Books: The Bullet That Missed (The Thursday Murder Club #3) By Richard Osman (2022)

 

“The crime-fighting quartet of the Coopers Chase Retirement Village take on an ex-KGB colonel, several TV icons, a murderous money launderer, and more as they rush to catch the latest killer. Joyce suggests that the gang investigate the death of Bethany Waites, a local TV presenter whose car was pushed off a cliff several years prior. Bethany had been investigating a tax fraud operation worth over £10 million and had told colleagues she was close to revealing the mastermind behind it all. Now the Thursday Murder Club wants to know: Who killed Bethany? What happened to the £10 million? And why, since they started their investigation, have their two prime suspects in Bethany’s disappearance turned up dead?”

So far, the strongest of three, The Bullet that Missed moves at a swift pace, with exciting revelations as the tale builds. Then there is the mysterious man everyone is calling The Viking who wants Elizabeth to kill an old KGB agent, or he’ll kill Joyce. Then there is Ibraham trying to puzzle out what happened in the prison (a murder of another inmate) where Drug Queen Connie Johnson is awaiting trial for the actions in the last book.

The humor is still there, and Joyce remains funniest, somewhat daffy, eccentric character who is, of course, sometimes the cleverest of the lot. And she usually gets the best jokes, like this, “I have been Googling but there's not much there. I got so desperate I even used Bing but the results were the same if a bit slower”, and it made me laugh aloud. Still, Elizabeth remains the heart and soul of this series (and remains a hoot herself), a cunning woman who possess some brilliant talents and friends. Nothing seems to ruffle her feathers, with the exception of knowing that her husband Stephen’s time is growing shorter, as he begins to sense that there is finally something wrong with him.

Yes, it’s a cozy mystery the British have excelled with for more than a century, but it’s fun and very charming. And as I grow older, it’s also fun to read tales that feature positive age representations –this series celebrates the intelligence, ingenuity, resourcefulness and savvy that only comes with a life fully lived. Also, I learned a lot about cryptocurrency.