Shrink Solves Murder: Her three o'clock just became a murder case . . .

by Philippa Perry

A small-town psychotherapist draws on all her knowledge of the human psyche to solve the murder of a patient in this warm and witty mystery novel—by a real psychotherapist turned #1 internationally bestselling author.

“Bears all the hallmarks of a Richard Osman-style a small community with a picturesque setting; prickly-but-lovable middle-class types who turn to crime-solving in later life. An enjoyable blend of mystery and gentle satire.”—The Guardian

Living in idyllic coastal Sussex, Patricia Philipps enjoys her quiet life—walking the cliffs, shouting at poorly disciplined dog owners, telling tourists to keep their distance from the crumbling cliff edges, and cold-water swimming.

Then a body washes up near Beachy Head, upending her carefully curated life as she discovers the deceased is one of her clients—her “Three O’Clock,” in fact.

The police chalk it up to suicide, but Pat sees things differently. She reads people. She understands them—their lusts, their loves, their quirks, their ticks, their tells, their deepest desires. She looks, she listens, she watches. And she never jumps to conclusions. After all, she spends her days listening to secrets, resentments, fantasies, and motives. She’s certain someone wanted Henry Clayton dead.

With her chaotic best friend Pritchard (part-time poet, full-time meddler) in tow, Pat swaps the therapist’s couch for the crime scene. It’s time to unpick the lies, untangle the egos, and catch a killer hiding in plain sight.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Cozy

Audible Audio

Published July 28, 2026

About the author

Philippa Perry, author of How to Stay Sane, is a psychotherapist and writer who has written pieces for The Guardian, The Observer, Time Out, and Healthy Living magazine and has a column in Psychologies Magazine. In 2010, she wrote the graphic novel Couch Fiction, in an attempt to demystify psychotherapy. She lives in London and Sussex with her husband, the artist Grayson Perry, and enjoys gardening, cooking, parties, walking, tweeting, and watching telly.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/philip...

Reviews

[Elodie]

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I adore cozy mysteries and, honestly, I have a soft spot for amateur sleuths that are 60+ (my favourite series of all time is Thursday Murder Club, what can I say? 😜). So, seeing this book and knowing it checked both those boxes AND had a main character that is a psychotherapist!? My social workers heart couldn't click request fast enough!

Now, I've read a fair bit of reviews of Netgalley and there seems to be a theme where folks don't like Pat's personality. In the beginning, I really didn't either. She comes off quite blunt, grouchy, and kind of controlling. However, as I got to know her more, my opinion of her changed and I started to really like her. I mean, I too also get annoyed by people who litter and big companies trying to build on any and all green space they can find (to be honest, I was thinking about those darn proposed data centers at the time, which helped me feel Pat's irritation 😅). What really sold me on Pat's character though is that she wasn't just complaining, she was actually acting on those feelings. For example, she picked up litter everyday and she did a whole investigation to get her client justice. This is always a win in my books.

Additionally, there was one scene closer to the end of the book that really sold me on Pat. She daughter critiques the kind of mother she was, and instead of lashing out or denying her daughters ezperience, she supports her daughter. She reflects. She admits she didn't meet her daughters needs that way her daughter needed her to. As someone who has worked with a lot of people estranged from various family members, this warmed my heart. I love me an accountable character 👏🏻 👏🏻

One thing though that did make me cringe a little is Pat's failure to adhere to her code of ethics around confidentiality. As someone who understands confidentiality and the importance of it, I couldn't help but give a squack of disapproval reading that Pat doesn't lock her file cabinet with client files. Girl, get it together! 😜

In terms of the mystery, it is pretty simple, but I quite enjoyed it! Throughout the book, there is a steady pace as Pat and her best friend Prichard investigate and work through theories, which I appreciated. I was also surprised by the culprit in the end, though I don't think I would have been bothered if I wasn't.

Honestly, I really enjoyed the setting the author set up, including the different settings, community activities and the fun side characters that are Pat's neighbours (who, I will say had some VERY interesting hobbies, looking at you Fiona! 👀). So, when I say it wouldn't have mattered to be if I was surprised or not, it's because I truly just enjoyed the journey. I will say though that I thought the end tied up quite nicely and didn't feel overly rushed.

Now, my one critique, which probably won't register for the majority of readers, is the assumptions surrounding therapy that were mentioned by the police early on in the story. While the author made it clear Pat didn't agree with those stereotypes, I wish the author had Pat actively correct the cops or verbally disagree, instead of keeping silent.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I'm hoping to see more of Pat and Prichard in the future! If you like cozy mysteries, I highly recommend you check this one out!

