In our second adventure with the members of the murder club we are treated to an outlandish crime, numerous twists, murders aplenty and the kind of healthy disregard for the rules that I assume you might acquire when you reach a certain age.
The Thursday after the events of book one, the club is meeting and we have set in place a most unusual scenario linked to Elizabeth’s past. It involves a rakish ex-husband, twenty million pounds worth of diamonds, the mafia, local shady businesspeople and an ever-increasing number of bodies as events play out.
Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are on fine form once again. Pitting their wits against those who have made a life out of crime the group are terrier-like in their focus and determination to solve this particular puzzle. Bogdan comes into his own, and the involvement of Chris and Donna allows for some amusing side action (though it doesn’t say much about the efficacy of the police). There’s a lot of diversionary wordplay but this does keep the feeling of a cosy mystery when they’re actually confronted with something that would be terrifying.
Great fun, and I’m grateful to the publishers for letting me read a copy in advance of publication.

As a lover of the #thethursdaymurderclub I jumped at the chance to request the sequel from @netgalley (thank you so much) and it didn't disappoint. If anything it was even better than the first book. Within the first couple of chapters I was laughing out loud (#greatjoy69 if you know, you know) and also brought so low at the sad reality of experiences of older people in society (from toilet breaks, violence and living with dementia). On a whole though this book really brings to life our four main characters, they have more go in them and brain cells than I've ever had. It's a wholesome read (apart from the guns and murder 🤣) but it left me feeling like I can't wait to grow old!

THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE is out on September 28th 2021 and I promise you it's worth the wait.

Elizabeth Best was a little surprised when she received the letter. It came from a man whose body she had helped to pull from the Thames and who had never existed but then this is the sort of conundrum which retired spies have to deal with on a regular basis. When she visits the sender of the letter (he's moved into the Cooper's Chase Retirement Village) it comes as no surprise that it's someone with whom she has a long professional history - and who used to be her husband. He's made a bad mistake - something to do with a mask being removed within the range of a CCTV camera on a raid, a missing twenty-million pounds in diamonds and a few death threats. He's now in hiding with a young woman called Polly, who's his MI5 handler as well as being an incompetent waitress.

Help is obviously needed and who better to provide it than the members of The Thursday Murder Club? Ron Ritchie is a bolshie former union official. Joyce Meadowcroft used to be a nurse who appears to be an other-worldly flibbertigibbet, but who has the innate knowledge of how to hold a knife in a dangerous situation. Ibrahim Arif was a psychiatrist. He's generally a fount of knowledge and organisation but a young thug leaves him badly injured and feeling decidedly unsafe in today's world - a feeling which many older people will readily recognise. Time is running out and you sense that sometimes that's almost welcome.

Still, a mystery involving £20,000,000 in stolen diamonds must enliven the senses. Obviously they'd hand the diamonds over to their police connections, DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna de Freitas, should they happen upon them. Or would they? But what, exactly, would they spend that sort of money on, at their age? Richard Osman captures old age well, but with humour and affection.

I did have a suspicion as to who was the villain of the piece but it was based on guesswork rather than logical reasoning and certainly didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book. You're probably wondering why - when my praise has been so fulsome, I have given 4½ stars rather than 5. Well, part of the solution to the crime involves a mirror - and I couldn't make it work. Yes, I know. I can be very picky.

As well as reading the book I listened to an audio download, read by Lesley Manville. She captured all the individual voices perfectly and I was in no doubt as to who was speaking. Her pacing was perfect and I never felt that she intruded between the author and the reader. Manville made listening to the book a real pleasure.

