The Bullet That Missed

The Bullet That Missed
AuthorRichard Osman
Audio read byFiona Shaw
GenreMystery, Crime fiction
PublisherViking Press
Publication date
2022
Media typePrint, e-book, audiobook
ISBN9780593299418
Preceded byThe Man Who Died Twice 
Followed byThe Last Devil to Die 

The Bullet That Missed is the third murder mystery book in the Thursday Murder Club series, written by British author and television presenter, Richard Osman. The book and its audiobook edition, read by Fiona Shaw, were published by Viking Press in September 2022.[1]

Characters

The main characters are four pensioners who reside at the fictional Coopers Chase retirement village:[2]

  • Elizabeth Best, an ex-spy
  • Ron Ritchie, a former trade union leader
  • Ibrahim Arif, a psychiatrist
  • Joyce Meadowcroft, a retired nurse

Supporting characters include:

Plot

The Thursday Murder Club reopens the cold case of a journalist who died while exposing a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme. Their search intertwines with Elizabeth’s secret past, threatening the safety of her friends at Coopers Chase.[4][5]

Reception

The book debuted at No. 3 on The New York Times Best Seller list[6] and was the UK's bestselling hardcover book of 2022, according to The Sunday Times.[7]

Reviewers commenting on Osman's funny[8] and heartwarming[9] writing.

References

  1. ^ "The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman: 9780593299418 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
  2. ^ THE BULLET THAT MISSED | Kirkus Reviews.
  3. ^ "Review | The Thursday Murder Club is back in action and as entertaining as ever". The Washington Post. 2022-09-16. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
  4. ^ Orsini, Jamie (2022-09-20). "Book review of 'The Bullet That Missed' by Richard Osman". BookPage | Discover your next great book!. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
  5. ^ Flood, Alison (2022-09-04). "The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman review –sleuthing sequel hits the bullseye". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
  6. ^ "Hardcover Fiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - Oct. 9, 2022 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
  7. ^ Hackett, Laura (2022-12-16). "The Sunday Times Bestsellers List — 100 top sellers of 2022". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
  8. ^ Flood, Alison (2022-09-04). "The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman review –sleuthing sequel hits the bullseye". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
  9. ^ "Review | The Thursday Murder Club is back in action and as entertaining as ever". The Washington Post. 2022-09-16. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-10-12.