[Kirsten]

I love Philippa Perry as a therapist in the Guardian, I read her book about adult children wanting to have been raised differently by their parents (titled something like What you would have wished your parents knew) and felt much enlightened, but this…. I thought of leaving a 2-word review, but that would have seemed mean though wholly justified. This book is just superfluous, what I remember most clearly having read it back in July is the main character’s love of open water swimming, and speaking as a Dane this is nothing spectacular. I suspect this mirrors the author’s own life, though commendable as it is, it can’t sustain a plot nor plausible characters.

[Georgia]

it’s INSANE that PP’s publisher (penguin no less) allowed her to base one of her characters on her personal friend Richard coles and call him PRICHARD KNOWLES. and get him to give a front cover quote saying the book is brilliant. this is quite literally something i would have done to amuse myself in year 8. then she writes in a tangential plot which allows her to literally recommend another book she wrote by name. can’t believe no one at penguin thought any of this was weird.

PRICHARD KNOWLES

[Wal.li]

Der drei Uhr Termin

Pat Philipps ist als Therapeutin tätig. Ihr kleines Cottage liegt in einem beschaulichen Ort an der Küste. Die Landschaft ist malerisch, die Kreidefelsen beeindruckend, aber auch hoch. Als Pat erfährt, dass ihr nicht erschienener drei Uhr Termin von den Klippen gestürzt ist, kann sie es kaum fassen. Dann schließt die Polizei die Untersuchung nach kurzer Zeit. Es wird von einem Selbstmord ausgegangen. Das kann Pat nun wirklich nicht glauben. Wozu sollte Henry Clayton gerade eine Therapie begonnen haben, wenn er sich dann umbringt. Das passt einfach nicht und Pat, die es gewohnt ist Fragen zu stellen, beginnt nachzuforschen.

Gemeinsam mit ihrem besten Freund Pritchard versucht Pat von den Leuten im Dorf Hinweise zu bekommen, was mit Clayton geschehen sein könnte. Pritchard ist ein treuer Begleiter, die sie häufiger mal mit Selbstgebrautem erfreut. Im Gegensatz zu ihm hat sich Pat im Dorf noch nicht sonderlich beliebt gemacht. Ihrem Patienten fühlt sich Pat aber verpflichtet. Aus ihren Aufzeichnungen kann sie wirklich keine Selbstmordgefährdung erkennen. Doch wer könnte ein Motiv gehabt haben? Sein Lebenspartner, von dem er sich lösen wollte? Das ist natürlich der erste Gedanke. Nicht hilfreich ist die Polizei, die nur stur an ihrer Selbstmordthese festhält.

Ein idyllischer Ort an der englischen Küste eignet sich immer als Kulisse für einen Kriminalroman. Man ist gleich in der richtigen Stimmung für ein spannendes Rätsel. Als Berichterstatterin kommt Pat besser an als als Bewohnerin des Dorfes. Mit Hartnäckigkeit hält sie an ihrer Meinung fest, dass Clayton keinen Selbstmord begangen hat. Beweise zu finden ist aber garnicht so leicht. Schließlich ist sie doch Laiendetektivin. Und doch ist es klasse, wie sie Henry posthum verteidigt und versucht die Umstände seines Ablebens zu klären. Nebenbei muss sie sich dabei am Dorfleben beteiligen und feststellen, dass es nicht so nervig ist. Ihre Ermittlungen bleiben zwar etwas laienhaft, aber ihre Qualität als Therapeutin kann Pat sehr überzeugend ausspielen. Das ist vielleicht auch kein Wunder, da die Autorin selbst als Therapeutin tätig ist.

Von Sonngard Dressler wird dieses Hörbuch ausgesprochen angenehm vorgetragen. Man bekommt den Eindruck, dass Pat Philipps durch ihre Stimme richtig lebendig wird.

[Books By Your Bedside]

2.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Hutchinson Heinemann for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

I think this is Philippa's debut novel but I know she is an accomplished writer. I don't know much about her to be honest, outside of being a psychotherapist and Grayson Perry's wife, so I was going in blind. But I know I like cosy crime novels so I was hoping it would be good.

But it didn't hit the heights I wanted it to.

It's got all the tropes I was expecting and wanted in a cosy crime novel.

The chapters were a little longer than my preference which drew the story out a bit longer.

It felt a bit like a painting-by-numbers at times, a bit formulaic.

I didn't find any of the characters likeable. She's given us a reasonably broad spectrum of characters but most of them were these rich upper-class snooty types and I couldn't take to them. Even with the characters who were introduced as opposites of them didn't hit the mark.

This is going to sound weird because it's a fictional novel and it's not meant to be real, but I do still expect there to be a certain amount of believability in a book and this wasn't. Mainly to do with the police force. They were so unbelievable, and not in a fun quirky way, and that spoiled it slightly for me.

it doesn't take a whole lot of concentration and I think that was at its detriment because I kept losing focus and felt reluctant to continue reading at times.

