The Bullet That Missed

By Richard Osman

What it’s about?

It is an ordinary Thursday, and things should finally be returning to normal.

Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club are concerned. A local news legend is on the hunt for a sensational headline, and soon the gang are hot on the trail of two murders, ten years apart.

To make matters worse, a new nemesis pays Elizabeth a visit, presenting her with a deadly mission: kill or be killed…

While Elizabeth grapples with her conscience (and a gun), the gang and their unlikely new friends (including TV stars, money launderers and ex-KGB colonels) unravel a new mystery. But can they catch the culprit and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again?

What I think:

This series is really coming into its own now. The characters are really established and the putting is tighter.

The Thursday Murder Club has chosen a local unsolved murder to investigate but reopening the case soon proves dangerous and leaves them with not one but two murders to solve.

Joyce and Elizabeth are the stars of this book. Their friendship is really quite wonderful as it develops. Joyce may come across as quite naive sometimes but she is surprisingly open to adventures and takes new experiences in her stride. She’s definitely my favourite character.

Amidst all the murder and mayhem there are some really poignant moments. Elizabeth’s husband is deteriorating as is forgetting more of his life. And while is proves invaluable in solving part of this complex mystery there is a real sense that he us slipping away from Elizabeth.

The quirky characters continue to shine and the dialogue is witty with some genuinely laugh out loud moments. Osman has created some really special characters who embrace the difficulties of aging with humour. We also get to see more of Bogdan and Donna as their relationship develops.

This book will continue the Murder Club’s domination of the bestseller list and there is undoubtedly more to come. It’s a great read!