Friday 2 September 2022

Read in 2022 - 25: The Man Who Died Twice

The sequel to The Thursday Murder Club, I enjoyed The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman even more and can really recommend it.

The reader is reunited with the main cast from the first book, and of course new characters are added. Even the least important one appears almost fully fleshed out, which reminds me of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books; there, even people remaining at the outskirts of the story seem to have a full biography and character description in the background.

I won't give away too much, in case you want to read it for yourself, but let me say this: Elizabeth's ex-husband turns up; a "safe house" is not so safe anymore; a super-rich criminal hosts an open garden day; diamonds worth twenty million pounds disappear (and reappear in some unlikely places); a drug dealer has the hots for Bogdan, and the Italo-American mafia pays a visit.

Although one of the four friends from the retirement village gets hurt along the way, they all survive (the same can not be said about several others in the story). Joyce ends up with a new family member, and Donna might just be on the brink of something good happening in her love life.

I know book # 3 is scheduled to be out this autumn. Hopefully, my friend from the volunteer group will again lend me her copy. Until then, I have plenty other books to read but am really looking forward to the next one with the Thursday Murder Club.

If there is one negative thing, it is nothing to do with the story or Richard Osman's writing, but the way the book is presented. I love the cover design, but does it really need all those blurbs from reviews about both this one and the 1st book? Surely the sales numbers of The Thursday Murder Club guarantee similar sales for The Man Who Died Twice, without having to plaster the inside cover and the first page with more and more quotes of praiseful reviews, especially as there are already two such quotes each on the front and back cover. Ah well, what do I know about marketing.

Anyway, 5 stars from me! O.K.'s Mum got the German edition for her birthday last week (from O.K.), and I hope she'll like it as much as I did.

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4 comments:

  1. DawnTreader5 September 2022 at 14:41

    Never heard of this author and following your link to a previous review it seems I missed that one back then. (So definitely not from me you first heard of that one!)

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    1. Librarian5 September 2022 at 15:02

      Thanks for clarifying this for me, Monica. I still think you'd greatly enjoy The Thursday Murder Club and this sequel.

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  2. Rachel Phillips5 September 2022 at 23:30

    I also enjoyed this sequel. He is now writing a third book.

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    1. Librarian6 September 2022 at 06:36

      It's already published, as far as I know, but not yet available as paperback. The friend who lent me the first two has already pre-ordered the paperback, she told me yesterday.

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