The ending doesn't really feel in keeping with the rest of it and it felt rushed like she suddenly realised she had to finish it.

I read a lot of cosy crime novels and I do enjoy them. They're good to lose yourself in and relax to, but this one fell short to what I was expecting.

It was okay. Would I recommend it? To fans of really cosy, cosy crime books probably yes. But it is a very basic story, done well but nothing overly special.

[Anastasia]

When Henry Clayton's death is put down to suicide, his psychotherapist Patricia Phillips is unconvinced and takes it upon herself to investigate. A very entertaining and enjoyable cozy mystery. I liked the way that Pat was able to use her skills at reading others to help with her investigation. I did dislike that the police detective was portrayed as lazy and incompetent and that she didn't even try to listen to anything that changed her thoughts. It is getting a bit tiresome when police are portrayed as bumbling incompetents. Otherwise it was an enjoyable puzzling mystery.

[Jen]

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I liked the sound of it, and amateur sleuth types of mysteries are always a favoured read of mine. Who doesn't love a good whodunnit? And this, is a very witty, highly entertaining whodunnit with a touch of the 'did they even dunnit in the first place' about it too.

Patricia 'Pat' Phillips is a psychotherapist, living on the south coast of England, a stones throw from the notorious Beachy Head, a 'popular' spot for those who feel they have reached the end of the line. When the body of one of Pat's clients is found at the foot of the cliffs, it is immediately assumed that he reached that figurative 'end', but Pat is not so sure. Nothing about their sessions spoke of a man on the edge (no pun intended), and a troubling ex-partner aside, he was practically positive - at least as much as a person in therapy can be. Backed by her trusty friend, Pritchard, Pat sets out to prove that there is more to Henry's demise than meets the eye and the results ... well they are just all I could ask for.

Pat, Pat, Pat ... where to begin. As introductions go, it is very easy to see how she might get the backs of her neighbours well and truly up. Particular is probably a kind way to describe her. A stickler for fairness and not afraid to say what is on her mind. Perhaps dangerous traits for a therapist in many ways, but I actually really liked her. She just says and does all the things most of us would like to say and do, without hesitation or fear of recriminations. She is eternally patient with Pritchard, whose attempts at making the perfect homebrew - be that gin or wine - prove a hoot all on their own. And they make an unconventional but addictive pairing. She is canny and determined and all the qualities you want to see in an amateur 'detective' and I found that I wanted to spend that time with her and see how she got to the bottom of this mystery.

There are many threads in this book that could, and do, point the finger of suspicion in any one of a number of directions. From the on again, off again relationship to a seemingly unscrupulous property developer, Dorna, to whom Pat takes an instant, and eventually understandable dislike, there could be any number of reasons for Henry's potential murder. And the various characters in this book really are what makes is such a laugh. There are so many personalities that, although maybe a touch larger than life, feel so much like someone I might, or probably do know. The personality types at the very least. I actually quite liked the sparks between Dorna and Pat, a strangely addictive back and forth that is endlessly entertaining.

A lot of the real humour in this book comes from Pat's attempts to assimilate into the community, something she has largely actively avoided before. Book clubs, neighbourly parties - all the kinds of things that turn Pat cold but that may hold the clues vital to her, and our, understanding of what is going on. There is an artful use of misdirection at times, and with a plethora of suspects, we have to wait until the pivotal moment for the truth, and the guilty party to be revealed. One mention I must make is for PC Footer, one of the police officers that Pat works hard to convince to look further into Henry's case. He is a simple and yet strangely loveable character, easily swayed by Pat's personality, but although working in the shadow of the more senior officer, DS Stevens, he is far more useful to Pat and perhaps the wiser of the pair as well, in his own way.

If you love your crime on the cosier side, more Marlow Murder Club than Jane Tennison, then this is definitely worth reading. I am unsure from that ending whether we can expect a return for Pat and her friends, but I'd be more than happy to spend time with them all again. A fun and entirely entertaining read.

[Anna]

I for some reason thought this might contain at least an interesting ethical aspect, knowing the protagonist detective figure (and indeed the author) is a therapist. but no, the extent of that is literally like 'thank god I had zoom meetings with my dead client so I have a recording of me asking him if he was suicidal and he said no! phew!'

and the police are such deadweight lazy dumbass/'pitiable fat person' characters they don't add anything to this either. the protagonist is always right, always wry (read: has the kind of 'witty' opinions you'd expect from someone who would rather be a normal columnist not an agony aunt but has no vision of what they'd gripe about beyond Woke 101 but I'm Actually Wry so I'm Above Frothing and never morally interesting (I accept this might not have been a goal but I think the therapy angle is begging for something beyond 'I have a hut where I go on zoom')

I sometimes like the agony aunt columns the author writes, I think that's her thing (not that that's for me to decide). I enjoyed her refreshingly being like I know I'm not the world's best writer or a 'literary' one but I hope I can write a page turner

tbf I did turn the pages but it got more and more weary. I think crime novels take too much shit for bad endings - not because these accusations are wrong but I think it's such a hard thing to do well it shouldnt stop you reading one that creates great atmosphere, psychology, whatever. but this one was just pointless and you look back and there isn't enough to redeem it

including just being more entertaining. writing a page turner is something you can get extremely good at. this is adequate at that and worse at other stuff

[Sophie K]

3,5🌟 für diesen cosy crime

[Juwita]

Cozy mystery. 3.5⭐️.

