The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

On December 2, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Murder Mystery16 Comments

Publisher: Penguin Audio (Audiobook – 12 September 2023)

Series: Thursday Murder Club – Book Four

Length: 10 hours and 50 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The exceedingly talented and amazing Richard Osman returns with another exceptional entry in his acclaimed Thursday Murder Club series, with the entertaining and emotionally rich The Last Devil to Die.

Over the last few years I have been blown away by the incredible Thursday Murder Club novels, the debut series of British television personality Richard Osman. This amazing series follows four residents of a retirement village who solve murders as the Thursday Murder Club. Featuring a perfect blend of gripping mystery, brilliant and likeable characters, a fantastic sense of humour and a certain amount of tragedy, the series has been a real joy to read. This includes The Thursday Murder Club (one of my favourite books, debuts and audiobooks of 2020), The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), and The Bullet That Missed (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022), each of which got full five-star reviews from me. As such, I have been eagerly awaiting the fourth book in this series, and The Last Devil to Die was one of my most anticipated books for 2023. Unsurprisingly, Osman did not disappoint and presented another compelling and highly addictive read that I absolutely adored.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron are the Thursday Murder Club, four bored and bright retirees living at Coopers Chase retirement village, spend their spare time keeping busy with an unusual hobby, solving murders. Already responsible for bringing several crooks to justice, the club hope to enjoy a nice Christmas without any deaths. However, murderers are rarely so considerate, and the four friends soon find themselves involved in a complex case that hits close to home.

Antiques dealer Kuldesh Sharma, an acquaintance of the group and an old friend of Elizabeth’s husband, Stephen, has been found shot dead on a dark country lane, apparently the victim of a professional hit. Determined to get justice for their friend, the club and their associates jump into action and begin their usual unconventional investigation. Their prying soon uncovers connections between Kuldesh and a local gang of drug importers who were using Kuldesh’s shop as cover for one of their deals.

It quickly becomes apparent that Kuldesh’s death is related to a box of heroin that was in his possession and which has since gone missing. To find Kuldesh’s killer, the members of the club will need to discover where the heroin is hidden, as well as why Kuldesh decided to steal it. Their investigation will take them into the dark world of drug dealers, art forgers and stolen antiquities, and force them up against several different groups of criminals each searching for the same prize. Can the Thursday Murder Club once again solve the case before the murderer escapes, especially when an even greater tragedy waits on the horizon?

This honestly might be one of the very best books I have read all year. Osman, who I have extremely impressed with in recent years, did a remarkable job with this fourth entry in the series, producing another superb and emotionally charged novel with a clever mystery around it. Thanks to some high-intensity inclusions and some brilliant character work, The Last Devil to Die is easily one of the strongest entries in this entire exceptional series, and I was hooked the entire way through. This latest book gets an easy five-star rating from me, and I doubt I will ever forgive Osman for everything I was forced to feel while getting through it.

The Last Devil to Die has an outstanding story behind it, and I was once again deeply impressed by how Osman effortlessly combines an elaborate mystery with intriguing character driven storylines. The book starts with Kuldesh Sharma, who appeared in the prior novel, getting murdered apparently over a missing box of heroin. This quickly sets off the new investigation, and the protagonists and their continuously growing group of associates utilise their usual unorthodox methods to get a good picture of events and pull together a group of unusual suspects. Of course, it doesn’t take long for the case to go in some very interesting directions, especially with extra murders and a segue into the world of antiquities forgeries. I really got caught up in the intriguing mystery, especially as there are some great complexities, an array of fun professional villains, and some highly entertaining encounters, including a remarkably fun lunchtime meeting with all the suspects. At the same time, I was also there for the characters, as Osman dove into their unique lives and provided some fantastic development. However, one major piece of character development proved to be the most compelling part of the entire book and really knocks you for six with a major event around two-thirds of the way through. This bit of development has been building for the entire series, but when tragedy finally hits you are not ready and it strikes you very hard in the feels. I honestly was near tears at parts of the book, it was that damn sad, and Osman works to ensure that every major character is affected in a noticeable and gloomy way.

Following this major event, Osman moves towards solving the various murders featured within the book. This last part of The Last Devil to Die is noticeably more subdued, which was honestly very fitting and completely understandable. Despite this darker tone, the reader is still very invested in the plot, especially as a solution to the mystery promises to bring some much-needed emotional relief. Osman delivers this in spades, and there are several clever and thoughtful solutions chucked in as a result. While I saw a few reveals coming, the way the characters solved the compelling case was impressive and quite brilliant. Several subtle and well-placed clues were masterfully exploited, and the way that Osman hid them in plain sight is exceedingly clever. The solutions to the other killings were great as well, especially as they tied into a fun longer-running storyline around a secondary character, and I loved how many of the villains got an appropriate reward for their deeds. The conclusion of the plot is very well handled, and the reader comes away from The Last Devil to Die both highly satisfied and very sad, much like the protagonists. This was such a brilliant and moving narrative, and Osman does a wonderful job of fitting in his mystery while wrapping up several long-running narrative threads.

