If you’ve been following my Thursday Murder Club series review, you’ll know how much I love this gang. Book 4, The Last Devil to Die, was an emotional gut punch, heavy on grief, beautifully handled, but it left me wondering how Osman would bring the energy back for a fifth instalment. The answer, as it turns out, is by letting the characters surprise you.
This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk, and please do read books 1-4 first. You’ll thank me later.
The Gang Is Back — But Different
Book 5 opens in the aftermath of Book 4’s events, and Elizabeth is not quite herself. We get to see a side of her that the series hasn’t shown much of before: softer, still sharp, but carrying weight. For a character who has spent four books being seemingly unshakeable, it’s a nice change. She still gets her moments, don’t worry.
Joyce, on the other hand, is caught up in something much more joyful, her daughter Joanna’s wedding. Now, if you’ve read the series, you’ll know Joanna has always been there in the background, a reliable side character. This book changes that. Joanna takes centre stage here, and she’s brilliant. She even gives Elizabeth a run for her money, which is no small thing. Joanna’s new husband and his best man add a fresh dynamic that the series needed, and it works.
On the other side of things, Ron is given a storyline that shows a different kind of vulnerability to what we saw from Ibrahim in earlier books. Ron willing to set aside long-held differences, to accept certain things for the sake of the people he loves — it’s quietly one of the most touching threads in the book. You’ll know what I mean when you get to the Connie scenes.
And Ibrahim. Dear Ibrahim. He’s been through it in previous books, and here Osman lets him step into a steadier role, the one the gang leans on for wisdom, but with a hint of loneliness. He’s still warm, still funny, still wonderfully overthinking everything. But there’s a quiet confidence in him now that feels earned.
The Mystery Is a Bonus
I’ll be honest with you, the plot itself, while full of twists and turns and yes, a bomb or two, is not the main attraction here. It’s cosy mystery through and through. You won’t be white-knuckling it.
But that’s fine, because by book five, you’re not reading for the mystery. You’re reading for these people. The banter is still razor sharp. The sarcasm is intact. The warmth between the four of them — and the ever-expanding cast around them — is what keeps you turning pages at midnight when you should have stopped two chapters ago.
Should You Read It?
If you’ve made it through books 1-4, you don’t need me to tell you. You already know.
If you’re new to the series, start from the beginning.
For the fans, book 5 is a good one. It doesn’t quite hit the emotional heights of The Last Devil to Die, and the mystery is lighter than The Man Who Died Twice. But as a book about these characters growing, changing, and still somehow ending up in the middle of a murder investigation? It’s a joy. Osman clearly loves this gang as much as we do, and it shows on every page.
Rating: 5 Muse Points. Because this gang has no intention of slowing down.
About the Author
Richard Osman is a British author, producer, and television presenter, best known for his Thursday Murder Club series and TV shows like Pointless and Richard Osman’s House of Games. We Solve Murders is the first book in his new detective series.
