What is clear after reading both novels is that Osman is a very much a one-trick pony, whose trademark is subverting expectations about the elderly in a series of attention-grabbing asides," wrote Joan Smith in the Times last year. Having read all previous Thursday Murder Club editions, was really looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint, (although bittersweet in many ways, bringing a tear to the eye).

4 : Osman The Last Devil To Die: The Thursday Murder Club 4 : Osman

The Thursday Murder Club is back, and that should make everyone happy — except, of course, murderers. The story romps along with glee, plenty of murders, and a suspension of disbelief, which is a delight. Viking snapped up two further Thursday Murder Club novels and two in a new series to launch in 2024. The residents of Coopers Chase have seen a lot, but the impact has rarely been felt so close to home. 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.My only sadness is that, like Agatha Christie, Richard Osmon has chosen his protagonists as retired. Drawn into the world of international smugglers and scam artists Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron are on the case. While the corpses start piling up, could our unorthodox yet brilliant group catch this killer, before time runs out? Like the members of the club itself it feels like these books are sometimes dismissed as gentle or cosy. The criminals are almost loveable rogues, accepting of the adage 'live by the sword, die by the sword, juxtaposed with a conversation about the family or new business ventures.

Richard Osman - Book Series In Order Richard Osman - Book Series In Order

Osman doesn’t disappoint… Everything is here that fans of the series have come to expect: humour, warmth, the confounding of expectations as these pensioners investigate… Along with the laughs, there is grief, and an ending that is handled sensitively (I was weeping)… We all need a regular injection of the Thursday Murder Club to keep our spirits up.As they encounter drug dealers, art forgers, and online fraudsters—as well as heartache close to home—Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim have no idea whom to trust. The strands of the plot multiply entertainingly and get tied together in the usual satisfying way… Osman serves up another delightful mystery. This is the 30th book, but considering Alex has survived "Kill Alex Cross" before, chances are he survives this one. The characters are delightful and the switch between third person narration and Joyce’s diary continues to work beautifully.

Richard Osman to embark on new series of crime novels - BBC Richard Osman to embark on new series of crime novels - BBC

While working as the creative director at TV giant Endemol, he pitched the idea for Pointless to the BBC, becoming the co-presenter along with Alexander, when it began in 2009.Real threats and real consequences, and a real understanding that while the motivations of thieves and murderers may be complex, the real villain of the piece is unstoppable illness and hard choices for those who may be left behind. It's Christmas in Coopers Chase and a package (not the festive kind) that was smuggled across the English coast on Boxing Day has gone missing and chaos has been unleashed. Around the world, Osman’s existing publishers have also swooped in to snap up the rights to the new books. It is this diverse group of characters Richard creates and develops and his tight plotting with many secrets and reveals, as well as the touches of humor that make this a delightful and entertaining read. What is truly special in the books are the characters, whose age allows for a beautiful kind of interaction… For all the fizz of jokes and romance, the books carry with them a sense of grief and sadness which becomes much stronger in The Last Devil to Die…The kindness is his books comes out of something greater for Osman.

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman: 9780593299425

I’m going to start by saying I resisted reading this series because I was determined not to like them. Book number two of the series, The Man Who Died Twice, was released on 16 September 2021, a third, The Bullet That Missed, in September 2022 and a fourth, The Last Devil to Die, in September 2023. Osman’s plots play fair with the reader, carefully placing “red herrings” to fool the reader into picking the wrong possible murder suspect—a gambit that has improved with each successive book. It deals sensitively and touchingly with ageing while providing engaging plots that are hard to put down. The terrifying Connie, residing in prison, lives a life of luxury whilst running her drug business and being counselled by Ibrahim.Richard Osman’s engaging series about a group of crime-solving retirees has delighted readers since the first book. This is because at sixteen, he spent all his time with some paper and a pen, mainly just writing down jokes. The Thursday Murder Club, an international bestseller, was funny, original, baffling, poignant and thoroughly engaging.