The Man Who Died Twice - Richard Osman

It's the following Thursday.

Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He's made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life.

As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn't that be a bonus?

But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn't bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can The Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them?

Blurb taken from Goodreads.

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I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club when I read it, so I was excited to start this one! I'd found the easy reading and charm of the first such a pleasure to read, although the plot was a little chaotic for my liking. However, the characters were so endearing that I was still keen to get my hands on the sequel!

I have to say, The Man Who Died Twice was even better than the first. It has the same lovely characters, the same charm, and it was incredibly funny. I had so many laugh-out-loud moments reading it. I also found the plot to be far more cohesive; it had lots going on but it all felt very natural, and I had no trouble following it. 

This will be an amazing read for anyone who loved the first, or for those who love charming, cosy mysteries.

Rating: ✫✫✫✫✫

The Story

I'm normally not as keen on robberies, and prefer to read straight up murder mysteries (ghoulish, I know). However, this had a really great balance of different stories, and had a little bit of everything. Even more than that, it had so many twists and turns that it was a real page-turner, and I loved how the story kept me on my toes.

There was a lot going on, but it didn't feel difficult to follow at all. I also loved how every single detail was tied up nicely, and felt relevant to the story. It's so easy for details to get lost by the end of the book, but I wasn't left with any unanswered questions which was really satisfying. The final scenes had me a little lost, as there were so many characters to keep track of, but I didn't mind at all. I  loved following the drama, and the story was so fast-paced that I quickly caught up.

The Characters

To me, the real joy in this book (and in the first) is found in the wonderful characters. A lot of books have a very typical type of protagonist - young, attractive, and 'different'. Osman's books are a far cry from this, with older characters who are far more gentle. Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim are an absolute pleasure to read about.

I love their whole attitude to life, and it's so refreshing. Their honesty, and the hilarity of their interactions, really makes them shine. I highlighted so many different passages in the book that really made me smile. It adds such a charm to quite a morbid story, and it works so well! It makes the book incredibly easy to read, and I absolutely love the combination of dark subject matter, and quite a light narrative.

The Verdict

I went into this book expecting big things, but even then I was not disappointed. The story was fun and fast-paced, and I found it was even better than The Thursday Murder Club. Yet the really special part of this book was the way the characters shone. As we already know a little bit about them, The Man Who Died Twice really built depth into their personalities, and I fund it a real page-turner. 

This book is such a great mix of jam-packed action and light humour that I can't imagine anyone not enjoying it.