Book Review: The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman

“All fans of this gang will want to read this book…”

If you’ve read my previous reviews of The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice then it will come as no surprise that I’m going to say I loved this third instalment of this little gang of retired would-be detectives and their friends.

Richard Osman, in interviews about these books, comes across as just a lovely guy. He’s the kind of fellow I would love to meet in a pub, buy him a drink and have a good old chinwag about stuff. His characters come across exactly like this. It’s quite a feat to do because ‘nice’ characters can often just all come out as carbon copies of the same idea with slight variations. Osman’s characters are distinctly different to each other and each has their own very different back story and weaknesses. They’re all adorable – even the killers!

The first novel was, like all firsts, something of a stand-alone that had a complete beginning, middle and end. The subsequent books are increasingly less tidy as Osman develops running threads and takes us down avenues we’re clearly going to visit again. For instance, in this third book, we’re not done with the ‘bad guy’ from the previous book albeit that person is safely behind bars. Likewise, love relationships continue to blossom though poor Joyce – arguably the randiest of the four – still hasn’t got a man for herself.

But perhaps what I like most about this series is the way Osman brings in new characters and, unless they’re bumped off or otherwise dealt with, they join this increasingly extended family of characters. You want them to as well. These new characters ‘fit’.

The stories rely increasingly on Elizabeth’s spy past, which does make sense, otherwise why would four OAPs be finding themselves embroiled in dead bodies again and again? This time, while trying to solve a ‘cold case’ of a murdered journalist, Elizabeth finds herself, her husband, and her best friend Joyce in trouble over their shenanigans from the previous book. A very dangerous criminal is going to kill at least one of them unless Elizabeth murders a former KGB agent. How does she get out of this one?

You can probably guess that she will, though I doubt you’ll have any clue how nor what happens along the way. All I will say is that the journey will be joyful and leave you feeling good about life and people in general. That’s Osman’s gift: his stories are uplifting, charming and delight both the heart and and the mind.

You can probably guess that I’m going to get on with the fourth in the series very soon. I’m partially holding back because, at the time of writing, there’s only four books in the series – so the next will be the last one. How will I manage without my little foursome? Thankfully, I see that a fifth book, untitled at present, is due out later this year. Phew!

And then there’s the film that is due out this year too. I already know that it will be utterly brilliant. Not only is it stuffed full of superb actors but the casting is inspired too. Helen Mirren as Elizabeth is perfect, as is Ben Kingsley as psychiatrist Ibrahim. Celia Imrie as the deliciously naughty Joyce and Pierce Brosnan as the irascible Ron are also super casting choices. I’m already picturing these actors as the characters when reading the books.

The Bullet that Missed isn’t all jollies and fun though. There’s some poignant moments and at least one running storyline that is continuing further to an end that none of us want to see but really is inevitable. While Osman has done a remarkable job of showing us that old people in a retirement village are still human beings, worthy of love and respect, they are still old. There is an increasing sense in the books of these characters battling against the odds to stay truly alive. Of course, for now, they are winning that battle, but for how long is not at all certain.

If you’ve not read the previous books in this series do not start here. Not only will you not have a clue what is going on, it would be disrespectful to the author’s work and to the characters themselves who deserve to be introduced properly rather than have you rudely listen in on the middle of their conversations. Do the decent thing and buy the first book. Trust me, you’ll devour it and make your way to this third novel, via book two, in no time at all and you’ll thank me for it.

For anyone else who has read the previous two and wondering if this next one can be as good or is it best to stop while the going is good – again, trust me, you will want to read this book. All fans of this gang will want to read this book. As you’ll no doubt already understand, the plot barely matters any longer (though it is excellent, of course); it is merely a vehicle for continuing our deepening relationships with these characters. Right now, I don’t want that to end.

My verdict:

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Social Entrepreneur, educationalist, bestselling author and journalist, D K Powell is the author of the bestselling collection of literary short stories “The Old Man on the Beach“. His first book, ‘Sonali’ is a photo-memoir journal of life in Bangladesh and has been highly praised by the Bangladeshi diaspora worldwide. Students learning the Bengali language have also valued the English/Bengali translations on every page. His third book is ‘Try not to Laugh’ and is a guide to memorising, revising and passing exams for students.

Both ‘The Old Man on the Beach’ and ‘Sonali’ are available on Amazon for kindle and paperback. Published by Shopno Sriti Media. The novel,’The Pukur’, was published by Histria Books in 2022.

D K Powell is available to speak at events (see his TEDx talk here) and can be contacted at dkpowell.contact@gmail.com. Alternatively, he is available for one-to-one mentoring and runs a course on the psychology of writing. Listen to his life story in interview with the BBC here.

Ken writes for a number of publications around the world. Past reviewer for Paste magazine, The Doughnut, E2D and United Airways and Lancashire Life magazine. Currently reviews for Northern Arts Review. His reviews have been read more than 7.9 million times.

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