[Mariken Bollen]

Leuk als tussendoortje. De personages zijn top en vermakelijk, het mysterie niet heel bijzonder. Maar als cosy crime zeker leuk om te lezen.

[Tracy Wood]

Psychotherapist Patricia Philipps likes living on the south coast, her small cottage suits her, and she can run her business from the shepherd hut in her garden. When one of her patients is found on the shore close to Beachy Head, the local police detective is convinced its suicide. Pat, however, thinks otherwise. She was sure Henry Clayton wasn't suicidal. He was just very confused about his way forward with a violent partner. The police aren't interested in her theories and so, along with her best friend, Prichard Knowles, Pat decides it’s up to her to get justice for the young man she had become quite fond of. With the distraction of a possible golf club and spa being built at the end of her garden, an elusive Mars bar wrapper dropping stranger, and new neighbours who live quite a hedonistic lifestyle she knows she needs to focus if justice is to be served.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Random House UK, Cornerstone, Hutchinson Heineman, but the opinions expressed are my own. The beginning of a new series, this was an interesting read. Pat grated on me to start with, but her heart was in the right place, and she softened as the story progressed. There was a definite lead into a second book at the end, which I will be on the lookout for.

[Amanda Kelly]

Got about a third of the way through it, and there was still no proper motivation given for the protagonist to solve the murder, or any concrete reason for her to think there was a murder at all. It's possible this will be given later, but I feel like it's something that should appear sooner rather than later. I'm happy to suspend my disbelief, as long as the basics are taken care of, and here they weren't. The characters, aside from the main, were all distractingly one dimensional. However, it is nice to see an older woman as a protagonist.

[Maisie]

I got this book from a cute little independent book shop in Brighton with my girlfriend. We must’ve spent a solid 45 minutes in there having a look at all sorts of books when I nearly left without purchasing any, but this one jumped out at me.

I haven’t read a book this quickly in a while, I was very locked in and would’ve read it faster if I’d had the time. I love the simplicity of this book, it was an incredibly easy read and had a beautiful pace. I love how it’s written, the font, the words per page, the narrative, and everything about it really. It’s nice that there’s a simple focus in this book too, I didn’t get lost od confused at any point which is unusual for me.

The only reason I haven’t given this book a 5 ⭐ is because I felt there was some suspense lacking, I feel that with some added suspense and a dramatic plot twist this would top it all off. I mean it was slightly unexpected at times, but I felt like there could’ve been a bit more oomf to it.

Nevertheless, it was a good book and I loved the writing style. Glad I made the choice to get a signed first edition of this book and this will be the start of my signed books collection. Goldsboro books, I will be back…

[Christina Rempel]

Overall a cozy read with a great ending in my opinion. Not too sure which rating to give, hence I opted for no rating at all.

The writing style felt a bit „bumpy“, but that might just be the German translation. The characters were very well described and all of them were quite special in their own way, if I can put it like this.

It was a fun read while it lasted, and I think I‘d give a follow-up book a chance but this time in English. :)

[Anna Suwald]

Ich glaube ich lahns eso stah. Hans bis 38% glost.

Es isch en cozy Crime und eher ruhig. Nüt brutals, kei Bluet, britisch und chammer sicher guet Lüüt empfehle wo "Donnerstag Mord Club" gern händ.

Näb em usefinde, wer de Mörder isch, merkt mer bi de Haupfigur super, wie sie d Mänsche analysiert und hinterfragt. (Wiil sie ebe Psychologin isch)

Es juckt mich z'wenig zum ferig läse, aber chan mer empfehle. :)

[TeaAndTales]

3,7 stars read for me.

I quite liked Shrink Solves Murder. It was funny, clever, quick and kept me guessing without taking itself too seriously.
The mystery was engaging, but what really made it stand out for me were the believable characters and the dry sense of humor. With a little cliffhanger at the end we might end up getting a followup story. Maybe?!

[Amar]

3.5 stars

[Vanna Book-Mage]

HIlarious.

[Joy]

Hard for me to give a cozy mystery more than three stars unless it is vastly different from the other dozens of cozy mysteries I have consumed. This was enjoyable.

