I think, I think I preferred this to the first one. I absolutely adore Joyce's chapters, her Instagram handle made me laugh out loud for quite some time. Highly entertaining, witty. challenging and felt familiar with the gang back together.

We are back at Cooper’s chase for the latest instalment…
What I loved: further development of likeable characters, pacy writing and crazy escapades (stolen diamonds, drug dealers and deceit). Lots of twists and lots of fun!
Sometimes the scenarios were too far fetched but this series is meant to be tongue in cheek so this did not hamper my enjoyment.
I was concerned this wouldn’t live up to the first instalment, boy was I wrong! LOVED it!

A fitting sequel to the original. I really enjoyed this book. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In this second book in the series, not only do we get another cracking mystery to solve, but as I'd hoped, we also learn more about the four main characters, particularly Elizabeth, and their lives before the retirement home and the Murder Club. Although the perspective switches around between the various characters, Joyce is the dominant narrative voice and this works really well. She is the Miss Marple-esque character - all soft and fluffy on the outside, but with a core of steel and a good brain, even if she doesn't always realise it herself. I love how it feels as though she is talking to the reader - the chatty narrative style suits her character perfectly and pulls the reader right into the action alongside her. Her foray into the world of Instagram had me giggling right from the start, as did her throwaway comment about it right at the end of the book.

The initial incident strikes right at the heart of the group of friends and I love their response to what happens. On one level we know the police probably shouldn't encourage them, but at the same time we want them to take matters into their own hands where the police are powerless to act. I want a group of friends like this when I'm approaching old age. They look out for each other in every way conceivable and it's wonderful!

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and eagerly anticipate the next instalment.

I'm hugely grateful to both the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC and for the opportunity to review the book.

Full review will be posted on my blog on 16th September.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me this eArc.

Once I started this book I couldn't put it down. Although these characters have only had one previous outing, reading this was like meeting up with old friends. The Thursday Murder Club is back and crime-fighting pensioners Elizabeth, Ron, Joyce and Ibrahim are on a mission to recover stolen diamonds, which sees them up against MI5, Mafia bosses, gangsters and the local drug dealer. Alongside all this, they are also seeking revenge for a brutal and cowardly attack on one of the quartet and are ably assisted, once again, by Donna, Chris and Bogdan. The relationships between all of the characters are bubbling along nicely and it will be interesting to see where they go next. There are lots of laugh out loud moments in the book, many of them provided by Joyce (her foray into the world of Instagram is priceless), but issues of age and vulnerability are handled sensitively. If you enjoyed the first book, you'll love this one. Highly recommended.

I skipped through The Man Who Died Twice very happily. I say skipped as it felt light and carefree and I had to remind myself every so often of the body count and other small matters of illegality! But that juxtaposition is a skill handled wonderfully well. The cast of The Thursday Murder Club has re-assembled and each of them is as much themselves as ever. In the four core members, Richard Osman has created strong and memorable characters, each with a distinctive voice. The plot is clearly far-fetched in the extreme but, as I was reading, it felt completely believable and reasonable. It feels like a book to take on holiday (would that we could!) but wit none of the pejorative connotations such a statement tends to conjure up.

A fan of the first book this one did not disappoint. Full of laughs and tender moments can’t wait for the next installment

After reading this, I have been debating with myself which book I enjoyed more - The Thursday Murder Club or The Man Who Died Twice. However it's like asking me to choose which of my two children I love most.

After careful consideration, I have to say that it's probably the second one....however I am still undecided on the books.

I have to admit that, on hearing that Richard Osman had written a novel, I wasn't completely convinced. Not because I was not a massive Osman fan (I most definitely am) but I have never really enjoyed the novels of celebrities who have tried their hands at being an author. It almost seems like cheating for a celeb to use their already high profile to sell novels which may only sell on name recognition alone.

After reading Mr Osman's first novel and now his second I am completely convinced that all the high praise is in fact much deserved. If anything, I hope as his writing career progresses he is not seen as 'that tall guy from that quiz show' but instead as a fantastic author.

The Man Who Died Twice is a fantastic novel and I read it in one day. The characters from the first novel jumped off the page as they investigate another murder (or murders). Osman's novels have been called "warm" and "comforting" and there is no doubt they are. How could a story about old age pensioners not be when written by someone who clearly has a big beating heart.

