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Either

We Solve Murders audiobook vs book: which should you choose?

A retired policeman and his bodyguard daughter-in-law end up racing round the world after a killer in Richard Osman’s new series. It’s close to even: Nicola Walker’s praised reading against fast-switching viewpoints that are easier to follow in print.

Read vs Listen·First published 6 November 2026·Last edited 6 November 2026·5 min read
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
The verdict
The same thirteen checks for every bookSix checks point to listening, such as a full cast or produced audio, the author reading their own memoir, or one narrator for a single viewpoint. Seven point to reading, such as jumping timelines, three or more viewpoints, or a story that depends on images or layout. Each check has a weight, and the weighted total sets the verdict. Verdicts are never paid for. The percentage rises with the gap between the two sides and with how much evidence there is, so a couple of small checks can’t make a book clear cut on their own: 50 to 64 is a close call, 65 to 79 is leaning, 80 to 94 is clear, and 95 or more is clear cut. See how we decide in full →

Either works

Either works for We Solve Murders, so pick the format you enjoy. Kirkus says Nicola Walker’s “subdued tone, unhurried cadence, and restrained use of accents perfectly suits the characters and situations”, and her reading makes a 464-page caper easy to fit in. But the story switches quickly between Steve, Amy, Rosie and the killer, and with one reader for all of them, the page makes it easier to keep track.

Audible listeners rate the narration 4.8 out of 5 (8,250 ratings)

Definitely readDefinitely listen
52%
Either
Get it on Kindle464 pages (UK paperback) · about 7½ hours to readListen on Audible10h 38m, read by Nicola Walker

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The audiobook at a glance

RecordingUK edition, our verdictUS edition
NarratorNicola WalkerNicola Walker
Length10 hours 38 minutes (10h 38m), unabridged10 hours 32 minutes (10h 32m), unabridged
At 1.5xabout 7h 5mabout 7h 1m
At 2xabout 5h 19mabout 5h 16m
Audio publisher and datePenguin, 12 September 2024Penguin Audio, 17 September 2024
Audiobook price£15.51 on Audible UK$22.50 on Audible US
Kindle price£5.99 on Amazon UKNot listed
PrintPenguin paperback, 464 pages, 2025Pamela Dorman/Viking, 400 pages, 2024
Listener ratingPerformance 4.79 from 8,250 ratingsPerformance 4.79 from 5,250 ratings

Nicola Walker reads both the UK (Penguin) and US (Penguin Audio) listings, six minutes apart in length, so the UK listing is the one scored. We couldn’t confirm whether they are the same master recording.

No other recording was found on Audible UK or US. The Penguin UK audio CD lists 633 minutes. Ratings and prices checked 6 November 2026. Prices change often. US Kindle prices are left out, as Amazon only shows them to US visitors.

Lengths checked 6 November 2026. Speed times are calculated.

Why this verdictWhat it isCase for readingCase for listeningThe audiobookWho should ignore itQuestions

We Solve Murders

Richard Osman

Genre
Crime fiction
Series
We Solve Murders, book 1
First published
September 2024
Length
464 pages (UK paperback)
On audio
10 hrs 38 mins, Nicola Walker

On this page

  1. Why we reached this verdict
  2. What this book actually is
  3. The case for reading it
  4. The case for listening to it
  5. The audiobook in detail
  6. Who should ignore this verdict
  7. Questions people ask

Why we reached this verdict

Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.

One check points to reading
✓
Three or more points of view, one narratorThe Wheaton Public Library review says it is “told from multiple points of view”: Steve, Amy and Rosie, plus occasional chapters from the killer (Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks), and Sue’s Book Reviews says the “viewpoints switch so rapidly”. Nicola Walker reads them all, so on the page it is easier to see whose chapter you are in.
Two checks point to listening
✓
Award-winning or praised narrationKirkus says Walker’s “subdued tone, unhurried cadence, and restrained use of accents perfectly suits the characters and situations”, and that her “emotionally connected performance” keeps the characters from going “over-the-top”. A reading that lands the jokes without hamming them up makes a comic caper easy to enjoy by ear.
✓
Long bookThe UK Penguin paperback runs to 464 pages, and the audiobook lets you get through it on commutes and chores.
Checked, not a factor here (10)
–
Literary or dense proseBookBrowse describes a clipped style with “short sentences”, so the prose isn’t dense.
–
Narration criticisedPerformance 4.79 from 8,250 ratings on Audible UK and 4.79 from 5,250 on Audible US, and no critic criticises Walker’s reading.
–
Jumping timelinesReviews describe a chase told as it happens, and none mentions time jumps.
–
Story depends on images or layoutOnly an italic prologue is mentioned, and nothing we found says the story depends on layout.
–
Many similar-sounding namesBookBrowse found the large cast hard to keep track of, but no reviewer says the names sound alike.
–
Maps, family trees or footnotesNothing we found mentions a map or family tree, and no PDF comes with the audiobook.
–
Full cast or produced audioNicola Walker reads it alone on Audible UK and US, with no cast or music.
–
Read by the authorIt is a novel, so the author-reading check doesn’t apply.
–
Single point of view and narratorThe story switches between several characters, so it isn’t told from one point of view.
–
Unfamiliar names or dialectThere are a few non-English names, such as Henk and Francoise Loubet, but no reviewer says they are easier to follow by ear.
How the score adds up
Listening 9 points, reading 8

Praised narration (6) and the book’s length (3) give listening 9 points, while several fast-switching points of view read by one narrator (8) give reading 8. That’s close to even at 52%, so either format works.

