Rob Kenna: The Dubai DJ and Murder Broker in We Solve Murders

Overview

Rob Kenna is a supporting antagonist in Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders (2024). To the public, he is an Instagram-famous DJ living a luxury life in Dubai – villa on the Palm, gold-wrapped Ferrari, and a calendar of glamorous parties. Behind the curtain, Kenna runs a lucrative murder-broker business, acting as the middleman between clients who want people killed and the hitmen who carry out the jobs. He is introduced as the man tasked by the crime boss François Loubet to eliminate protagonist Amy Wheeler. Over the course of the novel, Kenna’s careful layers of protection, his professional pride, and his insatiable ambition set him on a collision course with both the heroines and his own employer.

Plot Role

Kenna first appears in Chapter 14 (chapter 14 of the book) where the narrative shifts to Dubai. The chapter establishes his double life: “To the outside world, Rob Kenna is a DJ … it’s a hell of a lifestyle.” But the story quickly reveals that “murdering people for a living is a great business. Robust. Recession-proof.” Kenna’s role is to receive Loubet’s contract on Amy and to hire the killers. He is the operational link between the crime boss and the street-level assassins.

Throughout the middle of the book, Kenna attempts to orchestrate Amy’s death. He first uses a local cop and an ex-Navy SEAL (Kevin), both of whom fail. Then he recruits an old East London friend, Eddie Flood, as a more reliable hitman. He also hires the drug dealer Nelson Nunez as a backup in St Lucia. Despite his careful planning, every attempt is thwarted by Amy, Rosie D’Antonio, and Steve Wheeler. Kenna’s role shifts from confident orchestrator to increasingly desperate subordinate as Loubet pressures him with threats: “kill Amy within a week or be killed” (Chapter 26). In the final chapters, Kenna decides to take the job on himself, preparing for a showdown in Dubai, but he is ultimately shot and killed by François Loubet himself in Chapter 92 (the book’s final chapter referencing Kenna).

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Kenna’s primary motivation is greed and status. The evidence shows he cannot understand people who are content with enough. While playing golf with Big Mickey Moody, he says, “Enough is never enough.” He contrasts his own drive with Eddie Flood and Big Mick, who lack his “ambitions.” Kenna’s craving for money and the admiration of others (“other people could look at it”) is a core trait.

He is methodical and layered. In Chapter 47, he reflects on the importance of “layer upon layer of people” to protect himself from Loubet. He uses encrypted apps (a Russian “Shhhh!” video app) and never meets Loubet face-to-face. His hiring process shows calculation: he chooses Eddie because “I trust you” and because Eddie has “no flash, no ego.”

He is also prone to arrogance and temper. When he hooks his tee shot in Chapter 14, he “throws his driver over a ducking caddie and into the trees, while screaming an obscenity.” His anger flares when his plans fail. Later, in Chapter 54, he believes his luck has changed and that Eddie will finally kill Amy, revealing an overconfidence that blinds him to the growing threat from Loubet.

Finally, Kenna shows a performative, theatrical side. In the buildup to his own planned kill of Amy (Chapter 77), he lays out three guns and “theatrically rehearses killing her.” He is a character who enjoys the image of being a dangerous man as much as the reality.

Chronological Arc

• Introduction (Chapter 14): Kenna is a successful DJ/murder broker in Dubai. He receives Loubet’s order to kill Amy Wheeler. While golfing with Big Mickey, he schemes to hire a local shooter for $50,000.
• First setbacks (Chapters 26, 47): The initial hires fail. Loubet threatens Kenna: kill Amy within a week or be killed. Kenna then contacts Eddie Flood and also arranges for Nelson Nunez as a backup.
• Mid-arc (Chapters 54, 56): Kenna tracks Amy’s movements. He reflects on his relationship with Eddie and his own relentless ambition. He agrees to meet Nelson in Dubai for further business.
• Mounting pressure (Chapters 77, 79): Loubet mocks Kenna’s failures and announces he will give police evidence against Amy. Kenna decides to handle the kill personally. He prepares a dramatic arsenal.
• Downfall (Chapter 92): While playing golf alone, Kenna is ambushed and shot. In his final moments, he finally “gets to look François Loubet in the eye” before being killed. His layered protection fails because Loubet has outmaneuvered him.

