mystery plotting.

Slow Horses by Mick Herron — Offers a satirical look at security work and internal corruption, with rejected operatives at its center.

The Appeal by Janice Hallett — Uses documents and multiple perspectives to unravel a modern British crime, echoing the multi-POV structure.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz — A meta-fictional mystery that, like Rosie D’Antonio’s subplot, links crime fiction to real murder.

The Maid by Nita Prose — A cozy mystery with an observant protagonist who notices small details others miss.

Characters In This Book

Character	Role
Amy Wheeler	Bodyguard at Maximum Impact Solutions who is framed for the influencer murders.
Steve Wheeler	Retired detective and Amy’s father-in-law who joins the investigation.
Rosie D’Antonio	Famous novelist and Amy’s client who funds and assists the case.
Mickey Moody	Scrap-metal dealer in Dubai revealed as François Loubet, the money-smuggling mastermind.
Susan Knox	Head of HR at Maximum Impact who works as the mole Joe Blow.
Jeff Nolan	CEO of Maximum Impact and Amy’s boss who fakes his death to hide from Loubet.
Henk van Veen	Former business partner of Jeff Nolan who initially suspects Amy and Jeff.
Eddie Flood	Hitman hired to pursue the trio who later wants to be a writer.
Tony Taylor	Mechanic and friend of Steve who investigates Vivid Viral Media in England.
Felicity Woollaston	Theatrical agent whose company Vivid Viral is hijacked to recruit influencers.
Max Highfield	Action movie star who unknowingly helps recruit the influencer victims.
Bonnie Gregor	Influencer and mother targeted as the final money-smuggling courier.
Trouble	Steve’s rescued stray cat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does We Solve Murders have a happy ending?

Yes, the ending resolves with the main villains Mickey Moody and Susan Knox arrested, Bonnie Gregor protected, and Amy, Steve, and Rosie starting a new agency called We Solve Murders.

How does We Solve Murders end?

At the end, Steve proves that Mickey Moody is François Loubet using doorbell camera footage, Susan Knox is identified as the internal mole, and the trio launches the We Solve Murders private investigation firm in Steve’s village.

Is We Solve Murders part of a series?

Yes, it is book one in the We Solve Murders mystery series. It is separate from Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club series and requires no prior reading.

What is the twist in We Solve Murders?

The central twist is that the mild-mannered scrap-metal dealer Mickey Moody is actually François Loubet, while Susan Knox, the firm’s HR head, is the internal mole known as Joe Blow.

Who is François Loubet in We Solve Murders?

François Loubet is the alias of Mickey Moody, a Dubai scrap-metal dealer and the world’s most successful money smuggler. The name comes from his grandmothers, Lou and Bet.

Is We Solve Murders related to The Thursday Murder Club?

No, We Solve Murders introduces a separate cast and is not set in the Thursday Murder Club world. Both series come from Richard Osman and share a comedic mystery tone.