The Man Who Died Twice (Thursday Murder Club, #2)

Title: The Man Who Died Twice (Thursday Murder Club, #2)

Author: Richard Osman

Published in: 2021

Date read: 17th December 2022

Score: 4/5

Genre: Crime, Detective, Thriller

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"The Man Who Died Twice," published in 2021, is the second highly anticipated novel in Richard Osman's charming and witty "Thursday Murder Club" series. It reunites the quartet of elderly amateur sleuths from Coopers Chase retirement village with another perplexing and dangerous mystery, moving beyond the village gates into the world of international crime.

The story kicks off when Elizabeth Best, the formidable former spy of the Thursday Murder Club, receives a cryptic letter from a man from her past: Marcus Carmichael. Carmichael is not just an old colleague; he's also her ex-husband, a mysterious figure thought to be long dead. He contacts Elizabeth to arrange a meeting, claiming he's in grave danger.

When Elizabeth meets him, Marcus reveals he's in possession of £20 million in stolen diamonds. These diamonds were pilfered from a notorious and ruthless mob boss in New York, and Marcus is now desperately trying to escape the clutches of both the American Mafia and the British National Crime Agency (NCA), who are also pursuing him.

Before Marcus can fully explain or hand over the diamonds, he is brutally murdered. This sudden death plunges Elizabeth and the rest of the Thursday Murder Club – Joyce Meadowcroft, Ron Ritchie, and Ibrahim Arif – into a high-stakes investigation. They find themselves navigating a dangerous world of professional killers, organized crime, and international espionage, far removed from the quiet lanes of Coopers Chase.

The Club, with their unique blend of life experience, specific skills (Elizabeth's spycraft, Joyce's surprisingly sharp observations, Ron's street smarts, and Ibrahim's psychological insights), and unexpected connections, begin to uncover a complex web of deceit. They must figure out who killed Marcus, where the diamonds are hidden, and how to outwit both the mobsters and the law enforcement agencies converging on the case.

DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna De Freitas return as the official police liaisons, constantly bemused and occasionally exasperated by the Club's often unconventional, rule-bending methods. The narrative is rich with Osman's signature humour, clever plotting, and heart-warming moments of friendship and camaraderie among the aging detectives.

The climax involves the Club orchestrating an elaborate scheme to trap the real killer and secure the diamonds, leading to a thrilling showdown that tests their ingenuity and courage. "The Man Who Died Twice" is a delightful and suspenseful follow-up, solidifying the series' reputation for combining murder mystery with charming character-driven storytelling.

Comments:
This marks the turning point. I almost didn't read this because I was not overly impressed with the first one. As I don't get through books as fast as some people do, I am careful not to read things that I won't enjoy. I am just so glad that I gave this one a go because it is brilliant.

Books that we've read by Richard Osman (4):
The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club, #1) (2020), The Man Who Died Twice (Thursday Murder Club, #2) (2021), The Bullet That Missed (Thursday Murder Club, #3) (2022), The Last Devil to Die (Thursday Murder Club, #4) (2023)