This is the second book by Adam Oyebanji with Greg Abimbola as the main character.

Many people struggle to know who they are but Greg Abimbola has to constantly remember he is not who he appears to be to the outside world - namely a Black, Russian teacher in a Pittsburg school. Greg is a former Russian spy hiding in the USA who keeps people at a distance.

The book touches on issues of class, race, religion, sexuality and the worrying trend in America of retro steps being taken in relation to personal freedoms.

An interesting read and a satisfying conclusion to the two murders Greg comes to be embroiled in, I do feel that I would have enjoyed this more if I had read the first book of the series beforehand. A solid 3.5/5 rounded up to 4/5.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an impartial review.

I find this book intriguing with twists and turns along the way. It kept you guessing as to what had happened and how and more importantly why.

Great thriller

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

I am late reviewing this because it has taken me until this week to get the first instalment from the library. That was very enjoyable and I think it is crucial to read it before moving on to this second instalment, as it makes Greg's relationships with Andrea the school custodian/computer whizz, Rachel the acting police lieutenant, and Marasov (dead when this book begins) both easier to understand and richer.

This one was less focussed on the school where Greg teaches and at times felt a bit scattered as he juggled pressure from his former Russian boss, helping Rachel and worrying about Demitrius' children with trying to investigate an apparent suicide. Things came together at the end fairly suddenly (this would make a good movie), but the more streamlined plot of the first book worked better for me. I continue to enjoy the way Greg plays on his apparent 'Englishness'. I wonder if there will be more in this series...

I received an ARC of tis book via netgalley. I have read the first book in the series. This one is quite a difficult book to follow and at times the narrative feels clunky. The MC is a teacher, A "turned" or "outed" Russian Spy and something of a private detective. At the same time he appears to be a thoroughly nice guy, caring and compassionate but battling against his sexual orientation and his belief that it is against his religious ideals.

I like the short chapters and the diversity of characterization. It is certainly different from the mainstream of crime novels and I wouldn't be put off from reading more in the series.

An ex KGB agent is living anonymously in the US under a witness protection programme. For his own safety he wants to keep his head down and remain out of anyone's radar. Unfortunately, he can't help himself. Friends that he's made since need help, and despite himself, he helps. His training means that he is actually rather good at solving murder cases. An enjoyable romp ensues.

Greg is a black British man who teaches Russian at an exclusive Pittsburgh secondary school. He is a polished man who keeps to himself because he has secrets that connect him to the Russian mob. Greg is assigned to keep tabs on a Russian mob operative who has arrived in Pittsburgh. The novel unfolds with plots involving a body found in a river and the suspicious death of a school board trustee. Greg's partner in his sleuthing is Andrea Velasquez, the smart and sassy assistant school custodian, who has the computer skills Greg does not. Two Times Murder is the second in The Quiet Teacher Series. It can be read as a standalone novel, but it is recommended readers start with the first book, The Quiet Teacher.

Adam Oyebanji’s Two Times Murder is a clever and engaging mystery that offers a fresh twist on the private detective genre. The protagonist, a former Russian spy in witness protection turned language teacher and amateur sleuth, is a fascinating character. This setup provides the backdrop for the novel’s dual cases, which at first seem disconnected but weave together in unexpected ways.

The story is well-paced, with a solid plot and a satisfying, neat ending. The threat of the protagonist’s exposure adds tension, maintaining interest as the narrative unfolds.

While the interspersed character development is intriguing, some details feel underexplored or unresolved. It’s possible these threads are intended to set up a sequel, but as a standalone, they slightly detract from the overall impact.

Overall, Two Times Murder is a smart and entertaining read with a compelling premise and strong storytelling. Fans of mystery and espionage will find much to enjoy here!

I struggled quite a bit with this book and didn’t really enjoy it. Continued to the end because I don’t like to give up. Maybe it was because I didn’t read the earlier book. Several reviewers have previously stated reading the first book provides a better understanding of the character and background to former Russian agent now language teacher Greg Abimbola. The storyline was decent enough but I just couldn’t engage with the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley, publishers and author for an ARC of Two Times Murder.

This is the second book in a series and I'm not sure if it is this reason or another that I didn't click with this book. Interesting storyline, great characters but I didn't have the draw to read it, it was a little complex for me.

A great mystery, with interesting characters and plenty of suspense. Recommend for all the fans of this genre.

Two Times Murder

This spy thriller was a venture out of my usual comfort zone. I was impressed with the quality of writing and the depth of the main character, Greg Ambimbola, the Russian speaking English high school teacher. Ashe assists detective Rachel Lev solve the mysterious murder of a man found in the Allegheny. Set in the North Eastern city of Pittsburgh this book will have you turning the pages to see how this gripping story unfolds.

I have not read the first book in the series but will now be looking forward to reading it.

5.5 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2024/11/29/two-times-murder-by-adam-oyebanji-review/

I had mixed feelings on the first Quiet Teacher mystery, and unfortunately this trend continues in Book 2. First let’s cover the good.

It’s another easy story to read, and get in to. Greg is a likable character, even if he was a mite too complex for me to ever really resonate with. But he’s clever, charming, and a bit of a wild card/outcast, being a child of two worlds—and in the closet besides. From his hours actually teaching to those spent chasing down murderers, it was an interesting-enough, thrilling-enough, entertaining read.

The mystery itself was pretty decent—even if it’s ruined a bit at the end when (SPOILERS) the two cases seem to inexplicably tie together. To say I saw this coming would be an understatement. It was handled in the same obvious, clichéd style as the first installment, and the recap undertaken in the same somewhat clumsy manner therein.

