The Last Devil to Die

The Last Devil to Die (2023) Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club)

TW: Dementia, Death of a recurring character, Grief

The 4th (and most recent) Thursday Murder Club mystery finds Stephen succumbing to his battle with dementia.

Stephen doesn’t always know who Bogdan is these days, but he likes his calmness. He fell asleep on Bogdan’s shoulder the other day, and Bogdan missed a weightlifting session because he refused to disturb him.

The group has tried to befriend Mervyn (who Joyce’s current crush) and it doesn’t go well.

“You must miss her terribly,” says Ibrahim. “When did you last see her?”

“We haven’t, just as yet, met,” says Mervyn, scraping tartar sauce off a scampo.

“You haven’t met?” asks Joyce. “That seems unusual?”

“Just been unlucky,” says Mervyn. “She had a flight canceled, then she had some cash stolen, and now there’s the passport thing. The course of true love never did run smooth.”

Stephen’s friend Kuldesh is murdered in a seemingly senseless way, and the group looks into it.

Donna spots a mobile phone wedged behind a radiator. She wonders why Kuldesh hadn’t taken it with him, then remembers he is eighty.

As expected, the group looks into it and meets many unsavory characters.

Dom points at Ibrahim. “I don’t know your name, but you’re the guy who goes to see Connie Johnson at Darwell Prison. Word is you’re a Moroccan cocaine importer. That true?”

“No comment,” says Ibrahim. Has Ron ever seen him look so proud?

“You,” says Dom, nodding his head toward Elizabeth. “No idea who you are, but you’ve got a gun in your bag. Badly hidden.”

“I’m not hiding it,” says Elizabeth.

“Now do me,” says Joyce.

Dom looks at Joyce. “You look like you’ve fallen in with a bad crowd.”

I continue to identify strongly with Ibrahim.

Wherever he is, and whatever he is doing, the primary thought in Ibrahim’s mind is always “How will I get home?” With one’s car impounded? Impossible.

Truly adore him.

He downloaded the menu for her, but he has not printed it out, because you have to start somewhere. Ibrahim has stuck a Post-it note on both his printer and his laminator saying What would Greta Thunberg do?

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Rating: 9/10

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