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I’ve just discovered the term “cozy murder mystery,” and I’ve realized I definitely enjoy this genre. The Thursday Murder Club and its sequel, The Man Who Died Twice, and, luckily, a third coming up, are the type of murder mysteries that feature murders and mysteries but are more about the charming or humorous characters than anything.
In this second book, the four members of the Thursday Murder Club at Coopers Chase Retirement Village get the chance to solve another series of murders that come into close proximity to them rather than just look at cold cases. Elizabeth is the member of the club who has a real connection to plenty of old mysteries and deaths, given her history as a spy. And she hasn’t lost her touch at pretty much anything relating to her former work. But as a septuagenarian, she gets to pretend to be oblivious, or at least blend into the woodwork. The other members of the club take plenty of advantage of their ages to dig out information they want from those who have it.
Detectives Donna De Freitas and Chris Hudson learned in the first book to basically just give in and work with these charmingly cunning old folks. So in this story they do what they can to work together while mostly following the rules.
At the beginning of the book, Elizabeth gets a letter from a dead man who tells her he’s moved in to the retirement community. She figures out quickly who it really is, a former colleague with whom she shares a lot of history. She learns he is being investigated for stealing diamonds from a man who acts as a bank/intermediary for mobsters, drug and weapons dealers and other criminals. Naturally, things get tricky, and she and her club members try to figure out not just where the diamonds are but who is behind the killings that start happening.
This good mystery book is just as fun as the first, probably more. The mystery is solid, and it’s entertaining to listen in on the conversations among these retirees and those whose lives they touch. The smart ones know to take them seriously, and the others… well, they should have taken them seriously. There are several little stories going on between the murders and hunting down of diamonds, all of which just add to the general ensemble feel. Looking forward to the third now.
Rated: Moderate. Profanity includes one instance of moderate profanity, around 10 uses of mild language, about 20 instances of the name of Deity in vain, and 1 use of British profanity (bl-). Sexual content primarily is limited to mentions about characters having had affairs, talk that a couple is having sex, and some mild jokes about sex. Violence includes at least three scenes of shooting deaths, two of which do major damage to characters’ heads and/or faces. The book is close to being a mild but the talk about details of violence puts it a bit past that rating.
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