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Shrink Solves Murder
Paperback
$18.00
Published on Jul 28, 2026 | 336 Pages
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 cozy: 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.
“Bears all the hallmarks of a Richard Osman-style cozy: 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.
Author
Philippa Perry
Philippa Perry has been a psychotherapist for the past twenty years. She is also a freelance writer, and a TV and radio presenter. She has worked on several documentaries, and has also written two other books, Couch Fiction, a Graphic Tale of Psychotherapy and How to Stay Sane. She lives in London with her husband, the artist Grayson Perry, and they have a grown-up daughter, Flo.
Learn More about Philippa Perry