I was delighted by The Thursday Murder Club (which I read before realising that the author was a television presenter) and The Man Who Died Twice has more than lived up to expectations. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Oooh I was so excited to hear there was going to be a follow up to the, 'Thursday Murder Club.' I absolutely loved the first book so there was no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't love the second book. I was not disappointed at all!
It was a fantastic storyline and our favourite characters are back for more! I hope there will be a third book!
Thank you to Richard Osman, NetGalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business, Viking for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book has everything. Murder, mystery, diamonds, international crime gangs, affairs of the heart and four septuagenarian that you don’t want to underestimate!
This is the second in the series of Thursday Night Murder Club. I didn’t read the 1st, but this can be read as a stand alone story.
These are seemingly ordinary pensioners who pack a flask for their adventures out. They are quintessentially British, unflappable and with quirky dry sense of humour..
They live in the retirement village of Cooper’s Chase and consist of Elizabeth- a retired spook, Joyce-a retired nurse who knits friendship bracelets for charity, Ibrahim- a retired psychiatrist with a head for detail and Ron- a retired trade unionist and socialist.
Elizabeth receives a strange letter from a man who never existed but died twice. It turns out it is from her charming but cheating ex-husband who is still working as a spook and managed to steal £20 million worth of diamonds from middleman to international crime rings Max Lomax. Unfortunately the diamonds belong to The New York Mafia and they are now threatening Max Lomax and in turn, Max Lomax is threatening Elizabeth’s wayward ex-husband.
Meanwhile, police friends Chris and Donna are running a surveillance on a dangerous gang leader Connie Johnson who is giving them the runaround.
Throw in a beating for Ibrahim from a young thug and you have quite a story.

I shall definitely be going back to read the first book in the series and will be looking forward to the third.

Thanks to #NetGalley for this preview read in return for an honest review.
#TheManWhoDiedTwice

It’s great to be back in the company of the Thursday Murder Club gang! “The Man Who Died Twice”, by the wonderful Richard Osman, picks up where the last book left off, in which Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron solved their first ‘live’ murder (or rather, murders).

Pleasingly, in this book we get to find out more about Elizabeth’s past as an international woman of mystery, when an MI5 agent, who just so happens to also be one of her ex-husbands, takes up residence in Coopers Chase to hide from a money launderer he’s got on the wrong side of.

Soon the gang are dealing with multiple murders, a diamond theft and the mafia – of course they are! As with the first book, the whole story is peppered with gentle good humour, from complaints about the quality of daytime TV at the weekend (no Homes Under the Hammer…), to Joyce’s hilarious forays into the world of Instagram. But also as with the first book, there’s real heart, with topics such as dementia and loss of independence handled with a light but respectful touch.

My one complaint about the first book was that the ending was slightly convoluted, and it was hard for the reader to solve (in the true golden age murder mystery style). Not so this time though, which has a really neat plot that balances both giving the reader a chance to play sleuth with keeping us guessing. So for that reason, I enjoyed it even more than the first outing of the gang, and am already eager for the third!

“The Man Who Died Twice” is released in the UK on 16th September 2021. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publishers Penguin, and of course the author for providing an ebook copy.

A well-establisged formula for an easy to read comic thriller. Set in a retirement home, it involves four OAP'S solving murders. It's old fashioned and entertaining. Good for a quick read on holiday. Recommended.

The Man Who Died Twice - Richard Osman

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Penguin and I am leaving this review voluntarily

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.

I have been looking forward to this book being released since I read the Thursday Murder Club and it did not disappoint. With a fantastic recurring cast; this novel is thrilling, suspenseful and just a feel-good mystery. With many twists and red herrings, it keeps the reader on their toes.

Definitely a must read! I read the majority of this book in one sitting as I found myself needing to know more. Whilst I think this could be read as a standalone, I would definitely suggest reading The Thursday Murder Club first so you are familiar with the characters.

Rating 4/5

Richard Osman’s - The Man Who Died Twice

Firstly I should point out that I didn’t read the first in the series ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ but this is a standalone novel and can be read out of sync.

