Much much better than the first book thankfully. The quartet of murder loving pensioners have grown into familiar characters cutting the need for pointless explanations. Instead it's straight into the action - detectives Chris and Donna are trying to nab local drug dealer Connie, Ibrahim unfortunately is busy getting mugged by a nasty little sod called Ryan, Elizabeth is working out what her ex husband is up to using a flat at her retirement community as a safe house while hiding from MI5 for stealing twenty million pounds worth of diamonds. O and Joyce is knitting friendship bracelets. Badly.

So it's all going on and it's weaved together quite nicely. Still highly unbelievable but with less murderers and murder victims somehow it seems more plausible for book 2. Lovely

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business, Viking for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Having enjoyed the first in the "Thursday Murder Club" series I was delighted to receive a copy of this book. What can I say other than it was absolutely top notch! I loved it.

I wasn’t a big fan of the first book, however I throughly enjoyed reading this one. I liked the fact the characters are the same from the first book so you just concentrate on the actually story being told. Loved the involvement of diamonds and mafia long with the romance too! Really looking forward to the third book now.

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?

Unpopular opinion alert - I did not really enjoy 'The Thursday Murder Club', so was somewhat apprehensive about reading this. Well I need not have been. This felt so much better and I enjoyed it a lot more, whether that was because I knew what to expect or I had lower expectations I do not know.

Anyway, the plot for this is very entertaining and has quite a lot to it. I enjoyed following our group of characters as they investigate another crime and get sucked into the criminal underworld. I did have to suspend reality in order to enjoy this, some of the events just really would not happen, but it definitely makes for entertaining reading. I found this read to be more engaging than the first, it flowed really well and at no point was I bored or losing interest, the read just gripped me more from start to finish.

Along with the rest of the world, I adore Osman's characters, they are such a likeable, unlikely group of friends. They are quirky, funny and full of interesting stories. I was really looking forward to seeing what antics they got up to in this read and they did not disappoint.

Osman has converted me with this read. I thought 'The Man Who Died Twice' was incredibly engaging and very enjoyable and I really loved my time reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for an advance copy.

I loved this! I think it is even better than the Thursday Murder Club as we are really getting to know the residents and members of the club. Elizabeth is a true force of nature and the relationship with her sidekick Joyce is wonderful! Ron aka Vic Vincent or Mario the Plumber is hilarious and as for Ibrahim, oh the poor soul my heart broke for him. The relationship between him and Ron's grandson Kendrick was really touching and I would love to see this develop.
I love the quirkiness of the characters and the situations they find themselves in, I felt this book was more focused than the first one and therefore flowed better. I can't wait for the next one!

I really enjoyed the first in the Murder Club series and I have to say that I think I enjoyed The Man Who Died Twice even more!

It was like being reunited with old friends, and it really is, as this book is set the Thursday after the shenanigans of The Thursday Murder Club. Things have settled down, Ron is his usual argumentative self, Ibrahim is the voice of reason, Elizabeth is always taking everything in and Joyce.......well Joyce is Joyce, her usual unassuming self who for me is the real hero of the book who is contemplating getting a dog and joining instagram (this whole concept is written in the hilarity you would expect of Joyce!)

I absolutely adored this book and think it will be an even bigger hit than the first novel.

Obviously things don't stay quiet for long and unlike the first story, we learn a lot more about Elizabeth and her illusive past.

I can't praise this book enough and am grateful to have had the opportunity to have read an early copy.

This book has it all. Spys, murders, mafia and most importantly humour. All set in a housing complex for older people.
Loved Joyce’s chapters. Don’t underestimate her.

The Man Who Died Twice is the second book in the Thursday Murder Club series by British TV presenter, producer, director, and novelist, Richard Osman. After the excitement of all the recent murders, things have calmed down at Coopers Chase retirement village, but Joyce Meadowcroft notices that, at the most recent meeting of the Thursday Murder Club, her good friend Elizabeth is a bit distracted.

Turns out, one of the units at Coopers Chase has temporarily become a safe house for an ageing, politically incorrect spy and Elizabeth is roped into baby-sitting a man she knows too well: her former life has come calling. This man makes an unwelcome declaration of love and a confession which concerns the reason for his concealment.

While DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna De Freitas (ineptly) practice their covert surveillance skills on Fairhaven’s newest drug baroness, Ibrahim Arif has cause to regret his decision to make a solo outing into town when he is mugged by a teenaged trio. His friends are certainly not going to let that go unanswered…

Ostensibly a builder, Bogdan Jankovski is actually a man of many talents, be they playing chess with a demented husband, acquiring ten thousand pounds worth of cocaine (a disappointingly small parcel), or assisting Elizabeth “I’ll also need you to drive me to meet an international money launderer today, if you’re free?”

