Book Review: The Thursday Murder Club Book 3
Overview 📝
Richard Osman's third installment in "The Thursday Murder Club" Book series.
Osman heavily leans into how society underestimates the elderly, showing how the characters use this cultural blind spot as an ultimate superpower to outsmart criminals, media tycoons, and international mobsters.
Can the Septuagenarians strike gold a third time?
Plot Synopsis 📑
The main mystery begins when Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim decide to investigate a decade-old cold case involving a missing journalist.
Ten years prior, a rising young television journalist named Bethany Waites vanished after her car was driven off a cliff. At the time of her disappearance, she was on the verge of exposing a massive fraud and money-laundering scheme. Because her body was never found, the case went cold.
The group's search for answers takes them deep into the competitive world of local British television, and they cross paths with a legendary local news presenter who holds key pieces to Bethany's puzzle.
The Core Four 👩👨👳👵
🕵Elizabeth Best: Elizabeth’s legendary cold composure is tested when an old foe forces her into a deadly, high-stakes ultimatum. While she remains the hyper-capable strategist, this book highlights her deeply buried vulnerabilities and her willingness to bend her own rigid rules to protect the people she loves.
🍰Joyce Meadowcroft: Joyce takes center stage by actively executing complex undercover operations. Her blend of cozy charm and ruthless efficiency is perfected here; she handles international money launderers, high-profile TV stars, and dangerous criminals with the same cheerful politeness she uses when baking cakes.
👝Ibrahim Arif: Ibrahim steps back into the world with renewed purpose. He uses his brilliant psychiatric insights to interview a cold-blooded killer, providing the team with critical emotional breakthroughs. His arc focuses on resilience, showing how intellectual curiosity can conquer personal fear.
🥊Ron Ritchie: Ron, the loud, anti-establishment trade unionist, always ready for a fight; this book highlights his fiercely protective nature. His deep loyalty to his friends is on full display as he acts as the group's practical anchor, proving that underneath his gruff, football-loving exterior is a deeply empathetic man who will do anything for his chosen family.
The Supporting Characters 👫👮
Bogdan Jankowsi: The tattooed Polish handyman and former criminal fixer, acts as Elizabeth’s fiercely loyal, quiet enforcer. He is deeply affected by his older friends aging, particularly Stephen, Elizabeth's husband.
Donna De Freitas: She has grown into a highly capable, sharp investigator. Her relationship with Chris transitions into a genuine partnership of equals. She is more confident, often taking the lead on lines of inquiry and showcasing her sharp instincts.
👮Chris Hudson: His relationship with Donna's mother, Patrice, anchors him, but The Bullet That Missed forces him to confront his deep-seated anxieties about happiness and stability. His fierce protectiveness over Donna shifts from a boss-subordinate dynamic to a deeply moving, almost familial bond.
What Shines 😍
The signature blend of British laugh-out-loud humor, Joyce's lively, scene-stealing diary entries, and melancholy.
Osman's sensitive, realistic portrayal of humanity and aging, specifically through Elizabeth's heartbreaking devotion to her husband, Stephen.
The book highlights the unbreakable bond among the four retirees, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron, who readily step into extreme danger to protect one another.
What Missed 😕
The plot is overly complex, entangling the group in everything from VAT fraud and money laundering to Bitcoin, international espionage, former KGB agents, and an active kidnapping.
The main mystery of the decade-old case takes a back seat, leaving readers with several loose ends and an open ending.
This issue is compounded by a rapidly expanding cast that can become confusing to track.
Ultimately, this isn’t a standalone novel; readers will need the first two books to fully appreciate the intricate character developments.
Final Verdict 📜
The trademark charm and the heart of "The Thursday Murder Club" book series remain completely untouched. Richard Osman uses a framework to actually explore themes of aging, grief, friendship, and purpose.
Read the book for the mystery, but stay for the incomparable chemistry of the "Fab Four": Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron.
The Bullet that Missed is recommended for established "The Thursday Murder Club" fans, followers of multi-generational stories, fans of Cozy Crime and light mysteries, and readers who value character development over plot.
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