[Melissa Ford]

It's hard to put into words just how much I loved this book. If there were the ability to give it extra stars, I would shower it with extra stars. As I was reading it, I said, "I like her writing as much as I like Janice Hallett." If you know me, there is no higher compliment I can give another human being. I loved the setting, the characters (yes, evenly the thinly disguised Richard Coles), the plot. I didn't guess the ending AT ALL. I was wrong wrong wrong, and I loved being wrong. Thank you for the most absolutely perfect book.

[Laura Diamond]

Maybe I’m just feeling overly sensitive but I’m not sure how to feel about a “cozy mystery” with a maybe suicide as the main plot line, featuring an uncomfortable amount of fat-shaming and out of place tourist hating? I get that the protagonist is of an older generation than myself but she doesn’t learn from her mistakes and incorrect assumptions. She’s not a quirky, busybody, grumpy old fashioned lady, she’s just unpleasant and rude and maybe a tad racist. Giving it two stars instead of one because MAYBE it is just me being a sensitive snowflake. But I wouldn’t want Philippa Perry to be my therapist.

[Marjolein]

Dit was voor een debuut echt geen gek begin, maar ik heb betere cosy crimes gelezen. Philippa Perry is een bekende auteur van (populair)wetenschappelijke boeken en heeft nu voor het eerst een fictieboek geschreven. De stijl van haar populair wetenschappelijk werk zie je duidelijk terug in dit boek. Alleen voelt het nu een beetje misplaatst. Het cosy crime-plot zit best leuk in elkaar, maar de psychotherapeutische uitleg of psychologische verklaring van gedrag van personages voelt nu wat gekunsteld. Soms had ik het idee: o, er moet ook even wat in over..., waardoor het bijna belerend overkomt. Dat werd nog wat versterkt doordat in het verhaal Philippa's eigen non-fictieboek wordt aangeraden. Sommigen vinden het misschien een grappige easter egg, voor mij was het net iets te dik erbovenop. Maar dat kan natuurlijk ook gewoon een smaakdingetje zijn.

Jammer, want het gegeven is absoluut origineel: een psychotherapeut met een cliënt die dood gaat op de dag dat hij een afspraak bij haar heeft, waarvan de politie het direct op zelfmoord gooit en de psychotherapeut (Pat Philips) daar niet zo zeker van is. De sfeer in het stadje is leuk neergezet, de personages zijn origineel en goed op de grens van iets uitvergroot maar niet karikaturaal. Uiteraard gaat Pat zelf op zoek naar wie het gedaan heeft, samen met haar goede vriend Prichard. Een interessant, dynamisch duo dat lekker de ruimte krijgt in het boek. Dat vond ik erg tof gedaan!

Verder kabbelt het boek vooral. En hoewel dat met cosy crime op zich ook wel mag, miste ik soms nu net een beetje de vaart. Prichard en Pat hinkten lang op twee benen qua verdachten, waardoor het boek niet echt richting koos. Dat is prima voor het begin, maar duurde me net wat te lang. Het bleef een boek dat makkelijk aan de kant te leggen is.

Qua schrijfstijl kun je wel echt merken dat Philippa Perry al meer boeken geschreven heeft. De woordkeus is lekker afwisselend, de zinnen en alinea's lopen lekker door en ze heeft een duidelijke verstelstem gevonden voor haar personages. Ze schrijft beeldend en brengt het dorpje Westlinke echt tot leven. Ik kreeg helemaal zin om the seven sisters te gaan bezoeken; lekker tussen de zuid-koreaanse k-popfans haha ;)

Kortom: echt geen gek debuut, maar less is more was naar mijn mening van toepassing geweest. Iets meer focus op het fictieverhaal en iets meer vaart daarin had prima ten koste mogen gaan van een aantal psychologische uitlegalinea's.

[Esmée]

Geinige schrijfstijl, maar plot was matig

[Laura Spira]

I'm not impressed by people famous in other fields producing novels. It's harmless enough, I suppose, and there is an argument that the sales allow publishers to support authors in less popular areas (not sure I find that convincing) but there are wonderful writers who don't get the "celebrity" marketing investment and I think that's sad.

This book is quite well written and, although the plot requires considerable suspension of disbelief at various points, it's pacy and entertaining. The central character is credible as Philippa Perry draws on her own professional experience (but why include her own professional book so blatantly?) but the other characters have no depth, like most cosy crime novels.

If you like the genre, it's a good holiday read - I bought it on impulse at an airport as part of an offer.

[Hunted Snark]

Yeah, nah.

I'm Australian and I don't watch telly, so I'd never heard of the Ms Perry as a shrink, tv personality or author.

But the idea sounded like fun.

But ... it rapidly became clear that it wasn't my kind of fun.
Even with the little dose of gay, I still didn't care.

I do hope the sleuth-shrink character isn't a self-portrait of the author, because she's a pain in the arse from the first sentence.

