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.

This is the second book in the Thursday Murder Club series by author Richard Osman and in my opinion far more enjoyable than the first book. Having been introduced to the club members in the first book it was easier to get into this one and the characters got even stronger once more meat was put on the bones. Good cosy thriller with fun characters and a good plot.

The four Thursday club members Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron return to tackle another case. Former MI5 member Elizabeth receives 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 $20 million worth of stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life. As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists former nurse Joyce, retired psychiatrist Ibrahim and retired union leader Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. Up against a murderer who wouldn’t have any issues killing the four septuagenarians of the Thursday Murder Club. Have the club met their match or can they hunt down both the killer and the diamonds.

This is a very enjoyable novel that got better the more I read which promises good things for the future. Clever plot, fast paced with a touch of humour. I feel that I am really getting into these characters now so the third book promises to be even better.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Penguin UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I very much enjoyed the "Thursday murder club" when I read that so was pleased to be given a chance to read his second.
I wasn't disappointed, this was just as good! Highly recommended.

The Thursday Murder Club set the bar very high but this follow up The Man Who Died Twice is no slouch it just keeps getting better and better. Our four retirement village friends jump into Elizabeth’s world of spies where everyone dreams what they would do with 20 million in diamonds. Joyce one of my favourite characters ever is well up for anything Elizabeth throws at her including interrogation by MI5 (l really want a friendship bracelet). This is a character that will make you laugh out loud at every corner. There is also a a serious side when a severe attack will take out the feet from under one of our characters and it will be no easy task to recover their confidence. This story has everything including a mystery that will have you baffled. Don’t worry all will be revealed at the end of the pier. Really don’t want to have to leave our four. Until the next time.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Joyce and her friends from the retirement village are plunged headlong into another case when Elizabeth’s former husband and fellow agent asks for help to evade some criminals he has upset. Police officers Donna and Chris are on surveillance to catch a major drug dealer, and there is the additional problem of trying to catch a mugger who has attacked one of the Thursday Murder Club. The mix of omniscient narration and Joyce’s own version of events combine to create humour and lighten the tone of the sometimes grisly murders that sporadically occur throughout another intriguing and entertaining mystery.
A thoroughly enjoyable read that kept the pages turning and at times had me laughing out loud.

The Thursday Murder Club team is back! There are a robbery, secret services, diamonds and gangsters involved.
And always adorable Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim. Never underestimate the power and courage of older and more experienced generation!

The novel is full of strong characters, twisty plot, and humorous narrative.

Cosy and enjoyable mistery read.

What do you think is worse - Richard Osman knows he can’t write and is just taking the money of the gullible, or he actually thinks he’s a good writer? Honestly, I think it’s the latter, and that is terrifying.
This was not what I expected. Having avoided Osman’s first attempt at writing a book due to the lack of evidence that he was capable of such a feat, I had steeled myself for a cozy crime which would be terrible but at least be a harmless way of passing some time. But it appears Mr. Osman reckons himself as a bit of a Val McDermid, but is really more Val Doonican. There are moments, basically unskilled shifts in tone, which are, no doubt, meant to be shocking but are telegraphed pages in advance, and make Mr. Osman’s attempt at a serious crime novel look leaden and clumsy.
This book is awful. I punished myself reading it. Every sentence is overwritten to breaking point; I think Mr. Osman intended them to be “clever”. He doesn’t succeed. It’s very hard to care about any of the characters because they are all so badly written. There is one called Elizabeth who is nearly seventy but talks like she’s twenty; one of the many signs of poor characterisation in this book. I suspect she is meant to be the “strong female character” in the book, and it is brave of Mr. Osman to create such a protagonist, seeing as he is incapable of writing a strong character of any gender.
Mr. Osman wants to write well in his heart, (and I suspect he believes, in his head, that he does) but no part of this book is able to hold itself up as evidence for that. The villain is bereft of any dimension, let alone the requisite three. The main characters are as simply drawn as possible so Mr. Osman doesn’t have to work too hard at making them realistic. This book has three parts and 84 chapters for some reason. 84. This is not the hallmark of a competent writer. And neither is writing a story in the present tense just to be “edgy”.
Mr. Osman thanks practically the entire population of the UK in his afterword; no need to thank your publishers, Richard…just thank the venal culture that allows poor vanity projects like this to exist. Somebody needs to stop allowing celebrities like Mr. Osman to write and publish whatever nonsense he can dream up whilst waiting to record Pointless. The first book “broke records”, and I’m sure this one will too, which is entirely due to the identity of its author.
A plot that does nothing, characters that irritate and attempts at humour that do nothing but irritate, this is the last-minute homework of a talentless amateur desperately trying to avoid failing a creative writing course. No book can literally be painful to read; words on a page cannot actually cause you physical discomfort. But you know what? With “The Man Who Died Twice”, Richard Osman very nearly makes such a book an excruciating reality. I can believe this book exists - lots of very bad books exist these days - but I can’t believe people will choose to enjoy it. Are peoples’ lives really so empty that something so worthless can make it better? If this is 21st century literature then you have to fear for the future of the written word.