Just as he has with the previous novels in the Thursday Murder Club series, Osman backs up his excellent story with some top-notch writing that drags you in with its tone, subtly and entertainment. The Last Devil to Die features Osman’s typical exquisite blend of mystery, humour and character development, which is expertly featured in every scene. While the main mystery is great, watching the brilliant characters grow as they solve it in the most entertaining way is so much fun, and you will be glued to the book as you go. The comedic charm of a Thursday Murder Club novel is very subtle and undeniably British, but it constantly flows into every scene, with the restrained and often topical jokes and observations of the characters working well with the other story elements. This includes a large amount of sombre and darker moments, as many of the characters experience a certain amount of tragedy, especially related to the woes of getting older. Osman honestly turns the heartbreak up to 11 in certain parts of The Last Devil to Die, and readers are in for some powerful emotional blows in this novel, which works both in the context of this single novel but the series as a whole, as it cleverly builds on prior events from the earlier books. Due to this, I would strongly recommend that readers start the series back at the first book, rather than diving into The Last Devil to Die first, as it will allow you to get the full emotional impact. However, Osman does ensure that The Last Devil to Die is open enough for new readers to experience, and they honestly will not be spared from the feels either. Osman does such a good job wrapping together the hurt with the humour, and the emotional combination really strengthens both the character arcs and the mystery elements of this outstanding read.

While the story, mystery and humour are all outstanding parts of The Last Devil to Die, without a doubt the high point of any Thursday Murder Club novel are the characters. Osman has an incredible knack for producing compelling, delightful, and impressive characters who you cannot help but fall in love with. Thanks to his split between different perspective characters (which includes a change in writing style for Joyce’s journal entries), you get to see so many different angles of this mystery, and I loved the amazing personal arcs that emerged as well. Osman does a great job of balancing the narrative between the many characters featured in the novel, including the recurring protagonists from the previous books and several new intriguing figures. These characters form the emotional heart of The Last Devil to Die and Osman really amps up the feelings, tragedy and love for this latest book to produce an exceptional and memorable read.

At the centre of the story are the members of the titular Thursday Murder Club: Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron, four cheeky and brilliant retirees who pass their time solving murders. Osman has done such a good job setting these characters up as a group throughout the previous books, and they each have a well-defined role in the group, with Elizabeth the hard-nosed former spy serving as leader, Joyce the loving grandmother figure who is a lot more devious and strong then people realise, Ron the tough larrikin who is starting to come to terms with his feelings, and Ibrahim the sensitive soul who can connect with everyone. These fantastic characters prove to be the usual dedicated and brilliant investigators, and it is always fun to see them utilise their unique skills and their old age to solve their crime. Much of the book’s humour is derived from them leveraging their advanced years and apparent helplessness to trick or manipulate the younger suspects, and I always enjoy their direct and hilarious take on crime solving. However, while there is a certain humorous element around these characters in The Last Devil to Die, certain significant events throw them into an emotional tailspin and watching them become unstuck and devastated really hits the reader hard.

Elizabeth in particular is hit the hardest and this is honestly the most significant novel for her, especially as the great tragedy she has been expecting for the entire series finally comes to pass, and your heart hurts at seeing such a strong character broken down so much. Joyce proves to be the emotional rock the novel, stepping up when the others are down and trying to keep the investigation going. I loved seeing Joyce the leadership role, and watching her come out of her shell proves to be quite heartwarming in light of other tragedies. Ron probably gets the least amount of focus in The Last Devil to Die, but he still has his moment to shine throughout this book. Not only does he have one of the funniest scenes when he has to pretend to be traumatised at discovering a body, but his chaotic romantic relationship raises some fun questions about when Christmas gifts should be opened. I also deeply enjoyed Ibrahim’s character focus, not only because of his warmth and insights, but because of his unusual friendship with imprisoned criminal Connie Johnson and his fantastic patter with Ron. Osman also finally reveals some secrets about Ibrahim’s past that have been hinted at in previous books, and I loved the extra layer of understanding about Ibrahim that results. Each of these main characters are so well featured and their emotional struggles prove to be such an important part of the plot and help to turn The Last Devil to Die into in a very powerful and moving novel.

In addition to the main cast, Osman’s ever expanding collection of supporting characters were very well featured in The Last Devil to Die, and while they are primarily there to assist the main characters with their investigation, the author always takes the time to develop some intriguing and heartfelt storylines around them. This includes the duo of DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna De Freitas, who find themselves once again competing against their retiree friends to solve the case, despite their futile attempts to keep them out of trouble. While many of their scenes are played for laughs, especially as they get exasperated trying to stop the club members, they add in a good official police presence and move the story along in some interesting ways. There is also a continued focus on their personal lives, especially as they have both found true happiness thanks to the events of the prior books. Cocaine queen and jailbird Connie Johnson proves to be another great recurring figure here, especially as much of her story deals with her simultaneously manipulations of Ibrahim and her attempts at rehabilitations. Her scenes opposite the team’s psychiatrist are pretty hilarious, and it’s going to be fun to see how her storyline continues. The always dependable Bogdan is also a fantastic presence in The Last Devil to Die, and I loved how he proves to be both a supportive partner to Donna and a reliable assistant in Elizabeth’s attempts to undermine the police. Bogdan is also hit emotionally hard in this book and you really have to feel for this wonderfully written character who has the body of a thug and a heart of pure gold. Throw in several great new antagonists, an unpopular elite police officer and several entertaining new residents at Coopers Chase, and this proves to be an amazing book when it comes to supporting characters.