However to describe this novel in only those terms does not do it justice. It's a crime novel with a whodunnit element but, for me, the key to this novel (and series) lies in the relationships between the four main characters. Without any spoilers, the part with Ron and Ibrahim in the hospital almost had me in tears - the writing was just so brilliant in capturing Ron's character and behaviour.

Given the high regard in which The Thursday Murder Club was received I don't think anyone will need much encouragement to read this novel - but if you do need encouragement, then READ THIS NOVEL.

Thanks to Penguin General UK and to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Having really enjoyed the first book, I have been looking forward to this second book and it did not disappoint, gently funny and totally riveting, an absolute gem from start to finish. I wait impatiently for the third!

Really enjoyed this! Spending time with Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Ron, Donna and Chris was like getting back together with a group of old friends. The great plot, the same quirky, engaging writing style and humour as The Thursday Murder Club will ensure this is popular with all fans of Osman's previous book. Bring on the next one!

I was extremely excited to receive an ARC of Mr Osman's new book, many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

This was so enjoyable. In the second outing at Cooper's Close, the members of the Thursday Murder Club have another mystery close to home. The initial reveal is a nice surprise, so I won't say further!

I won't say much more than this is another delightful read with enjoyable characters, a twisty-turny mystery and a lovely respect for older people.

Read it immediately (when it's available, of course)!

The Thursday Murder Club return in The Man Who Died Twice which is another excellent murder mystery from the multi talented Richard Osman.

The story moves along at a good pace with plenty of underlying humour that doesn’t overpower the main storyline

The author has created some clearly identifiable characters who he uses to both propel and enhance the story.

A definite recommended read

Okay so I just love Richard Osman’s writing. The story is so cosy, with lots of little pieces of nonsense thrown in, and that just makes me smile and draws me in. Then, you find out some of it is the actual plot twists you couldn’t work out yourself. The Thursday Murder Club crew along with Chris and Donna, give us another fabulous mystery. The characters just build and build. I like the hints for story three too. Can’t wait to get it, you better be midway through Richard!

I was given an eArc of this book from the publisher for review and would like to thank them for approving me.

The Man Who Died Twice. Wow. Where do I begin. Firstly we’re back in Coopers Chase with Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron, Ibriham and Bogdan and it was so nice to see them again. It was like settling into a chair with a nice cup of tea with an old friend. It starts off looking like a perfectly normal day and, as in The Thursday Murder Club, it turns into everything but. The book is full of twists and turns and also a lot of tongue in cheek humour (Joyce’s Insta handle for instance) along with some sadness.

The only thing I didn’t like about the book is having to wait for the next one.

After a stellar introduction in the inaugural 'The Thursday Murder Club' Osman has brought back his crime fighting senior quartet in his sophomoric "The Man Who Died Twice". And he's done so brilliantly. As enjoyable as the first, the team are hellbent on solving a puzzle relating to Elizabeth and her murky spy past whilst navigating both gentle senior moments and somewhat nastier challenges of modern life.

Characterisations continue to be a strong skill of the author. The sheer joy derived from Joyce at the simplest of things is superb, to the sadness of Ibrahim facing the horrors of human behaviours is also demonstrative of knowing his characters emotions inside and out.

The story rattles along in the background and whilst it's not massively difficult to unpick, it's still a rollicking good journey. The strength in the writing is all to do with the reader feeling part of the team. And for that I can't honestly wait until the 3rd book. I'll reread again soon and produce a much more cohesive review. But for now, I can wholeheartedly recommend.

