At a glance
First published2022
SettingEnglish retirement village and various locations
Audiobook11h 18m · Fiona Shaw, Richard Osman, and Steph McGovern
AudienceAdult
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for: Readers and listeners who enjoy warmly comedic cozy mysteries centred on sharply drawn older characters, particularly those who have already invested in the Thursday Murder Club series from book one.
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The Bullet That Missed is the third instalment in Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series, following the beloved quartet of retirees at Coopers Chase as they race to untangle a decade-old murder connected to a former TV news presenter — all while one of their own, Elizabeth, faces genuine danger. A commercial and critical phenomenon — UK's bestselling hardcover of 2022 and a New York Times bestseller — the book earns its reputation through a nicely woven plot, breezy pacing, and humour attuned to the experience of growing older. Readers who prize psychological darkness or gritty procedural crime will find the warmly comedic register a mismatch, but for those who love character-rich cozy mysteries, it delivers with charm and wit.
- Is it worth reading?
- For fans of cozy mysteries who prize character, gentle comedy, and patient plotting, The Bullet That Missed makes a strong case for itself: it was the UK's bestselling hardcover of 2022, reached number three on the New York Times Best Seller list, and earned a starred review from Kirkus alongside praise from The Guardian for 'hitting the bullseye.' Critics highlighted a 'nicely woven plot,' a 'breezy' pace, and humour genuinely pitched to readers who understand the vagaries of getting older — qualities that distinguish it from more formulaic entries in the genre. The main caveat is series investment: arriving at book three without familiarity with the four core characters means missing some of the richer emotional payoffs that accumulate over time.
- Similar books
- Readers who enjoy The Bullet That Missed tend to gravitate toward character-rich mysteries with warmth and wit at their core. The most obvious companion read is The Man Who Died Twice — the second Thursday Murder Club mystery by Richard Osman, which immediately precedes this instalment and deepens the same quartet of characters. Further afield, Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency shares the series' affectionate tone and its centering of an unconventional detective operating through intelligence and charm rather than violence. Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders and Louise Penny's Still Life both offer more plot-driven alternatives for readers who want cozy mysteries with a slightly more intricate or literary bent.
- Who should read this?
- The Bullet That Missed is ideally suited to readers who love cozy mysteries with a strong emphasis on character, ensemble dynamics, and gentle comedy — particularly those who appreciate fiction that engages seriously and warmly with older protagonists rather than treating them as comic relief. Listeners who enjoy performance-driven audiobooks will find the Penguin Audio edition, with its trio of narrators including Fiona Shaw, especially rewarding. Readers new to the series can follow the plot comfortably, but those who have read The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice will get the most from the character relationships. Those seeking gritty procedural crime or psychological suspense should look elsewhere.
- About Richard Osman
- Richard Thomas Osman is an English television presenter, producer, and novelist.
- How is the audiobook edition?
- The Penguin Audio edition of The Bullet That Missed, released on September 20, 2022, runs eleven hours and sixteen minutes and is performed by a trio of narrators: Fiona Shaw (the primary reader), Richard Osman himself, and Steph McGovern. Fiona Shaw — a celebrated stage and screen actress — brings considerable range to the ensemble cast, while Osman's participation as co-narrator gives the production a direct, personal quality. The edition is Whispersync for Voice ready, allowing listeners to move seamlessly between audio and text formats.
- Where should I start with this series?
- LuvemBooks recommends beginning with The Thursday Murder Club — the first book in the series — to build the character foundations that make the later instalments more rewarding. The Man Who Died Twice follows as the second entry, with The Bullet That Missed arriving third in the five-book run. While The Bullet That Missed functions as a standalone, the cumulative investment in Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron pays off most richly for those who have followed the club from the beginning.
- How does it compare to Osman's other reviewed books?
- LuvemBooks has reviewed both The Man Who Died Twice — the direct predecessor — and The Thursday Murder Club Series 5-Book Box Set. The Bullet That Missed is consistent with the series' established strengths: sharp wit, warmly drawn characters, and cleverly constructed plotting. Critics noted that the third instalment continues to deliver 'laughs along with a nicely woven plot' and maintains the breezy pace that has defined the series, while the escalating personal stakes — Elizabeth's life in danger — give book three a somewhat more urgent edge than the cozy premise might suggest.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
Who should read this?
About Richard Osman
How is the audiobook edition?
Where should I start with this series?
How does it compare to Osman's other reviewed books?
Summarize this book
The Bullet That Missed is the third book in Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series, in which the core quartet — Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron — are drawn into a fresh investigation centred on a decade-old murder connected to a former TV news presenter. The stakes escalate when Elizabeth herself is placed in danger, propelling the group from an upmarket spa to a prison cell (complete with an espresso machine, per the publisher) to a luxury penthouse high above the city. The novel blends cleverly constructed plotting with sharp wit and genuine warmth toward its older protagonists, whose competence and humour are never condescended to. It follows The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice as the third entry in a five-book series.
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Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Adult
Reading level
Adult
Skip if You're looking for hard-edged procedural crime fiction or psychological thriller darkness.
Editorial Review
The Bullet That Missed is the third entry in Richard Osman's beloved Thursday Murder Club series, delivering the sharp wit, warmly drawn characters, and cleverly constructed plotting that have made the series a commercial and critical phenomenon. The audiobook edition, narrated by Fiona Shaw, Richard Osman, and Steph McGovern for Penguin Audio, brings the ensemble to vivid life across just over eleven hours of unabridged listening.
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