The Man Who Died Twice (2021) by Richard Osman

👵🏻👴🏻 My first acquaintance of The Thursday Murder Club was a few years ago, and the second book was long overdue. Is it as good as the first? Some writers only fascinated me with their first, while the rest was usually a flop. But not Richard Osman. This second installment is as good as, if not better than, the first. Reading it felt like reunited with old friends you're fond of. Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim, and Ron are who they are as I always remember them. Elizabeth are her old spy self, but the others are now more adept to Elizabeth's way, and to murder investigation business. Both Joyce and Ron, in particular, had bigger contributions in this story than before.

👵🏻👴🏻 The story begins with two things. First, Elizabeth has a blast from the past when a letter from a man whose death years ago she had witnessed during her M15 days - the titular man who died twice - arrived. Of course, a man can't possibly be dead twice; it was a fake death that Elizabeth had witnessed. Now the man is back, and wants Elizabeth's help. That part wasn't a surprise, we've read similar situation in crime novels before. The surprise in this one is the identity of the man - he turned out to be Elizabeth's ex-husband! Douglas Middlemis is an old member of M15, who is being chased by a Mafia leader for stealing his diamonds, and is now hiding in Cooper's Chase with another fellow M15, a girl called Poppy.

👵🏻👴🏻 The second big thing is much bleaker. Ibrahim is severely mugged! When you are eighty, being mugged could be a life or death situation - both physically and, maybe more importantly, psychologically. Of course the three friends couldn't let the matter go. The teenager who had mercilessly attacked their beloved friend must pay for it, one way or another!

👵🏻👴🏻 Then several murders are committed, and our four elderly amateur sleuth are back in action - this time more adventurous and dangerous. And even when the three of them are in the midst of solving murder mystery and hunting stolen diamonds, they still have time to arrange a sweet revenge for Ibrahim's mugger.

👵🏻👴🏻 Just like the predecessor, The Man Who Died Twice is sweet, hilarious, and full of action. The plot is plausible and cleverly woven. Like the first book, my favorite parts are of Joyce's diaries. She has an uncanny way of telling a story. Joyce is, and always will be, my favorite character from the series. She's funny and always unexpected! In this one, she's twice solved a few of tricky mysteries - outperforming Elizabeth for a change! Now I can't wait to read the 3rd (and 4th) book!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2