The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
❤️💙🖤❤️💙🖤❤️💙🖤❤️💙🖤❤️💙🖤❤️💙🖤❤️
After reading The Thursday Murder Club last month, I knew I needed to continue with this series right away.
I fell in love with the characters, the retirement community setting and the compelling mystery that played out.
The Man Who Died Twice is the second book of the series and dare I say, I enjoyed it even more than the first, which I loved. It seems the more time I spend with these characters, the more invested I become.
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.
There’s $20,000,000 in diamonds and mobsters involved, of course, because what fun would it be otherwise?
We meet Douglas, the old flame, along with his partner Poppy. Ibrahim has a scary run in outside of Cooper’s Chase that makes him reevaluate everything. Donna and Chris are actively trying to nab a local drug lord.
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.
I never had times were I was in one perspective wishing to get back to another, which can happen with stories that switch perspectives frequently.
Elizabeth, Joyce and their friendship were again the stars of the show for me, although I do really love everyone.
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.
I actually felt it was important for us to hear her struggles. I liked to see that vulnerability from her. It made her relationships with the people in the Murder Club seem that much more important now. I get it, Donna. I see you.
It was also so fun having more Bogdan. Bogdan, a Polish man of many useful talents, helps around Cooper’s Chase and in this one, is particularly helpful to Elizabeth. Their relationship is so special.
I guess you can probably spot the theme here. Even though this is a super fun mystery, at it’s heart this is a story of people making their way in the world and the special bonds they’ve formed with one another.
It has filled my heart reading both of these books and I’m so looking forward to picking up the third!
I definitely recommend this series and highly recommend the audiobooks. The narration is fabulously done and overall, it’s just a super engaging listening experience!!