Book #7 for 2022: The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After Richard Osman's debut novel, "The Thursday Murder Club", this was one of the most eagerly anticipated books of last year, and it definitely lives up to expectations.
This one develops some of Elizabeth's character, by introducing her former husband, who is in possession of a large number of diamonds (the book's mcguffin), and that's all I really mention without giving spoilers. It is written in the same format as the original, so several chapters are told in the form of Joyce's diary entries; it would be nice if some of the later books had different characters writing these instead, although Joyce's constant bemusement, that is evident in her writing, did occasionally give me a laugh.
The book constantly misdirects the reader, and I was left guessing constantly, and yes, there are deaths - more than in the first novel. The book also drops a few more hints at Elizabeth's past, which will probably be developed further in later titles.
There are also a couple of subplots in this book, including the characters Chris and Donna trying to arrest a drug dealer, and the response of the other characters to Inrahim being mugged, and their efforts to bring the mugger to justice.It also shows more evidence that the characters (particularly Ron) are prepared to resort to dubious tactics in order to make sure that justice is served.
I enjoyed this book a lot; there seemed to be more bursts of humour than in the original, and I will look forward to any subsequent books, just as long as Richard Osman doesn't decide to kill off any of the four main characters.
My copy was a version exclusive to Waterstones, which had an "out-take" chapter, in the form of one of Joyce's diary entries. I wasn't sure where in the book it was meant to be, but I could see why it was taken out, as it was a little too long and inconsequential, and involved a pub quiz, complete with questions and answers.
The third book comes out in September, and I can't wait, especially with the hints of romantic subplots at the end of this one; it will be interesting to see where these go.
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