THE LAST DEVIL TO DIE
BY RICHARD OSMAN
417 pages
Richard Osman released his latest Thursday Murder Club mystery last year and whilst still in hardback (paperback released in May 2024), ‘The Last Devil To Die’ is a fabulously compulsive read for book clubbers looking for entertainment and the chance to catch up with their favourite murder club besties - Joyce, Elisabeth, Ibrahim and Ron. The perfect dose of comedy, compassion and a thrilling crime to be solved.
It’s Christmas time at Coopers Chase but it doesn’t take long for The Thursday Murder Club to find themselves drawn into another suspicious and untimely death involving an old friend in the antique business who has mysteriously been killed and a package he was protecting gone missing. As readers we are delighted to be reunited with the gang as well as drawn into another adventure that takes the team away from their cosy retirement village and on the road to the South Coast to meet with art fraudsters and heroine dealers. Will they be able to find the murderer of their friend? Will they be able to track down the mystery package? Meanwhile back at Coopers Chase a new resident has been tricked into an on-line romance or rather scam. There is also a sub-plot involving Elizabeth who is preoccupied with caring for her husband Stephen who has advancing dementia.
The novel contains the same laughs, a new heartache and a devilish mystery. Something for every Murder Club fan with the biggest tease - who will be the last devil to die?
The Den remain loyal to the characters and enjoyed this quintessentially English murder mystery. Book clubbers will also appreciate the opportunity to indulge in this cosy armchair read. ‘The Last Devil To Die’ won’t fail to disappoint fans but if you are new to the series, it would be wise to read Osman’s earlier novels in the collection.