The Last Devil to Die
Not coming from Britain, I first discovered Richard Osman whilst scrolling through YouTube. He was, for many years, on high rotation as a panelist on numerous episodes of those quirky British comedy/game shows. You will know the ones I mean, basically comedic parodies of traditional game show formats, with names such as, Would I Lie to You, QI, Have I Got News for You, Nine out of Ten Cats Does Countdown, and BCC Radio’s The Unbelievable Truth.
Tall, rangy, with thick-rimmed glasses, he is humorous in a witty, intelligent sort of way. Not your type of comedian who rants or rambles -surfing the room like a shore break- searching for the funniest bits to ride home for all they are worth. He seems happier to keep his powder dry, and then, with impeccable timing, drop in a scene-stealing line. His humour is inevitably as clever as it is funny, and it is often very, very funny.
Much later on, I discovered Richard Osman the author and his literary sensation that is ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ series. Just like everybody else who pays a visit to Cooper’s Chase, -or so it would seem- I was immediately captivated by its charm, by the endearing characters, the clever plot lines, the deft editing, his brilliant observations, wonderful humour and often, just the damned good writing.
Now Osman and his Thursday Murder Club are a global phenomenon, the likes of which the literary world has probably not seen since JK Rowling and her Harry Potter series. We are dealing with a different demographic here, but the movie deals, computer games and merchandising are already in the pipeline. The books have each sold in their millions all over the world and producer/director Stephen Spielberg has already purchased the film rights to the first novel.
Much has been written about the first three books, and I enjoyed them all immensely, each one revealing more and bringing you even closer to the characters as they developed, whilst introducing new, interesting, and entertaining players into their circle along the way.
Such is the special way in which Osman is able to observe and record people’s habits, culture and human behaviour that we come to almost love them, this is because we know them, we see them in our parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, friends’ relatives; we realise we have known them all our lives, and that they are also out there in our own world.
Osman has said he is pausing the series, off to author another novel with completely new characters. Whether he ever makes it back to the club or not, he has saved the best for the most recent, if not the last.
The Last Devil to Die
Firstly, let me just say there is all the usual brilliance. We learn more about some of the most central characters; we get to live with them again, and there is an enthralling plot line, and an eye for detail that is at once endearing and humorous. There are also moments of pure comedy, cultural cliches, made more hilarious because they are so in-character with people he is describing, and that we know all too well.
And there is also a powerful, emotional, deeply felt story of love and loss and how each character deals with their pain, and the pain of those they care about and love. It is so beautifully, thoughtfully, and touchingly written that -at times- it threatens to overwhelm both the main story and the reader.
For a few moments there, it was as if time stopped, and I was in a vacuum, and all there was were these searing passages filling me with melancholy, with genuine sadness, but also admiration, and an appreciation to the writer for taking me there. I appreciated his guiding the reader with such care and writing with such equanimity and dignity.
Amidst this final solution, this ultimate fate, Osman deftly takes you to the edge emotionally and then eases you back to the sofa, gives you a slice of Battenberg cake, a cup of tea with almond milk and shows you it is going to be alright, not perfect, not the what it was, but ok. I thought the writing here, the thinking, the storyline, whilst something deeply moving, was also deeply thought through and beautifully written.
Avid followers of the Thursday Murder Club series will be mighty pleased with this book, I suspect. It feels like a place for the gang to pause and take a break. It is also, perhaps, a timely place for the reader to take a break as well, because there seems much to take in from this concluding chapter, much to soak up and meditate on for a bit. It may take us a little time before we are up to helping Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, Ron and the rest of the gang take on yet another case. However, should they decide to revive the club, I will be first in line on a Thursday night.
Osman has delivered something truly special, it has already topped the New York Bestseller List, and whilst typically light and funny, it is also momentous. Whether it is a pause or ends up being a final chapter, the momentum, the journey of these stories, out in the real world, has a long, long way to go and there is a lot more to play out.
Darren Gall
