The Man Who Died Twice (2021) By Richard Osman

"More women are murdering people these days...If you ignore the context, it is a real sign of progress."

Having raced through Richard Osman's opener to this series; 'The Thursday Murder Club', I immediately dove into this equally acclaimed sequel. As I have just illuded to, this has received plenty of positive reviews, from readers and critics alike, which certainly sets in good stead.

"Revenge is not a straight line, it’s a circle. It’s a grenade that goes off while you’re still in the room, and you can’t help but be caught in the blast."

The story, rather conveniently, near enough picks up where the last book left off. This allows Osman to carry the momentum and character developments over very smoothly. The effect of this is that the characters are settled immediately, and the story can therefore ramp up in steady fashion.

"Don’t get a small dog though, Joyce,’ says Ron. ‘Small dogs are like small men: always got a point to prove."

Perhaps surprisingly, considering how much I adored the story of 'The Thursday Murder Club', I think I actually preferred the narrative of this book. It delves far deeper, and more profoundly, into the lives and relationships of the story's protagonists.

“Some people in life, Sue, are weather forecasters, whereas other people are the weather itself.”

One of the best things about 'The Man Who Died Twice', is the attention paid to some of the key elements of life as an elderly person, including mental health and illness, which both come to be major elements of the story, each in their own way.

"It is fine to say ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ It is admirable. But it no longer applies when you’re eighty. When you are eighty, whatever doesn’t kill you just ushers you through the next door, and the next door and the next, and all of these doors lock behind you."

As you would expect from a murder mystery, Osman lays a clever mix of traps and breadcrumbs for his readers, leading them on a mysterious and enthralling journey from start to finish - I for one was fully engrossed in the 'whodunit' nature of the story.

"You must die before your children, of course, because you have taught them to live without you. But not your dog."

Ultimately, Osman produces a very intelligent and entertaining climax for this mysterious tale. I didn't quite guess the twist, although I wasn't far behind, if I do say so myself. I was thoroughly satisfied, once again, with what I read. Richard Osman seems to have a real talent for red herrings and hidden clues.

"We are all gone in the blink of an eye, and there is nothing to do but live while you’re waiting."

It's hard to put into words, just how much I enjoy Osman's writing style and penchant for character work. He just gets it. His characters feel believable, their relationships are all functional and beneficial for the stories they are written into. Furthermore, the way the characters lead the plot, rather than the other way around, is so enjoyable.

"She had used all the tricks in the book to encourage him, to convince him, to cajole him into looking after himself. But it turned out that, all along, the only real motivation he needed to change was to start having sex with her mum. You have to be so careful what you wish for."

Overall, this is a fantastic sequel to a fantastic predecessor. I can only expect big things from book 3; 'The Bullet That Missed', which will surely be started as soon as I can get my hands on it. With book 4 already on the way, it seems everyone's favourite investigative pentioners have far more to give to Osman's audience.

"And if one is never lost in life, then clearly one has never traveled anywhere interesting."