Then we get hit with a wall of improbabilities over the next couple of chapters:
* police who don't investigate
* someone wanting to put a golf course and health spa on the edge of the Seven Sisters cliffs.

That bit's like a parody. Actually – I'm sure I've seen a joke book: 'Hardest golf courses in the world' and it's all fun 1990s pre-photoshop paste-ups of players tackling the Long Seventh on the side of Annapurna or whatever.
I've a feeling that the white cliffs might have featured in it.
The author even helpfully points out that it's a national park, so there's no excuse. If you'd wanted a NIMBY plot with a health spa, set the thing somewhere else.
Oh, but we want the heroine to have an eccentric home.

okay, fine.
I'm out.

Maybe it's all a hilarious wheeze and it all makes sense in the end.
And maybe I've given it 60 pages and I don't care yet.

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle]

The second Patricia “Pat” Phillips started screaming at irresponsible dog owners near a literal suicide cliff, I knew exactly what kind of woman we were dealing with. This is not a cozy mystery heroine who bakes scones and accidentally notices clues while arranging flowers. This is a woman fueled entirely by irritation, judgment, and decades of silently observing everybody’s emotional damage like she’s David Attenborough narrating toxic coping mechanisms in the wild. And honestly? I was kind of obsessed with her.

Shrink Solves Murder kicks off with Pat discovering that one of her therapy clients, Henry Clayton, has turned up dead beneath Beachy Head, which the police immediately file under “obviously suicide” with the confidence of men who definitely say things like “case closed” before lunch. Pat knows Henry. Not in the weird cozy mystery way where the victim once held a door open for her at a bakery and now she’s emotionally compelled to solve the crime. She actually knows him. She’s spent hours listening to his fears, his relationships, his habits, the tiny things people reveal when they stop performing. And she’s convinced something about his death feels wrong.

Now. Did I expect this book to become Criminal Minds starring a grumpy therapist with cold-water-swimming habits and neighborhood complaints? Yes. Absolutely. Did it become that? Not entirely. The psychological angle is there, and honestly it’s the strongest thing in the book, because Philippa Perry writes human behavior in this very specific, piercing way where someone casually mentions a partner and suddenly you’re like, “Oh this person has unresolved abandonment trauma and buys expensive candles to cope.” Pat notices everything. Every awkward pause, every weird deflection, every tiny performance people put on to survive social interaction. Reading her assess people sometimes felt like accidentally making eye contact with your therapist after saying “I’m fine” too quickly.

But the actual investigation? Deeply chaotic. This woman is supposedly solving a murder while also getting distracted by local development projects, village gossip, annoying neighbors, badly behaved tourists, and what feels like seventeen emotionally unstable rich people wandering around Sussex in expensive knitwear hiding secrets. At one point I genuinely forgot who had died because the town itself started feeling like the real main character. Everybody has drama. Everybody is vaguely suspicious. Everybody sounds like they’d absolutely weaponize passive aggression at a dinner party.

And then there’s Pritchard, who I loved instantly because he feels like a man who accidentally became someone’s eccentric uncle through sheer force of energy. His entire vibe is “retired theater kid who now experiments with homemade alcohol and inserts himself into situations that do not concern him.” He and Pat have this genuinely lovely friendship where they annoy each other constantly but also understand each other completely. Their dynamic saves the slower sections because every time the plot starts wandering off into the fog, Pritchard arrives with some bizarre little comment or chaotic side quest and suddenly we’re back.

The pacing though... whew. This book absolutely has “cozy mystery stroll” pacing, which means there are stretches where the murder investigation feels less urgent than Pat’s ongoing war against people who don’t leash their dogs properly. And listen, I support her. I too become emotionally activated by public incompetence. But there were moments where I could feel the story gently setting the murder down on a nearby shelf so we could spend time discussing village politics and emotionally repressed homeowners. It’s not bad exactly, it just occasionally feels like the mystery wandered into another room and forgot to come back for a while.

Also Pat herself is a LOT. She’s abrasive, stubborn, deeply judgmental, and somehow still compelling in the way certain exhausted women become when they’ve spent decades listening to everyone else’s problems and finally lost the ability to fake politeness. Sometimes she’s insightful and moving. Sometimes she’s exhausting. Sometimes she says something so sharp you want to fight her and hug her at the same time. She feels intensely real in a genre that usually wants older women detectives to be quirky instead of difficult.

The ending comes in like the book suddenly remembered it was, in fact, a murder mystery. Everything starts firing at once, revelations start dropping, people start behaving suspiciously at high speed, and I actually did enjoy the reveal because the suspect list is messy enough that literally everyone feels one bad day away from committing homicide. But getting there felt uneven. There’s a really good mystery buried in here alongside all the social commentary, emotional observations, and village nonsense. Sometimes those elements blend beautifully. Sometimes they feel like they’re fighting each other in a Waitrose parking lot.

