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Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim--the Thursday Murder Club--are still riding high off their recent real-life murder case and are looking forward to a bit of peace and quiet at Cooper's Chase, their posh retirement village. But they are out of luck. An unexpected visitor--an old pal of Elizabeth's (or perhaps more than just a pal?)--arrives, desperate for her help. He has been accused of stealing diamonds worth millions from the wrong men and he's seriously on the lam. Then, as night follows show more day, the first body is found. But not the last. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are up against a ruthless murderer who wouldn't bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can our four friends catch the killer before the killer catches them? And if they find the diamonds, too? Well, wouldn't that be a bonus? show lessTags
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Richard Osman’s debut, The Thursday Murder Club, was an absolute delight, as is this sequel, The Man Who Died Twice.
Set in a luxury retirement village in the south-east region of England, the septuagenarian members of the Thursday Murder Club, - Elizabeth, a former MI5 intelligence operative; Ibrahim, a mostly retired psychiatrist; Ron, once a union boss, who enjoys playing devil’s advocate; and Joyce, a former nurse; find themselves in the midst of another caper when Elizabeth is contacted by an ex-colleague, pleading for her help.
Osman gives us a more complex mystery in The Man Who Died Twice which includes £20 million pounds worth of stolen diamonds, a double cross, a drug dealer, an international money launderer, and a teenage show more thug. Unfolding at a lively pace, I really enjoyed how the main mystery plot developed, finding it exciting and entertaining. I also appreciated the skillful way in which the various threads of the story are drawn together to create a very satisfying conclusion.
I was again charmed by the personalities of the Thursday Murder Club foursome as they inveigled, manipulated, coerced, and traded favours in their race to find the missing diamonds, solve two murders, and avenge Ibrahim. I particularly enjoyed the role Joyce played in this novel, Elizabeth may be the brains of the group, but underestimating Joyce is a mistake, even if she can’t knit. I was also happy to see local police officers, PC Donna de Freitas, and DCI Chris Hudson (who is now dating Donna’s Mum) as well as the enigmatic Bogdan, return.
Witty, clever and lively, The Man Who Died Twice is an entertaining read. I’m cheered to know a third instalment is in the works. show less
Set in a luxury retirement village in the south-east region of England, the septuagenarian members of the Thursday Murder Club, - Elizabeth, a former MI5 intelligence operative; Ibrahim, a mostly retired psychiatrist; Ron, once a union boss, who enjoys playing devil’s advocate; and Joyce, a former nurse; find themselves in the midst of another caper when Elizabeth is contacted by an ex-colleague, pleading for her help.
Osman gives us a more complex mystery in The Man Who Died Twice which includes £20 million pounds worth of stolen diamonds, a double cross, a drug dealer, an international money launderer, and a teenage show more thug. Unfolding at a lively pace, I really enjoyed how the main mystery plot developed, finding it exciting and entertaining. I also appreciated the skillful way in which the various threads of the story are drawn together to create a very satisfying conclusion.
I was again charmed by the personalities of the Thursday Murder Club foursome as they inveigled, manipulated, coerced, and traded favours in their race to find the missing diamonds, solve two murders, and avenge Ibrahim. I particularly enjoyed the role Joyce played in this novel, Elizabeth may be the brains of the group, but underestimating Joyce is a mistake, even if she can’t knit. I was also happy to see local police officers, PC Donna de Freitas, and DCI Chris Hudson (who is now dating Donna’s Mum) as well as the enigmatic Bogdan, return.
Witty, clever and lively, The Man Who Died Twice is an entertaining read. I’m cheered to know a third instalment is in the works. show less
The second Thursday Murder Club mystery is just as fun to read as the first. The four club members, residents of a posh English retirement community, have proven themselves worthy of solving actual crimes. This time they are dealing with spies, the mafia, and missing diamonds along with the usual dead bodies. Elizabeth, the unofficial leader of the club, is at the center of this mystery when the arrival of a former husband and colleague sets off a string of events. As this complex caper is unfolding, club member Ibrahim is recovering from a traumatic incident, and his friend Ron is working with the police to bring a baddie to justice. And the unassuming and somewhat dotty Joyce tags along with Elizabeth, making surprising contributions show more to the case and recording the day’s events in her personal journal. Hers is the only account written in the first person, and these are some of the funnier parts of the novel.
