A sequel that’s better than the first book! So enjoyed this tale of geriatric detective capers. The characters are so well drawn they leap off the page. Touching and funny with @greatjoy69 as the main narrator, no detail is missed. The plot is less complex than the first and all the better for it.

I absolutely adored The Thursday Murder Club so expectations were impossibly high for this follow-up and it did not disappoint and is one of the most entertaining books I've read in a long time. Richard writes with warmth and wit with plenty of poignant moments admist the murder, mayhem and hilarity. The mystery is very clever and incredibly well plotted that even if the amateur sleuths weren't a gang of pensioners this would still be a brilliant read. and it will keep you guessing (and chuckling) right to the end. I can't wait for the third book in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for a review.

Difficult second book? I don't think so!
The action starts immediately after the conclusion of The Thursday Murder Club, so the reader is drawn in immediately with the familiarity of the characters and setting.
The plot is centred around Elizabeth and her MI5 career, ex-husband, diamonds and mobsters. It moves, as usual with pace and humour, the Thursday Murder Club gang cementing their friendships whilst once again taking the law into their own hands. Will they find the missing diamonds while getting away with murder?
A wonderful engaging read which I found hard to put down

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for a review.

I LOVED this book. Of course, I loved the first book, but trust me: this one is far better! It gets right into the storyline at the very very beginning and hooks you in. The characters that we've all grown to love from the first book are all back and better than ever. Nearly every single page gave me a little chuckle - especially Joyce's journal - and I had to work hard not to finish it all in one sitting! The story itself is marvelous, I genuinely had no clue who did what or why; extremely well written and fleshed out. Here's hoping there's a third book!

I really enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club and I was really looking forward to Richard Osman's next novel. The Man Who Died Twice did not disappoint. It is a highly enjoyable and entertaining read. We are back at Coopers Chase with the same charming and engaging characters.

Ex-spy Elizabeth receives a letter from an old colleague/flame who is meant to be dead. He may or may not be in possession of a huge amount of diamonds that he's not supposed to have.Police officers, Chris and Donna are struggling to bust a large drug operation. Poor Ibrahim has been mugged by a local thug but bringing him to justice is proving difficult. The gang immediately set to work.

The plot moves along at a perfect pace and there is plenty of peril and a fair few bodies. There are hilarious situations and Osman's trademark references to British culture.

Find a quiet corner, get a cup of something and sit down to enjoy this wonderfully scatty escapade.

I was totally entertained and engaged by this novel. It will fly off the shelves.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Viking Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.0/5

After the phenomenal success of "The Thursday Murder Club" there was never really any doubt that there would be a sequel. Although I thought "The Thursday Murder Club" was good, I didn't think it was great. In this follow-up, Richard Osman has built on the positive elements of the series opener and delivered a very enjoyable read that is more polished and accomplished than its forerunner.

The septuagenarian residents of Coopers Chase, who make up the eponymous "Thursday Murder Club", are back again, but with a new mystery to get their dentures into. Although the plot is not directly related to book one, there are occasional references to events that took place in that earlier story. It would certainly be of benefit to any potential readers if they were already familiar with the main cast of characters. Therefore, I would suggest that this would not work particularly well as a standalone read.

Richard Osman's style won't appeal to everyone, but it does to me. It is apparent that he is learning from experience and developing as a writer. His style in "The Man Who Died Twice" is noticeably more relaxed and fluent than it was in book one. Whereas I felt that the murder mystery in the first book was essentially just a superficial vehicle to allow Richard Osman to explore the world of these pensioners, the plot this time around is a little more robust and has a perfectly solid mystery adventure at its heart. As you would expect, there is still the clever observational humour along the way and there are even moments that are, by turn, heart-warming or poignant.