Still, I had a weirdly good time with this. The humor works because it feels natural and cranky instead of trying too hard to be quirky. The emotional moments sneak up on you. And underneath all the murder and gossip and chaos, there’s something genuinely touching about a woman who understands everyone else perfectly while remaining kind of emotionally stranded herself. That landed harder than I expected.

Three stars for Shrink Solves Murder. Which is honestly the most dangerous rating because it means I spent half the book complaining and will still absolutely read the sequel to see what fresh neighborhood grievance Pat develops while accidentally solving another homicide.

Whodunity Award: For Making “Emotionally Exhausted Woman Yelling Near A Cliff” Feel Like An Elite Investigative Skill

And thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. Nothing relaxes me quite like coastal murder, suspicious villagers, emotional repression, and one therapist aggressively refusing to let the police do the bare minimum.

[Sophia Hübner]

Patricia Philipps is not your usual therapist. Working from a shepherds hut in her garden, her bold and judgmental approach to sensitive topics isn’t necessarily one you would expect. Still she has many long time clients that seem to trust in her capabilities and thus it shocks Pat immensely that the two police officers standing in her kitchen are deeming the death of her 3 o’clock appointment as suicide. Henry Clayton never mentioned any self harm tendencies! Not in the slightest interested in what Pat has to say, the investigation is closed before it even began. Pat, used to asking uncomfortable questions, begins her own investigation together with her best friend Prichard Knowles, an eccentric elderly man with the hobby of brewing unique alcoholic creations in his kitchen. Fortunately the alleged crime scene is right around the corner: Located on the English south coast the picturesque Seven Sisters, a series of white chalk sea cliffs, can be found. Popular with Korean tourists as well as lost souls aiming to end their life, Pat and Pritchard are searching for clues. Who could have had a motive to kill Henry?

Let’s start with the positives: After reading other reviews, I’m questioning what it says about me that I don’t find Pat as grudgy as others. Heck, I totally get where she is coming from! When I’m walking with Sam and spot wrapping papers, cigarette buds and other stuff laying in the middle of nature with wildlife basically waiting around each corner, I’m also incredibly annoyed. Sure, she won’t win the mother of the year award any time soon, but even in that aspect she shows self awareness. Instead of taking offense and denying the feelings of her daughter, she admits her previous wrongdoings and at least works on their current relationship. Also the friendship between Pat and Pritchard has been a big plus for me. I enjoyed their dynamics and liked how their differences were somehow their strengths. Chaotic at times? Yes. But also pretty entertaining. Oh and of course there is the scenery! An idyllic English village with the distinctive scenery of the coast and cliffs? Sign me up! While I tend to enjoy… emotionally charged (?) books with more heavy hitting topics recently, I still have a soft spot for cosy crime novels, where I don’t have to take any notes and just sit down, flip through the pages and escape reality for a bit.

But there were also some negative things which influence my rating. Only after reading I found out that Philippa Perry is rather famous and has written a bestselling self help book about the complex relationship between parents and their children. She’s also working as a therapist, which explains the rather unusual plot. That’s why I’m surprised that this book includes many passages, where the necessity of therapy is being downplayed by some of her characters. Why is she doing that?? It’s not like the creative power doesn’t literally sit with her. While a minor annoyance has been the multiple product placements throughout the book, I’m deeply annoyed by the trivialization of heavy alcohol consumption. Why does there have to be a drink in basically every chapter?! Furthermore the investigation followed no clear path, even if the board filled with sticky notes containing alleged clues in Pats house is trying to convey another story. Most of the time she found out things accidentally and despite her vehemence of not being welcome in the village, somehow she’s involved in every activity as tag along of Pritchard. One could think that Pat will use the opportunities try to get to know these people better, asses them and draw conclusions, because hey, we are still trying to solve a murder case here. Nope, instead we are watching swinger parties from bathroom windows and focus on the obviously dodgy boyfriend. Speaking of jerks: the police were so… frustrating! Obviously it’s to be expected, since the amateur sleuth solving the case is the whole point of the genre, but still the two officers were portrayed as deeply unprofessional and not interested in doing their job. And then, the big one: the end. It felt bumpy and uneven, basically said rushed. There weren’t even hints leading this way and if there were, I didn’t notice them, which ruined the fun of guessing along.

[Shawna Borman]

It’s the last Wednesday of July, so you know what that means. Book review time! This month, I stuck within my cozy mystery comfort zone. Shrink Solves Murder by Philippa Perry was released by Crown Publishing on the 28th. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do the thing!

