A concise reader-first summary of Janet Webb’s review of Richard Osman’s We Chase Shadows, covering plot setup, character dynamics, tone, settings, and what the reviewer found most satisfying about the sequel.
We Chase Shadows continues the We Solve Murders series with a mix of humor, poignancy, and perceptive character work centered on Steve, Amy, and Rosie.
The novel balances a cleverly plotted mystery with an emphasis on relationships—friendship, aging, and the blending of private and professional lives.
The review highlights sendups of the contemporary publishing industry and enjoyable settings rather than focusing solely on procedural detail.
# What this review covers
Janet Webb reviews Richard Osman's We Chase Shadows, the second entry in the We Solve Murders series. Webb treats the book as both a mystery and a character-driven continuation: the central trio—Steve, Amy, and Rosie—have developed since the first book, and Webb finds the new installment funny, poignant, and perceptive.
# Who the characters are and how they've changed
Steve is a retired police officer and widower living a quiet life in a small English village. He talks to his dead wife, plays pub trivia, and runs a small investigations niche called Steve Investigates. Amy is a close-protection officer (personal bodyguard) and Steve's daughter-in-law. Rosie is a successful crime novelist who lives a more opulent life and recruits Steve and Amy when trouble arises. Together they launched the private firm We Solve Murders after prior events set them on this path.
Webb emphasizes personal growth: the trio's private and professional lives are beginning to merge, and Steve is tentatively rejoining the world on his own terms. The friendship between older men is singled out as a particularly warm element.
# Plot setup and pacing
The inciting incident happens after Rosie appears on television promoting her new book. A criminal in Tuscany watching the interview calls because someone on his staff has been murdered at a private villa. The show appearance directly produces that client, and the trio flies to Italy to investigate. This globe-trotting setup gives Webb a chance to note the book's varied locales: Tuscany, British castles, Palm Springs, and Steve's village.
Webb describes the mystery as cleverly plotted and enjoyable. The book delivers standard cozy-friendly pleasures—satisfying clues, a travel element, and interpersonal stakes—rather than an emphasis on gritty procedural realism.
# Themes Webb highlights
# Tone and reader experience
# Concrete reader implications
If you enjoyed the first We Solve Murders book for its characters and light-hearted globe-trotting mystery, Webb indicates this sequel will deliver a similar experience with added depth to relationships and a few pointed looks at modern publishing. Expect warm character moments, travel set pieces, and a mystery that privileges clever plotting and tone over procedural grit.
# Final impression
We Chase Shadows is portrayed as a cleverly plotted, enjoyable sequel whose primary reward is time spent with its central trio. Webb's review recommends it for readers who value character chemistry and gentle humor alongside their mystery.
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