⭐️BOOK REVIEW⭐️
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
Mystery/thriller - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Following on from The Thursday Murder Club, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim are back solving crimes that they have no business being involved with.

I absolutely loved The Thursday Murder Club and the sequel does not disappoint.

We have the same lovable characters from the first book, and I loved seeing their friendships grow, and seeing more of their wit and quirks.

I said it about the first one and it stands for this book too, the characters are what make this book. I could read pages and pages of them just hanging out and chatting. No murders needed! But I do have to say, I thought the murder plot was far stronger in this book than Osman’s debut. It’s clear he’s grown as a writer and I was hooked and kept guessing till the last page!

If you enjoyed Osman's debut novel, I would imagine you'll be happily carried along by his second entry into the world of the Thursday Murder Club. I began with an initial sense that he was just coasting as the returning cast of characters continue with their usual brand of quirky not-quite-realistic banter, yet as the plot takes off, each of the core figures are given ample space to develop.

One of the things that I'm most surprised by is that for all the novel's quaintness and nicety, it has a hard edge of brutality. Some of Elizabeth's actions this time round are seriously dark, and I'm fascinated by the way neither the novel or her friends attempt to explain it away or make excuses for her. At times, these are just silly old people gallivanting around in a world in which they are out of touch, but they're often also manipulative, wrathful and aloof in the face of suffering and death, where they think it's deserved.

A poignant and surprisingly complex novel!

I really enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club, but in my opinion, this is even better. It was lovely to meet the characters again and enjoy their latest adventure. Joyce is slightly less of the focus in this book, with Elizabeth taking up the space she leaves, and that works well. It is good to see the characters developing, and the love and respect they have for each other is at the heart of the book and a large part of the reason it works so well. By the end of the book we know more about all the characters, they are more rounded and feel like old friends, and it was sad to have to leave them. I hope we shall be able to enjoy their company again very soon!

So this is the second book in the series 'The Thursday Murder Club'. Having very much enjoyed, and chuckled, along whilst reading the first book, I was very much looking forward to reading the follow-up to this. Although this book again had me smiling at parts, unfortunately I did not find this second book gripped me as much as the first. We are again introduced to the characters at Cooper's Chase retirement home, Elizabeth and her husband Stephen, Ibrahim, Joyce and Ron. The story begins when Elizabeth receives a letter from her ex-husband who needs to seek solace in the retirement home, having stolen diamonds from the Mafia. At the same time, Ibrahim takes a visit to the local town and gets attacked and mugged by some local youths, ending up in hospital. The Thursday Murder Club set to work helping local police officers, Donna and Chris, solve this crime, as well as discover what really happened to the diamonds. Whilst the book had me smiling with quirky phrases at points, and Elizabeth's dry under-stated humour, I felt this book lacked the same pace as the first book. The characters, whilst of an older generation enjoying their last days in a retirement home, seem to also have found a new lease of life since the first book, with their actions seeming somewhat younger this time, most probably to keep the plot going. Whilst of course development of the plot is important, some of the actions did not seem to follow on as smoothly from the first book. Others may disagree and enjoy this book as much as the first but unfortunately I was left slightly disappointed. My thanks go out to netgalley and Penguin UK for the opportunity to read and review and ARC of this.

Absolutely adored this, a true cosy romp - one to settle down with and enjoy each twist and turn to the brilliant end.

I adored this more than the first. The characters really developed and I just love the whole premise of this world.

I can’t wait for the next one!

An enjoyable read, not to be taken too seriously. Nice to meet up again with the characters from the first book. Good fun with some touching moments.

Did not finish. Struggling to get into this book. I Will try again at a later date and see how I get on.

A sequel better than the first!
An absolutely great romp with familiar friends.
Some brilliant lines that had me laughing out load. A terrific story and I am on tenterhooks waiting to see if there will be a book 3.
A triumph!

Just as good, if not better, than this first book. Osman's characters are so well-drawn that they feel like old friends. I'm already looking forward to my next visit to Cooper's Chase.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron are wonderfully written characters. The Man Who Died Twice is a charming read and brilliant fun - a great follow up to The Thursday Murder Club.
5 Stars

The Thursday Murder Club is back to solve another murder, with diamonds and not-dead spies.