And yet, while this series had me laughing on almost every page, there were several instances where events in the characters’ lives, and their relationships with one another, made me choke up and get all teary-eyed. It is unusual for a book to affect me in such an emotional way, and completely unexpected in a mystery such as this, and that is why I hold this series in such high regard. I can’t wait for the next book. show less
And yet, while this series had me laughing on almost every page, there were several instances where events in the characters’ lives, and their relationships with one another, made me choke up and get all teary-eyed. It is unusual for a book to affect me in such an emotional way, and completely unexpected in a mystery such as this, and that is why I hold this series in such high regard. I can’t wait for the next book. show less
A rather irreverent look at the crime fiction genre. I very much loved Elizabeth and her rather flexible views on legality, although I would have been horrified by her as a real person.
It didn't wrap up as nicely as it might, because there was too much happening. I think the Ryan storyline was just a bit pat, although some of the other odd details might resolve over later books. (although, maybe it was reaching for farce, and just never got there?)
There are lots of laugh out loud moments, and I did love some of the character descriptions. World building was interesting but a bit overwrought, plot was a bit bumpy, characterisation was wonderful, writing was delightful.
It didn't wrap up as nicely as it might, because there was too much happening. I think the Ryan storyline was just a bit pat, although some of the other odd details might resolve over later books. (although, maybe it was reaching for farce, and just never got there?)
There are lots of laugh out loud moments, and I did love some of the character descriptions. World building was interesting but a bit overwrought, plot was a bit bumpy, characterisation was wonderful, writing was delightful.
This was a highly delightful sequel to The Thursday Murder Club. This time the club is dealing with a figure from Elizabeth’s past, someone who is on the run because of stolen diamonds. Naturally this is much more exciting than solving cold cases, so the four club members plunge in with gusto. Ibrahim’s confidence takes a knock when he is violently mugged—his physical recovery is good for an older man, but mentally it sets him onto a path of agoraphobia and anxiety, most frustrating for a retired psychiatrist. Nevertheless, he contributes a great deal to the case, and the others move heaven and earth to avenge his mugging, as well as to find the diamonds.
Even though Elizabeth was the central figure in this book by virtue of her show more past associate coming back into her life, I felt that Joyce played more of the detective role. Elizabeth in fact seemed to be less bright than in the previous book, with Joyce being quicker off the mark in terms of several key deductions. That said, Joyce is somewhat less perceptive in the area of creating Instagram usernames! I *cackled* when the username was revealed (and immediately had to tell my mum, who had also read the book, that I’d reached that point).
My favourite character in this installment was Ibrahim as he worked through his trauma and rebuilt some of his life. I also liked the dynamic he had with Ron’s grandson, Kendrick; he was straightforward and patient, and did not condescend to him at all. He’s how I’d like to be able to relate to the younger folks in my life (although I wouldn’t suggest scanning CCTV footage for potential murderers as a bonding exercise).
If you’ve read the first book and enjoyed it, you’ll probably want to read this one too. show less
Even though Elizabeth was the central figure in this book by virtue of her show more past associate coming back into her life, I felt that Joyce played more of the detective role. Elizabeth in fact seemed to be less bright than in the previous book, with Joyce being quicker off the mark in terms of several key deductions. That said, Joyce is somewhat less perceptive in the area of creating Instagram usernames! I *cackled* when the username was revealed (and immediately had to tell my mum, who had also read the book, that I’d reached that point).
My favourite character in this installment was Ibrahim as he worked through his trauma and rebuilt some of his life. I also liked the dynamic he had with Ron’s grandson, Kendrick; he was straightforward and patient, and did not condescend to him at all. He’s how I’d like to be able to relate to the younger folks in my life (although I wouldn’t suggest scanning CCTV footage for potential murderers as a bonding exercise).
If you’ve read the first book and enjoyed it, you’ll probably want to read this one too. show less
This is the second entry in the “Thursday Murder Club” series, cozy mysteries set in a luxury retirement community that are quick-paced and witty with any number of laugh-out-loud moments, depending, I suppose, if you have or have not ever been in a room with a number of septuagenarians all tuning their hearing aids at once.
Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron reside in Coopers Chase Retirement Village, and meet every Thursday for a “Murder Club” to look at old police files of cold cases and try to solve the them. So far though, they have been keeping busy, rather unexpectedly, with some real-life murders.
