We met the Thursday Murder Club three years ago when Richard Osman introduced them in his first bestseller, THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB. There are only four official members of the club --- Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim --- but they often invite speakers or other guests. Now, to look at them, one might think they should be knitting scarves while rocking on a porch or perhaps playing shuffleboard or golf. They’ve reached that age. But no. These pensioners decided on a different hobby: solving murders. And they’ve discovered they’re quite good at it. Shockingly, this time, their victim is an old friend, which bumps up the stakes to highly personal.

"These four pensioners couldn’t be more real, shrewd, crafty, human --- and witty, too. I wish they lived in my town. I’d happily crash their club meetings!"

Antiques dealer Kuldesh Sharma got himself shot while sitting in his car at the end of a dirt road. Rumor has it that, shortly before his death, a shady character came into his shop and dropped off an item with instructions to sell it to a particular person. Kuldesh doesn’t do business that way, but he knows it happens and that it’s best to simply play along. So why did he end up dead? The four unofficial detectives put on their hats and start sniffing around. Of course, that sort of thing doesn’t please the local police, who warn them off. Then the cops themselves are warned off. What’s going on? When another body turns up, everyone realizes they’re in the middle of something far bigger than any of them first thought.

While all of this is playing out, Elizabeth is dealing with a devastating decision she’s facing. She consults with her dear husband, Stephen, who’s there to help with figuring out their future. (As a reader, pages 241 to 249 contain some of the most touching, heart-rending words ever to exist on paper.) Stephen’s friends rally around him, knowing something is afoot, just not quite what. They do know, though, that Elizabeth needs her time with her beloved husband. So Joyce, a fidgety woman who loves to cook and is always on the hunt for a man, steps in to fill Elizabeth’s shoes. She fills them fairly well, even if she wishes that Elizabeth was back at the helm.

Law officers Donna and Chris, having been kicked off their case, begin shadowing the Thursday Murder Club, since they caught on to their brilliant noses for sniffing out clues. In doing so, they learn that they might have been heading in the wrong direction all along. They also find a genuine fondness beginning to bloom for the club members, and even some of their friends. In fact, Donna sort of hooks up with Bogdan --- a special character whose sheer size goes a long way toward providing protection and who also drives like a maniac. And Chris takes a liking to another of their friends, a cheeky older woman. Oh, they do tangle their webs.

As always, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim --- plus a motley crew of others joining along the way --- ultimately solve the case. Just not without a few mishaps and hiccups. But it’s all great fun. Richard Osman’s books are delightful mysteries, but the best part of them is not the case that’s presented for solving. It’s the people who are solving the case. These four pensioners couldn’t be more real, shrewd, crafty, human --- and witty, too. I wish they lived in my town. I’d happily crash their club meetings!