This is the second book in the series, and I would recommend reading them in order, to get the full experience.

This story focusses on two main plots for the geriatric sleuths.
It starts with poor Ibrahim being the victim of a violent mugging. Even though they know who attacked him, unfortunately the police can't press charges without out better evidence.
You almost feel sorry for the little thug, when the Club turn their attention on him.

The bulk of the story is about Elizabeth's ex-husband. After upsetting a local mobster (because he may or may not have stolen £20 million in diamonds) he's back on the scene, hoping Elizabeth can help keep him alive.

After all the teasing hints in the first book, we finally get to know about Elizabeth's history.
Now that she's retired, she's very open about her work with MI6, and isn't shy of sharing her opinions.
Even though it involves quite a serious organisation, and serious bad guys; the Thursday Murder Club doesn't let it cow their spirit. They are still fun, and irreverent, and get the job done.

I thought the book was a little slow to get going, but it quickly picked up the pace. It really kept me guessing throughout, who the villain was, and who was actually dead!

I thought this book treated Elizabeth as a main character. She's awesome, and my favourite character in the series so far; but I sometimes missed the spotlight being on the rest of the gang. I hope they get to be centre-stage in later books.

Overall, this was 4.5 out of 5 for me. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

The Man Who Died Twice is the brilliantly entertaining second novel in The Thursday Murder Club series. We return to Cooper’s Chase retirement home and back to the close friendship group of Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Roy as they track down the person who hurt one of their friends and try to find some missing diamonds, allegedly stolen by someone Elizabeth used to work with…

The characters in this novel are as entertaining and loveable as ever. We find out a lot more about Elizabeth and her background, and it’s great to see the return of Donna, Chris too – plus we meet Donna’s mum Patrice too! And it’s great to see the enigmatic Bogdan return too – he’s become one of my favourite characters. We also meet some very ruthless criminals who pose real danger to the group.

As is expected, there are lots of humorous moments in this novel – maybe more than in The Thursday Murder Club, in fact! The plot is great fun albeit very silly at times, as you’d expect really – the ending gets a bit ridiculous, but this isn’t a book you need to believe every minute of anyway! It made me smile and is a great book to relax with as we approach Christmas!

Having read the first book and thoroughly enjoying it, I knew that as soon as I was able to, I had to read the second instalment in the Thursday Murder Club series.
Yet again, the oldies at the care home are turning super sleuth, in their own individual ways...
A perfect escapism read that gives us all hope for our twilight years.
Looking forward to part three already.

I was disappointed with Osman's debut The Thursday Murder Club but was keen to read this, the follow up after rave reviews for the first in the series. In The Man Who Died Twice, we are back with amateur sleuths Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in their retirement village. As with the previous book I loved the setting, the warmly drawn characters and the relationships between them. However I know I'm in a minority but this just didn't work for me as a crime novel. I found the plotting loose and unevenly paced and the narrative repetitive. I didn't find it particularly funny either. Obviously others love this series so do read the 5 star reviews and if you loved Osman's previous novel I'm sure you'll enjoy this.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

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?

Hurrah! I have been waiting for this book to be released since I finished the final page of The Thursday Murder Club. After far too long a wait, Britain’s second tallest entertainer*, Richard Osman returns with a new novel. Everyone’s favourite, thoroughly incorrigible, pensioners return to cause more well-meaning chaos and, if they can manage it, bring criminals to justice.

Being a retired spy means that Elizabeth has more than a few skeletons in her closet. When one of the most dashing of those skeletons reappears in her life unexpectedly, all hell breaks loose. Violently dispatched corpses are discovered, precious gems have been misplaced, MI5 is decidedly upset and the Mafia are on the way. It’s time for The Thursday Murder Club to be called back into action. Old aged pensioners versus organised crime. The criminals don’t stand a chance.