In this book, we meet Douglas Middlemiss, who was Elizabeth’s second husband, the two having gotten together when they were show more agents in MI5. Douglas wants Elizabeth’s help with a case, and of course she brings in the Murder Club to assist. As always, Joyce is a sucker for a handsome man, finding Douglas quite attractive:
“Elizabeth shrugs. ‘What is it with men and handsome? Wouldn’t you rather be kind and clever and funny and brave than handsome?’
‘No,’ says Ron.”
Bogdan Jankowski is back in this book as well. He is developing into a role similar to that of Hawk in the Spenser books or Marcus in the Andy Carpenter books. Bogdan often plays chess with Elizabeth’s current husband, Stephen, and they exchange confidences when Stephen, suffering from the onset of dementia, is lucid.
Once again the group works with local police - DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna De Freitas, both of whom have become friends with the Murder Club group. The four are also in contact, for this case, with two active MI5 agents, Sue Reardon and Lance James.
In the background, other plotlines highlight a life-changing event for Ibrahim, and the ever-present challenges of aging. In addition, the search to overcome loneliness and to find friendship and love in all forms - always important factors no matter what age you are - occupy the thoughts of all of the characters.
Joyce, whose intermittent diary entries serve as an analogy to a Greek chorus as well as providing interludes of humor, writes:
“I am learning that it is important to stop sometimes and just have a drink and a gossip with friends, even as corpses start to pile up around you. Which they have been doing a lot recently. It’s a balancing act, of course, but, by and large, the corpses will still be there in the morning, and you mustn’t let it spoil your [pizza].”
Evaluation: Grab a glass of wine any time of the day (to keep up with the residents of Coopers Chase, if you can) and get ready to be delighted with expertly-drawn characterizations, very clever dialogue, and excellent pacing.
Note: A movie version of this series is slated for Netflix with a fabulous cast, including Helen Mirren as Elizabeth. show less
Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron reside in Coopers Chase Retirement Village, and meet every Thursday for a “Murder Club” to look at old police files of cold cases and try to solve the them. So far though, they have been keeping busy, rather unexpectedly, with some real-life murders.
In this book, we meet Douglas Middlemiss, who was Elizabeth’s second husband, the two having gotten together when they were show more agents in MI5. Douglas wants Elizabeth’s help with a case, and of course she brings in the Murder Club to assist. As always, Joyce is a sucker for a handsome man, finding Douglas quite attractive:
“Elizabeth shrugs. ‘What is it with men and handsome? Wouldn’t you rather be kind and clever and funny and brave than handsome?’
‘No,’ says Ron.”
Bogdan Jankowski is back in this book as well. He is developing into a role similar to that of Hawk in the Spenser books or Marcus in the Andy Carpenter books. Bogdan often plays chess with Elizabeth’s current husband, Stephen, and they exchange confidences when Stephen, suffering from the onset of dementia, is lucid.
Once again the group works with local police - DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna De Freitas, both of whom have become friends with the Murder Club group. The four are also in contact, for this case, with two active MI5 agents, Sue Reardon and Lance James.
In the background, other plotlines highlight a life-changing event for Ibrahim, and the ever-present challenges of aging. In addition, the search to overcome loneliness and to find friendship and love in all forms - always important factors no matter what age you are - occupy the thoughts of all of the characters.
Joyce, whose intermittent diary entries serve as an analogy to a Greek chorus as well as providing interludes of humor, writes:
“I am learning that it is important to stop sometimes and just have a drink and a gossip with friends, even as corpses start to pile up around you. Which they have been doing a lot recently. It’s a balancing act, of course, but, by and large, the corpses will still be there in the morning, and you mustn’t let it spoil your [pizza].”
Evaluation: Grab a glass of wine any time of the day (to keep up with the residents of Coopers Chase, if you can) and get ready to be delighted with expertly-drawn characterizations, very clever dialogue, and excellent pacing.
Note: A movie version of this series is slated for Netflix with a fabulous cast, including Helen Mirren as Elizabeth. show less
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
TL;DR VERSION...
I'm going to try not to go on for a few thousand words here, but I can't make any promises. Just in case, let me provide this version of the post first:
Why waste time wondering about this book? Go read it now.
"It is fine to say ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger'. It is admirable. But it no longer applies when you're eighty. When you are eighty, whatever doesn't kill you just ushers you through the next door, and the next door and the next, and all of these doors lock behind you. No bouncing back. The gravitational pull of youth disappears, and you just float up and up.”
