I found The Man Who Died Twice was even better than The Thursday Murder Club, and the ending was just such a clever way to bring the plot to a delightful conclusion.

This is another gentle, warm and very clever plot the characters of which remind me of the likes of the Lavender Hill Mob, loveable rogues at times. (This reference may not mean much to younger readers :) but it is a compliment) It is also very refreshing to find interesting older characters that prove that there is still life after retirement.

Some people seem to have found that the large number of characters can cause confusion but I fail to see this. The characters are so finely delineated that they are all recognisable individuals who never stray from the path you would expect them to take.

On the negative side I would have found the cover totally unappealing had I been searching a book shop for the type of book I enjoy. Luckily I was given a kindle copy from Netgalley, for which I offer my thanks and an honest review.

So we meet the Thursday Murder Club again. A little time has passed since their last adventure, but now the elderly sleuths meet an even bigger task. Lives are in danger as the group are on the hunt for diamonds, but hunted by drug dealers, murderers, and the mafia.

Richard Osman is incredible. He is rightfully a national treasure, and I'm so pleased that he is now writing novels. While I enjoyed the Thursday Murder Club, I didn't love it. I wasn't sure exactly why, but I didn't think it was a 5 Star novel. However, I changed my opinion with The Man Who Died Twice. Osman has really found his form in this novel, and it was a treat throughout. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, Ibrahim, Chris, and Donna are the perfect company to keep if you fancy a fun, interesting crime novel.

Thanks to Richard Osman, NetGalley, and Viking for this copy.

Simply loved this book!

So cleverly written, it´s funny, easy flowing, heartwarming, and very original. I´m only sorry that I didn´t get to read the first one but I will so rectify this! Despite this, you can easily read this as a standalone, so if you haven´t read the first one, do not despair!

Can´t wait for the next one......hurry up Richard!!

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK - Fig Tree for giving me the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy.

The gang from Coopers Chase are back again investigating a new crime involving diamonds, an ex-husband and spies as well as dealing with the trials and tribulations of getting older. Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim and Joyce are back and with a cast of returning supporting characters are determined to prove that you shouldn't underestimate a seeming group of older people. With humour and finesse Osman's convoluted plot keeps the reader guessing as to who is behind the disappearance of diamonds from a crime lord, as well as linking threads to drug dealing in a small town, one of the characters being beaten up and whether or not another character gets dog.
I'm sure this will be another Christmas crowd pleaser. I enjoyed the book but sometimes found it difficult to keep track of the plot and who was who.
An entertaining read.

I read The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman and was pleased to read his second book.

I enjoyed it, but the rating is lower than it was for the first book in this series and I think it is mainly because of the plot. The setting is still rather charming, as are the main characters. Their interlinking relationships were nicely done and the retirement home is a nice place to be (although I would have liked to have seen more of it). The plot may be a but convoluted, but I am happy to forgive any plot that is convoluted if it is done well, but I became confused before too long. Too many characters, maybe? Certainly too many characters that didn't have much depth. The spark of the story in the first book was partly due to the novelty, but that was lacking in the second novel.

All that said, I really enjoy seeing any cosy crime novels doing well and I hope this one does too.

What an absolute joy it is to return to Coopers Chase and the warm embrace of the Thursday Murder Club. I was a bit worried before I started this sequel in case it was the unexpectedness of the first instalment which made it so special. But, as soon as Joyce and Ron began to discuss a neighbour who's started a diet at the age of 82 (Ron thinks it's because zimmer frames make your legs look fat, but Joyce rightly points out that no one should deny themselves enjoyment at that age), I knew that the first book wasn't a fluke.

The Thursday Murder Club is the best depiction of aging. The core members of the group have taken everything they have learned throughout their lives and continue to use that skills and knowledge to keep themselves busy and make a difference. The only thing that's different from their younger selves is that they no longer give a toss about reputation or career goals and just want to do the right thing - which isn't always the strictly by the book thing.

One of the tricks the club members use to great effect is the fact that people judge them by how they appear. Joyce in particular plays the slightly bumbling nice old woman character with a lot of success. This is largely because she is essentially a nice woman with a heart of gold, but also happens to be unphased by dead bodies, threats and international criminal plots. In The Man Who Died Twice we also see that other people also use assumptions as a form of camouflage. Like the teenage girl working on reception for a storage area wearing headphones and seemingly paying little attention to her job. Joyce and Elizabeth quickly find out though that she hears every word they say about her and that the headphones aren’t plugged in, she just uses them as an excuse not to react to the attentions of the creepy manager of a nearby coffee shop.