I never thought I would say this about a crime novel but there is something blissfully whimsical about this book and, by extension, this series. The characters are so well realised. I want to go and meet them all. Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim remain a delight but Joyce is my personal favourite. If you get the opportunity, after reading the book, check out her Instagram @GreatJoy69. I strongly suggest doing so. It is the icing on an already perfect cake. As far as the other characters are concerned Bogdan is about as many-layered as you could be without being an onion. He’s certainly a useful fella to have in a tight spot. The plot is more than twisty enough for my taste. Spies and their secrets ensure there is plenty to discover. The world-building is also top-notch. The coastal village of Fairhaven and the nearby retirement village manage to be both idyllic and a hotbed of crime in the same breath. Midsomer Murders has a lot to answer for doesn’t?

Where the novel really excels is the back and forth between the four friends. There is an easy camaraderie that barely conceals the deep bond all the club share. The smallest gestures deftly illustrating how they feel. The bittersweet scenes between Elizabeth and her husband, Stephen, are particularly poignant and well observed. Their interactions manage to be both beautiful and heartbreaking. I think I said in my review of The Thursday Murder Club I was surprised how emotive Osman’s writing is. Turns out this was no fluke. The Man Who Died Twice manages exactly the same feat and makes it look like it is the simplest thing in the world.

In counterpoint to the sad moments peppered throughout the narrative, there are more than enough scenes that will make you smile. I found myself tittering out loud on more than one occasion. An author who raises a titter is a winner in my book.

As an aside, you might recall last year when I read The Thursday Murder Club I described the crime sub-genre where it sits as “British comfortable”. It turns out a term already exists, “cosy crime”. I much prefer mine, but there you go. The public has spoken and who am I to disagree?

Now I must sit here, wallowing in self-pity. I’ve finished The Man Who Died Twice and I am bereft. How long must I wait for the Thursday Murder Club’s third outing? I can guarantee however long it is that will be too long. Richard Osman has more than a modicum of skill when it comes to cosy crime and I can’t wait to find out what mayhem our intrepid sleuths will stumble upon next.

The Man Who Died Twice is published by Viking and is available now. Highly recommended.

My musical recommendation to accompany the novel is the soundtrack to Professor T by Hannes De Maeyer. It manages to be both suitably genteel and also just a little bit exciting. Sounds like the perfect combination to me. I’d imagine Joyce would love it.

*Comedy behemoth, Greg Davies, is an inch taller according to the internet fact fans.

I do really love the characters in this book, especially Joyce. .
I did find that although I did on a whole enjoy this book, I did feel it went on a bit in the middle which made me loose focus, but I thought it did end really well with all loose ends tied up.

I DNF'd this book after reading one-fourth of it. I enjoyed the first book (The Thursday Murder Club) and expected to enjoy this one as well, but I found it choppy and repetitive.

A fantastic follow up to The Thursday Murder Club. Richard Osmond’s second book in the series, The Man Who Died Twice sees the gang back together as some old faces from Elizabeth’s past resurface bringing some trouble with them.

Refreshing and exciting, Osmond doesn’t patronise the reader or the elderly as he shows life doesn’t stop at retirement. Reading The Man Who Died Twice is like sitting with a beloved grandparent - the characters are perfectly nice on the surface but they have a rich history and wild stories that you only discover once you begin to know them as people.

A plot point that (maybe irrationally) broke the illusion for me was when discussing Scotland. The Strathclyde Police was dissolved in 2013 and replaced with Police Scotland. It was a small detail but it really suspended my belief in the plot. Some details like the ‘gang land/ mafia-esque’ plot devices seemed a little silly and cartoonish. Overall, it’s a great and immersive read.

Thank you to the publisher for the free copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first Thursday Murder Club so was very much looking forward to the next one. And it certainly didn’t disappoint. I even enjoyed this one a little better than the first!

The Thursday Murder Club are a fab bunch of folk. I would love to be friends with them, I can imagine the conversations and tea would be great. Joyce is by far my favourite character, she’s hilarious and made me laugh out loud a few times.

So in this book, Elizabeth gets a letter from someone important from her past, and her detective/MI5 intuitions jump up and she dives in head first to solving the situation. It’s so funny, and you read some of the situations like ‘what is she doing?!’, but you know it’s just Elizabeth being Elizabeth,and it works!

It’s so unreal that its brilliant, and I hope to whoever needs to be hoped to, that Richard Osman does another book. If you like fun reads, with some random twists, grab this book!