WHAT'S THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE ABOUT?
Right on the heels of the events of The show more Thursday Murder Club, a figure out of Elizabeth's past arrives at Cooper's Chase in need of her help (which means they get the help of Ibrahim, Ron, and Joyce, too—they're a package deal now). He's been accused of stealing diamonds worth millions—this is bad enough in any circumstances, but when these diamonds belong to a New York mafia family, the accusation takes on a particular level of seriousness.
As the quartet starts to help him, one of their members is mugged and there's not a lot the police can do about it, as much as they want to. You know that Elizabeth and the rest will not take that lying down for a moment, and you almost feel sorry for the mugger. It'd probably be better for him to turn himself into the police than face what Elizabeth will cook up.
At the same time, our police friends, DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna De Freitas, are trying to take down the unlikeliest drug kingpin since Nancy Botwin. There are also some nice (and potentially strange) developments in their social lives.
I shouldn't forget to add that Joyce takes up making friendship bracelets to sell for charity, gets an Instagram account, and decides to adopt a dog. You'll be surprised which of those becomes important for the plot, but you'll enjoy them all.
CROWDSOURCING VENGENCE
The last book's mysteries involved people near The Club, which got them involved—but it's largely due to curiosity/boredom/proximity. In this book, the crimes are personal, members of The Thursday Murder Club are affected and involved—either directly or indirectly. They're not acting for their amusement (well, maybe a little), they have a need to see justice done and someone punished.
In both cases, it feels like they're practically crowdsourcing their revenge. They are able to quickly get anyone they ask to chip in. "Oh, this is for X?" or "This is because of Y?" "Sure, I'm in." "Someone hurt So-and-so? What do you need." It's heartwarming to see the community come together like this, selflessly ready to help. It's also a little disturbing how quickly willing everyone is to ignore the law (not just because two of the people who are involved are police officers).
A SHARED ATTITUDE
At (at least) one point both Ron and Elizabeth reflect on their life at the moment and say something about how lucky they are. It's certainly possible that Joyce and Ibrahim said the same thing at one point in the book (if I had an e-copy, I'd have done a search or two so I'd know)—but even if they don't, they come close enough. I wish I had their sense of perspective, hopefully I get as wise as they are one day.
At the same time, they all know that life is short. And what they enjoy right now can be taken from them without warning (there are examples aplenty in the two books of the series). Which probably helps them enjoy their luck as long as they have it.
Elizabeth, in particular, knows that her luck is about to run out. Her husband loses his battle with dementia a little every day, and it'll soon be over. Each scene with the two of them together (or when Elizabeth thinks about him) is a fantastic combination of sweetness and heartbreak.
Come to think of it, that's a pretty good description of the series.
A JOYCE SAMPLER
I can't find some way to shoe-horn in these quotations, but I feel compelled to share them. Joyce's journal entries are gold. A couple of samples:
What would I do with five million pounds, I wonder?
I need new patio doors, they’re about fifteen thousand, though Ron knows someone who could do it for eight.
I could buy £14.99 wine instead of £8.99 wine, but would I notice the difference?
...So I probably don’t really need five million pounds but, nonetheless, I'm sure I shall dream about it tonight. You would too, wouldn't you?
By the way, earlier, when I said Elizabeth is a terrible flirt, I didn’t mean she’s a terrible flirt like I’m a terrible flirt. I mean that when she flirts, she’s terrible at it. Really all over the place. I like to see things Elizabeth is bad at. There aren’t many, but at least it levels the playing field a bit for the rest of us.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE?
"Anyone interested in something very weird at Coopers Chase?” says Chris.
Yes. Everyone is.
That bit of narration speaks for everyone* who's spent any time with The Thursday Murder Club and will likely continue to do so until Osman steps away from the series.
* I guess I should say "nearly everyone" I'm sure there are readers who weren't taken in by Osman's charm. I don't understand those people, but I should acknowledge their existence.
I'm not sure what to possibly say at this point in the post—this is a fantastically entertaining read. Osman has a gift for making you laugh, appreciate the depth of grief, muse on aging, and ponder the random vicissitudes of life all within a page or two—all while telling a first-class amateur detective story.
As much as I loved The Thursday Murder Club, I think this was a more entertaining read. I was chuckling almost instantly, and audible laughter soon followed that. But by the last paragraph of Chapter 3, I was reminded that Osman is as skillful at playing your heartstrings as he is tickling your funny bone. This is a winner. Stop wasting time with this post and go read the book. show less
---
TL;DR VERSION...
