Play Book Tag discussion

The Man Who Died Twice – Richard Osman
Digital audiobook performed by Lesley Manville
3***

From the book jacket: 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 Coopers Chase, their posh retirement village. But an unexpected visitor arrives, desperate for Elizabeth’s help. He has been accused of stealing diamonds worth millions from the wrong men, and he’s seriously on the lam. Then a body is discovered, and the group soon find themselves up against a ruthless murderer who wouldn’t bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can our unlikely friends catch the killer before the killer catches them?

My reactions
This series has the major hallmarks of a cozy mystery – amateur sleuths too nosey for their own good and a cast of eccentric characters that help or hinder. But the crimes are more front-and-center than most cozies.

I really loved the initial book in the series but was less enamored with this sophomore effort. I’m sure it’s partly due to all the stuff going on in real life right now which keeps my brain occupied elsewhere than in the pages of a good story.

Still, the group is just as endearing as they were in the first outing, and, of course, they still get the best of the bad guys. There are some moments of humor to break the tension, and a very satisfying ending.

Lesley Manville does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. She has a lot of characters to handle, and she is up to the task.



LINK to my review