The story centres around 4 pensioners; an ex MI5 agent, a psychiatrist, a nurse, and a union leader. In this second murder club outing the motley crew are caught up in a £20million diamond theft, British intelligence agencies and, yes you guessed it, more murders - they are a murder club after all. Together, with police officers Chris and Donna, and Polish friend Bogdan (who has some mad skills) they set out to solve the intricate and complex crimes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; I got a kick out of imagining pensioners being underestimated and outwitting hardened criminals, police and intelligence services. It is an easy read and keeps you gripped - the chapters are short and often finish on a bit of a cliffhanger keeping the reader engrossed and wanting more.

It’s a classic whodunnit with twist and turns so as soon as you think you have figured it out you get pulled in a different direction. It all comes to very satisfying and plausible conclusion though.

Intelligently written, witty, and clever Osman seems to have tapped into a genre that time forgot but we all love. Remember Murder She Wrote, Columbo, Poirot - all excellent daytime viewing thrillers but with a PG rating so the whole family could sit and watch. These are what this book reminded me of. This is not a bad thing, my point is that a story doesn’t need to have have explosions, car chases and extravagantly thought up grizzly murders for their to be excitement and fun. There are areas of good humour; some laugh out loud moments and some difficult scenes especially the unprovoked attack of a pensioner.

I for one will go back and read the first whilst eagerly awaiting the third instalment ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ out of 5 stars.

Thank you you @netgalley and @vikingbooksuk for the gifted ebook.

I liked this book better than the 1st book in this series. In this, we follow a geriatric gang of amateur sleuths who discuss true crimes in their Thursday Murder Club, until a real crime happens in their neighborhood. One of the team, Elizabeth receives a letter from a long lost colleague who is in danger and asks for her help. From this, the gang is thrown into a world of mafia, violence and diamonds. The mystery in this book, though underwhelming, was more interesting than the previous one. The strength of this book lies in the characters, specifically, our group of lovable pensioners who tackle with criminals. The only qualm is that book is written in present tense which irked me. Recommend this book if you're in a mood for a cosy murder mystery with lovable characters. I'll surely read the next book in the series.

There's never a dull moment when The Thursday Murder Club meets up - no quiet games of bingo or charades for this group of pensioners!! And once more, the author adds his sense of humour to bring this story to life and elevate it to something a bit special!

Elizabeth and the gang are back for more crime solving! And this time it's close to home for Elizabeth as she receives a letter from a dead man! Enough to start the alarm bells ringing and soon they're all involved in a massive plot that involves diamonds and violent mobsters! And all the team bring their own unique talents to the crime solving puzzle and raise plenty of laughs along the way! Joyce in particular is turning out to be one of my favourites with her unique views on all that's going on around her!!

There's a lot going on, with various threads to follow and there's so much warmth and charm throughout, despite the darker elements of the crimes being committed! It gets quite tense at times too which added to the danger for the crime fighting crew!!

I like this book so much more than the first one. The characters are familiar, but still learning- even at their age. The story just works. The pace is good and I honestly was following Elizabeth's train of thought and belief all the way through. This will make you pre order the next one!

I loved this even more than the first book! What a cracking gang of characters and gentle, very clever humour throughout. So easy to read and I genuinely hope there is more life in the old dog yet and we will have more adventures from Coopers Chase. Fantastic read.

The Thursday Murder Club are back in a tale of murder, spies and missing diamonds.

The plot is rather circuitous and fantastical, interrupted by romance for our favourite DCI and leavened by some wry humour. We also discover Fairhaven, unbeknown to its residents, has its own Jack Reacher. Joyce's diary entries are more irritating than informative but I doubt that will stop her in future additions to the series.

Entertaining but insubstantial.

Richard Osman’s The Man Who Died Twice (2021) is an ebullient and superbly entertaining take on the Golden Age detective novel. This is the second book in his ‘Thursday Murder Club’ series, which inventively updates the formula of country village atmosphere and loveable, eccentric characters.

