The Bullet that Missed

Dusty Shelves 2 Comments

Richard Osman

Fiction 2022/ 341 pages

three-hearts

One Thursday afternoon in the seniors' center, a decade-old cold case, the murder of Bethany Waites, leads the Thursday Murder Club to a murder with no body and no answers. A new enemy they call "Viking", wants Elizabeth to kill former KGB chief Viktor, or he will kill her best friend, Joyce.

This third "Thursday Murder Club" adventure ranges from a prison cell with an espresso machine to a luxury penthouse with a swimming pool high in the sky to the Thursday Murder Club meeting room at off hours, during the Jigsaw Puzzle Club.

I agree with some reviewers who call Osman's characters "quirky and fun." They are!  And that is delightful!  There are just too many of them, in too many complex relationships with each other.  Sorry, but I am going to quit Osman and not bother with the fourth book in the series.  I think one problem I had with Bullet is that there isn't a voice that ties the book together. In earlier books in the series, Osman had Joyce writing in her journal, creating a sense of flow and a pair of eyes from which to see the action.  Now, the point of view keeps shifting, from Ron to Pauline to Elizabeth to Ibrahim to Donna to Joyce to Victor to the Viking.  It is more like a disorganized box of Legos rather than Legos together that build a tower to a climax.

I am rating it three hearts because if you are a mystery lover, I think you may like this book.  Many people have!

December 2023

 

2 responses on “The Bullet that Missed”

  1. mary crawford

    I’m enjoying this series. It is good as an audiobook. Haven’t had an issue with voices of the main characters growing stronger – I find it gives more depth to the characters. I do especially like Joyce writing in her journal. It helps tie things together.

    Another really good British detective series is Hawthorne & Horowitz by Anthony Horowitz. I’m anxiously awaiting the release of #5!

    https://www.amazon.com/Hawthorne-and-Horowitz-Mysteries-5-book-series/dp/B09DD853CS#:~:text=But%20as%20the%20case%20unfolds,mysterious%20secrets%20of%20his%20own.&text=1%20title%20below%20is%20free%20to%20borrow%20with%20a%20Kindle%20Unlimited%20subscription.&text=There%20are%205%20books%20in%20this%20series.