Shrink Solves Murder follows Patricia Phillips, a psychotherapist and woman of a certain age. She’s set in her ways. She has issues with her daughter, relationships, and isn’t likely to win Miss Congeniality even if her life depended on it. But at least she’s good at her job. Right? When a client shows up dead in a prime suicide spot and the police rule the death just that, Pat wonders just how wrong she could have been about the young man’s state of mind. Was she wrong at all or is something more sinister going on? Since the police have no interest in finding the truth, Pat will do it herself.

Plot: pretty standard. Pat wrangles her bestie (Pritchard) into helping her solve what may or may not be a murder. It’s a small English village (think Midsomer Murders, but on the seaside). People get up to all kinds of things from the mundane to the kinky. Everyone kind of seems to hate each other but can’t stand it when anyone seems to hate them. It’s the type of book where everyone is too obvious to be the murderer, so when they’re revealed it’s one of those “who? Oh, that one who was mentioned once 200 pages ago” moments. They actually show up a couple of times, but still. Same feeling. There’s no real romantic entanglement, not even a hint at one. But there’s a random growth arc with her daughter. To be honest, it wasn’t very memorable as far as cozy mysteries go, but it wasn’t bad at all. I quite enjoyed it as I was reading it.

Characters: interesting for the most part. Pat definitely feels like a self-insert. I wouldn’t call her a Mary Sue per se because she’s not young and perfect and all that. But it definitely feels like the author writing a story with some part of herself as the main character. Pat’s still an interesting character, though. Love Pritchard, but I want to know more about him. He has potential. I just felt he was still cookie-cutter quirky friend. I could do without the DS. She’s lazy and doesn’t do her job and only wants to fool around with her boyfriend. She did nothing for the book. The rest of the characters were flat. But if you read the acknowledgments, you’ll see that most of the characters are literally named after the author’s friends. It was a bit cringe to be honest. Made the whole thing feel a little like middle school besties writing stories for each other.

Writing: fine. There wasn’t anything wrong with the writing. It was just fine. But I fully admit that the title annoys me. I guess they were going for news headline speak, but I still hate it. If the blurb hadn’t interested me, I would’ve skipped it.

Ultimately, I found Shrink Solves Murder okay. It wasn’t bad. The characters could go either way if there are future books. If I end up liking them, I might read past book two. But I probably will pick up a second book at least.

Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. A solid 3. There’s potential, but I’m not quite sure if it could support a series. If you like seaside English villages, give it a try.

[Helen O]

Authors tend to write best when they’re writing about what they know. I’m not talking about murder, obviously, but of psychotherapy. Perry is one, and it shows. There’s even a self aware conversation when she’s talking with her supervisor, suggesting she shouldn’t be telling her clients what to do, that maybe she should be an agony aunt (which she also has been) because that’s what they do. I was rather perturbed, as a therapist myself, that she spoke of caring about clients in more than the objective non judgemental way we should be doing, but maybe that was the character rather than the author speaking. It was hard to tell, because the voice and character of Phillipa Perry spoke loud throughout. Personally I prefer to be offered insights through story telling, rather than just telling, so this was a plus for me. Even though I didn’t especially take to Pat’s character.

However, this was a rather cringeworthy middle class story. Maybe it was meant to be. I live near the area and it is generally quite privileged, but not exclusively so. There’s a mixed demographic if you go a little wider, but this was not factored in. It came across as almost a parody. I found it quite amusing that Perry recommended her own book, Pat stating it was written by a friend of hers, and being brilliant. I’m glad the author is pleased with her own brilliance, but product placement isn’t really appropriate in a novel.

The police didn’t seem to be interested in the facts, dismissing anything that didn’t fit the narrative they’d chosen. Yes, people do commit suicide in this area quite regularly, but I found this to be unconvincing. That the police were painted as useless and self serving. While I’m sure this is the case from time to time, it was an artifice I found unconvincing and slightly insulting to the police and the law. Though I know some groups of people rarely get justice, it didn’t come across to me as realistic. As a rule they do tend to go for evidence based conclusions, rather than unfounded assumptions. Though I guess there’d have been no story if they’d actually done their job.

A point of accuracy: as they were sleuthing to find evidence of murder, there was the claim you can’t edit video footage as easily as you can photos. This is completely incorrect. As a long time YouTube Vlogger, I edited all my videos, as do many others. Largely to remove ums, or repetitions, or stumbles in speech, but also to edit out people who wander into view.

Towards the end of the book there was a flurry of making it all fit and people behaving out of character to tie everything up neatly which was unconvincing. Including the police, having ignored Pat throughout, deciding they needed to involve her in another case (no doubt the next in the series), which was highly improbable and as unprofessional of the police as their behaviour throughout.

Murder mystery isn’t a genre I tend to read, cosy or otherwise. I was curious as to how Philippa Perry would tackle it, and a foray into fiction. While it hasn’t encouraged me to read any more of this type of novel, and wasn’t appealing enough to me to read any follow up that might manifest, it was an easy read that was quite amusing.