One involves an attack on one of the club members and, though there’s obviously a focus on revenge punishing the perpetrator, Osman also considers the implications such an attack has… even on someone whose background means they’re usually quite resilient. I usually hate parallel plots that ‘magically’ combine through some kind of coincidence but here it’s the oldies who bring the two together.

I can’t remember if it was the case with the first book but we get two mysteries for the price of one here. I tried to explain the lack of synchronicity in Joyce’s thought processes as she jumps from discussing life-threatening circumstances to pondering the friendship bracelets she’s making. I was staying at my mother’s while reading this and she called out at one point to ask what I was sniggering about. The opening is wonderful – resonant of the book itself – offering the perfect blend of levity and intrigue.Īgain it unfolds from a few points of view, giving us insight into all of the characters, but it’s Joyce’s diary entries and stream of consciousness blithering that delights me enormously. It was as if I was joining old friends and again soon in their thrall. The characters (well, the way they’re written) are engaging and addictive. The moment I started reading I was reminded why I loved the first book. Can The Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them? And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn't that be a bonus?īut this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn't bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life.Īs bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. He's made a big mistake, and he needs her help.

The Man Who Died TwiceĮlizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. Other than having met the characters before, there’s no backstory really required to pick things up with the residents of Coopers Chase community known as the Thursday Murder Club… a quartet that revisits cold cases from the comfort of the restaurant of their retirement village, usually with a few bottles of wine to lubricate their minds. The Man Who Died Twice is the second in the series but it doesn’t matter if you’ve not read the first. I loved the comfort and familiarity of his characters and writing.

I ADORED The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, released in 2020.

The man who died twice series