NTHNHS: Health and Wellbeing Magazine - Issue 1, October 2021

Book review

THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE

The Thursday Murder Club (Book 2) Richard Osman Hardback (16 September 2021)

RATING: 5 Stars

Review by librarian, Deborah Elliot

Richard Osman’s highly entertaining second novel revisits the quartet of septuagenarians that made his debut comic crime, ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ a resounding hit. This time the intrepid elderly sleuths from the Kent retirement community of Coopers Chase, ex-spook Elizabeth, former nurse and journal writer, Joyce, logistics and details man, psychiatrist Ibrahim, and Ron, with his past life as a vociferous and committed union man, face the New York Mafia and chase £20 million pounds of stolen diamonds as the dead bodies pile up!

There is definitely enough action to keep thriller lovers engaged and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, along with heart and depth. Osman’s characters are beautifully drawn and I absolutely loved spending time with these quirky individuals, watching how their relationships evolve. Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is a cosy mystery! There are lots of twists and turns and the opportunity to use your own detective skills. This is one of those books you will want to read in one sitting.

You can borrow a copy of ‘The Man Who Died Twice’ from the ‘Reading for Pleasure Collection’ available at the library.

Knowledge and Information Service

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Movie review

BLACK WIDOW (12A)

RATING: 4 Stars

Review by Kat Gretton

I will be one of the first to admit, I’m not a huge superhero movie lover – but being coerced with the promise of tasty popcorn and snacks by a friend, it was nice to have an excuse to be back in the cinema.

An easy watch with some well-timed laughs, Black Widow, is everything we have come to expect from the marvel universe. As far as storylines go – there is nothing ground breaking here; a standard formulaic action adventure with an entertaining dysfunctional family dynamic.

The quintessential big bad villain with a very questionable accent, Ray Winston’s turn as a cockney Russian was sadly, a disappointing and forgettable choice for an actor I usually quite enjoy watching.

But some stand out comedic moments from David Harbour and especially Florence Pugh, are probably the real reason I enjoyed my romp into this Black Widow stand alone so much.

Overall, there are many ingredients that still make this a more than enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.