The setting, Coopers Chase, is an exclusive Kent retirement village, and the central characters are drawn into circumstances that require all of the investigative skills of the classic detective. Though they are types, each character comes alive in quirky and entertaining ways, carrying the plot forward by their idiosyncratic team efforts. Each possesses an important facet of investigative skills: charming intuitiveness (Joyce, who has worked as a nurse), intellectual grit (Ibraham, a retired psychiatrist), stubborn Bolshie determination (Ron, an ex-trade unionist), and extensive experience of deviousness and subterfuge (Elizabeth, a former intelligence agent).

Following on from the huge success of The Thursday Murder Club, Osman has constructed a plot of even more splendid and comic complexity, confronting his septuagenarian detectives with stolen diamonds, murderous double agents, drug dealers, the Mafia, and an alarming body count.

The adventure begins with Elizabeth pondering how to respond to an invitation to meet up with Marcus Carmichael, whom she last saw when she found his dead body slumped against a Thames bridge: “So, yes, Elizabeth remembers Marcus Carmichael very well indeed…An invitation from a dead man? On reflection, she will be accepting.”

With Elizabeth’s decision, a door is opened to the threatening intrusion of spies and mobsters – figures who seldom if ever frequent the world of old-fashioned country house detection. But Osman handles his plot with the sort of dexterity and humour that keep it all within comic, reassuring bounds. We are held agreeably in suspense, confident throughout that these are protected characters whose warmth and charm will be required in the much-anticipated future novels in Osman’s excellent series.

Absolutely loved this book. I thought it was better than Richards first book. So if the momentum continues, can’t wait for no. 3. All the characters are credible and being 60 something myself, I hope to aspire to have Joyce’s cunning and clarity of mind ( despite her outward persona being completely the opposite! )

The second book in the Thursday Murder Club series by author Richard Osman and is a far superior book in every way shape and form.
We return to Coopers Chase and the retirement village where we find our hero's from book one getting on with life when a face from Elizabeth's past appears and so starts our new story.
Osman delivers a far more enjoyable read this time round with more depth to all the characters and some needed back story to Elisabeth's character which was so lacking from book one and a far more thrilling whodunit.
All of the main characters return with some laugh out loud moments and some lovely tender moments between Elisabeth and Stephen.
The writing is far better and I found myself far more engaged this time round, we have spies and mafia and dirty DMS to Joyce's IG account which made me laugh.
The plot moves along at a fast pace and the story is very well done and all comes together at the end with a few red herrings thrown in along the way.
I look FWD. to book 3 to see what out Murder club get up to next.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Penguin UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Thursday Murder Club is back. Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim dive straight into a new case when an old acquaintance of Elizabeth’s seemingly returns from the dead. Before they know it, these residents of Coopers Chase Retirement Village are caught up in a web of lies, stolen diamonds and murder.

I was so excited to be back and solving mysteries with The Thursday Murder Club once again and I actually enjoyed this one more than it’s predecessor. It was somehow both thrilling and heartwarming with a gripping storyline, that left me reading late into the night. If you loved the first one, it’s definitely worth picking this one up!

A thoroughly enjoyable read that I could not put down.

Once again the Thursday Murder club have made me laugh out loud, grit my teeth, shout with joy and sympathise unconditionally.

A really easy read that had me gripped all the way through.

A cleverly plotted story with fun, loveable characters.

Great back stories for all and was brilliant to learn a little more about the members of the club.

Can’t wait to see what these cracking ladies and gents get up to next.

Highly recommended 5 stars from me.

Richard Osman has done it again! I love this series and it was so good to be back with the group of 4 who are up to yet more mischief. I love how clever the books are, Elizabeth is always one step ahead of everyone and the humour of every interaction is fantastic.
Just like the first one, this is also full of twists and surprises and it is fast paced, there is never a dull moment with this lot! Once again I constantly had theories in my mind of what could have happened but the outcome is always a shock!
I love the friendship of this group and the story perfectly mixes friendship, love, murder and fun all into one.
A brilliant read that you will not be able to put down!