It's easy to dismiss The Thursday Murder Club series as a 'cosy murder', but just like the protagonists this warm and welcoming exterior hides a story with a bite. A very satisfying read and a great instalment for this series which I hope will continue for many years to come.

The Thursday Murder Club are back, this time investigating missing diamonds, when Elizabeth's ex-husband appears to disturb their peace. After Ibrahim is mugged, the team find themselves fighting for justice for him, while Joyce is also considering getting a dog!

The Man Who Died Twice is a brilliant story, with gentle humour lurking amongst the crime on every page. Unlike many stories of this type, Richard Osman has managed to create a good crime drama, while still maintaining the humour. The four friends are great characters, each with their own unique quirks. Joyce has to be my favourite, with her diary entries making me laugh out loud!

Great story and one to keep you entertained from beginning to end. Richard Osman has done it again.

⭑⭑⭑⭑ 4 stars

themes:
- murder
- spies
- the elderly

"'Some people in life, Sue, are weather forecasters, whereas other people are the weather itself.'”

Goodreads Synopsis:
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?

Plot
As far as the mystery was concerned, and that mystery unravelling, I was totally satisfied by how the events in the book turned out. There were twists I expected, twists I didn't expect, and twists that completely spun my head in a 360. Although there were grave themes in this book, it made for light reading. And that is down to the characters.

Characters & Dynamics
Richard Osman has the peculiar ability of making bad guys in stories utterly pleasant. Which means, of course, that the good guys were delectable. The characters are easily my favourite part of this book series. Sweet, statistical Abraham, hardy, witty Elizabeth, and naive, lovable Joyce. They drew the best out of each other and really surpassed all my expectations when I read that the mystery-solvers are in their 70s. I deeply adored the monologues of Elizabeth. Less so of Joyce. I preferred Joyce in third person. I also particularly liked Stephen, Elizabeth's partner, I do wish he was more present in this story, although the reason he isn't tugs on the heartstrings incessantly.

Writing
RO's book is exactly as amusing and thrilling I expected it to be from the synopsis. His writing is enjoyable and it's an excitable thought on where the next book in the series will go.

World Building
I suppose there was no world building as such in this book, as it is the second in the series. However, Coopers Chase the retirement village is exactly how a reader would expect it to be. Full of the elderly.

Likes
- The characters
- The writing
- The plot

Dislikes
- Joyce's ramblings

Final Thoughts
This review is written without even reading the first in the series, which I have now purchased and am excited to read and hopefully read a third instalment, fourth instalment, fifth, sixth...

I have a confession to make. I didn't like the first of the books in this series. A friend whose opinion I trust recommended I give this one a try. I loved it! Tales of geriatric derring-do, diamonds and murder. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Richard Osman has made a leap in his writing. Definitely more matured then the first one. I would think that anyone can slip into the series even without reading the first book. It's a cosy murder mystery and it always amuses me how he slips into the mind of elderly women. Does he talk to his mum?

Anyway, the book overall is a quick read. It is delightful to see how the characters are also evolving, and you are seeing them unveil themselves. This time it was Elizabeth. ( Next Ibrahim or Ron? I think Joyce would be last. )

The storyline - an ex, several murders, millions worth of stolen loot, MI 6 and the mafia. All of them come together one evening and we have a mini pot boiler. I wouldn't say more lest I spoil it for you.

I must admit I was both eager and apprehensive to read this book. I loved the first one so much I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the same quality but I was definitely not disappointed. This book just kept me turning page after page, I didn’t want to put it down.
We are transported back to Coopers Chase retirement village and reintroduced to our lovely group of four friends from the Thursday Murder Club. Elizabeth receives a lunch invite from a man whose funeral she attended many years ago and from there the adventure begins. Along with the other three members, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron we also meet back up with DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna De Freitas although they don’t take a lead role in the investigation this time as we have an appearance from MI5 who are heavily involved throughout. I was also delighted to see Bogdan make a return; I will admit to him being one of my favourites.
The mystery was full of twists and turns with murders, mafia bosses, drug dealers and missing diamonds and yet it was also cosy and heart-warming with plenty of laughs and emotional scenes showing both the strengths and vulnerabilities we can all relate to.
I can’t rate this second trip to Coopers Chase highly enough. If you are wanting a book where every chapter reveals a little bit more, keeps you guessing until the end and is full of genuine amiable characters whose antics you can’t help but smile at, then look no further.