However, the character I need to talk about the most is Elizabeth’s academic husband, Stephen, who honestly has been one of the strongest and saddest figures in the entire series due to his growing dementia. A caring and intelligent figure, despite his ailment and his wife’s attempts to hide him from the world, Stephen is such an impressive character you honestly cannot help but fall in love with. It is always so tragic to see Stephen slowly lose his mind while Elizabeth’s heart breaks next to him, and I really appreciate how well Osman portrays the complexities of dementia when it comes to this figure. Despite that, he proves to be an essential part of the plot, and his insights into his friend have some major impacts on the case, even if you do not realise it at the time. Osman also makes sure to enhance the misery around Stephen again in this book, especially as he finally becomes aware of his condition in one of his lucid periods, and the resulting scenes are so damn moving and emotional as a result. Everything about Stephen in The Last Devil to Die, from his continued warmth, his love for Elizabeth even when he doesn’t know who she is, his sad friendship with a local fox, and his journeys back inside the past of his mind, is handled perfectly and powerfully, and he honestly steals every moment he is in. Stephen steals the show in his own way in The Last Devil to Die, but honestly every character in this book is pretty exceptional, and you will find yourself falling in love with them again, even if it breaks your heart.

Due to my previous experiences with this series, I chose to check out The Last Devil to Die on audiobook, rather than reading the physical copy I received. Coming in with a runtime of just under 11 hours, this is a relatively quick audiobook to get through, especially once you get caught up in the story, which you definitely will. I find that the audiobook format is pretty damn good at getting so many elements of Osman’s story across, including the characters, the powerful emotions and the fun humour, and you really will have a hard time turning off this audiobook of as a result. It also definitely helps that they keep getting such awesome narrators in to read these books. The first two entries in the series were narrated by Lesley Manville, who did such a great job bringing the characters to life, especially Joyce. Unfortunately, Lesley left after narrating the first two books, which I was initially sad about. However, they did a really good job of replacing her in the third audiobook with acclaimed actress Fiona Shaw, who also returns for The Last Devil to Die.

Now I was already a fan of Fiona Shaw before her work here, and I think she was honestly the best possible replacement they could have gotten for Lesley Manville. Utilising her trademark Scottish accent, Shaw hits the story with a soft and gentle voice that perfectly fits the more relaxed tone of these murder mystery novels. These gentler tones are excellent at conveying the unique humour and emotions of the Thursday Murder Club books, and I really got enveloped by the powerful story as a result. Shaw also does an outstanding job voicing each of the brilliant characters featured within this book and I have a lot of love for the vocal choices she makes here. Now, while there is a little difference between Shaw’s performances and the previous audiobooks with Manville (Manville is a natural Joyce, while Shaw more of an Elizabeth), Shaw really keeps the magic from the first two books going. She does a great job of matching many of the key voices Manville originally used, while also adding her own flairs to make the characters her own. I really loved how effortlessly Shaw slipped into the various members of the cast, and this honestly helps you fall in love with all the characters and the story as a whole. This entire audiobook honestly comes up pretty perfectly, and there is even a fantastic and cosy chat at the end between Osman and Shaw discussing the series. As such, I would strongly recommend the audiobook version of The Last Devil to Die to anyone interested in checking out this novel, and it is easily the best way to enjoy this fantastic series. One of the best audiobooks of 2023!

Look, I could go on about how good The Last Devil to Die is, but the bottom line is that this was an exceptional read and one of the best entries in the already great Thursday Murder Club series. Richard Osman did a wonderful job of producing an elaborate and compelling book that featured both an amazing mystery, and some outstanding character work. Funny and tragic in equal measures, and with some of the most emotionally charged scenes of 2023, The Last Devil to Die was an incredible book from start to finish and I cannot recommend it enough. This fantastic book is going to top all my end-of-year best of lists and I cannot wait to see what Osman releases next.

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The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

On October 5, 2021April 12, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery32 Comments

Publisher: Viking/Penguin Audio (Audiobook – 14 September 2021)

Series: The Thursday Murder Club – Book Two

Length: 12 hours and 30 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Following on from his epic crime fiction debut last year, writer and television personality Richard Osman presents the second book in his Thursday Murder Club series, The Man Who Died Twice.

Richard Osman is an awesome comedic talent and personality who I have enjoyed for many years on Pointless, Would I Lie to You and other fun British panel shows. Known for his clever wit and immense height, Osman has a great sense of humour, and I was pretty excited last year when I saw that he had written a crime fiction novel, The Thursday Murder Club, which followed a group of true crime loving retirees who investigated a nearby murder. While I knew I was likely to have a great time reading The Thursday Murder Club, I was truly blown away and it ended up being one of the best books, audiobooks and debuts I enjoyed in 2020. Due to this, and the fact that my review for The Thursday Murder Club received a lot of attention this year, I have been really looking forward to reading the sequel for some time and I was very excited when details about The Man Who Died Twice were finally revealed. This awesome sequel was one of my most anticipated releases for 2021 and it did not disappoint, presenting another clever and impressive character driven mystery.

