The Man Who Died Twice, by Richard Osman

   What is this?  Two book reviews in one month?!  Can you believe it?  The amazing thing isn't that I've read two books, but that I've managed to write reviews on each.  What a start to the year.

  I finished up The Man Who Died Twice, Richard Osman's follow-on to The Thursday Murder Club, which was a poignant delight to read last year, and this one doesn't disappoint by way of a sequel.  This has the feel of something that's going to turn into a 15-book series, and given the charm and complexity Osman adds to the characters, I'd welcome that development and read each as quickly as I could.  Some people believe in savoring books.  I choose to devour them, showing my appreciation by reading it as quickly as possible.  Besides, who wants to put down a good book?  

  The Man Who Died Twice finds Elizabeth, Ron, Joyce, and Ibrahim, elderly residents of Coopers Chase, once again confronted with a murder, one that intertwines with Elizabeth's complicated past, this one having a somber undertone of grief when Ibrahim is mugged and attacked, left with physical wounds and mentals scars that penetrate deeper still.  

  What I love about these books is the way Osman makes friendship the beating heart of the stories.  There is intrigue and mystery enough to move the plot along, but ultimately, the story is about friendship and the importance of it.  There is plenty that is fading away for the protagonists as they find adventure in their twilight years, but the friends hold on to one another, recognizing the importance of that.

  When Rachel and I were finishing up grad school, we had the chance to move to Michigan.  It was tempting, because it involved an opportunity with a company I very much wanted to work with.  But we realized that to leave Columbus and start over would be incredibly challenging.  I'd read an article not long before that decision about how transient our society is and how many people lack long-term relationships that support them through various mountaintops and troughs of life.  If I were a better writer, I'd have started writing a mystery series like Osman did that perfectly captures the importance and treasure of friendship, similar to how Tolkien places friendship at the center of the journey in Lord of the Rings trilogy.  

  Anyway, if you haven't yet read it, go read The Thursday Murder Club.  Then pick up The Man Who Died Twice.  It's well worth your time.