I'm going to try not to go on for a few thousand words here, but I can't make any promises. Just in case, let me provide this version of the post first:
Why waste time wondering about this book? Go read it now.
"It is fine to say ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger'. It is admirable. But it no longer applies when you're eighty. When you are eighty, whatever doesn't kill you just ushers you through the next door, and the next door and the next, and all of these doors lock behind you. No bouncing back. The gravitational pull of youth disappears, and you just float up and up.”
WHAT'S THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE ABOUT?
Right on the heels of the events of The show more Thursday Murder Club, a figure out of Elizabeth's past arrives at Cooper's Chase in need of her help (which means they get the help of Ibrahim, Ron, and Joyce, too—they're a package deal now). He's been accused of stealing diamonds worth millions—this is bad enough in any circumstances, but when these diamonds belong to a New York mafia family, the accusation takes on a particular level of seriousness.
As the quartet starts to help him, one of their members is mugged and there's not a lot the police can do about it, as much as they want to. You know that Elizabeth and the rest will not take that lying down for a moment, and you almost feel sorry for the mugger. It'd probably be better for him to turn himself into the police than face what Elizabeth will cook up.
At the same time, our police friends, DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna De Freitas, are trying to take down the unlikeliest drug kingpin since Nancy Botwin. There are also some nice (and potentially strange) developments in their social lives.
I shouldn't forget to add that Joyce takes up making friendship bracelets to sell for charity, gets an Instagram account, and decides to adopt a dog. You'll be surprised which of those becomes important for the plot, but you'll enjoy them all.
CROWDSOURCING VENGENCE
The last book's mysteries involved people near The Club, which got them involved—but it's largely due to curiosity/boredom/proximity. In this book, the crimes are personal, members of The Thursday Murder Club are affected and involved—either directly or indirectly. They're not acting for their amusement (well, maybe a little), they have a need to see justice done and someone punished.
In both cases, it feels like they're practically crowdsourcing their revenge. They are able to quickly get anyone they ask to chip in. "Oh, this is for X?" or "This is because of Y?" "Sure, I'm in." "Someone hurt So-and-so? What do you need." It's heartwarming to see the community come together like this, selflessly ready to help. It's also a little disturbing how quickly willing everyone is to ignore the law (not just because two of the people who are involved are police officers).
A SHARED ATTITUDE
At (at least) one point both Ron and Elizabeth reflect on their life at the moment and say something about how lucky they are. It's certainly possible that Joyce and Ibrahim said the same thing at one point in the book (if I had an e-copy, I'd have done a search or two so I'd know)—but even if they don't, they come close enough. I wish I had their sense of perspective, hopefully I get as wise as they are one day.
At the same time, they all know that life is short. And what they enjoy right now can be taken from them without warning (there are examples aplenty in the two books of the series). Which probably helps them enjoy their luck as long as they have it.
Elizabeth, in particular, knows that her luck is about to run out. Her husband loses his battle with dementia a little every day, and it'll soon be over. Each scene with the two of them together (or when Elizabeth thinks about him) is a fantastic combination of sweetness and heartbreak.
Come to think of it, that's a pretty good description of the series.
A JOYCE SAMPLER
I can't find some way to shoe-horn in these quotations, but I feel compelled to share them. Joyce's journal entries are gold. A couple of samples:
What would I do with five million pounds, I wonder?
I need new patio doors, they’re about fifteen thousand, though Ron knows someone who could do it for eight.
I could buy £14.99 wine instead of £8.99 wine, but would I notice the difference?
...So I probably don’t really need five million pounds but, nonetheless, I'm sure I shall dream about it tonight. You would too, wouldn't you?
By the way, earlier, when I said Elizabeth is a terrible flirt, I didn’t mean she’s a terrible flirt like I’m a terrible flirt. I mean that when she flirts, she’s terrible at it. Really all over the place. I like to see things Elizabeth is bad at. There aren’t many, but at least it levels the playing field a bit for the rest of us.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE?
"Anyone interested in something very weird at Coopers Chase?” says Chris.
Yes. Everyone is.
That bit of narration speaks for everyone* who's spent any time with The Thursday Murder Club and will likely continue to do so until Osman steps away from the series.
