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The Man Who Died Twice: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery

Review

The Man Who Died Twice: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery

Richard Osman returns to Coopers Chase, an upscale British retirement community, in THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE, the follow-up to his sleeper hit from 2020, THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB. This engaging, big-hearted and humorous series features four individuals who band together to solve mysteries. The Thursday Murder Club, as they call themselves, includes Elizabeth, an ex-MI5 operative; Joyce, who worked as a nurse and keeps an entertaining and often hilarious journal; Ibrahim, who used to be a psychiatrist and thus is able to read people’s mannerisms; and Ron, a former union leader with interesting connections.

"Filled to the brim with entertaining, well-drawn characters, THE MAN WHO DIED TWICEis a clever mystery and a joyful page turner from start to finish."

In this second installment, Elizabeth is contacted by a fellow agent named Douglas, who she knows better than she is willing to admit to her friends. He is accused of stealing 20 million pounds worth of diamonds from a money launderer and middleman for the New York mafia. He needs a safe place to hide out, so Elizabeth agrees to shelter him at Coopers Chase, assuming that no one will look for him there. However, the mob does hunt him down. Bodies quickly start to pile up as the dynamic foursome works to solve the mystery and find the missing diamonds. Realizing that all is not as it seems, they put themselves in terrible danger to unravel the crime. Chaos and, yes, hilarity ensue.

Meanwhile, poor Ibrahim is the victim of a vicious crime, and his phone is stolen. The Thursday Murder Club cannot bear to see him beat down and unmoored by the incident, so they work to help him recover while tracking down the thugs who abused him to make sure they are punished.

The stellar cast of characters with their varied backgrounds and retirement community residence, the intriguing cases they tackle, and the fabulous writing filled with humor and charm make this book a true standout. Rarely in a series is the sequel better than the original, but that’s the case here. While both titles are fabulous, THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE hits all of the right notes perfectly. Osman delves further into the backgrounds and personalities of his protagonists, places one of them in a heartbreaking and timely situation, and develops heartwarming and unexpected relationships between characters new and old. He also brings back police officers Donna and Chris from THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB.

Filled to the brim with entertaining, well-drawn characters, THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE is a clever mystery and a joyful page turner from start to finish. Steven Spielberg has bought the rights to the first book and plans to start filming in 2022, so fans should keep an eye out for that, along with (fingers crossed) the third entry in the series.

Reviewed by Cindy Burnett on November 5, 2021

The Man Who Died Twice: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery
by Richard Osman

  • Publication Date: July 26, 2022
  • Genres: Fiction, Mystery
  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books
  • ISBN-10: 1984881019
  • ISBN-13: 9781984881014