I zipped through this highly entertaining book in a couple of days ,as I was enjoying it so much.It’s every bit as good as the first book in the series,and continues the adventures of the intrepid group of septuagenarians and their friends from the local police as they try to recover some stolen diamonds and take revenge on a local thug when one of the group is mugged.by him.It’s very cleverly plotted ,with a large dose of humour and warmth ,and some very funny moments.
Fans of The Thursday Murder Club will definitely not be disappointed ,and I was delighted to read that there’s a third book coming which I can’t wait to read.
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. I really enjoyed Osman’s debut novel, although I wasn’t too keen on the lack of closure in the ending, nonetheless I was charmed by the elderly cast of characters. I have to say I enjoyed the sequel even more. The characters are so well-fleshed out it really feels like visiting a group of friends.
This one has two mysteries at the heart of Fairhaven:
- Elizabeth’s past as a MI5 Officer is brought to light as her ex-husband appears. He’s stolen 20 millions worth of diamonds from the Mafia, and is currently being hidden by MI5, and he needs Elizabeth’s help.
- Connie, the ‘queenpin’ (or female kingpin) of Fairhaven, a drug-lord. But Chris and Donna of the police just can’t seem to find evidence to pin her down.
And then we have the adorable, Egyptian psychiatrist Ibrahim, who gets violently mobbed.
This was an endearing read. Even though there were dark themes, the writing and characters are so warm and fuzzy, that it makes life seem positive and wonderful. I loved the humour, and the interactions between the characters. However, there a few issues I couldn’t get my head around:
* Around the 60-something % mark it’s revealed that Donna is black and there’s pages of writing describing her ‘black’ experience of the world. I felt this was too little, too late. I’d assumed Donna was white. What was the point of the author drawing attention to her race now? When throughout the book there’s been no reference to her or her mother’s race.
* The ending. Things are too neatly tied. But the problem is that I’m never worried for these characters. Which I guess is fitting with the mood of these books; it’s like Jessica Fletcher being shot at, but I found it hard to suspend by disbelief completely and that made the ending predictable.
Nonetheless this is fun, and fuzzy read. It’s the perfect comfort, escapism, comedy-crime read, with a charming cast of characters that feel like old friends; typical British humour in the best way and plenty of cups of tea and flapjacks. These series are so delightfully cosy. 4/5.

this review might be a bit of a jumble but here we go (thank you to NetGalley for this ARC)

honestly i didnt imagine how large a place in my heart a group of fictional pensioners would take. i loved loved the first book but definitely the sequel is what makes these books special, and im so excited for the cover reveal for the third book, and to read it of course!

i love the depth of the history of each of the characters. sometimes you can forget that somebody who is old and has lived a long life has their own story to tell. i loved the tension between certain characters (elizabeth and sue aah) and how cyclical the plot was. the entire book was witty and cleverly written, there were so many plot twists, so if you read this dont take anything this book tells you for granted because it will be wrong. i think their was an alright amount of diverse representation and i liked that the characters, although old, were willing to learn about things such as sexuality, gender identity, racial issues etc. i loved this book, and will definitely love the next one!

Just as gripping and funny as the first one.
I was so excited to read this. I couldn’t put it down. I love the Thursday murder club gang they are a really great bunch of characters that you can’t help but love.
They all use there personalities to there advantage and that’s what makes the book so humorous.
I can not wait for the next instalment.

I am happy to report that Richard Osman has done it again! 'The Man Who Died Twice', or 'The Thursday Murder Club 2', sees us return to Coopers Chase and follow Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim as they get embroiled in yet another mystery. The age of the central group means that they approach everything with a lot of humour and little fear - instead of subtly snooping on someone's property, they just walk up to the dangerous suspect and openly question them. It gives the crime drama an edge of excitement not usually present!

This time around, Elizabeth is revisited by a friend from the past, an ex-husband in fact, who has gotten himself in a sticky situation with MI5 and some stolen diamonds worth £20 million. It is clear there is foul play at the heart of this mystery - as The Thursday Murder Club investigates, the bodies begin to pile up and we realise maybe they are not as impervious to danger as we previously thought.

It took me a little while to get into, but Osman's witty and direct writing made it worth sticking around to see how the central mystery would play out. Osman once again uses his huge cast of characters to weave a complex, but incredibly satisfyingly resolved, web of intrigue. At first, I was disappointed with the lack of emotion from Elizabeth and Joyce amongst death and destruction. However, we begin to see beneath the blasé bravado of these two characters with some lovely development to their friendship.

Overall, this is going to be another huge crowd pleaser and bound to dominate bestseller lists, just as the first instalment is still managing week after week. I cannot wait to see what the club tackle in their next mystery. And can we finally get some happiness for poor Donna please?? 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.