Richard Osman has made a name for himself beyond his work as a TV presenter and producer, now as a best-selling author. Osman’s crime books have become very popular, in part due to the witty and cosy nature of their content. However, despite his affection for writing about the genre, he acknowledges he is “terrible at playing detective”. Osman humorously admits that his wife and himself are often wrong when they try to pick out the killer in a story.
His debut success, the Thursday Murder Club, is a murder mystery novel that follows a group of elderly amateur detectives peacefully living in a retirement village. The first book has already been adapted for Netflix by director Steven Spielberg, which has only added to the popularity of the series. However, Osman’s attention has now turned towards his new crime series, We Solve Murders. This series introduces the readers to Steve, a retired ex-cop, and his bodyguard daughter-in-law, Amy, who solve murders worldwide.
Although the new series is different from his debut in terms of the setting, Osman remarks that it still has the same “warmth and type of characters.” The author wants to explore the idea of found families, unlike most people’s relationships with their in-laws. Osman says he finds the idea touching and that it enabled him to bring together two people who wouldn’t naturally cross paths. Even though their work takes place in glamorous settings aboard a private jet, the characters’ quirky attitudes and distinctive personalities represent some of the similarities between the series and the original.
The writer also delves into AI in his new novel, with the murderer using AI to conceal their identity. Osman comments that he has finally found an excellent use for ChatGPT, AI writing software, saying that while it can help people construct letters and emails, it can’t create books. Furthermore, the author explains that AI cannot replace what comes from the human heart, such as great culture or works of art.
While his fans are excited about his new book, they are most concerned with the upcoming release of The Thursday Murder Club’s movie adaptation. The film features a cast that includes big names like Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan and is being directed by Spielberg and Chris Columbus. Osman, despite his influence in the writing process, has learned to relinquish control and trust in others to bring his work to life, admitting that nobody “wants me looking over Spielberg’s shoulder telling him what to do.
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