“The Bullet That Missed” by Richard Osman – Decade-Old Phantoms

 

Short Summary

Richard Osman has a real knack for plotting unusual story lines in his Thursday Murder Club Mystery series, and in the third book, titled The Bullet That Missed, things don't get much more unusual than this. The club sees a decade-old cold case risen from its slumber, leading them on an investigation involving a local news legend and a murder without a body, all while being stalked and hunted by a mysterious foe.

Richard Osman Warms up a Cold Case

Solved mysteries might bring us closure and contentment, but in my opinion, unsolved cold cases are infinitely more gripping to examine. With only incomplete information at our disposal and a mystery with no answers, we're perfectly set to make use of our deductive powers in a large sphere of possibilities. Potentially it can lead us to some wondrous places, and who knows, perhaps even the solution, as is the case for the Thursday Murder Club in The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman.

The third entry in the Thursday Murder Club Mystery series, like the second one, very much works as a standalone novel and doesn't require any previous knowledge to be enjoyed. While I do personally recommend you take the time to check out the previous chapters if you haven't (as well as the author's other works), it's completely up to you.

Resting up after their last outing, the members of the Thursday Murder Club (just a reminder, they live in a retirement community) are gathering once again, prepared for another stimulating meeting. Though they've had their share of unexpected adventures recently, nothing seems to indicate this Thursday will have anything remarkable in store for them.

While looking at cases they could potentially solve, they stumble upon the curious fate of a talented journalist who, ten years ago, allegedly drove her car off a cliff and thus committed suicide. Her body was never recovered, and the money laundering story she was preparing never saw the light of day. As they begin to chase down small clues, the cold case stars glowing hot once again.

Elizabeth is visited by a Swede seemingly intent on ruining her life, forcing her to grapple with her conscience and the precarious situations he puts her in. The club is certain this man is somehow related to the case they've just dug up, but can they really hope to solve anything before the murderer strikes once more? After all, they have avoided capture for over ten years.

The Depth of Retirees in The Bullet That Missed

Death is one of those primordial topic we've managed to approach from every angle known to us, from fear and reverence to comedy and nonchalance. It's something none of us can help but think about from time to time, but few are in a better place to comment on it than those nearing the end of their rope... especially those among them leading murder investigations.

The theme of death is fairly prevalent through this book, whether we're examining the murder which took place years ago, or looking at the lives of our protagonists, members of the Thursday Murder Club. None of them are spring chicken anymore, and they're in the process of realizing (some much faster than others) they have a very limited time left on Earth.

Richard Osman could have tackled this topic in any way he wished in The Bullet That Missed, but naturally, he chose to examine it with a welcome dose of humour, but never so much that it detracts from the weight of the concept. Tragic and comedic moments balance each other out over the course of the story, and even the more depressing passages are always followed by rays of hope.

Through the characters of the club and their relation towards their own deterioration, we get to learn quite a bit more about them, building upon what we've already seen in the previous books. This is perhaps the only part of the book where reading the previous novels would lead one to have a greater appreciation for the information they're being given.

Despite the comedic overtones colouring the majority of the plot, the sensitivity displayed by our protagonists gives this story an appreciable depth, sending not the message that life ought to be all fun and games, but rather, it ought to be enjoyed in spite of the darkness closing in on all of us, a darkness we must learn to accept and live with.

Seniors on the Hunt

No matter which way you cut it, solving a murder mystery is a full-time job and perhaps even more demanding, so who better for the task than a group of retired septuagenarians, with all the time in the day to spare? Realistically, probably a lot of people, but in the world of The Bullet That Missed, the Thursday Murder Club is best-suited for the complex task at hand.

If I was to compare this novel to the previous ones, I would be tempted to say that Richard Osman has been learning along the way, and this time around the mystery feels a little tighter, more hermetic than previously. However, don't let that statement fool you: it has a lot of winding paths, twists, turns, and players to keep up with.

As a matter of fact, it felt to me as if there were a few too many people for me to keep my eyes on, especially since most of the cast beyond the main characters isn't all that fleshed out. Plenty of minor characters fulfill their roles perfectly, but I felt like the novel could have benefited from a smaller circle of players. With this being said, it wasn't a major problem, especially since you could often tell within a few seconds if a person was meant to be on the good or bad side.

The core of the mystery itself, that is to say, the reporter who supposedly died ten years ago and whose body was never recovered, is solid and works in the story's favour from start to finish. Richard Osman plays up the mystery the way he masterfully knows how, and by the end of it I could hardly wait to see how all the threads would tie together and be resolved. In my opinion, any good detective story should be able to string its readers along in this vein.

Another factor separating this book from its peers is the observational comedy we're treated to along the way, and of course, the author's prose, perfect for delivering it. The humour is clever and often hits the reader unexpectedly, not to mention it has that vaunted quality of sometimes making you think. It's the perfect cherry on top to the rest of the book.

The Final Verdict

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman is an excellent third entry in the Thursday Murder Club Mystery series, offering a perfect mixture of thought-provoking humour and captivating characters with interesting thoughts trying to unravel a complex and fascinating case.

If you are a fan of Richard Osman's previous works, or are in search for a more heartwarming type of murder mystery book, then I believe you'll definitely what this novel (and the series in general) has to offer.

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Richard Osman Richard Osman is an English comedian, producer, television presenter, and most importantly, a novelist. His career as an author began in 2012 with the publication of The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World, and has recently continued with the release of The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice, both part of A Thursday Murder Club Mystery series.