International money launderer, Martin Lomax has a bit on his mind: competing are thoughts of the Ukrainian who has just agreed to buy some decommissioned Saudi anti-aircraft missiles for twelve million dollars for which he plans to kidnap a racehorse as down payment, the Open Garden Day Martin is hosting, and the missing twenty million pounds worth of diamonds that the New York mafia are going to want back soon.

Ron Ritchie may be in his seventies, but he, too, is a versatile fellow, hosting his clever and inquisitive eight-year-old grandson as well as convincingly posing as both a plumber (overalls are so comfy!) and a London drug dealer.

Joyce’s (badly-)knitted, sequinned friendship bracelets are gently foisted upon almost everyone she meets. These, along with a cheap locket, a crisp packet, a left luggage locker key and the employment of some old spy tricks, play a significant role in the location of Martin Lomax’s missing diamonds, and the discovery of the identity of the murderer.

Whether describing outings like the Eurostar to Antwerp in her chatty journal entries, or signing up for Instagram with an innocently-chosen but unfortunate handle, or hiding diamonds, Joyce is an utter delight: she may often seem preoccupied by something mundane, but should never be underestimated, because she catches every detail. She is terribly pleased to learn she is on MI5’s radar, then thrilled to be blindfolded and interrogated by them, a session that is laugh-out-loud funny.

Once again, a perfect mix of cosy crime fiction and British humour that should probably not be read in the Quiet Carriage of public transport as it is likely to have readers chuckling, snickering and even guffawing. Hugely entertaining.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Penguin UK

The Man Who Died Twice follows on from the Thursday Murder Club book, and while it is along the same lines it is just as enjoyable. Richard Osman does a wonderful job with his depth of characters which makes for a funny and entertaining read. This is more than just a crime novel it has all the bells and whistles to make a fab weekend read that you will not want to put down once you get started. A delightful book and one I recommend.
Thank you you to NetGalley and Penguin for the early reading copy.

A big fan of ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ I anticipated this 2nd book from Richard Osman though with slight apprehension. Why though I don’t know as this was pure joy,

The club are back and this time around Richard Osman has started to fill in the gaps and fresh out the team of pensioners in their latest investigation.

With spies and missing diamonds, drug dealers. Murders, mafia amongst many more little plots and diversions, this is an even more charming, funny. Entertaining , heartwarming yet cracking good criminal caper,

I probably cottoned on early to the bad guy but the eventual reveal is clever, satisfying and not what I thought

I loved it from start to finish, the characters are growing, Osman. Is getting better, and I can’t wake for book 3

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Following on from the first Thursday Murder Club book, The Man who Died Twice is very much along the same lines. Richard Osman writes such wonderful characters and really brings all their quirks and personalities to life. The plot itself is nothing special, but it's silly and hilarious, a little bit of lightheartedness which we all need right now.

Wow, what an amazing book. I knew as soon as I finished Thursday Murder Club, I wanted more. I was expecting something similar in this book than what the first book was about but it was so much more than that. I enjoyed how the story was continued with this instalment.

This book took us on a bigger and better journey this time, we got to read about the characters previously mentioned as well as many others. I love Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrihim. They all get so invested to the matter at hand and they seem spot small things to work out the crimes. The Thursday Murder Club members were at their best in this book, they solved a bigger crime in this book. I enjoyed reading about the original characters with their amazing personalities. I really enjoy their interactions with Chris and Donna, the police.

I loved how fast paced the book is, it gives away little snippets of the mystery throughout the book making the reader want more. It makes the final mystery even more surprising and very dramatic.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin UK and Richard Osman for sending me an e-ARC copy of this amazing book! I can’t wait for book 3!!!

"But here he is regardless. Out of politeness. In the Jigsaw Room, with the Thursday Murder Club in full flow. Dominating the room are three huge boards, each covered in a sheet of perspex...jigsaws...But now Elizabeth has dropped the bombshell, and she has Chris's full attention. 'So you have twenty million pounds' worth of diamonds?'...'In your possession?' Yes, give or take,' says Elizabeth. 'And where are they?' asks Donna. 'Never you mind where they are' says Elizabeth. 'They're in my kettle,' says Joyce."

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron, aka The Thursday Murder Club, are back! Alongside Bogdan (their friendly Polish handyman / gangster), Donna and Chris (their friendly Fairhaven police officers). Following Ibrahim's unfortunate mugging and Elizabeth's spy ex-husband getting touch, the gang find themselves involved with the Mafia's stolen diamonds, a local gangster and a Kent drug ring. Will they save the day? Of course!

With their usual approaches to unusual situations, the retirees of an upmarket retirement village in Kent follow former spy Elizabeth's lead, she can never be beaten. Plucky and determined Joyce (whose hilarious diary entries we get to read) and socialist grandfather, Ron play their parts, whilst poor Ibrahim suffers a crisis of confidence. Whether you call this comic or cosy crime, it is heartwarming in its understanding of how a group of pensioners would solve crime, whilst displaying great awareness of the genuine difficulties with growing old. There are plot surprises, in terms of whodunit and why, but the enjoyment rests primarily in the formula - the affectionate humour and the superb characters. This is an absolute joy to read, perfect for fans of Miss Marple, Agatha Raisin and Mma Ramotswe.

