While previous books in the Thursday Murder Club series have been full of action and crowded with characters, it becomes noticeably apparent early on that this book feels different with its quieter, softer tone, fewer characters, and an unexpected emotional punch. With that said, it's a topic that's handled in a most thoughtful and compassionate way by the author. I won’t rehash the plot since it’s been thoroughly reviewed by others at this point, other than to say it involves a stolen box with a valuable stash inside, the darker side of the antiques trade and forgery, a side story about romance fraud and, of course, murder! There's not much detail about the story, other than the Waterstones listing saying: "Osman's beloved ageing investigators return in another captivating mystery that blends wry wit and deft characterisation with fast-paced, intricate plotting."

I highly recommend The Last Devil to Die to those readers who enjoy a Cozy Mystery with a solid group of main characters! Then a new foe pays Elizabeth a visit. Her mission? Kill or be killed. Suddenly the cold case has become red hot. This was an entertaining mystery, with more chaos and mayhem (hehe) than you'd expect old people to get themselves into. We see Joyce really come into her own here, stepping in for Elizabeth who is otherwise indisposed. I feel like all the side characters were particularly charming, and I even started to like Connie if you can believe it. We also have a little side mystery going on to catch an online scammer, just to add a bit of extra zing to the whole thing.

Success!

Anyway my point is four books in and Richard Osman has the goddamn audacity to keep handing me not just consistently good but consistently BETTER goddamn books each and every goddamn time.

I will say that while this entry was every bit as charming and full of life as its predecessors, it also had more emotional heft due to a loss that impacts all of the characters. As a reader of the series, it wasn’t necessarily unexpected, but the amount of tears I shed was! My apologies to the drivers in the cars next to me who surely thought I was having a breakdown of some sort. Kudos to Richard Osman for handling the potentially controversial topic sensitively, with room for opposing views. This is the fourth book in the series, and while it can be read as a standalone, the emotional aspects of the narrative might not resonate if you are not familiar with the characters or the series. In his author's note, Osman indicates that he is working on a new series, so it might be some time before we can visit with our good friends from Coopers Chase again. I'm glad to know that he has not retired them for good, because I'm invested in this friendship now and I look forward to seeing them again some Thursday in the future.My favorite Thursday Murder Club to date, The Last Devil to Die gave me so many emotions and a riveting mystery to boot. This book was part of my birthday present to myself. Yesterday I decided that it was time to enjoy it. This makes two nights in a row that I have stayed up far too late reading, unusual for a woman who is often in bed before 10 p.m. When an emotional door opens up for one topic, it segues into another topic that sheds light on a key character in this series. Book #4 feels like an unanticipated shift in the Thursday Murder Club. It's evolving and surprising the reader yet keeping the core of the series fresh and ever-changing.

I think we're all very aware of how rare it is to find a writer who just never stops delivering. Its like dating in your twenties, you fall for a pretty face across the room and spend a dazzling few weeks or maybe even months being wooed right off your feet with poetry, pretty gifts, and hot sex but then some time goes by and the honeymoon's over and its just the same verse, gifts and positions over and over again. I cannot think of another series with a more moving exploration of love after a lifetime together, and The Last Devil To Die reduced me to tears at more than one point.” What is truly special in the books are the characters, whose age allows for a beautiful kind of interaction… For all the fizz of jokes and romance, the books carry with them a sense of grief and sadness which becomes much stronger in The Last Devil to Die…The kindness is his books comes out of something greater for Osman. It’s how he wants the world to be and it’s how he thinks the world is, if only we could realize it.” EXCERPT: Mervyn is an unconventional guest, but Elizaeth is learning to float on the tides of life these days. While author Richard Osman will be moving on to write a second series, he assured me (and the many other readers who are similarly invested) that he’ll return to the funny, sweet stories of my favorite retirement home sleuths. The Last Devil to Die is a beautiful send-off that will get us through the wait.”The Thursday Murder Club was met with widespread acclaim when it was published. Global film rights to the book have been bought by Steven Spielberg’s production company, Amblin Entertainment. Read More Related Articles

Osman follows The Bullet That Missed with a bittersweet mystery about the problems facing many older people: dementia, computer fraud, death. Humor does, however, alleviate the poignancy inthis strongest, most emotional book in the best-selling series.”The pensioners take an immediate interest in the details of Sharma's execution-style murder and initiate an investigation of their own...