Couldn't wait to get my hands on this, mainly by wrestling it from my colleagues hands... anyway, hadn't realised just how much joy Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron bought into my life the first time, this time its bigger, better, funnier with many laugh out loud moments. Joyce's foray into social media is hilarious and it's Joyce that I admire - she is so much more than Watson to Elizabeth's Sherlock. Love the Donna and Chris partnership as well. Read, chuckle and enjoy the crime fighting foursome.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

The Thursday Murder Club are back with another crime to solve! The Thursday Murder Club are a small group of people who originally wanted to solve cold cases. They all live in the same retirement village, and are all skilled in their own way. This time we meet Elizabeth’s ex husband who she hasn’t seen for twenty years. He is a spy, just like Elizabeth used to be, and he requires her assistance after getting himself into some bother. We are led on a twisty, turny journey of false leads and red herrings to solve the crimes committed.

I loved this book. It had everything that makes a perfect story. We had murder, crime, wit, humour, emotions, and a group of pensioners determined to get the right outcome. You couldn’t ask for much more from a decent book. This was an excellent follow up to the first book, and I enjoyed more than I did the first. It was excellently written, and the story flowed really well, and there was no loose ends left. The characters are all brilliant, and although I don’t really relate to them, I wish they were my grandparents. They are such fun people, with the best personalities. I have nothing negative to say about this at all, except I wish it was longer. I can’t wait to see what The Thursday Murder Club get up to next. I would highly recommend to all.

Another fun read from Richard Osman - getting to know more about the characters of the Thursday Murder Club, enjoying the twists and turns of the plot. Perfect read for relaxing with and I certainly chuckled at the antics of all the characters. Not quite as page turning as the first but still enjoyable.

The Thursday Murder Club enjoyed looking at cold cases and discussing what they thought really happened but somehow, since recently solving their own real life case, it seems a bit tame. Elizabeth, always a little secretive, has a problem however, and as things suddenly involve a new dead body she knows the four friends are the only hope of getting it all sorted. With their contacts in the local police busy with their own problems, old colleagues showing up after decades of silence, and one of their own suffering a crisis of confidence, the Murder Club is enjoying life once again.

This is the second in the brilliant series by Richard Osman and shows the previous book's success wasn't in any way a one off. There are no major spoilers but I would definitely read them in order. This time Elizabeth's past comes into sharper focus but it in no way way cuts down the importance of Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim's part in this really good book. Once again we are given a glimpse into Joyce's diary and, alongside Mr Osman's gentle but laugh out loud humour, is probably my favourite part.

There are serious issues mentioned but as you would expect from this author they are dealt with in ways to makes you think what can be done to help rather than despair. The unlikely protagonists are as likeable as before but they are so much more this time round. I really hope there will be a third book as I have enjoyed this enormously and would hate to think this is the end.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is a great book and deserves at least as much success and as many accolades as the first. I highly recommend it as a must read book of 2021.

Much as the loved The Thursday Murder Club I absolute adored this, I think Richard Osman has truly got in his stride with this, it was an utter delight. I had in honesty forgotten much of what had happened in the first book but that (obviously) took away none of my enjoyment in this, the characters were written to their strengths and there was no shortage of humour in this unlikely but gently told storyline. I love how Richard Osman has managed to make the most of each character and still got a solid, twisty storyline. You truly don’t know what to expect next from this venerable quartet but they certainly put the wisdom of their years to good use, and often not so good use, but always with fortuitous results. They each have some wonderful foibles as often becomes older characters which make them such an utter delight and I seriously hope they have more to come.

I, like literally millions of others, loved the first ‘The Thursday Murder Club‘ book by Richard Osman – so when the publisher asked if I’d like an advance review copy of the second book in the series through NetGalley I danced a jig around my office! I downloaded it immediately and it took precedence over the ever increasing TBR pile. I devoured it in days.

Here’s the blurb:

“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?”

It was so brilliant to be reunited with the Thursday Murder Club Gang! It felt like meeting up with old friends again. I guess the book would stand up on its own – and you don’t HAVE to have read the first book – but let’s face it, you probably have anyway! And it would make much more sense with all of the back story in place too.

You are not only reunited with the main 4 characters of Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron who live in the Coopers Chase retirement village and are members of the Thursday Murder Club – but also the supporting cast of Chris and Donna from the local police (and Donna’s Mum who is now seeing Chris!) and the septuagenarian’s ‘fixer’ Bogdan.

Whilst the missing diamonds and the relationship to Elizabeth’s past is the main storyline – it is interweaved with other stories too – the local mafia, local drug dealer, violent street crime, Chris and Donna’s love lives and classic entries in Joyce’s diary (her foray onto Instagram is amazing – and I do feel she is channelling my late Nan!!)

It romps through – again with Richard Osman’s voice loud throughout the writing – but I have to say I loved it.

I liked the fact you already knew the characters, and it felt like you were moving forward with the story and their relationships. Again – this would make an excellent film / TV series (and given the rights for the first book were snapped up by Mr Spielberg – I suspect this book will be too!) There was no ‘difficult second album’ about this sequel at all – it was as good, if not better, than the first in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC – I’m looking forward to book three already!