The Man Who Died Twice (The Thursday Murder Club Book 2)

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My personal opinion is this one is better than the first book. One whole star better! The pace is faster, it jumps and flies all over the place and the action doesn't slow down until the end. There are reoccurring characters from the previous book and lots of new ones. And, again, the mystery has twists that keep you guessing through to the end. Think of the Thursday Murder Club itself as a senior version of ‘The A-Team’. . .Funny, moving and suspenseful. . . So delicious, even adorable . . A wildly entertaining book.”

Ron, on the other hand, is an old (similar age) union boss who’s used to diving in wherever he’s needed. If he’d been walking with Ibrahim, he’d have straightened out the hooligans on the spot, and they would have stayed straightened out. I've always enjoyed the dual points of view in this series, which alternate between third person omniscient and first person in the form of Joyce's journal. I find Joyce's voice to be particularly delightful and her colorful commentary of the events a real hoot and highlight. The last time she had seen Marcus Carmichael would have been late November, 1981, a very dark, very cold night by Lambeth Bridge, the Thames at low tide, her breath clouding in the freezing air. There had been a team of them, each one a specialist, and Elizabeth was in charge. They arrived in a white Transit van, shabby on the outside, seemingly owned by g. procter-windows, gutters, all jobs considered, but, on the inside, gleaming, full of buttons and screens. A young constable had cordoned off an area of the foreshore, and the pavement on the Albert Embankment had been closed. Donna had recently introduced Chris, her boss, to Patrice, her mum. She thought they might get along. As it turned out, they are getting along a little bit too well for her liking. When things turn deadly, Elizabeth calls the troops to action, and naturally, they are eager to help… especially if they can find those diamonds as a bonus to solving a murder!Osman’s novels are so much more than just brilliantly engineered mysteries... They're also funny, warm, and big-hearted. He can't possibly write them fast enough to suit me. These books are absolute gold.” It’s wonderful to see how many people have fallen in love with Richard’s fabulous Thursday Murder Club and simply couldn’t wait to read the next instalment,” said his publisher Joanna Prior, managing director of Penguin General. “The response to these characters and the crimes they solve from readers around the world has been extraordinary and it has been a joy to work with retailers to make publication week such a big moment for everyone to share in.” EXCERPT: The nights are beginning to draw in a little, and the sun is sinking behind the trees on top of the hill as Elizabeth reaches Ruskin Court and rings the bell for number 14. Here goes nothing. There is a brief wait and she is buzzed up.

There's a lot going on, but all of the varying plot-lines blended together perfectly. Osman made it comfortable to read and engaging throughout.The club makes a triumphant return… The Man Who Died Twice, like its series predecessor, is an unalloyed delight, full of sharp writing, sudden surprises, heart, comedy, sorrow and great banter.” It’s impossible to single out any one feature that makes The Man Who Died Twice such an absolute treat...Richard Osman creates real magic with his characters.They are frequently laugh-out-loud hilarious but also entirely real and three-dimensional...If possible, this sequel is even better than the Osman’s charmer of a debut, The Thursday Murder Club. This series is both a load of fun and an ode to how the power of friendship is important throughout one’s life but especially during the final stretch.Don’t miss it.” The strength of a “Cozy” is its characters and it’s what I enjoy MOST in this series although the mystery is THIS book was much stronger and more entertaining than the one in the first, for me! Thank you to Penguin/Viking for providing me with a widget of the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Additionally, I feel like we got to know Donna and Chris, the local detectives who have befriended the Murder Club, a bit more. I really enjoy both of their characters. Donna is struggling a bit with her place in life and Chris's new relationship with Donna's mother, Patrice. Elizabeth nods. "Immaculate." Not the only thing she has noticed about Poppy, who seems to have sprung from nowhere, with her nails and her incompetence. But she has other things on her mind for now, and the mystery of Poppy can wait for another day.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." I wonder if you remember me? Perhaps you don't, but without blowing my own trumpet, I imagine you might. Don't get a small dog, though, Joyce," says Ron. "Small dogs are like small men: always got a point to prove. Yapping it up, barking at cars." I had the pleasure of listening to the Audible narrated by the VERY talented and engaging Lesley Manville and I do hope she will be continuing her work with book three in the series, “The Bullet That Missed” which has an expected publication date of September 20, 2022. The plot and pace of this marvellously mad caper is much faster than the first one, there’s more danger and a higher body count. However, what shines through all the nefarious deeds, twists and turns is the love, friendship and respect for this group of smart pensioners. Just because they are in the upper age profile nobody messes with them and gets away with it, they take no prisoners, they are full of vim, vigour, brains and a barrel load of flair and ingenuity. Their all for one and one for all mentality shines through all they do which is heartwarming. Have I mentioned the laughs? There’s plenty of those especially in Joyce’s journal. She’s what my mum would have called ‘a card’ , ‘a darned good tonic’ and ‘a good egg’. It’s so entertaining Joyce has me laughing out loud! The whole escapade is written in such a lively entertaining and engaging way that it’s hard to put down once you start. I love Richard Osman’s wry and clever sense of humour which I’m glad to say crops up with frequency.

And is that an old Egyptian saying, or an old psychiatrist's saying?" asks Joyce. "Or something you just made up?" As the cold case turns white hot, Elizabeth wrestles with her conscience (and a gun), while Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim chase down clues with help from old friends and new. But can the gang solve the mystery and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again? Elizabeth is a former secret agent with MI5, with crucial know-how, instinct, and access to police and British intelligence resources. Joyce is a retired nurse, and she adds a very different perspective on situations and is the perfect person to deal with people, with empathy that puts people at ease. Ron was a union man and a real go-getter with a solid and determined personality. Ibrahim is a former psychiatrist with a unique and treasured ability to read people and their body language. Ibrahim is mugged, and it leaves him frightened to leave his home, and he uses excuses why he can’t participate in outside activities. The personal story of Ibrahim is quite touching and, unfortunately, a horrific reminder that assaults like this do happen to our seniors. The support and care from his group of friends add a sensitive dimension to the story. It also provides the reason local detectives Chris Hudson and Donna De Freitas return, and their friendship and relationships extend the exciting characters surrounding the Thursday Murder Club. Another special friend of the club, is the calm and mysterious Bogdan, someone who always has the means to get something unusual done.I ABSOLUTELY LOVED spending time with these characters and getting to know them even better. These are people with real lives, vivid pasts and things they still want to get done in life. I'm so hoping that this series will continue, it’s absolutely wonderful!! In this story we are reunited with Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim, shortly after the events of Book 1. The impetus to this adventure is Elizabeth receiving a letter from an old colleague/flame, who finds himself in a bit of a bind and is hoping for her assistance.