* I guess I should say "nearly everyone" I'm sure there are readers who weren't taken in by Osman's charm. I don't understand those people, but I should acknowledge their existence.
I'm not sure what to possibly say at this point in the post—this is a fantastically entertaining read. Osman has a gift for making you laugh, appreciate the depth of grief, muse on aging, and ponder the random vicissitudes of life all within a page or two—all while telling a first-class amateur detective story.
As much as I loved The Thursday Murder Club, I think this was a more entertaining read. I was chuckling almost instantly, and audible laughter soon followed that. But by the last paragraph of Chapter 3, I was reminded that Osman is as skillful at playing your heartstrings as he is tickling your funny bone. This is a winner. Stop wasting time with this post and go read the book. show less
Very much in the vein of the series. Well sure, you say. It's book two. Due to circumstance, I happened to read book three ([b:The Bullet That Missed|58957615|The Bullet That Missed (Thursday Murder Club, #3)|Richard Osman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1649424135l/58957615._SY75_.jpg|92920737]), then went back for second helpings (haha, see what I did there?). And, much like any time one goes for second helpings, I started to question my decision-making. I felt I would have been just a little bit better served had I waited a little longer for things to settle in the stomach, if you will.
"'You will understand, ma’am, better than most people, that I have orders.”'
'Poppy—firstly, call me show more Elizabeth. Secondly, I haven’t seen you get an order right in two weeks, so why change now? Now, let’s hear this story, and I’ll tell you if I accept the job. And then I’ll tell my friends, but you mustn’t worry yourself.'”
Not a bad book, certainly. As my mother notes, "I felt it jumped around a lot," and jump around it certainly does. Largely limited third person, it jumps around in all the major players' heads--and I do mean all: Elizabeth, former M15 agent, DCI Chris Hudson; Ibrahim the psychiatrist; Connie Johnson, drug dealer; Martin Lomax, broker; PC Donna; Douglas Middlemiss, M15 agent; Ron, professional gadfly; Bogdan Jankowski, Polish builder and man of many abilities; Patrice, teacher and girlfriend; Stephen, Elizabeth's husband; and probably a few others I'm skipping. In between we have Joyce's first person diary entries. It's all terribly amusing and Oscar Wilde-ish, lots of banter and disarming openness that conceals all sorts of shenanigans.
“'Specifically, we have to look at the chances of your life expectancy exceeding the life expectancy of a medium dog.'
'It’s a mystery to me why you never got married, old son,” says Ron to Ibrahim, and takes the bottle of white wine from the cooler on the table. “With that silver tongue of yours. Top-up, anyone?'”
The plot is completely ridiculous, of course, and therein lies my biggest concern with the series. In this one in particular, there's a bit of violence and a number of dead bodies and I just felt like, well, I don't think real people would continue to go along. In particular, I'm not sure the characters he's created here would continue to go along. It's one thing to solve historical murders that have present implications. It's another entirely to get involved with James Bond-level heists and commensurate level killings. Resist the attempt to escalate, Osman. It does you no favors.
"I am learning that it is important to stop sometimes and just have a drink and a gossip with friends, even as corpses start to pile up around you. Which they have been doing a lot recently."
I do love the moments of reflection that can happen. In this one, Ibrahim reflects on risk, and various characters reflect on relationships, love and forgetting. Character creation is a standout. Joyce remains unbelievably daffy at times, but I will admit she stole my heart with her diary entry after her train trip to Belgium:
"We had to head back to the station but, on the way, I bought some chocolate for Ibrahim and some beer for Ron. The shop even wrapped them nicely.
I thought we might sleep on the train back, but honestly we were talking... Who will be the first to work it out?
It was quite a long journey back, so somewhere in northern France I unwrapped Ibrahim's chocolates and we ate them, and then I unwrapped Ron's beers and we drank them."
Dearest Joyce. I've totally done that, although not with Ron's beers.
Three and a half stars.
Update October 2023: Reread because I needed a low-key read and the e-library had pushed it to me. You know what? It held up despite having read earlier in the year. Actually, the convoluted plotting (made more so by multiple viewpoints) was easier to follow. Solid three stars that I could round up or down depending on reading mood. This time, I'll go up. ;) show less
"'You will understand, ma’am, better than most people, that I have orders.”'
