The man who died twice - Richard osman

I was looking forward to reading this title as it was hoped up to be great. I was disappointed and couldn’t finish as it didn’t hold my attention sorry.

This was truly a wonderful book. I really enjoyed it so much. It was so good to be back with the gang.
They are a truly inspiring gang. I can’t wait to see what they are upto next and how they find out more about Elizabeth’s background and her damehood.

Such a brilliant book.

I only just realised this was in my Netgalley queue, and actually paid money for it and read it separately. There is nothing more I can say on this book than hasn't already been said. It's just great. Feel good, cosy crime with fabulous characters and it deserves all the hype.

A great follow up to Richard's first book could possibly be even better than the first, is that possible? If you loved the Thursday Club do not hesitate to buy this the sequel.

The Thursday Murder Club foursome return in a comic crime sequel alert to the realities of old age. I really enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club…… but enjoyed The Man Who Died Twice even more. It could be because I now have affection for all the characters and love their adventures and how they deal with the crime capers they get into.

Elizabeth receives a letter from someone that then opens a can of worms and send the Thursday Murder Club onto their next adventure. And what a wonderful adventure it is.

There are some new baddies: a local teenage thug; a hard as nails female drug dealer who (helpfully) goes weak at the knees around Bogdan; a criminal “middle man” from whom mafia diamonds have been stolen. A plan to thwart all of these bad people that could only be coordinated and executed by Elizabeth with the help and skills of The Thursday Club members – as well as a little help from the Police.

A corker of a book and can’t wait for book 3.

Not everybody enjoyed Richard Osman's first novel in fact a lot of people hated it. I think “The Man Who Died Twice" is a better novel, I suppose there will still be those who dislike it, but as with the first book personally I loved this one. I also think Richard Osman learnt a lot from reviews of his first book which shows in his second.
My only criticism is that there are a lot of characters and so full concentration is required, well it was for me!
Richard Osman’s humour shines throughout the book which is what made it 4 stars for me.

After not loving The Thursday Murder Club, I was intrigued to read more Richard Osman wrote to see if his next novel would grip me more and it certainly did. I found myself more invested in the story this time and was more into Elizabeth's adventures than with the previous novel. I enjoyed the murder mystery element significantly more this time and am excited to read the third installment.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I was a little nervous about reading this as I loved the first in the series but Richard Osman has pulled it off. The main characters are back and we get to know them even more. I was impressed with the pace and how Osman ties the different plot threads together. I hope there will be more in this fantastic series.

The Thursday Murder Club gather again mulling over stolen diamonds and trying to suss out the murderer. A light hearted cosy murder genre, a bit slow paced for my liking.

I was excited for this sequel and it was great to see the gang back together again but it wasn’t quite as great as the first for me. It’s still an easy read and good to pick up if you enjoyed the first one! I love the character continuity and the plot in this one was great. The mystery unfolds throughout and you’ll love seeing what they get up to again. I will still be picking up book 3 when it’s out!

I love Richard Osman, and I was eagerly awaiting the release of this book. His follow up novel brought me right back into the world of Joyce and her friends and made me remember why I love each of the colourful characters.

Osman's world building is rich and easy to sink into. It's a comfortable English establishment that we know intrinsically. He offers heart and humour and equal measure and skimps on neither. And the plot doesn't suffer for this. The mystery remains clever, breadcrumbs gently leading us to a conclusion that is surprising yet satisfying.

Unfortunately this book just isn't for me, however looking at all the other reviews I can see I'm in the minority!

I struggled to get into the first of the series and this one was no different. I don't connect with the characters and this means I find it difficult to engage with the plot.

The Man Who Died Twice is the second instalment of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series, and one I think I enjoyed on an equal level to the first.

Whilst we were introduced to our familiar cast of whip-smart pensioners, the mystery was considerably different, and therefore just as engaging, with the mafia, drugs and spies all making up this well-written and elaborately plotted tale.

I will say that there were points that I felt were unnecessary, not in terms of plot or dialogue, but that just appeared to be filler, and perhaps more obviously so than in the first book. However, I still thoroughly enjoyed the plot, with the characters being just as well rounded as before and just as complex.... very human!

A lovely afternoon read for the Easter weekend.

My thanks to NetGalley, RIchard Osman, and Penguin for my copy of The Man Who Died Twice.

This series is simply marvellous. Osman does a beautiful job at realising the quirks and little details of modern life and people. As a result the character's really shine, are totally believable and likeable. It's great to see elderly people valued and taking centre stage for a change.

Another incredible book by Richard Osman.

After reading The Thursday Murder Club, I couldn't wait to see how Richard was going to attempt to make another story as sensational, wacky yet utterly readable and deeply interesting. But he has definitely managed it.

There is a significant sense of development of writing style, the plot of this book is so much more complex. Aside from the comical element that seems to resound through this book and the previous one, The Man Who Died Twice resonates as a much more intricately crafted book, with more misdirection, twists and subplots.

An Bogdan is back!

