The Last Devil to Die (Thursday Murder Club #4)

The Last Devil to Die

By Richard Osman

Rarely am I lost for words. But with The Last Devil to Die, I don't even know where to begin. 

I've enjoyed all the Thursday Murder Club books, but this final installment in the series was masterful. 

The characters have been vivid and engaging since the start, however in this fourth book, each one grew in such subtle but honest ways.

For context, the four main characters — Joyce, Ron, Ibrahim and Elizabeth — live in a tranquil senior’s community in the UK. Throughout the previous books, we have come to learn about (and love) this gang of unlikely friends and their collective efforts as the founding members of the Thursday Murder Club. 

Joyce, a retired nurse, keeps a diary of their adventures, so provides a structured voice for the books. In their fourth mystery, however, she takes on more of a leading role, and in doing so, grows as a character. 

Ron, the sometimes surly ex-trade union leader, has reached a point in his life when he needs to open his eyes (and his heart) ever so slightly.

Ibrahim, the retired psychiatrist becomes an even richer character, with a beautifully crafted reveal about his past.

However it's the journey of Elizabeth, the former spy, and her husband Stephen that is incomparable. Richard Osman has written one of the most poignant, memorable, deeply human chapters that I have ever read. It was note perfect and profoundly moving. 

Thank you, Richard Osman, for your storytelling and for the characters you have brought into the world. I'm sorry to say goodbye to this intrepid, inquisitive band of friends, but while the series of books has ended, the characters will stay with me.

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