The Bullet That Missed: (The Thursday Murder Club 3)

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There's always something just out of reach. . . . Everyone chasing the thing they don't have. Going mad until they get it." It was great to see Joyce come into her own, channeling her inner Elizabeth. I also loved the Murder Club's chutzpah as they dropped in to have tea with various criminals and then casually arranged for a luncheon summit including two drug lords and two art forgers. Osman has created very engaging characters. He also has a sense of humour that shines through the work. I think he's pretty good at plotting too. The mystery is complex but not at all confusing. I loved that the bad guy who got away was a Canadian. Garth may be ruthless, but he was always polite about it.

Usually by the fourth book in a series, my interest starts to wane and I don’t continue on, but I have grown fond of this gang, and look forward to what’s next! While previous books in the Thursday Murder Club series have been full of action and crowded with characters, it becomes noticeably apparent early on that this book feels different with its quieter, softer tone, fewer characters, and an unexpected emotional punch. With that said, it's a topic that's handled in a most thoughtful and compassionate way by the author. I won’t rehash the plot since it’s been thoroughly reviewed by others at this point, other than to say it involves a stolen box with a valuable stash inside, the darker side of the antiques trade and forgery, a side story about romance fraud and, of course, murder! Incredibly clever, with some deeply poignant scenes and laugh-out-loud shenanigans from the elderly friends, this fourth entry in the series is chaotically fun…Osmanweaves numerous plot lines, both tragic and hilarious, into an irresistible novel, perfect for fans of Mrs. Pollifax or Miss Marple.” The Last Devil to Die is a Cozy Mystery I devoured in two big gulps. It's full of eye-opening perspectives into the antiques business, drug-smuggling, fine-art fraud, and on-line romance fraud. But who am I kidding? I'm here for the four main characters in this series, their comradery and banter, along with Joyce's journal entries that keep me listening time and time again. I did crave a bit more of Joyce's loyal pooch Alan, but that's just the dog-lover in me chiming in.There’s also a subplot about a romance scam. As someone who dealt with a mother taken in by one, I loved how the team dealt with it.

Anyway my point is four books in and Richard Osman has the goddamn audacity to keep handing me not just consistently good but consistently BETTER goddamn books each and every goddamn time. Osman concocts a satisfyingly complex whodunit full of neat twists and wrong turns. But unlike most crime novelists, he ensures his book’s strength and momentum stem not from its plot or its thrills but rather its perfectly formed characters. Once again, the quartet of friends makes for delightful company… Heartwarming and enthralling. ‘They carried a kind of magic, the four of them,’ a policeman muses. That magic is still there in abundance.” There are some interesting new characters introduced - Mervyn, who is looking for love in all the wrong places; Jill Regan from the NCA; and assorted criminals, some obviously so, others not so obvious. Of all the criminals it was Garth who intrigued me the most, a great big Canadian bear of a man who loved very deeply.When an emotional door opens up for one topic, it segues into another topic that sheds light on a key character in this series. Book #4 feels like an unanticipated shift in the Thursday Murder Club. It's evolving and surprising the reader yet keeping the core of the series fresh and ever-changing. The Bullet That Missed hits on every front. Its quandaries stymie, its solutions thrill, its banter is worth reciting and its characters exemplify an admirable camaraderie. One can only hope that the Thursday Murder Club’s next outing appears before long.” You know that the author can write great characters that are humorous, he can certainly write funny, he knows where the jokes can be inserted to make you smile and laugh but what I didn’t anticipate is the writer’s way of dissecting pain and sorrow and put it in wonderful words for us to read. So here’s the anticipated effect, in one chapter you are sobbing and in another you are laughing very hard, you would be looked at as unstable but that’s this book for you. So you are warned, no reading in public places or all the seats next to you will be vacated. While author Richard Osman will be moving on to write a second series, he assured me (and the many other readers who are similarly invested) that he’ll return to the funny, sweet stories of my favorite retirement home sleuths. The Last Devil to Die is a beautiful send-off that will get us through the wait.” Joyce plays a more major role in The Last Devil to Die and almost becomes more Elizabeth than Elizabeth herself. Ibrahim makes a quiet revelation to Computer Bob and I wonder whether he will ever make this revelation to the other members of the Thursday Murder Club.

This is a series where the characters have been drawn so deftly they seem real. These are people I wished they lived in my community! The pensioners take an immediate interest in the details of Sharma's execution-style murder and initiate an investigation of their own... Osman shares in his author’s note that he is working on a new series, so it might be some time before we see our friends from Coopers Chase. I will miss them. This is the fourth book in the series, and while it can be read as a standalone, the emotional aspects of the narrative might not resonate if you are not familiar with the characters or the series. Her retort is perfectly fitting and definitely a sign that there will be more Thursday Murder Mystery Club meetings in readers futures…

I am a little bummed that Richard Osman is taking a break from this series to start another one (though I'm excited to see what he comes up with). Visiting these septuagenarians has become a highlight of my fall every year. But don't worry, for whenever the next book comes out, I'll be right here waiting to be reunited with my old friends. While Elizabeth wrestles with her conscience (and a gun), Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim chase down the clues with help from old friends and new. But can the gang solve the mystery and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again?