Welcome back to Coopers Chase, the sprawling aged-care community near the town of Fairhaven, England, where peace and serenity is guaranteed for all its residents, aside from the thrill-seeking members of the Thursday Murder Club, a small group of friends who spend their Thursdays investigating cold cases and gruesome murders. Made up of the intrepid Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron, the Thursday Murder club has already had great success solving the murder of the previous owner of Coopers Chase, and they are now looking for their next batch of excitement.

Their wish appears to be granted when former spy Elizabeth receives a letter from a man she thought was dead, her former colleague and ex-husband, Douglas Middlemiss. Douglas has recently run afoul of a dangerous English mobster and an international criminal cartel after stealing a bag of valuable diamonds and securing them in a secret hiding place. Reluctantly put into witness protection by MI5, Douglas is keeping a low profile in Coopers Chase while he plans his escape and new life in retirement. But when an assassin breaks into his flat and tries to kill him, Douglas turns to Elizabeth for help.

Rallying the Thursday Murder Club to her side, Elizabeth attempts to figure out which of Douglas’s enemies is trying to take him out and who knew he was hiding at Coopers Chase. But when tragedy strikes and an unknown enemy appears to have made off with the diamonds, everything seems lost. But this opponent is unprepared for just how relentless the Thursday Murder Club can be, as Elizabeth and her friends put an ambitious plan in place. However, this time the Thursday Murder Club aren’t just going after a killer; now they are facing down hardened criminals and assassins with a substantially less compunction about killing senior citizens. Will the Thursday Murder Club once again solve the unsolvable, or will this be their final case?

Wow, this was amazing novel from Osman that I had an outstanding time getting through. Featuring another epic and captivating mystery set around a fun group of characters, and featuring Osman’s amazing subtle humour, The Man Who Died Twice was an excellent read that I powered through in a few short days, and which gets another five-star rating from me.

The Man Who Died Twice has an impressive and deeply compelling character driven narrative that follows its various protagonists as they attempt to unravel the compelling case of the twice murdered man and the stolen diamonds. This second entry in the Thursday Murder Club series can easily be enjoyed as a standalone read, although fans of the first book will no doubt have an amazing time seeing how the various characters continue to progress throughout this second book. Osman beautifully utilises multiple character perspectives to tell several fantastic stories throughout the book, with the protagonists also involved in several personal battles, as well as attempting to bring down a local crime lord and a vicious young thug. All of these storylines are chock full of mystery, humour, emotion and personal tragedy, as the protagonists work through the issues and challenges in their own unique ways. The author balances all the storylines perfectly throughout the novel, eventually producing a clever and very entertaining conclusion. I loved how the entire narrative came together, and there are some very amusing and compelling moments featured throughout. Thanks to Osman’s ability to provide a great wrap-up to a story, the readers are left feeling incredibly satisfied and happy, especially after every single twist and bit of character development is revealed. Combine that with Osman’s subtle sense of humour, mostly relating to the more outrageous situations these unlikely heroes casually wander in and out of, as well as some amusing jokes about being out of touch, and the barrage of references to British pop culture, and you have a very entertaining and addictive story that proves near impossible to put down.

I really enjoyed the central mystery of The Man Who Died Twice as the Thursday Murder Club and their associates are drawn into the case of Elizabeth’s ex-husband, a MI5 agent who has stolen a bunch of diamonds from a crime lord and is now avoiding assassins in the Coopers Chase retirement community. While the initial hunt is for the location of the hidden diamonds, it soon morphs into another murder when a mysterious killer gets too close to the prize. This is a very interesting and well-crafted mystery, and I loved how Osman moved away from more traditional murder and into the world of espionage and international crime. To help solve this crime, the Club are forced to work with MI5 agents and soon find themselves investigating an influential criminal middleman with ties to the Mafia, who are hunting for the diamonds. However, the nature of the crime also suggests an inside job, and the Club are forced to investigate friends and supposed allies to figure out who is responsible. I had a great time with this mystery, and I loved the clever misdirection and various suspects that Osman featured throughout the plot. I was able to pick up one of the twists pretty early in, but the full scope of the conspiracy was a lot more complex than I realised, with some additional unexpected reveals that I didn’t see coming. I deeply enjoyed the elaborate and entertaining final plan utilised by the protagonists to entrap their opponents, especially when it ends in such a comical and amusing manner. An overall compelling and fantastic mystery, I cannot wait to see what intriguing case appears in the next book.

You can’t talk about a Thursday Murder Club novel without mentioning the outstanding and loveable characters the story is formed around. The Man Who Died Twice follows an intriguing and eclectic mix of characters as they find themselves caught up in the events of the latest mystery. Osman spent a great deal of time in the previous novel introducing these fantastic characters and ensuring that the reader would fall in love with them. This enjoyment for the characters continues in The Man Who Died Twice, as each character continues to evolve, with some excellent new details revealed about them. Osman really does a good job of utilising each of these character perspectives in the novel, and I really appreciated the way in which the tone subtly changes for each of the characters.

