Book Review: The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club #3)

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the third installment of the Thursday Murder Club series, a ten-year-old unsolved murder (assumed suicide by driving her car over a cliff) of a journalist/co-host of a television news show, has our favorite residents of Coopers Chase Retirement Village- Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron- going all out in their search for old facts, discovering new leads, meeting new people (and reconnecting with old acquaintances) and trying to keep from getting into trouble. Helping them are their friends PC Donna de Freitas and DCI Chris Hudson. To complicate matters for Elizabeth, she is receiving anonymous texts and threats from an unknown nemesis who orders her to kill a former KGB colonel she had connections with during her old days as an MI5 agent, failing which would endanger not only her life but also the life of one of her friends.

What follows is an exciting sequence of events involving a multitude of suspects (old and new), the world of television journalism, financial fraud, kidnapping, murder, blackmail and much more. People are killed, graves are dug, unlikely alliances and friendships are formed, romance blossoms for some of the characters and while some mysteries are solved, there is much more to the story than what everyone assumes.

I love how the author not only entertains us with riveting mysteries but also pays attention to character development as the series progresses. Each of the characters has an important role to play in these stories. We all know Elizabeth is a very interesting character and we get to know more about her past while also witnessing the love and tenderness she feels for her husband Stephen and her concern for her friends. Joyce is definitely coming into her own as the series progresses and I loved how she uses her presence of mind to get out of the sticky situations. Her journal entries/notes make for some entertaining reading. In addition to the third-person narrative and Joyce’s notes, I liked we also get chapters from the perspectives of Elizabeth, Bogdan, Ibrahim and other characters. I’m loving how Bogdan is becoming an integral part of the series. Alan, the dog, is also a welcome addition to the club!

With its intricately plotted mystery, quirky characters, engaging narrative (short chapters and sharp writing!) and laugh-out-loud humor, The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman is a fun read and a worthy addition to the series. While I’ve enjoyed all three books in this series, the second book remains my favorite to date. I would strongly recommend that you read the books in series order to fully enjoy the characters and the stories. It was great to catch up with the Thursday Murder Club and their friends (both old and new). I can’t wait for Book #4!