After shattering British book sales records during the pandemic with his debut novel, TV quizmaster turned mystery writer Richard Osman takes readers back to the swanky retirement village, Coopers Chase, for another charming tale of death and danger.
In The Man Who Died Twice, septuagenarian sleuths Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Joyce, and Ron – the ‘Thursday Murder Club’ – find themselves caught up in not just a local murder investigation, but a deadly conspiracy with international reach. The instigator is a man from Elizabeth’s secret service days, who reappears with a story of stolen diamonds and angry mobsters. Elizabeth knows not to fully trust him – he is her ex-husband as well as a spy, after all – but when an assassin shows up, it gives some credence to his tale.
Meanwhile Ibrahim is mugged by a local lout and goes into his shell. As deaths follow, the Thursday Murder Club shuffles into action, and antics. Can they uncover the killer? Can they find the diamonds? Can they survive? Will Ibrahim ever leave his room again?
Osman crafts another enjoyable read that sprinkles espionage seasoning atop a classic village murder mystery, plus lashings of humour. There’s something smile-inducing about Osman’s cast and their escapades; it’s a pleasure to be in the company of the Thursday Murder Club once more.
Reviewed by Craig Sisterson
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Richard Thomas Osman (born 28 November 1970) is an English television presenter, producer, novelist, and comedian. He is the creator and former co-presenter of the BBC One television quiz show Pointless. He has presented the BBC Two quiz shows Two Tribes and Richard Osman’s House of Games and been a team captain on the comedy panel shows Insert Name Here and The Fake News Show. He has made appearances on many British panel shows including Would I Lie To You? and QI.
Osman worked at Hat Trick Productions before becoming creative director of the television production company Endemol UK, producing shows including Prize Island for ITV and Deal or No Deal for Channel 4. He is the author of the crime novels The Thursday Murder Club (2020), The Man Who Died Twice (2021), The Bullet That Missed (2022) and The Last Devil To Die (2023).
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