I'm sure this will be another mega seller, especially in the Christmas market but I didn't enjoy it. I found the narrative really dull and flat - it takes a long time before there is an actual murder and even then it isn'yt very exciting. Stereotype characters abound. The USp of the "Thursday Murder Club" seems to be that ithe sleuths are oldies who look sweet but are incredibly canny and still have all the faculties but the joke wears thin pretty quickly. I can see the BBC picking this up for a series starring the "usual suspects". (e.g. Celia Imrie Miriam Margolyes).

I haven't read the first book so it took me awhile to warm up to the "gang." The story centres around Elizabeth (one of the gang) who used to work for MI5. Her younger ex husband appears at Coopers Chase (the club's retirement complex). He has stolen £20 million in diamonds from a "middle man" broker for gangsters and needs Elizabeth's help. There is also a sub plot involving Ibrahim, another one of the club who has been violently mugged by a teenager and the club want revenge. One chapter is written in the thrd person and then the next is narrated by Joyce (the seemingly ditsy one of the club) supposedly writing in her diary but is written like a disjointed chat with a friend, tediously going off on verbose tangents that lead nowhere. All tea cosies and comfy slippers in tone. I just found it all a hard slog.

I really enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club so was very excited to get stuck into the sequel. And oh boy I absolutely LOVED it. Whilst the first book was great, this is just absolute perfection. Every unexpected and satisfying twist, every delightful aside, was just what I wanted to read and I didn’t even know it.

The characters are SO perfect that I feel like I know them – and love them. Every description so perfectly formed and witty and sometimes just plain hilarious. Very British without being overly twee. Action and drama that swiftly brings you back down to Earth with every quip from Joyce, who is just as happy filling out a crossword or thinking about what to make for dinner as she is surveying a murder scene for inconsistencies.

Anyway, enough gushing and let’s get down to the plot!

The Man Who Died Twice kicks off exactly where The Thursday Murder Club finished – it’s the following Thursday and Elizabeth has received a mysterious note under her door. And just like we have come to expect from Elizabeth – all is not what it seems and the note leads to a new case for our gang.

Soon they’re on a mission to help Elizabeth’s old friend and on the hunt for some missing diamonds and – of course - a murderer! As usual, no one can appreciate what they’re dealing with when they come up against the Thursday Murder Club. No one except police officers Chris and Donna, and good old Bogdan! The heart-warming friendships, blossoming new relationships, and strength and power of the long-term bonds such as Elizabeth and Stephen; and the gang and Ibrahim – make the book even more of a joy to read.

I feel a bit bereft to be out of the Thursday Murder Club world again – but can’t wait for the next instalment!

Oh how I have missed the gang and their exploits. The previous book appeared to be a love it or hate it and I loved it. This is pretty much going to be the same.
A figure from Elizabeth's murky past becomes resident in Coopers Chase and M15 ask for her help. When there is an attempt on his life he is moved with his handler to a safe house.
In the meantime Ibrahim is mugged and badly beaten, Donna and Chris are on the tail of a local drugs queen. Chris is dating Donna's mother and Bogdan is being Bogdan.
We meet a whole string of characters, some good, some bad, some stay alive, some die.
Told in a funny and entertaining way, if you loved The Thursday Murder Club, you will love this too.

I really love this series! This was another great mystery that unfolded at a good pace and was full of twists. Elizabeth is such a great character and I really enjoyed learning more about her badass past! I read this over a weekend and I already can't wait for the next installment. Also I love Joyce's little inputs and thoughts - she's so comical. A really good read.

This is brilliant!!!! Just as good as the first book in the series and equally as addictive!!!! I just loved it

I loved this! I was so pleased to ge reunited with Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron! Another excellent escapade from the Thursday Murder Club.

Firstly, I love these characters with my whole heart which may sound extreme, but this is the first time in a long time ive felt this way.
I even love the side characters, that goes for Chris his personal development in this book made me so happy and im rooting for him and Patrice.
I also love how British this book is, there are so many amazing references you just would struggle to understand if you were from a different country.
If im being honest I think I liked the mystery storyline more in the first book but this is still an amazing mystery novel, I love Richard osmans writing and I hope there will be a third book, i need to know what happens with bogdan and donna!!
I just love this series so much!
4/5 stars

A brilliant sequel to the "thursday murder club". Although full of intrigue, diamond smuggling, muggings and murders the author manages to tell the story with great warmth and wit. I hope it is going to be a trilogy as I'm already missing Elizabeth, Joyce and the rest of the well drawn characters.
Thank you to netgalley and penguin books for an advance copy of this book.

Another brilliant book! This series is becoming a fast favourite – it's fun, the characters are believable and enjoyable to follow, the plot is tight and keeps you guessing, and has a super satisfying ending. I'm a big fan of the four club-members and am thrilled that there's going to be a third book in the series – keep them coming!