The Man Who Died Twice

The Man Who Died Twice (Thursday Murder Club, Number 2) Richard Osman. Penguin Books (ISBN: 9781984881014) 2022.

Summary: Ibrahim is badly assaulted by a teenage thug and Elizabeth’s ex-husband shows up, suspected of stealing diamonds.

Ibrahim was enjoying his jaunt to a local bookstore–until assaulted by a group of young thugs–including vicious kicks that landed him in the hospital from one of them. One of the side plots is how the Thursday Murder Club figures out a way to get even with with Ibrahim’s assailant. Interestingly, Ibrahim does not want revenge–he just wants to hide out at the Villages. Psychologist though he is, he is suffering both physical and emotional trauma.

Meanwhile, the main plot begins when Elizabeth receives a letter from a former “associate.” Closer than that, Douglas Middlemiss was once married to Elizabeth. Now he is on the run, suspected of stealing diamonds worth £20 million from a shady banker who needs them to pay off the New York mob. And he wants to hide out in the Villages. Also, it turns out that a new girl working there, Poppy, is actually an agent there to protect him. It turns out he needs it. Poppy kills a hit man attempting to kill Douglas. They are removed to a safe house. But it is not very safe. Elizabeth finds both of them dead, when she responds to a message from Douglas.

Now the Thursday Murder Club kicks into high gear, minus Ibrahim for a time. But Joyce pulls him into action eventually. Bogdan joins them, resourceful and not afraid to deal with a female drug dealer. Chris and Donna are pursuing that drug dealer as well. Meanwhile, Elizabeth, with Joyce as an increasingly useful sidekick, follows a trail of clues both to find Douglas killer and the diamonds. But the trail raises a disturbing possibility. Did Douglas fake his own death at the safe house and is still about? And if not, who found the safe house and killed Douglas and Poppy?

One thing for sure, is that this ends in an exciting climax involving all these actors. But I won’t spoil the fun, and fun it is. We discover more in this book how good Elizabeth was at her tradecraft, as well as being the one Douglas allowed to get away to his wistful regret. Joyce comes increasingly into her own. Seemingly sentimental, taken up with making and giving out friendship bracelets, she doesn’t bat an eyelash at dead bodies, or mafia hit men. She offers insights that Elizabeth misses. And her friendship bracelets even provide a crucial clue! All in all, everything came together to make this an enjoyable book, beginning to end.