Relationships

• François Loubet: Kenna’s employer and ultimate threat. Kenna has never met Loubet face-to-face and relies on encrypted messages. He both fears and respects Loubet, but also plans to cut ties because “you have to be able to look them in the eye.” Their relationship is purely transactional and ends with Kenna’s death.
• Eddie Flood: An old friend from East London. Kenna trusts Eddie’s professionalism and lack of ego. He hires Eddie as a hitman, paying £30,000. Their reunion is brief and professional, and Kenna notes that Eddie could have been as successful as him if he had wanted it.
• Big Mickey Moody: A retired scrap dealer and golf partner. Kenna uses him as a sounding board but dismisses his contentment. Mickey represents the path Kenna rejected. Their conversations reveal Kenna’s inner drive.
• Nelson Nunez: A Chilean arms dealer and occasional partner. Kenna hires him to hide a gun and later to kill Amy himself. Nelson becomes a business contact outside the Loubet circle, attending a Diamond Conference. Their relationship shows Kenna’s network.
• Amy Wheeler: The target. Kenna never meets her directly, but she is the object of all his efforts. His failure to kill her ultimately seals his fate.
• The red-haired caddie: An unnamed assistant who travels to meet targets. Kenna trusts her enough to delegate meeting and greeting. Her presence hints at the human cost of his business.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Theme and Symbol Connections

• Trust and betrayal: Kenna trusts layers of intermediaries, but each layer (the cop, Kevin, Eddie, Nelson) ultimately fails or is compromised. The central theme of trust and betrayal is embodied in his relationships. His own reliance on “old friends” like Eddie proves hollow when Eddie’s personal motives interfere.
• Greed and ambition: Kenna is a symbol of unchecked ambition. He cannot stop chasing money, even when it puts him in danger. His dialogue with Big Mickey Moody explicitly discusses this theme. His desire for more – “enough is never enough” – directly leads to his death.
• Fame and social media: Kenna’s DJ persona is a front, paralleling the novel’s critique of influencer culture. His Instagram feed is a “curated” illusion of success, while his real business is murder. This ties to the theme of fame and social media.
• Identity and deception: Kenna’s double life (DJ/murder broker) echoes the novel’s exploration of identity and deception. He is never what he seems, and his final encounter with Loubet strips away all pretense.
• Justice and redemption: Kenna receives a form of poetic justice: the man he never met kills him. His death serves the novel’s justice and redemption arc, though Kenna himself shows no remorse.

Key Scene Analysis (Chapter 92)

In the final scene featuring Kenna, he plays a solo round of golf. His irritation with his caddie’s whistling shows his deteriorating patience. He thinks about cutting ties with Loubet. But before he can act, Loubet ambushes him. The narration emphasizes Kenna’s shock: “he finally gets to look François Loubet in the eye.” This moment completes his arc – the broker who always stayed in the shadows is dragged into the light and eliminated.

5 Book-Specific Questions and Answers

1. Why does Rob Kenna hire Eddie Flood specifically?

Kenna hires Eddie because he trusts him from their shared past in East London. He judges Eddie to be a professional with “no flash, no ego” – unlike the failed ex-Navy SEAL Kevin. Kenna needs someone reliable to kill Amy quickly to satisfy Loubet. (Evidence: Chapter 30, where Kenna says “I trust you” and Eddie agrees.)

2. How does Rob Kenna’s relationship with François Loubet change throughout the novel?

Initially, Kenna is a loyal broker, carrying out Loubet’s orders. As failures mount, Loubet threatens him directly: kill Amy within a week or be killed (Chapter 26). Kenna begins to resent Loubet’s distance and considers cutting ties. Ultimately, Loubet kills Kenna before he can act. Their relationship is one of unequal power, ending in betrayal.

3. What does Rob Kenna’s obsession with golf reveal about his character?

Golf serves as a metaphor for Kenna’s life philosophy. He prefers “landing in trouble” because it forces him to use his brain and adapt. The sport also provides cover for his criminal meetings (with Big Mickey, Nelson). His angry outburst after a poor shot reveals his perfectionism and lack of emotional control.

4. Why does Rob Kenna refuse to stop even when he has enough money?

Kenna states directly: “enough is never enough.” He is driven by a need to prove something to his father and to accumulate wealth others can see. This insatiable greed is his defining flaw, preventing him from exiting the dangerous world of murder brokerage. (Evidence: Chapter 54, his conversation with Big Mickey.)

5. How does Rob Kenna’s death connect to the theme of identity and deception?

Kenna has built his identity on layers of secrecy – the DJ persona, encrypted communications, never meeting clients. In his final moment, he is forced to confront the man behind the alias “François Loubet.” The deception that protected him fails, and his true role as a disposable tool is exposed.