Absolutely chock full of twists & turns, charm & wit, humour and sadness. This sequel by Richard Osman sees us catching up with the residents of Coopers Chase and their latest escapades. branching off from the main storyline, giving us lovely insight into the lives of the residents, but not too much to take away from the general story.
A wonderfully page turning ending, keeping me hooked right to the last page

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for this ARC.

Considering I didn't think the original thursday murder club lived up to the original hype, I was pleasantly surprised with this as I thoroughly enjoyed it. As all the main characters had already been established in the last novel this could actually focus on the story. This involves 20 million pounds worth of stolen diamonds, the mafia and a load of murders! There are lots of twists and turns and you are led on a complete journey until the very end when you are told who the murderer is. There is some romantic plots but this doesn't detract from the main who dunnit plot unlike some other novels do. I'm actually looking forward to the next installment!

After reading the first I really wanted to see what the residents of Coopers Chase got up to next.

Really like the writing style and it kept me wanting to turn the page. Love all the residents, they make a really great gang- makes me want to end up in Cooper's Chase also causing mischief.

The plot itself I liked, however for me....the downside was the ending, it just felt a little average.

Having gotten to know the characters in the 1st book in this series we now find out some more about them and their past. The storyline is as good, if not better than the first, and again there are various different things going on and all being brought together by the author. As with the first novel the humour of the author is evident throughout and the twists and turns will keep you going to the end. My favourite book of the year so far and eagerly anticipating another with these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This book was just as good as the first! I am just completely obsessed with the way Richard writes. I normally find books that follow multiple perspectives difficult to follow but Richard just seems to know how to do it write and I only ever feel lost when Elizabeth isn't forthcoming with her information.

I am completely in love with these characters, and I never want anything bad to happen to them! Joyce just makes me laugh so much with the way she tells her stories and can go off on her wonderful tangents. Elizabeth is just this incredible woman, I love how nothing gets in her way of finding out the information she needs. Ibrahim is such a beautiful soul and Ron is just Ron and I love him for that. Their friendship is just so incredible.

I would love nothing more than to receive a formal invitation to join the Thursday Murder Club and I can't wait to see what they get up to next!

Just like the first in this series, this is a highly entertaining, escapist read. The author has a keen eye for dialogue and the human condition, and his characters in the old folks' home are very believable.

Ibrahim has ventured out, keen to regain independence and live a little, only to be mugged and injured. Meanwhile Elizabeth's former husband, also a spook, has come to live in the complex, but brings chaos and murder in his wake. Joyce is thinking about getting a dog, and Ron is still keeping a firm eye on them all.

Its fun, but not at all believable, with MI5 and the bodies piling up. But the mystery is told well, and we are left guessing who are the good guys and who are not. Diamonds, spies, dead letter drops, we get them all.

A fun read, pure escapism, can't wait for more. Especially Joyce who is just lovely as the apparently guileless old lady, who you just know has hidden depths and a wonderful turn of phrase.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Man Who Died Twice is the second instalment in Richard Osman’s insanely popular Thursday Murder Club series. Is it as enjoyable as its predecessor? Yes indeed! Will it be as popular? I would absolutely guess yes! It gives readers everything they want by essentially picking up where book one left off and giving us a brand new murder mystery to get enthralled in.

Our quartet of septuagenarian lead characters, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are getting on with their lives at their retirement village when Elizabeth receives a letter from a man she thought was dead… this kick-starts a chain of events involving her ex-husband, stolen diamonds, international crime and domestic drug dealers (plus a trip to my hometown of Brighton!)

Yep, there is a lot going on in The Man Who Died Twice but all the plot threads weave together wonderfully and play their part in the cleverly crafted story.

I really enjoyed how we learn a little more about Elizabeth’s past here. Having an ex-secret agent as one of your lead characters is a brilliant move – she’s always going to be one step ahead and have a skill set that no-one can predict.

Joyce is her charming Miss Marple-esque self (her first steps setting up her Instagram really made me laugh), while Ron and Ibrahim reveal more about themselves due to a traumatic incident that happens to Ibrahim.

These are characters that are all fleshing out nicely and are really the hook and heart of both of the Thursday Murder Club novels. I look forward to finding out more about them in (what I hope will happen) book three.

Overall, The Man Who Died Twice is a delight to read. It has the warm, witty tone of its predecessor and, obviously, Richard Osman. If you’ve ever seen Pointless or House of Games, you’ll know his distinct voice and way of speaking and he translates this perfectly to the page.

Blending cosy, clever and entertaining in the very best way, while being full of emotional moments, The Man Who Died Twice is another stellar outing for the Thursday Murder Club.