In One Word: Satisfying
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK. LOVE IT. The only thing I don’t like about it is that I’m done reading it and I can’t read it again the first time.
This is the second book in Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series and I really tried to hold out on reading it, since I just finished the first a month ago, but I could not wait. I saw a review from someone who said they loved the first one and they loved the second one EVEN MORE which is a big flex after what was a solid debut, but I concur! Everything I loved about the first one is here to stay, and Osman doubled up the number of twists and intrigue plus crafted a delicate ending that made me smile.
The sassy foursome of pensioners are back, stirring up trouble and solving crimes. In this installment, we get more of a peek into the mysterious Elizabeth’s past as an intelligence agent because the major crime involves someone from her past. What sets these books apart from other mysteries is that while these are mystery books, Osman has woven into this gripping tale a rich cast of characters that you are eager to see grow and develop. Cantankerous Ron had prime billing in book one, as his son was the main suspect, but this time around he’s more of a background character. Instead, a major plot point revolves around sweet Ibraham. (That almost has me in tears again just thinking about it!) We still get interesting and witty excerpts from Joyce’s diary to fill in the story which is a fun narrative choice. There’s danger around many corners and I was on the edge of my seat. You can see that Osman is probably going to weave together what looks like disjointed bad guys and many plot threads somehow, but he kept me guessing. Also, might a romance be blooming for the delightful but lonely Police Constable Donna? (Eek!) Plus, we see love blooming between Police Constable Chris and Donna’s mom, groan-inducing for Donna, great for the reader. These characters are so authentic and crips that I’m actually befuddled that they aren’t real people. Can anyone bop over to (fictional) Coopers Chase retirement community and check for me?
I don’t know what else I can say. Run, don’t walk to your nearest library, book purveyor, or internet browser, and get your eyes on this book!