In fact, the whole thing seemed just a little bit more clumsy than the predecessor, in addition to being more than a bit improbable (where the author was probably instead going for ‘harrowing’). Still, it was entertaining enough and quick enough that I rolled through it in under two days, with no problems. So, I’m a bit torn—again—and yet, there’s a pattern forming here. The first book can usually be forgiven its faults. At least some of them. The first TWO… well, that’s more difficult. I’d like to say that the author will get it right with Book #3, as there are more opportunities now, to tell a better story with a more established setting and cast and lead character. And yet…

A Russian bounty hunter is found murdered. An American banker jumps to his death or did he? Mr. Abimbola, teacher of Russian, solves the two deaths while being hounded by members of Russian organized crime. What appears to be two totally different incidents are neatly pulled together at the end.

The second in a series, Two Times Murder by Adam Oyebaji features former Russian agent, Greg Abimbola, a teacher in Pittsburgh trying to live a quiet life out of the spotlight after solving a murder in his school in Book 1. Suddenly he finds himself called upon by American police, Russian Secret Service and his friend to solve two murders. School Trustee Alan Meister appears t have died by suicide but his ex wife doesn't believe this to be the case. Nor does Greg. To solve the second murder of the Russian agent who was following him in the previous book is to ensure the safety of his mother in Russia. He is under extreme duress but remains calm and clever. I like the character and look forward to seeing him develop in future books. #netgalley #twotimesmurder

A good book. This is the second in the series and I have not read the first one. This did not stop me enjoying this but I do need to know what happened to his sight. This is a good spy story. Greg Abimbola is a coloured man with British citizenship and speaks Russian. This skill is used by teaching Russian in a private school in America. He is trying to stay out of the limelight due to his connections with Russian intelligence. Things start to go wrong when he is asked to help in a case of a body found in a river which cannot be identified. This causes him immense stress as he is now on the radar of people he has been trying to avoid. The story picks up pace and brings into account racial tension as well as all the things associated with the spy world. I really enjoyed the characters and the balance of good and bad. The suspense throughout the book makes the book a worthwhile read and look forward to more of The Quiet Teacher series – I must read the first one the think this would make a good movie

Thanks NetGalley for the advance read of Two Times Murder by Adam Oyebanji. My thoughts:
This book was a slow burn—perhaps too slow for me. For the first three-quarters, I found myself struggling to stay engaged, often feeling my eyelids droop after just a few pages. The pacing was a little sluggish on times and I found it hard to remain fully invested.
However, the final quarter picked up dramatically, delivering a burst of energy and a more engaging pace. Unfortunately, While the conclusion showed the potential the story had all along, it was hard to overlook how much effort it took to get there.
I understand that this was a second book in a series of which I hadn’t read the first so this may have been a part of the issue for me, not already knowing the main character.
If you have the patience for a payoff that comes after a lot of groundwork, this might be worth your time. As those last few chapters were in fact page turners!!

Two Times Murder is a tale set in Pittsburgh with the main character Greg Abimbola, the unassuming Russian language teacher who is quite an enigma- he is British, black and a Russian speaker. But all is not as it seems and the story ensues about a missing Russian intelligence officer. He is visited by a detective, Rachel Lev, who is investigated a homicide. Greg needs to work independently of the police as once the body is identified, he could be implicated in something sinister. A clever slow burner.

I did t realise this was the second book in the series, i haven’t read the first one so didn't fully understand what was going on. Although the book is well written I didn’t finish it.

Adam Oyebanji returns to the word of spy turned Russian teacher Greg Abimbola in Two Times Murder, his follow up to A Quiet Teacher. It felt, at the end of the first book, that there was more to explore. And once again Oyebanji manages to deliver a clever (if slightly contrived) mix of espionage thriller meets amateur sleuth shenanigans.
Readers learnt in A Quiet Teacher that Greg Abimbola was a Russian agent who turned and was placed in witness protection as an English teacher at an upmarket private school in Pittsburgh. In that book, Abimbola’s past, in the form a rogue GRU agent called Morosov, caught up with him and he managed to navigate his way safe while also solving a murder at the school. Two Times Murder (as the name suggests) pulls a similar feat. When the book opens, more GRU operatives have found Greg and want him to find out what happened to Morosov, while a police detective wants his help solving the murder of an unknown man found in the river. Not long after his colleague (and the only other Black member of staff at the school) asks him to investigate the apparent suicide of a Board member of the other local private school.
All of which makes Two Times Murder feel a little over stuffed, and it is also all a bit far fetched but Oyebanji makes it work. The key to this series is in just enjoying the way Abimbola keeps his cover and manages to explain away hints to his other life, all the while solving two murders. Abimbola is a great central character and he is ably supported by a fascinating cast of side characters, including a few of his students (yes, he fixes some of their problems too). Along the way, Oyebanji gets to dig into issues of misogyny, racism, religion, sexual identity and the anti-diversity push in American schools.
Continually returning to the scenario of an amateur detective in a limited environment is a tough one, but one that can be navigated with the good will of the reader (or viewer – Only Murders in the Building has now gotten away with it for four seasons). After a murder at his school and a murder at the school next door, it is hard to imagine that Abimbola will have to deal with more school-based murders. But he has a relationship with the local police now and is still living under threat of being exposed as a former spy so there is plenty for Oyebanji to play with in a potential next entry in this enjoyable series.

Two times Murder was a bit more of a spy thriller than I was expecting from the initial details provided. I loved the character of Greg Abimbola and his position as a teacher of Russian at a high school in Pittsburgh was an interesting situation. I really enjoyed the touches of personality with his love of nice things and habit of reading Vogue magazine. The plot started out well for me but as it became more and more involved with Russian secret agents it began to lose my interest.
The story was well written and had some interesting characters but in the end, the style wasn’t really for me. I hadn’t read the first book which might have affected my opinion but I actually felt that this stood up fairly well as a stand alone.
Thank you to Net Galley and Severn House publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.