This month’s choices:
Fiction
We Solve Murders
By Richard Osman
Richard Osman became a publishing superstar with his “Thursday Murder Club” series—which I’ve featured more than once. This new series stays in the same smart, slightly mischievous lane.
“We Solve Murders” introduces a new trio at the center of the chaos: a retired police officer who prefers a quiet life, his sharp and capable daughter-in-law, and a novelist who knows a little too much about crime for comfort. When a series of killings begins to ripple outward, the three find themselves pulled into a web that’s bigger—and stranger—than any of them expected.
I’ll tell you what I appreciate about Osman’s books. It’s not just the puzzle (though there’s a good one here). It’s the tone. The dialogue is dry without being overly snarky. The characters feel like people you might actually know—if the people you know occasionally stumble into international murder investigations.
In pure Osman style, there’s humor woven throughout, but it never undercuts the story. Instead, it makes the whole thing more enjoyable. You’re solving the mystery, yes, but you’re also spending time with characters you wouldn’t mind having a cocktail with.
If you’re looking for a mystery that doesn’t take itself too seriously—but still delivers a satisfying unraveling—you’ll find it here. “We Solve Murders” is clever, quick on its feet, and the kind of book that reminds you reading can simply be fun.
Find your copy here.
Nonfiction
On Writing
By Stephen King
This is one I revisit every few years. In fact, I’m due again, which is one reason I’m sharing this now. Every time, I walk away with something new rattling around in my head.
When one of the bestselling authors in American history tells you how he works, it’s worth paying attention.
“On Writing” is part memoir, part masterclass. King shares stories from his early life—rejections, odd jobs, setbacks—and how those years shaped him long before the bestseller lists ever did. The book doesn’t read like a formal “how-to.” It’s more like you’re sitting across from a working writer who’s telling you what actually matters and what doesn’t.
He talks about discipline, about the importance of reading widely, about cutting unnecessary words (he’s famously allergic to adverbs), and about showing up at the desk whether you feel inspired or not. None of it is mystical. None of it is precious. It’s practical and direct.
I appreciate his blunt honesty. King doesn’t pretend writing is easy, and he doesn’t romanticize it. He treats it like a job—an important one—but still a job. And yet, look deeper and you’ll see this is a genuine love of story.
If you write, this book will sharpen you. If you don’t write, it’s still a fascinating look at how one of the world’s most successful authors thinks about craft. For me, it’s become less of a read and more of a periodic tune-up.
Find your copy here.
Last Month’s Picks
Piranesi
By Susanna Clarke
A man living in a vast, mysterious House slowly uncovers the truth about his identity and the strange world he inhabits.
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Happy reading!
1776
By David McCullough
For America’s 250th birthday, a look at the pivotal year where Gen. George Washington struggled to keep an army - and a young nation - together in the face of staggering odds.