Book Review: The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

 

This is the most hilarious crime mystery I´ve ever read. Usually, I prefer to start getting to know an author of mysterious fame with his or her most famous, bestseller book therefore I´ve chosed from the series of Thursday Murder Club Mystery the second installment, The Man Who Died Twice, also recommended by other crime readers whose opinions I appreciate. 

Although the second book, it does not raise any difficulties in understanding the characters and their ways. Especially their ways. The members of the Club are mostly retired operatives from different intelligence agencies. Retired, they love a good crossword to keep their mind awake, but once in a while, old calls are bringing back on the field. 

This time, they are supposed to find 20-million pound worth diamonds, stolen by an old chap, Elizabeth ex-husband Douglas, from a local mafia thug. Diamonds, who are obviously for ever, may make anyone´s retirement easier, and the four septuagenarians are ruthless as never to find them and eventually change their lives for ever. Who wouldn´t? Therefore, count on an ever growing count of characters, of different colours, keen to get first the diamonds.

What is entertaining by The Man Who Died Twice is not only the humour and the hilarious characters and situations the characters are in, but also the twists. Never stays the same more than two-four lines and there are changes of all kinds that do not give your brain any single break. A very exciting adventure, unexpected to say the least. 

Another important feature of the book is the humanity and diverse faces of the old age, as contextualized in the book. The old characters play an important part of the book, solving mysteries, thinking about love and the future, and I couldn´t stop from thinking about Live a Little.

The Man Who Died Twice is an entertaining story told with humour and empathy, that will not leave indifferent a real buff of British mysteries. I can only think about getting to know other stories told by the Thursday Murder Club, hopefully soon.

Rating: 3.5 stars