The main characters of this book are the two female members of the Thursday Murder Club, Elizabeth and Joyce, who have some excellent moments in this latest novel. The first of these is Elizabeth, the former spy and investigator who is now retired and has formed the Club to keep her mind busy. Elizabeth gets a lot of attention in this novel as the story focuses on her prior relationship with Douglas, which also examines her career in espionage. Elizabeth is a great protagonist to follow, mainly because she is bold schemer even now as an old woman. I always have a fun time seeing her manipulating and outsmarting everyone she comes across, especially now that most of the other characters know her game but still can’t help falling into her webs. While there is a lot of focus on her abilities and unerring talent for danger and deception, you also get a good look at her somewhat tragic personal life. Not only is she impacted by the return of Douglas, which raises a lot of memories from her past, but she is also still trying to hold onto her current husband, Stephen, who is suffering from dementia. I really appreciated the complex storylines around Elizabeth, and I appreciated the way in which Osman did an intriguing dive into her past.

Joyce on the other hand is a pleasant and friendly former nurse who was the last member of the gang to join the Club. Joyce seems like your typical, well-intentioned older lady, and I am sure that many readers will see a lot of parallels between her and their own parents or grandmothers. However, Joyce is a brilliant thinker who uses her brain and her friendly personality to make everyone like her and then help her out. Joyce forms a fantastic partnership with Elizabeth, and the two make an effective double team, with Joyce’s more subtle tactics and insights combining well with Elizabeth’s more direct approach. It is a lot of fun to see Joyce investigating these brutal crimes, especially as she picks up on just as much, if not more, than the experienced spy Elizabeth. I also really appreciate the way in which Joyce’s chapters are written, with her point-of-view shown in a series of diary entries. This different storytelling technique helps Joyce stand out as a protagonist, especially as it highlights her entertaining personality, including the revelations and observations she has about modern technology and younger people (I had so many chuckles at her forays on Instagram).

The male members of the Thursday Murder Club are Ibrahim and Ron, who are a little underutilised compared to Elizabeth and Joyce in this novel, but they both get their intriguing storylines which were really well-written and compelling. This is particularly true for Ibrahim, the group’s shy intellectual, who is forced to deal with a brutal physical attack from a young criminal at the start of the book, a scene which really hit me hard due to how much I got to know this harmless character during the first book. This attack leaves Ibrahim scarred mentally as well as physically, and he spends the rest of the novel feeling quite afraid and unwilling to leave Coopers Chase. Osman does some deep and emotional character work on Ibrahim here, and readers end up getting quite invested in his recovery as well as his intense mental journey. This attack on Ibrahim is also the primary catalyst for Ron’s storyline, which probably gets the least amount of attention out of all the main characters. Ron, the former union leader, who always puts on a classic tough-guy persona, is deeply impacted by the attack on his best friend and spends the early part of the book constantly by his side. However, once it becomes clear that Ibrahim is alright, he then leads the charge against his friend’s attacker, and uses Elizabeth’s contacts to bring the thug to justice. I felt that Osman hit the right notes with Ron in this book, and I appreciated seeing both his emotional side and his vengeful side, and I loved how they both came from the same place of love.

The final characters I want to mention are the associated members of the Thursday Murder Club, younger characters who have been drawn into the orbit of the compelling senior citizens. These include police officers Donna and Chris, both of whom had an entertaining introduction to the Club in the previous novel and are now firm friends with them. Donna and Chris spend most of the book attempting to bring down a Fairhaven crime lord while also dealing with their personal issues. Chris, who was a bit of a sad-sack character in the first novel, has been revitalised by his blooming relationship with Donna’s mother. While happy and now health conscious, this results in a lot of soul-searching by Chris, who is unsure how to pursue the romance, especially once his girlfriend is threatened by the criminal they are hunting. Donna, on the other hand, continues her unlucky hunt for love and purpose in this novel, going from one bad date to another while also being suitably horrified by her boss sleeping with her mother. While Donna does not get as much focus in this novel as she did in The Thursday Murder Club, she still had some great character moments, and I deeply appreciated that touching scene she had with Ibrahim. I also need to mention Bogdan, who, after being a major suspect in the first novel, has moved on to a supporting role in this book due to his firm friendship with Elizabeth and her husband. Simply put, Bogdan is the coolest person in Fairhaven and a true friend, helping Elizabeth with her projects by doing all manner of unusual requests, from looking after Stephen to buying a large amount of cocaine. He has some really good scenes in this book, and Osman sets him up as quite the bright, mysterious action man with a heart of gold. Throw in some other well-established and explored side characters in addition to the above and you have an exciting and compelling cast with a great story around them.

One of the key things about this series that I really appreciate is the way in which Osman attempts to champion the aging process and show how capable and interesting older members of the community can be. The Man Who Died Twice is another great example of this, as it contains multiple amazing examples of older protagonists doing impossible things and manipulating people half their age in some elaborate and entertaining ways. It was a lot of fun once again seeing these older characters taking charge, and Osman has a very unique and entertaining take on the aging process and the mindset of older people. However, not everything is about the positives of aging, as the author once again presents some sad and dark elements that added some powerful drama to the narrative. Throughout the course of the story, there are plenty of discussions about illness, living with regrets, and the growing realisation that death is just around the corner. There was a particular focus on the vulnerability of the elderly, especially with Ibrahim’s storyline, as it shakes both the victim and all his friends. There is also a compelling look at Stephen’s battle with dementia, which includes Elizabeth’s attempt to keep him in their apartment despite what may be medically best for him, resulting in some touching and emotional scenes, especially once the double meaning of the novel’s title becomes clear. I really appreciated the author’s unique and compelling take on the aging process, and it was great to see more of the novel’s fun senior protagonists.