Every book gets the same thirteen checks, set in advance. Verdicts are never paid for or influenced by affiliate links. Last edited 6 November 2026, and rechecked every year as editions and narrators change. Read the checks in full · Is listening the same as reading? See what the research says.

The recording in detail

One narratorMulti-voiceFull castDramatised
Scored
Nicola Walker, Penguin, 2024, 10h 38m, unabridged
Critic review
Kirkus: Walker’s reading “perfectly suits the characters and situations”
Alternatives
None: one Nicola Walker reading, sold by Penguin (UK) and Penguin Audio (US)
What you miss
Nothing printed only, but it is easier to see whose chapter you are in on the page

What this book actually is

We Solve Murders is the first book in Richard Osman’s second series, after the Thursday Murder Club, with new main characters. Steve Wheeler is a retired police officer, and his daughter-in-law Amy is a private security officer guarding the novelist Rosie D’Antonio. When a body and a bag of money turn up, the three of them end up racing around the world.

It was published in September 2024 and is followed by We Chase Shadows (2026). In September 2026 Osman said a series is in development at Netflix, though as of November 2026 Netflix itself had said nothing. It includes several murders and drug-dealing villains.

The case for reading it

The story is “told from multiple points of view”, mainly Steve, Amy and Rosie, with occasional chapters from the killer, and one reviewer says the “viewpoints switch so rapidly”. In print you can see at once whose chapter you are in, which helps when the switches come thick and fast.

The cast is large too. BookBrowse says “there are a lot of them” and that its reviewer had to look back to keep track of who was who, which is far easier to do on the page.

The case for listening to it

Nicola Walker’s reading is the reason to listen. Kirkus praises her “subdued tone, unhurried cadence, and restrained use of accents”, says she “captures all the suspense and humor”, and credits her “emotionally connected performance” with keeping the characters from going “over-the-top”.

Listeners rate her performance 4.79 on both Audible stores. The short chapters and clipped sentences move quickly, and at 10 and a half hours the audiobook makes a 464-page book easy to fit around the day.

The audiobook in detail

Nicola Walker reads the unabridged Penguin recording, released on Audible UK on 12 September 2024, in 10 hours 38 minutes. Penguin Audio sells her reading on Audible US at 10 hours 32 minutes.

Kirkus reviewed the audiobook and praises her restrained, “emotionally connected performance”. No award was found for this recording, and no PDF comes with it.

Who should ignore this verdict

If a praised reading matters most to you and you don’t mind holding a crowd of characters in your head, the audiobook is a good choice: the gap between the formats is tiny. If you like to check back on who is who, read it.

Get We Solve Murders
Both editions, so you can go with the verdict or ignore it entirely.

Audiobook

  • Read by Nicola Walker
  • 10h 38m
  • Unabridged
Listen on Audible

Kindle

  • 464 pages (UK paperback)
  • Keep track of the switching viewpoints
  • About 7½ hours to read (our estimate)
Get the Kindle edition
Affiliate links. If you buy through one of these we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, and with no influence on the verdict above.

Related verdicts

Same author

We Chase Shadows

Book 2, also read by Nicola Walker.

Same author

The Thursday Murder Club

Osman’s first series starts here.

Same author

The Impossible Fortune

The latest Thursday Murder Club book.

Same author

The Bullet That Missed

Thursday Murder Club, read by Fiona Shaw.

Different verdict

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret

More British comic crime.

Different verdict

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone

Comic crime with a crowd of suspects.

Start here

How we decide

The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.

Questions people ask

Who narrates the We Solve Murders audiobook?

The actor Nicola Walker reads the whole unabridged audiobook on her own, for Penguin Audio, in the UK and the US.

How long is the We Solve Murders audiobook?

10 hours 38 minutes on Audible UK. That is about 7 hours 5 minutes at 1.5x speed and 5 hours 19 minutes at 2x (calculated).

Is the We Solve Murders audiobook abridged?

No. The Nicola Walker audiobook is unabridged, and no abridged edition was found.

How many pages is We Solve Murders?

The UK Penguin paperback (ISBN 9780241997482) has 464 pages.

Is We Solve Murders being made into a TV series?

Richard Osman said on BBC’s The One Show in September 2026 that a series is in development with Netflix. As of November 2026 Netflix had made no announcement of its own, and no cast or date had been given.

What order should I read the We Solve Murders books in?

Start with We Solve Murders (2024), then We Chase Shadows (2026). Nicola Walker reads both on audio.

Is We Solve Murders part of the Thursday Murder Club series?

No. It starts a new series with new main characters, Steve Wheeler and his daughter-in-law Amy.

Who are the main characters in We Solve Murders?

Steve Wheeler, a retired police officer, Amy Wheeler, a private security officer, and Rosie D’Antonio, the novelist Amy is guarding.

Whose point of view is We Solve Murders told from?

The story switches between several characters, mainly Steve, Amy and Rosie, with occasional chapters from the killer.

Should I read or listen to We Solve Murders?

Either works. Kirkus praises Nicola Walker’s unhurried, restrained reading, and the audiobook makes a 464-page book easy to fit in. Print makes it easier to keep track as the viewpoints switch between Steve, Amy, Rosie and the killer and a large cast arrives early.

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We Solve MurdersOur pick: either works · 52%
AudibleKindle