When a friend is murdered The Thursday Murder Club looks into connections with the local heroin trade. Knowing their friend well, they are convinced he wouldn't be involved in the distribution of drugs, so there must be more to the case.
The Last Devil To Die is the fourth outing of The Thursday Murder Club from Richard Osman and by now we know the characters so well. Each one displays the characteristics that we've grown to love, but this time around a couple of them step out of their comfort zone. I'm not claiming this as "a refreshing change" as the characters were perfect as they were, the change is driven by the story and is a reflection of what happens in life.
Events take place just after Christmas. I love the fact that thanks to a bit of IT the residents of Coopers Chase celebrated New Year three hours early so they didn't have to stay up late, I think I might take this idea on board myself. When they learn that their friend, and local antique dealer, Kuldesh Sharma has been murdered because of involvement with a heroin deal they are shocked. Everyone is adamant that Kuldesh would not get involved with the drug trade. They are also sure that if Kuldesh's shop was being used as a place for a consignment of drugs to be dropped off and collected he would simply do as asked and not cause any fuss. The fact that Kuldesh was murdered on a quiet country lane and the drugs have disappeared convinces the four pensioners that there is far more to the case than the police can see.
Involvement in the local drug trade brings a host of new characters, all of whom are caricatures of what we would expect those who run drug rings to be. As the drug lords hunt for the missing consignment of heroin, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are trying to uncover why Kuldesh would act out of character. At times these new characters give our gang of four a run for their money, seeming to be one step ahead of them at times. I chuckled at the way the drug dealers described the gang of four, "a dodgy cockney, a coke dealer, some old bird with a shooter, and ..... Joyce".
The local police, Chris and Donna, have their noses put out of joint when the NCA moves in to take over the case. The friction between Chris, Donna and the new head of the case offers humor as petty office politics are used to best each other. Fans of the series will know that being told they are off the case will make no difference to Chris and Donna as they do what Elizabeth tells them.
There is another crime, one on a smaller scale, that the group gets involved in. One of the new residents of Coopers Chase is the target of an online romance scam but refuses to believe it's a scam. Ron and Ibrahim, aided by another new resident, Computer Bob, delve into the case.
It's the non-crime aspect of the story that really elevates the book and causes some people to take on different roles. No-nonsense Elizabeth is struggling as her husband, Stephen, has fewer and fewer lucid moments because of dementia. Elizabeth is finally coming to terms with the fact that she can no longer look after her husband at home. The fleeting moments when Stephen is aware of everything are heartbreaking as he knows exactly what is happening to him and the burden he is becoming. The choices made make this a very philosophical read and will tug at the heartstrings.
With Elizabeth taking a back seat in the case it is Joyce who steps up. Joyce is still as ditzy as ever but when needed takes on the commanding role we normally see from Elizabeth. It is the changes in both Elizabeth and Joyce that I felt are a reflection on what we see in life; as one person retreats, another rises to the occasion.
As everything comes together at the end, we discover that there was far more at stake than the initial shipment of drugs and that members of The Thursday Murder Club were right in their knowledge of Kuldesh's character. This is a fitting fourth installment in the series, but this time around the poignant story feels very personal.
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