I had a hankering for a cozy mystery, now that I’m on that bandwagon, and what better than one of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club sleuths? I haven’t had the pleasure of being with the four septuagenarian sleuths in a long time.

I believe this is the 3rd in the series, but you need not have read the first two to follow this one.

Christmas Gifts

Elizabeth, Osman’s retired spy, has other problems to deal with. Not only is her beloved Stephen slipping deeper into the clutches of dementia, but she’s kidnapped and charged with carrying out a hit herself. As ever, she takes it in her stride. “Things have been too quiet recently. A retired optometrist crashed his moped into a tree, and there has been a row about milk bottles, but that was about it for excitement. The simple life is all well and good, but, in this moment, with a murder to investigate, and threatening texts arriving daily, Elizabeth realises she has missed trouble.” Writing genuinely funny prose is not at all easy; it is rare that I find a book that has me actually laughing out loud While Elizabeth wrestles with her conscience (and a gun), Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim chase down the clues with help from old friends and new. But can the gang solve the mystery and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again? I read book one and listened to book two. The narrator for book two was so good and I was looking forward to her narration of book three. But instead we got another awesome narrator who made this story even better. I just cannot get enough of these characters and this series!

In a sub plot, someone new isn’t happy with Elizabeth and she is warned that she must KILL or BE KILLED. And, “The Viking” is threatening her friend’s lives as well. There are plenty of laughs to be had, and I am already eagerly awaiting the next installment. If you haven’t started this series yet, DO IT NOW!

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Joyce (and her humorous journal entries) continue to fill us in on the details, and she has definitely earned her spot in the Club as she “googles” for answers.

The simple life is all well and good, but, in this moment, with a murder to investigate, and threatening texts arriving daily, Elizabeth realizes that she has missed trouble. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim find an old cold case that interests them, and they’d like to solve it. When they’re on the prowl, they’re going to get their way. Unfortunately for Elizabeth, she’s also dealing with a personal issue when someone from her past threatens her future. She’s reluctant to share this with her friends, but by keeping it to herself…is she putting them in danger? The Bullet That Missed was another fantastic installment to the Thursday Murder Club series and (dare I say it?) even better than the first two. These books really do keep getting better and better.

Retailers:

The Bullet That Missed is book #3 in the Thursday Murder club series. The unique, eccentric characters make this series a must-read, and this installment is no exception.

A new mystery is afoot in the third book in the Thursday Murder Club series from million-copy bestselling author Richard Osman. It was best to grab everything while you could. Who knows when your final swim might come, your final walk, your final kiss? I love these characters: Elizabeth whose husband Stephen is slowly succumbing to dementia; Joyce and her dog Alan; Bogdan who provides muscle when needed and unobtrusively babysits Stephen when Elizabeth is otherwise occupied.

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She pours herself a drink, and takes one final look at the bullet. Really, she has no choice at all. The original four spunky septuagenarians, aka The Thursday Murder Club, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron, are at the center of the action. In addition, other favorites are featured, including Chris, Donna, and Bogdan, and Alan, the dog, has a large role. Once again, I feel it should be stressed that while this series often lands in the cozy category, anyone who loves mysteries or crime fiction will like this series. It’s smart, clever and oh so entertaining!