'Poppy—firstly, call me show more Elizabeth. Secondly, I haven’t seen you get an order right in two weeks, so why change now? Now, let’s hear this story, and I’ll tell you if I accept the job. And then I’ll tell my friends, but you mustn’t worry yourself.'”
Not a bad book, certainly. As my mother notes, "I felt it jumped around a lot," and jump around it certainly does. Largely limited third person, it jumps around in all the major players' heads--and I do mean all: Elizabeth, former M15 agent, DCI Chris Hudson; Ibrahim the psychiatrist; Connie Johnson, drug dealer; Martin Lomax, broker; PC Donna; Douglas Middlemiss, M15 agent; Ron, professional gadfly; Bogdan Jankowski, Polish builder and man of many abilities; Patrice, teacher and girlfriend; Stephen, Elizabeth's husband; and probably a few others I'm skipping. In between we have Joyce's first person diary entries. It's all terribly amusing and Oscar Wilde-ish, lots of banter and disarming openness that conceals all sorts of shenanigans.
“'Specifically, we have to look at the chances of your life expectancy exceeding the life expectancy of a medium dog.'
'It’s a mystery to me why you never got married, old son,” says Ron to Ibrahim, and takes the bottle of white wine from the cooler on the table. “With that silver tongue of yours. Top-up, anyone?'”
The plot is completely ridiculous, of course, and therein lies my biggest concern with the series. In this one in particular, there's a bit of violence and a number of dead bodies and I just felt like, well, I don't think real people would continue to go along. In particular, I'm not sure the characters he's created here would continue to go along. It's one thing to solve historical murders that have present implications. It's another entirely to get involved with James Bond-level heists and commensurate level killings. Resist the attempt to escalate, Osman. It does you no favors.
"I am learning that it is important to stop sometimes and just have a drink and a gossip with friends, even as corpses start to pile up around you. Which they have been doing a lot recently."
I do love the moments of reflection that can happen. In this one, Ibrahim reflects on risk, and various characters reflect on relationships, love and forgetting. Character creation is a standout. Joyce remains unbelievably daffy at times, but I will admit she stole my heart with her diary entry after her train trip to Belgium:
"We had to head back to the station but, on the way, I bought some chocolate for Ibrahim and some beer for Ron. The shop even wrapped them nicely.
I thought we might sleep on the train back, but honestly we were talking... Who will be the first to work it out?
It was quite a long journey back, so somewhere in northern France I unwrapped Ibrahim's chocolates and we ate them, and then I unwrapped Ron's beers and we drank them."
Dearest Joyce. I've totally done that, although not with Ron's beers.
Three and a half stars.
Update October 2023: Reread because I needed a low-key read and the e-library had pushed it to me. You know what? It held up despite having read earlier in the year. Actually, the convoluted plotting (made more so by multiple viewpoints) was easier to follow. Solid three stars that I could round up or down depending on reading mood. This time, I'll go up. ;) show less
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Author Information
28 Works 25,492 Members
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Awards
Distinctions
Notable Lists
Series
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Man Who Died Twice
- Original title
- The Man Who Died Twice
- Original publication date
- 2021
- People/Characters
- Elizabeth Best; Joyce Meadowcroft; Ibrahim Arif; Ron Ritchie; Donna De Freitas; Chris Hudson (show all 13); Bogdan Jankowski; Connie Johnson; Patrice De Freitas; Poppy; Douglas Middlemiss; Sue Reardon; Lance James
- Important places
- Cooper's Chase, Kent, England, UK; Dublin, Ireland; Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Fairhaven, Kent, England, UK
- Dedication
- For Ruby and Sonny - I'm so proud and lucky to be your dad.
- First words
- The following Thursday ...
"I was talking to a woman in Ruskin Court, and she said she's on a diet," says Joyce, finishing her glass of wine. "She's eighty-two!" - Quotations
- I was learning that it is important to stop sometimes and just have a drink and a gossip with friends, even as corpses start to pile up around you. (p. 177)
"Any intelligence you can give us on Patrice, before we meet her?" asks Elizabeth.
"She's okay," says Donna. "Bit mumsy for me." - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"But I don't suppose anyone here knows anything about twenty million pounds from Antwerp?"
- Publisher's editor
- Loftus, Katy
- Original language
- English
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- Reviews
- 195
- Rating
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- 35 — Bulgarian, Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Farsi/Persian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Portuguese (Portugal), Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese, traditional, Chinese, simplified, English (UK)
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 63
- ASINs
- 19