I wanted to read this series after seeing the delightful movie on Netflix, which would have been worth it if only for the stellar cast. After I started, I couldn’t possibly stop. I think I read the whole thing in a month. Here’s what I think.
#1. The Thursday Murder Club
This is every bit as delightful as I thought it would be.
The characters are lovely, and I adore the intermissions with Joyce’s diary, the rhythm is nearly perfect and the mystery unfolds just fine, with a very nice blend of the past and the present.
There’s also a very refined balance of dark humour, cynicism and that kind of poetry you only get when you see a couple of old people tenderly holding their hands and being lovers. If you’re one with a soft spot for growing old together as the highest form of love, as I am, I can’t guarantee you won’t shed a couple of tears.
#2. The Man Who Died Twice
I’m not saying this wasn’t nice, because it was. I’m not saying you don’t get your share of your beloved characters, because you do. I’m not even saying I didn’t enjoy the shift from murder mystery to spy story, because I did.
Unfortunately, some of the plot points are a bit too outlandish for my taste, and you’re left with two choices: to dismiss them as something that didn’t happen that way, or to despise one of those characters for the danger she willingly conjures even for the people she loves.
I think I’ll choose to forget this one, if you don’t mind.
#3. The Bullet That Missed
Perfect, I think.
This was the right amount of thrill, mystery, fairytalish characters and situations, and heart-wrenching shares about life, illness, crime, people, and loss. I love the play on the title, and I hope some of the new characters are here to stay.
#4. The Last Devil to Die
The mystery isn’t as solid as other books, but that’s just because it takes some chapters off to be caring and emotional, and you’ll pardon me while I pour myself a whiskey and cry.
I’m glad to see the series keeps building on previous books, with recurring characters being more and more present and woven into the main story, and the coming out we’ve been waiting for finally happens, in the softest possible way. It’s the perfect read for Christmastime, but I did enjoy it tremendously, even on a hot June such as this has been.
#5. The Impossible Fortune
Not my favourite in the series, but certainly enjoyable. Maybe it attemps to do too many things at a time, and the space it gives to a usually supporting character makes her appalling to say the least. At a certain point, I was really hoping things would go sideways just to spite her, so maybe keep her to the sidelines in the next installments. Also, this was at the expense of Chris and Donna, who have considerably less space, and Bogdan, which is unforgivable.
The side characters in the mystery are compelling enough, and I didn’t mind the bit of chaos and chance involved in the main story, while of course the most compelling plot is the one on the side. But we all know that. Joyce told us.
That’s it for the series, now, but I’ll be coming around when and if another chapter comes out.
No Comments