Steve Wheeler

A former London policeman in the New Forest

Steve Wheeler is a retired police officer who now lives in the New Forest and still takes on small investigations. His earlier London career gave him experience of crime and of reading people, but retirement has allowed him to make his world quieter. He favours familiar routines over excitement: local company, a pub quiz and afternoons with his cat Trouble. The contrast with Amy’s international security work is central to We Solve Murders. Steve is not an inexperienced civilian discovering detective work for the first time. He is an experienced investigator who would prefer not to need those skills very often.

Debbie, Adam and Amy

Steve is a widower. Debbie, his late wife, remains an important presence in his thoughts, and grief helps explain why familiar routines are so valuable to him. Adam is his son, and Amy is Adam’s wife, making her Steve’s daughter-in-law. Amy is also the person who draws him into the first novel’s international trouble. Their affection is not dependent on similar tastes: she likes movement and danger, while he would be pleased to remain safely at home. The family relationship gives the investigation an immediate emotional stake. When Amy calls for help, he has a reason to leave that comfortable life.

Trouble, the Brass Monkey and everyday habits

Trouble is Steve’s cat and the companion of his quieter days. The Brass Monkey is the pub associated with his village social life and quiz routine. These details are not merely decorative signs that he is retired. They give him a network of familiar people and a home worth returning to. He also uses a dictaphone, an especially distinctive habit in a novel full of phones, messages and digital disguises. His practical attention to ordinary information survives the move into glamorous surroundings. He can take a conversation seriously without needing to make it sound like a high-powered operation.

The private-plane packing scene

One of Steve’s funniest early scenes involves preparing to fly out to help Amy. The luxury arrangements are unfamiliar, so he worries about luggage and packs modestly, including biscuits and old rock-band T-shirts. He offers the driver tea and sits in the front of the car because the back feels wrong to him. The contrast makes his personality concrete: he treats the people around him as people, not as the accessories of an expensive journey. His concern for leaving Trouble properly cared for also remains part of the departure. International danger does not instantly erase the responsibilities of home.

Rosie and a wider life

Rosie D’Antonio becomes Steve’s investigative companion alongside Amy. The wealthy novelist enjoys adventure and has access to luxuries he does not seek for himself. Their difference supplies comedy, but the friendship is warmer than a simple contest between extravagance and modesty. Rosie brings energy and possibility; Steve brings calm judgement and investigative experience. The reader’s pleasure is watching a man attached to home discover company he enjoys elsewhere. The trio’s shared history continues in We Chase Shadows, with another international case. Steve remains recognisable as the person who would like to get back to the pub quiz, even when his old skills are urgently needed.

Read the books and extracts

Start with We Solve Murders. Our reading order follows the novels’ publication sequence. The publisher’s extracts below let you meet the characters in Osman’s own prose; review and cast links offer further background.

• We Solve Murders: Steve’s journey
• We Solve Murders: publisher’s reader guide