Not everybody enjoyed Richard Osman's debut novel - in fact, there were reviewers who loathed it. Nonetheless, on the back of the author's popular appeal, it sold in mind-blowingly massive quantities. So many people who rarely (if ever) read novels, went out and bought "The Thursday Murder Club", or loaned it from their local library. Even if you detested it, Richard Osman deserves significant credit for inspiring huge numbers of non-regular readers to put their nose into a book again. Although I believe "The Man Who Died Twice" is a better novel than its predecessor, there will still be those who will hate it with a vengeance - but the many readers that lapped up the first book will, almost certainly, love this one too.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

What a fabulous book! Some parts brought me to tears but then had me laughing out loud within a few pages. Our wonderful protagonists from Osman's previous Thursday Murder Club mystery are all back and they come to life even more fully than they did in the first book. Joyce is a wonderful narrator, so cosy and yet so willing to embrace danger. The scene where she is being interrogated by Elizabeth is one of the funniest in the novel, I was in fits of laughter as she tries to ignore the questions but fails miserably, ending with Elizabeth saying kindly "You held out longer than most".

There are numerous murders, possible romance, double crosses and red herrings galore and I just couldn't put it down. A brilliant, 5-star read!

Enjoyed the first book even though I thought it was bit weak in places. But the second book is leaps and bounds a better one, better story, better characterisation and flowed so much better. With this level of improvement, Mr. Osman's third book is going to be an absolute cracker. Save me a copy!

What a lovely book. I really enjoyed this second title in the Thursday Murder Club series and hope that there are lots more to come. We meet Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Ron once again in Craven Close and again there is a mystery to solve. These books are very entertaining and charming. Loved it

Thanks to Penguin Random House for a Review Copy.

I was very much looking forward to the second outing of The Thursday Murder Club and this novel certainly does not disappoint. In this new adventure we learn much more of Elizabeth’s past, both personally and professionally, as she is asked to perform just one more job. Meanwhile Ibrahim suffers from a terrible incident which his friends have no intention of letting go unpunished. To add to the general mayhem the local police, in the shape of Chris and Donna, have a major drug dealer in town who seems too wily to be caught.
Given all this the story is as genteel as ever and, although the plot is gripping, the real joy is in the characters who form the backbone of this series. Joyce’s diary entries continue to be brilliantly observed and laugh out loud. I really loved her complaining that she couldn’t use the Netflix account which her daughter had set up for her because she couldn’t find out what time all the programmes were on; and her delight that her newly set up Instagram account (@greatjoy69) got so many private messages before she realised that her choice of user name might be a little unfortunate!
Mr Osman has a great talent for being able to change the tone of the book from comedy to tragedy in an instant, Elizabeth’s husband Stephen descends ever deeper into dementia and the scenes where Elizabeth and Bogdan are with him must surely bring a tear to the eye of any reader.
All the characters, but especially the four heroic pensioners for whom no task and no one is too great a challenge, are as sparkling and fun as they were in the first book. I feel like I know them all now even better than before. I have spent some time with older folk during my life and I could cast some of them straight into the roles of Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim and Joyce!
Any story we could share with these four and their friends would be a pleasure but this adventure is as exciting and full of twists and turns as any of the best detective stories. All the strands tie together and all the clues are there for the eagle-eyed reader though I suspect few will hit on the truth faster than Elizabeth; I certainly didn’t though I don’t feel bad at being beaten to it by someone with her track record.
If that wasn’t enough who could resist the idea of Ibrahim being taught about Minecraft, Donna having some therapy, Chris voluntarily eating carrot sticks and Elizabeth being beaten to a clue by Ron’s eight year old grandson?
The title of the novel puzzled me somewhat until I reached the very end. I will say no more as I don’t want to spoil the surprise but it all makes sense and the payoff is, quite literally, well worth the wait.
Despite the occasionally violent scene I think there are few people who would not enjoy this book – the opportunity to spend some time in the company of the good (and not so good) citizens of Fairhaven is too good to miss. My only advice would be to read the first book before this one – they are both brilliant but knowing the characters makes this second story even better. That said this is a dazzling second book which I would recommend without hesitation, and is a rare sequel which is even better than its predecessor. I am already looking forward to book three.

Thank you, Author, Publisher, and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the first book and was super thrilled when I got approved. I loved this one too! The plot was brilliant with a lot of humour and mystery! The characters were so so charming! I cannot describe in words how much I enjoy reading about Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim. I love their shenanigans. There were so many moments when I laughed out loud and I think I was smiling after every couple of pages! I cannot wait for book 3!