My only criticism- if any- is the melodramatic and unrealistic inclusion of MI5/MI6, and the ability of a group of pensioners to outwit and control these industries. But then again, who are we to say how the service's best ex-agent would act?!

The Thursday Murder Club have just solved one murder, and are back at it when Elizabeth receives a letter from an old colleague. The story includes spies, diamonds, dead people, maybe dead people, some mobsters..

I quite like this series. It’s weird because it’s not particularly fast paced, and I’m not overly invested in the plot line but I like the characters and it’s an easy read and I’m kinda here for it. It’s never gonna be my favourite book and is far from mind-blowing, but I’ll def be going in for the third one when it comes out.

Joyce is still my fave. There are once again some funny one liners. I like the short chapters, the different perspectives, it helps drive the story forward and makes for a fairly quick read even though it’s 400 odd pages.

It’s kind of cringey and unrealistic but there’s something warm and lighthearted about it and as long as you don’t go in expecting a well researched crime novel, I think it’s worth a read.

I was knee deep in working my way through my pile of must reads when the good people at NetGalley sent me this to read, and given how much I loved the first one I just couldn't wait! It builds superbly on the rich characters introduced in The Thursday Murder club, and goes a long way to solving the mystery of Elizabeth's past, which in itself could be a fantastic series! Quite how you can intertwine the Mafia, a retirement village, MI5, a diamond heist and flapjacks I'll never know, but it flipping well works!

Once again what a fab read from Richard Osman. Love the whole storyline and of course the wonderful characters from the previous book. Well written and well loved!

Highly recommended even if you haven't read the first book. It can absolutely be read as a standalone.

Thank you Netgalley.

This is a great sequel to Richard Osman's first murder mystery- 'The Thursday Murder Club"
For the most enjoyment, I'd recommend starting starting with the first novel to get familiar with the characters.
This book contains an interesting mystery, lots of humour, (a few twists!), delightful characters and ends perfectly

I read Richard Osman’s first book, The Thursday Murder Club, last year, and explained how I had snootily had no great hopes of it, but had been confounded and absolutely loved it. I was so very far from being the only one, and the book was a quite phenomenal bestseller. And so of course this is the followup. And #SPOILERNOTSPOILER he has done it again – another hugely enjoyable book.

The setup of both books sounds formulaic, and made to be translated into a Sunday evening BBC drama: a group of people in an upmarket retirement village get together to solve crimes, each bringing their own different talents and life experiences to the table. They now have friends in the police force that they can work with.

Yes I know, it could go either way, right?





But the books are clever and charming, and full of real-life moments and conversation, and very very funny. And there is also a lot good complex plotting going on, and a great structure.

Most of the book is third person, with varying POV, but there are sections narrated by the lovely, hilarious, gentle Joyce – don’t underestimate her. She has a heart-breakingly tricky relationship with her grown-up daughter Joanna, beautifully done in both books:

‘I used to give her £20 when she went out with friends and her eyes would light up. I loved that. Would they light up the same way for a million pounds? Probably not. She’d probably put it in an ISA.’

If there is a better quote about parenthood in any book this year I would be surprised.

The plot concerns some ex-spies, and a master criminal, and missing diamonds, and an unexpected figure from the past of one of the recurring characters.





It’s full of great lines:




They asked me who my favourite author is and I said Boris Pasternak, even though it’s really Marian Keyes.

*

‘Feel free to arrest me any time. What’s your eye shadow?’

‘Pat McGrath, Gold Standard.


‘It’s lush.’


(Whom does Richard Osman get to tell him about that? He surely doesn’t automatically know the right brand to drop...)


This is not a group who minds if you smoke [or] don’t wear a seatbelt. The whole scene might have been from the 1970s, when, if you wanted to die of lung cancer, or in a road accident, that that was your choice.

*

Chris thinks back to the day a cashier... swiped through the chocolate, the crisps, the Diet Coke, the sausage rolls, she had a looked up with a kind smile and said, ‘What is it dear, a children’s birthday party?’ Chris has used self-service checkouts ever since.







There is some splendid misdirection over what ‘a terrible flirt’ might mean. Separately there is a scene in which an Important Drug Deal is going on and a particularly villainous character is also trying to hook up with the other person in the deal. I have no idea how Richard Osman makes this scene so clever, funny, and almost-sympathetic.
This looks like a series that can run and run, because it has such good varied characters – this is what has made Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway books such a winner in my eyes. With any luck these will be the same: where the funniest lines, best developments, most convincing actions all hit home because of our years of knowing the characters. Won’t that be great?

The crime plot was suitably complex (not quite as much so as in the first book, when he slightly overdid it) and I could see some of it coming, but it was satisfying enough, and the whole experience was a joy. I got a review copy of this book, and I am more than happy to write about it – but this was one of the rare cases where I asked for the book just because I really really wanted to read it as soon as possible – I would happily have paid for it, but didn’t want to wait. As much of a compliment as I can ever give... [Yes I know it came out ages ago, but I have been on hiatus]

Private Eye did a great joke about Richard Osman & Christmas last year




– they can just change the name and rework it I think. If you get it for Christmas you should be delighted.