The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Reviews
Four Stars
Best for:
Fans of the series – you should really read the first three before you read this one.
In a nutshell:
The best octogenarians out there are back to solve another crime – this one hitting closer to home.
Worth quoting:
N/A (Audio book)
Why I chose it:
I tore through the first three of these books and couldn’t wait to read what these folks are up to next.
What it left me feeling:
Content
Review:
Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are back. Oh how I’ve missed them. They live in Cooper’s Chase, a retirement community in England. The book begins with the murder of Elizabeth’s husband’s friend Kuldesh, which obviously draws the team in. I won’t share more at risk of spoilers.
What I have enjoyed so much about these books is the character development, and we get even more in this one. This book has some funny moments, but also a lot of heart and some real rough moments as well. I love media that isn’t focused on people finding partners or raising children; I love books that talk about friendships, and especially friendships among older people. I’m sure I said this in my last review, but I feel like older characters are often left out of media, or are mentioned only as grandparents, not people with full and independent lives.
Osman does a great job not just of spinning a twisty, turning plot that one probably won’t guess but that isn’t still totally out of left field. But more than that – he gives us characters that we care about and root for. Complex, interesting characters.
Recommend to a Friend / Keep / Donate it / Toss it:
I recommend the audio book, because Fiona Shaw (who you may know from Killing Eve, or Harry Potter, but who will always be the Headmistress from the Pileforth School for Girls featured in Three Men and a Little Lady to me) does a fantastic job reading it.