I was really looking forward to reading the sequel to his first novel but it was just a bit too quirky for me. Too much meandering thoughts which at times were confusing especially Joyce but a few twists and turns to keep me interested. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

The second season of The Thursday Murder Club kicks off! Fresh from winning a BAFTA for best septuagenarian TV series, the gang are back! Staring that one you liked from Downton, and the woman who was in that thing back in the eighties.

This isn't a difficult second novel, it's practically identical to The Thursday Murder Club. But why mess with a winning formula, eh? The plot isn't particularly convoluted and is structured so that you'll guess each twist a couple of paragraphs before the protagonists.

The problem for cynics like me is... that it's all rather jolly fun. Spies and sordid revenge fantasies. Dashing around picturesque locations with an expert mix of whimsy and blood.

Sure, it is suffused with a slightly patronising air of "aren't old people funny!?" and some slightly weird sociological commentary - but it's good knockabout fun.

Look, you're going to buy it anyway. It'll make the flight to a sun-kissed island pass in no time at all.

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. The book is released later this year.

Though not having quite the same impact as the first this was just like putting on a pair of old slippers! A little implausible at times but still an excellent holiday read! Am awaiting a possible TV series (?) and have been busy deciding who would play Elizabeth and co! This time we have murders and the mafia plus a cache of diamonds! Cleverly told with all the twists and turns you would now expect of Mr Osmond! Loved it!

Loved it. Need I say more? Well OK then. Richard Osman is a consummate writer whose books have emotional intelligence, pathos, well crafted plots and a strong dash of witty humour. The fact that it is four older generation friends who solve these mysteries is one of the best things ever in a book. Each character is perfectly drawn and brings their own unique perspectives to the case. People in their 70s and 80s can be intelligent! Who knew? The topic of dementia is one close to my heart and I can totally relate to "The Man Who Died Twice" Joyce is right up my street, love her but the other characters are fantastic too. At the risk of deteriorating into sycophantic gushing the books do remind me a little of Alan Bennet's writing. A very similar incisive wit combined with deadly accurate observation and laced with belly busting laughter. Prosaic philosophy tops off this masterpiece . Just sorry I've finished and await book 3 eagerly

The members of the Thursday Murder Club are so nice and comforting that I’m not sure the books about them would even have to be crime novels for them to keep selling well. Stretches of belief in the goodwill of the police and member of the public to help a bunch of ageing sleuths must be made, but it was a good read all the same.

An amusing book about four friends who live in a retirement village. Elizabeth is a retired MI5 senior operative who can't seem to resist getting involved.. what follows is mystery, murder and mayhem with a bit of amusement thrown in.
A lovely read

This was another thoroughly enjoyable read from Richard Osman. It was a delightful return to the world of Coopers Chase and its septuagenarian residents. I would describe it as a comfort read, despite some (very) slightly gory deaths.

The story was engaging and there was a good mix of adventure, humour and friendship, with a bit of soul-searching thrown in on occasion too. The characters, once again, stayed just about on the right side of the law, but the residents of Coopers Chase are able to get away with far more than many, due to their charm and ingenuity.

A fun and enjoyable read - and I look forward to book three.

I absolutely loved loved loved this book. I love the characters in the book; and as a sequel it just gets better, I can’t wait for the third.

You get to find out a little more in depth about the characters and their strengths all come together to solve the mystery.

I love Joyce’s chapters and it’s just like my mum would have been in a retirement village. The characters are all so likeable, along with the detective and police officer. There are times where you want to laugh out loud and times you feel quite sad and feel for the characters.

I highly recommend reading the first book before you start this one; although it could be read as a stand-alone, I think it’s a good sequel to be read after.

I can’t wait for the third book to be released I will be first in the queue to buy it.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for giving me an advanced copy, this is one of the best books for me for 2021. I loved it.

This was even better than the first book! I loved every second of reading The Man Who Died Twice. It was as funny, clever, intriguing and poignant as the first Thursday Murder Club but the storyline was even better!

My only criticism is that there is a typo about 87% of the way through - Bogdan says let’s start is printed twice.

Other than that, absolute perfection. I wish I hadn’t read it so that I could read it all over again!