Note: This review may contain light spoilers for The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman.
The Thursday Murder Club, after a few weeks of quiet retirement from solving murders, are approached by TV personality Mike Waghorn about his friend, Bethany Waites, who may or may not have died when her car tumbled over a cliff some years ago. No one found a body, and it’s not clear whether she might have committed suicide, but what is clear is that it likely has something to do with the money laundering case she was investigating at the time of disappearance. During the investigation, a mysterious Swede has contacted Elizabeth, demanding she kill an old friend if she wants to protect those she loves at Coopers Chase. Soon, the Thursday Murder Club finds there might be more connections between Bethany and the Swede than initially meets the eye.
The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman is the third installment of The Thursday Murder Club series and offers an intriguing mystery and an additional layer to every member of the Thursday Murder Club that helps build increasing interest in the narrative. However, what’s more important at this stage is that returning to Osman’s series has begun feeling like visiting friends in a small English village rather than reading a lighthearted murder mystery about a group of pensioners. In creating that feeling, it becomes easier for the audience to identify as part of a community, especially one as positive and accepting as Osman has created in Coopers Chase, despite the fact that the main protagonists are elderly individuals in their seventies.
For Casual Readers
The Bullet That Missed is easy to enjoy if you have already begun the series and enjoyed the previous books in the sequence. Osman’s skill at building a compelling narrative that integrates so many perspectives would make it an enjoyable read for anyone who likes stories that are cozy mysteries, deal with complex aspects of aging, and like to find reminders that there’s something to hope for in life even in decline. Part of the enjoyment of the books comes from the fact that the subject matter of the series offers hope and joy alongside the misfortunes that life presents, and that is just as true in the third book as it was in the first.
For Writers
Osman’s novel holds similar lessons offers by The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice, but it is worth noting here that his writing style offers a positive light to most issues presented within the novel despite the fact that he’s discussing crime and murders in the books. One reason for this is that Osman has a skilled way of presenting the small moments of every day living alongside the bigger events in life so that it highlights not just the absurdity of some issues or concerns, but also the fact that even the worst things that happen to us pale in comparison to the larger parts of life which has greater meaning to us over time. For that reason, it’s worth reading if the story you’re writing wants to reframe life’s difficulties around a more positive message.
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Next Up: The Hod King by Josiah Bancroft
A Final Note
The Coffeehouse Creative is a place to flex creative muscle while working on other projects. That means that alongside book reviews, you’re likely to find:
Travel pieces that have brought joy the writer’s life
Reflections on writing and the life that it brings with it
Recommendations on marketing and management practices
Notes from a graduate student looking to survive the studies
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