While I was lucky enough to receive a physical copy of The Man Who Died Twice, I decided in the end to listen to the audiobook format of this novel, which was a fantastic choice. The Man Who Died Twice has a runtime of 12 and a half hours, although the last 40 minutes or so is an interesting interview. I found myself getting through this audiobook extremely quickly, not just because of the amazing story but because the audiobook has a great pace to it and some excellent narration by actress Lesley Manville. Manville, who also narrated The Thursday Murder Club, does another wonderful job in this second novel, and it was great to hear her impressive take on this fantastic story. Manville has come up with some amazing voices for the various characters, with each person getting their own distinctive and fitting voice, with some great continuation from the first book. Each of the character’s voices work extremely well, and I really appreciated the way in which Manville can ascribe age, emotion, and personality with her vocal work. I had an outstanding time listening to Manville tell this cool story, and it was made even better by a fun discussion between Osman and Manville at the end of the book. This nice and unique talk between author and narrator was an outstanding and fitting way to finish of this audiobook, especially as it offers some cool insights into the book you have just been enjoying. I particularly enjoyed finally getting an explanation about why Osman doesn’t narrate his own novel, and I actually agree with his reasoning for it. Overall, this was another exceptional audiobook adaptation, and I would strongly recommend this format to anyone and everyone keen to check out The Man Who Died Twice.

With his second entry in the spectacular Thursday Murder Club series, Richard Osman continues to showcase he is just as talented at writing crime fiction as he is at comedy. The Man Who Died Twice is an outstanding and wildly entertaining read that combines an impressive story with a clever mystery, some complex and likeable characters, and a brilliant sense of humour. This was a spectacular read and I had an incredible time getting through this fantastic sequel, especially in its amazing audiobook format. The Man Who Died Twice was one of the best books of 2021 and I cannot wait to see where Osman takes this series next.

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The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

On December 28, 2020April 12, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery42 Comments

Publisher: Penguin Audio (Audiobook – 22 September 2020)

Series: Thursday Murder Club – Book One

Length: 12 hours and 25 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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British comedian and television personality Richard Osman presents one of the best debut novels of 2020 with The Thursday Murder Club, a clever and hilarious murder mystery novel that was an absolute treat to read.

Welcome to Coopers Chase, a luxury retirement estate near the town of Fairhaven where the elderly can relax and enjoy their final years in peace, quiet and good company. But for four enterprising septuagenarians, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron, retirement also offers them a bold opportunity for some excitement and adventure as the Thursday Murder Club. Meeting up each Thursday in the Jigsaw Room, these four friends attempt to solve cold cases forgotten by the police. While it may seem like a harmless hobby, these retirees are thrilled by their amateur investigations and welcome the chance to bring a little justice in the world. However, when a local property developer with a dodgy past is brutally murdered with a mysterious photograph left next to his body, the Thursday Murder Club jump at the chance to investigate a real live case.

Thanks to a lifetime of connections, skills and intuition, the members of the Thursday Murder Club are able to quickly position themselves in the middle of the burgeoning case, much to the frustration of the local police. Using every unorthodox and somewhat unethical trick at their disposal, the club members gain vital information about the murder. However, when a second person is poisoned right in front of them, the club soon begin to realise how high the stakes are. A killer is stalking Coopers Chase and they will do anything to protect their secret. Can the Thursday Murder Club stop them before it is too late, or will their first real mystery be their last?

Well, that was exceedingly delightful. Osman is a fantastic British comedian who has been in a number of great British television programs (we’re big fans of Pointless), and, like many celebrities, he decided to have a go at writing his own novel. I have to admit that when I first heard that Osman was writing a crime fiction book, I was intrigued but I did not initially plan to read it. However, after hearing some positive buzz from other reviewers and being in the mood for something a little different I decided to check it out, and boy was I glad that I did! The Thursday Murder Club turned out to be an exceptional read which blew me away with this incredible and unique crime fiction story. Osman has come up with something special with this book, and I had an outstanding time listening to it and exploring the fun story, unique characters, and clever depictions of the elderly of Britain. This is easily one of my favourite debuts of 2020 and it gets a full five stars from me.

Osman has come up with an elaborate and entertaining story for The Thursday Murder Club that combines an excellent murder mystery with large amounts of brilliant humour and several amazing and tragic moments of drama. The author makes great use of multiple character perspectives to tell his clever story, and the reader is soon wrapped up in a number of different personal tales that all tie into the murders that form the centre of this book. While The Thursday Murder Club is a little slow at the start, it does not take long for the story to get going, and once the first body drops the reader is firmly entranced and cannot wait to see where the author is going next. There are so many great elements associated with this book, and you are guaranteed to have an outstanding time getting through The Thursday Murder Club.

