Waiting on Wednesday – The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out a unique upcoming crime fiction novel that I know I am going to absolutely love, The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman.

The Man Who Died Twice Cover

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading some amazing and entertaining novels, but one that particularly stood out to me was the debut novel of British television personality Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club. The Thursday Murder Club was an excellent and clever novel that followed four skilled and intelligent pensioners living in a retirement village as they attempted to solve several murders that occurred on their doorstep. This was an extremely awesome and compelling debut novel, and I loved the intriguing mystery, fantastic characters and brilliant humour that made this book such a superb read. The Thursday Murder Club ended up being one of my favourite debuts, audiobooks and overall reads of 2020, and it got an easy five-star review from me.

Due to how much I enjoyed this superb first novel from Osman, I have been keeping a very close eye out for any additional books from him and I was delighted when I found out that he was writing a second Thursday Murder Club novel. Currently set for release on 16 September 2021, this sequel, titled The Man Who Died Twice, will continue the fun adventures of these incorrigible septuagenarians as they once again find themselves amid a dangerous hunt for a killer.

Synopsis:

It’s the following Thursday.

Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He’s made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life.

As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn’t that be a bonus?

But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn’t bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can The Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them?

I have to say that I like the sound of the above synopsis, especially as their new crime will involve more violent gangsters, killers and an intriguing hunt for some stolen diamonds. The pensioners-versus-criminals story that Osman set up in his first novel was a lot of fun, and it sounds like this second book is really going to raise the stakes. That being said, the four outstanding and incredibly determined protagonists, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron, will probably be up to the challenge, and I look forward to seeing how they outwit and outsmart everyone again in outrageous fashion.

Due to how much I loved the first book in this fantastic series, as well as Osman’s excellent creativity inside and outside the literary world, I already know that I am really going to love this upcoming book. The Man Who Died Twice sounds like it is going to be another fantastic novel and I really cannot wait to see what happens next to the great characters who form the Thursday Murder Club. This is probably one of the books that I am most looking forward to in the second half of 2021 and I am exceedingly excited to see how Osman tops his first epic mystery novel.