The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

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You can buy The Man Who Died Twice...Here

The Blurb...

The second novel in the record-breaking, million-copy bestselling Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman.

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?

My Review...

Sometimes people in the media turn to writing books as an extra income stream. Well, they already have some notoriety/audience but do not have a writers gift. Richard Osman is not one of those. Mr Osman does have a gift for writing, especially "cosy comedy" His first book "The Thursday Murder Club" sold in its millions and was very entertaining. Although it did use the trick of defeating dead end plot lines by getting ex spy Elizabeth just to phone her ex colleagues to gain some nugget of vital information.

I think TMWDT is even better. Elizabeth's ex husband, still with MI5, steals some diamonds from a crime financier and along with his young, still wet behind the ears handler has to hide out in Coopers Chase retirement home under the watchful eye of our four OAP amateur sleuths and an ever growing cast of helpers. 

The plot is paced perfectly with twists at just the spots. Clever enough to be interesting but not overwhelmingly complex. It will keep you thinking to the end.

The four main characters have very distinct personalities. My favourite is Joyce the retired but a bit dippy ex nurse, whose razor sharp instincts are hidden deep within a vastness of triviality and gossip. Her depth is hidden by her shallowness, and that takes some writing. The growing supporting cast are all colourful and vivid also. I never struggled to remember each one, which I think is a very good sign in an ensemble book.

The partner of comedy is, as always, tragedy, and this is where the author really excels. The segue from jolly hockey-sticks to impending sense of ending and back is handled beautifully. The sections on dementia are heartbreaking as is the aftermath of an OAP struggling with mental health after a brutal mugging. Reading my last two sentences, one could be forgiven for thinking that this is a sad book. It is not, It is joyous and heartwarming. Given the series immense popularity, no doubt there will be a TV show soon.

If you reading this Mr Osman. Give up the day job son! You've cracked it. 😁

Selected Quotes...

“People love to sleep, and yet they are so frightened of death.”

“I am learning that it is important to stop sometimes, and just have a drink and a gossip with friends, even as corpses start to pile up around you. Which they have been doing a lot recently.”

"More women are murdering people these days…If you ignore the context, it is a real sign of progress.”

"Death hangs about her like a fine mist. It is in her hair and in her clothes. Surely everyone around her can tell"

About the Author...

Best known as the creator and co-presenter of the beloved BBC quiz show Pointless, Richard Osman’s career in television and comedy spans more than two decades. Osman studied Politics and Sociology at Trinity College, Cambridge, and began his career in television by producing numerous shows, including Deal or No Deal. Since 2009, he has co-presented Pointless with Alexander Armstrong and made various appearances in programmes such as Have I Got News for You and QI. Osman has also written several quiz and trivia books, including A Pointless History of the World(2016).

In 2020, Osman broke records with his debut novel The Thursday Murder Club – a deliciously humorous detective romp featuring a group of pensioners sleuthing in a sleepy retirement village in Kent. As well as becoming the fastest selling adult crime debut in recorded history, it was widely praised by critics.