At the centre of The Thursday Murder Club’s narrative lies a compelling and intriguing murder mystery that follows an intense case around the Coopers Chase retirement village. Osman has weaved together a pretty impressive murder mystery here, with two disreputable people killed in quick succession in apparently connected killings, which prompts the members of the Thursday Murder Club to get involved. Watching these characters investigate proved to be extremely fascinating and entertaining, especially as they employ some much more unique and unusual methods to get the answers they are looking for. Osman pairs this unorthodox search for the killer with the official investigation being conducted by the police, and the two different methodologies make for a good contrast, especially when they both get some extremely different results. The two murder cases go in some extremely compelling and clever directions, and Osman has come up with a number of impressive twists and misleading suspects to deflect from the real culprits. The conclusions of the cases were really good; I loved how the entirety of the mystery came together and how the various crimes were connected. Osman adds in lot of foreshadowing for the various twists featured within The Thursday Murder Club, but some of the results were still pleasantly unexpected. I was able to predict one of the major twists of the book in advance, which allowed me to work out who a killer was and why they were doing it, but I did not see certain other twists and reveals coming. I really love it when a mystery can shock and surprise me and I think that The Thursday Murder Club was one of the best murder mystery novels I read all year.

An exceptional highlight of The Thursday Murder Club is the excellent characters from whose eyes we see the story unfold. The Thursday Murder Club is made up of four unusual friends who make for very fun central protagonists. All four members of the Thursday Murder Club are entertaining and complex characters in their own right and who each add a lot to the story. Osman spends a great deal of time exploring each of these characters, and the reader soon becomes intimately familiar with their lives while also becoming enamoured with their intriguing personalities. The main character of the book is probably Elizabeth, the founder of the Thursday Murder Club and its apparent leader. Elizabeth is extremely determined, and it is strongly hinted throughout the book that she was formerly a rather successful spy. Described by one of the other characters as being essentially Marlon Brando in The Godfather, Elizabeth is the driving force behind the club’s investigation into the murders around Coopers Chase, especially with her innumerable contacts and natural intuition. Elizabeth has a very strong personality, and it is fantastic to see her go about her business, intimidating and outmanoeuvring everyone she encounters with practiced ease. Despite this hard, clever exterior, Elizabeth has a number of emotional vulnerabilities, including an ailing husband and a comatose best friend, which Osman explores throughout the novel. These vulnerabilities help to drive Elizabeth throughout the book, and she becomes quite a complex character as a result.

The other female member of the Thursday Murder Club is Joyce, a former nurse. Joyce is a great character who becomes an invaluable part of the investigation. Appearing to be mostly quiet and somewhat placid, Joyce is actually a deeply intelligent person who uses her mild and kind personality to get people to do what she wants. As the newest member of the club, Joyce provides the reader with an outsider’s view of the other major characters, and you get an interesting glimpse of how the investigation is progressing as her point-of-view chapters are written in a fun journal format that is unique to her. Aside from Elizabeth, Joyce probably gets the most character assessment and development in The Thursday Murder Club, especially as some of her personal relationships become key parts of the plot, and she proves to be a particularly intriguing character as a result.

The other members of the Thursday Murder Club are Ibrahim and Ron, two very different people who are actually the best of friends. Ibrahim is a particularly pleasant man, a former psychologist, who is nice and sociable to everyone he meets and who serves as the heart and soul of the team. Out of all the main characters in this book I think that Ibrahim got the least amount of development, which was a shame considering how entertaining he proved to be. I hope he gets more of a storyline in the future entries of this series and I look forward to seeing how Osman expands this character out. Ron, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of Ibrahim. A famous former union activist, Ron enjoys the spotlight and revels in fighting for lost causes against authority figures. Ron is the hot-headed member of the group and he has a personal stake in the investigation when his son becomes a prime suspect for the police. Despite his rough and impulsive attitude, Ron fits in well with the rest of the club and is a keen investigator, mainly because of the way he refuses to believe anything anyone else tells him. All four of these main characters are exceptionally well written, and I really enjoyed the way that they played off each other and used their unique talents to solve the case.

This novel also focuses on two police officers, Donna and Chris, who are leading the official investigation into the murders and who find themselves working with the members of the Thursday Murder Club. Donna is a young rookie cop who has transferred over from the London Police and now finds herself bored to death as a member of a small town force. Thanks to the manipulations of Elizabeth, she finds herself assigned to the case, which revitalises her and helps address some of her issues and concerns from her past. Donna proves to be a fun character to follow, especially as she is the only younger person who sees through the members of the Thursday Murder Club and doesn’t fall for their antics. She also has a fun partnership with Chris, the senior officer investigating the case, and the two swiftly form a connection throughout the story. Chris, despite being a clever and experienced detective, is a bit of a sad-sack who finds himself stuck in a rut. This fresh case also reinvigorates Chris, and he starts to fall out of his bad habits with Donna’s help. However, unlike Donna, Chris is a lot more susceptible to the charms of the Thursday Murder Club, and it is extremely entertaining to see him get manipulated for a good part of the novel. These two police characters get a fair bit of attention throughout the novel, and their official investigation nicely complements the unofficial one being run by the Thursday Murder Club, with the divergent information they receive coming together perfectly in the final results. I also quite enjoyed the friendship that forms between Donna and Chris, as it allows both of them to grow and has a very nice development at the end which I thought was rather sweet.

