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.  In this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight one of best novels coming out later this year with The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman.

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Over the last couple of years, comedian and British television personality Richard Osman has branched off into a whole new avenue of entertainment, murder mystery writing.  Starting in 2020 with his debut novel, The Thursday Murder Club, Osman revealed that he had quite an inventive mind when it came to unique and complex mysteries, with his impressive story about a group of retirees, who form a club to investigate murders around their retirement village.  Made up of former spy Elizabeth, retired nurse Joyce, the intellectual Ibrahim and notorious rabble rouser Ron, this mismatched group turned out to be an effective and entertaining team, utilising their experience and ability to manipulate young people to get to the bottom of their cases.  Featuring some incredibly realistic and relatable characters, a captivating investigation, fantastic humour, all wrapped up with some moving drama, The Thursday Murder Club was an extraordinary read.  I had so much fun with The Thursday Murder Club, that it ended up being one of my top books, audiobooks, and debuts of 2020.

However, Osman was far from done, as last year readers were gifted with an awesome second novel in the Thursday Murder Club series, with The Man Who Died Twice.  This second novel brought back the characters from the first novel and set them on a different case, this time around Elizabeth’s former husband who had stolen a fortune in valuable jewels from a notorious criminal.  This was an excellent and exciting sequel that I had another great time with, especially as you get even more connected with the brilliant characters.  The Man Who Died Twice also topped my end of year lists and was one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021.

After enjoying the first two books as much as I did, there is no way that I am going to stop with this series now.  Luckily for me, Osman has another amazing sounding novel on the way with the third Thursday Murder Club book, The Bullet That Missed.  Set for release in mid-September 2022, The Bullet That Missed will see our intrepid protagonists return, this time with a compelling new case and a dangerous new enemy determined to take one of them out of the game permanently.

Synopsis:

It is an ordinary Thursday, and things should finally be returning to normal.

Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club are concerned. A local news legend is on the hunt for a sensational headline, and soon the gang are hot on the trail of two murders, ten years apart.

To make matters worse, a new nemesis pays Elizabeth a visit, presenting her with a deadly mission: kill or be killed…

While Elizabeth grapples with her conscience (and a gun), the gang and their unlikely new friends (including TV stars, money launderers and ex-KGB colonels) unravel a new mystery. But can they catch the culprit and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again?

I love the sound of this new Thursday Murder Club novel and it looks like Osman has another captivating and fun story for The Bullet That Missed.  Not only does the new mystery sound cool, with the gang getting involved in a case that covers multiple years, but you also have the intriguing concept of someone targeting tough-as-nails Elizabeth.  Throw in the impressive character development and wacky adventures that Osman is known for and I am sure that The Bullet That Missed is going to be another awesome and addictive read.

Based on how much I enjoyed the first two Thursday Murder Club novels, there is no way that I am going to miss out on Osman’s next great novel.  The Bullet That Missed has so much potential behind it, and I can’t wait to dive into this new, captivating mystery.  Sure to feature all the best elements of the first two novels, as well as some great new developments, I have very high hopes for The Bullet That Missed, and I have no doubt this will end up being of the top books of 2022.