Osman also creates a bevy of distinctive and entertaining side characters, many of whom have a connection to the crime or are a potential suspect. This includes all the residents of the retirement village, which is filled with unique personalities with lifetimes of secrets. Osman explores several of these great characters throughout the course of the book, providing some rich backstory and intriguing motivations for their potential involvement. I personally enjoyed the character of Bogdan, a relatively young Polish immigrant who works as a labourer for the local property developers and who finds himself involved in the case after finding a body. Bogdan forms a fantastic friendship with Elizabeth and her husband throughout the book, and I really enjoyed his guarded personality and shrewd intelligence, which proves to be an excellent match for the secretive Elizabeth. I also have to highlight the two major murder victims. Both of these victims get a few scenes early on in the novel before they are killed, and Osman sets them up as particularly outrageous and unlikeable people. While this does ensure that the readers are not too cut up when they end up dead, it does mean that there are a whole of suspects when it comes to their murders, and I liked how that added to the case. All of the characters featured in The Thursday Murder Club were a lot of fun and I had an amazing time seeing how each of their individual arcs unfolded and what each of them was capable of deep down.

I quite enjoyed how Osman turned The Thursday Murder Club into a fun and entertaining ode to the elderly that highlights the fact that retirees can achieve quite a bit and have a lot to offer to the world. I really enjoyed the author’s story idea of four senior citizens investigating a murder and it produced a truly entertaining and enjoyable read. Some of The Thursday Murder Club’s funniest moments revolved around the four protagonists manipulating or swindling the younger characters in the book to get what they want, whether it be information on the case or a confession about certain illegal actions. The way in which they go about influencing the younger people they encounter is very entertaining, as they mostly utilise the classic trick of appearing helpless and innocent, while in reality they are controlling the entire situation. Some of their methods will be very familiar to any reader with an elderly grandparent or parent, and I personally laughed my head off at one scene where one younger character is slowly worn down through a unique interrogation method involving crowded chairs, friendly company, an overflowing mug of tea and crumbly cake. Watching the veteran police characters slowly work out how and why they are being manipulated was extremely funny, and by the end of the book they are noticeably more wary about dealing with the members of the Thursday Murder Club. As this is a book about senior citizens, there are naturally a number of jokes about growing old, including entertaining discussions about their thoughts on today’s society and several depictions of them trying and failing to work modern technology. While most of the discussion about the elderly is light-hearted and inspiring, it does get quite sad in places. There are a number of scenes that focus on the debilitating impacts of aging, with each of the protagonists witnessing someone close to them starting to fade for one reason or another, resulting in several deep sequences when they consider their own mortality or frailty. There are also a number of extremely tragic character moments involving age, and you can’t help but feel a little heartbroken in several places thanks to Osman’s excellent writing. This adds some memorable and necessary drama to the overall narrative and it really helps to turn The Thursday Murder Club into a much more captivating read. Overall, I think that Osman captured the issues surrounding aging extremely well, and I very much enjoyed his depictions of these badass septuagenarians outsmarting everyone they meet.

I also liked how Osman went out of his way to make his debut novel exceedingly British. Everything about this book screams “British” to the reader, from the way the characters, act, talk and interact with each other, to the classic, subtle humour that is featured throughout. Osman also includes a ton of references to various cultural, social and political elements of the country, with the characters discussing or reminiscing about everything from their favourite foods, television shows, bands, locations, historical experiences (Ron, for example, has some thoughts on Thatcher) and various other aspects of day-to-day life. Due to the way that British culture funnels down into Australia, I had a decent understanding of most of the references that Osman made, although I imagine that some readers could get a little offput by the many references to aspects of the culture they are unfamiliar. That being said I found the constant discussion about everything British to be exceedingly fun, and I really appreciated the way in which the author made a truly British book.

In order to enjoy this fantastic book I decided to grab a copy of the audiobook version of The Thursday Murder Club which was narrated by actress Lesley Manville. The Thursday Murder Club audiobook has a run time of 12 hours and 25 minutes, and I got through it rather quickly, especially once I become wrapped up in the fun and captivating mystery. I found myself really enjoying this excellent audiobook version of this novel and I think that having the events of the book narrated to me helped me follow the plot more closely and connect to the characters more. I do have to admit that I was a tad disappointed that Osman did not narrate his own audiobook, but this disappointment quickly faded once I experienced Manville’s excellent narration. Manville’s voice and narration style really fit into the unique tone of The Thursday Murder Club, and she was able to convey all of the novel’s humour, mystery and drama extremely well. I also absolutely loved the great voices that Manville came up with for the characters featured within the novel, and I felt that she was able really accentuate the various personalities that made up the story, as well as come up with several different accents. While Osman doesn’t narrate this audiobook, there is an interview between Osman and Marian Keyes featured at the end of it, in which Osman details how he came up with the idea for his book and why he wrote it, which I am sure many people will find fascinating. I ended up having a wonderful time listening to this version of The Thursday Murder Club, and it ended up being one of my favourite audiobooks of 2020.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman is an exceptional and masterful crime fiction novel that is easily one of the best debuts of 2020. Osman has crafted together an outstanding read that follows some entertaining and compelling protagonists as they investigate a complex murder mystery in a very fun way. I had an amazing time listening to this fantastic novel and I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in a fun and intriguing read. This was an absolute triumph from Osman, and I am extremely keen to see what he writes next. I note that a sequel to The Thursday Murder Club is planned for next year and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy.

Make sure to also check out my review for the sequel novel, The Man Who Died Twice.

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