Captivating Masterpiece

I just finished listening to "The Last Devil to Die" by Richard Osman, brilliantly narrated by Fiona Shaw, and I am awestruck. This audiobook is a true gem, deserving of a perfect 10/10 rating.

From the very first chapter, Osman's storytelling prowess drew me in, weaving a narrative that is both gripping and thought-provoking. The plot is a rollercoaster of suspense, mystery, and emotion, keeping me on the edge of my seat.

Fiona Shaw's narration is a revelation. Her voice is a perfect match for the material, and she effortlessly brings the characters to life with distinct voices and a depth of emotion that is truly remarkable. It's as if the characters themselves are speaking directly to the listener.

What sets "The Last Devil to Die" apart is its ability to seamlessly blend thrilling action with moments of deep reflection and heartwarming connections between characters. Osman's writing is entertaining and thoughtfully explores themes of redemption, sacrifice, and the enduring power of the human spirit.

But what truly touched me was how Osman and Shaw portrayed dementia in the story. It was the most heartbreaking, beautiful thing I had ever read/listened to. The sensitivity and authenticity with which they depicted this challenging condition added a layer of depth and poignancy to the narrative that left me deeply moved.

I found myself utterly engrossed, eagerly anticipating each twist and revelation. This audiobook had me laughing, gasping, and even shed a tear. It's a testament to Osman's storytelling and Shaw's narration that they created an experience that will stay with me long after the final chapter.

"The Last Devil to Die" is a mesmerising audiobook that delivers on every front. Richards's storytelling and Fiona's narration are a match made in heaven. If you're looking for a gripping tale that will touch your heart and keep you hooked from start to finish, don't miss this extraordinary audiobook. It's a must-listen, and I wholeheartedly give it a perfect 10/10!

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12 people found this helpful

Good story, well written but shame about the narration

I loved this story and the writing, as always, is so good. The characters are so well written and three dimensional.
The only negative thing is the narration. Fiona Shaw is a good actress but she isn’t Ron, Joyce, Elizabeth or Ibrahim ( Not Ibraham) as she kept calling him. I am unable to read books any more so I rely on the narration of a book very much. I don’t think I would buy the next one unless it was read by Lesley Manville.

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3 people found this helpful

Back with a bang

Still very good , however I feel it’s the weakest book . Sorry guys it’s the truth.

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2 people found this helpful

Better with each Novel

I have just finished this latest addition to The Thursday Murder Club series and it is my favourite, I just loved it. The characters are beautifully written, they feel like friends. Please write more, Mr Osman, I know they are getting on but don’t kill them all off yet.
P.S. Do you know if there are any vacancies at Coopers Chase.

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1 person found this helpful

Beautifully written, elegantly read.

I really enjoyed this fourth instalment of the Thursday murder club. We see a greater depth of character brought to life by the fabulous Fiona Shaw. Her narration really does the characters' justice, and I'm certain that if I met these residents of Coopers chase, this is what they would sound like. The section dealing with Alzhiemers is one of the best pieces of literature you will come across this year. Thank you, Richard, for another wonderful storey. Now, can we have the next one?

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1 person found this helpful

Piercing, pared-back emotional triumph

This man has such an incredible talent for expressing the most profound emotions in pragmatic and grounded terms that knocked me sideways and brought me to tears more than once in the course of the telling. As a seasoned and fairly cynical reader/listener, this is an achievement I respected enormously.
If I had a fraction of such talent, I would be well satisfied.
The only, very minor niggle was the accents that Fiona Shaw herself (love Fiona Shaw’s rendition as much as Lesley Manville’s) admitted to struggling with, that left Welsh and Scouse blurring.
Otherwise, a faultless and highly recommended book.

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1 person found this helpful

A little disappointed

Don't get me wrong, I love this series. the story is really well devised, lots of great characters and all very well written. However, book 3 was my favourite and I hoped this would match it, but it just didn't have the same level of humour and it was heavy on the sadness. The big loss in the book was written beautifully, found myself in floods of tears, but it naturally dominated the story. I've spent a lot of years working with people living with dementia and experienced it in my close family and felt it was tackled well, but again for me it added to the depressing side of the story. in previous books I found the balance better and happily listened numerous times to the series, finding them rather comforting but difficult with this one. it's still a great read. I just absolutely loved the humour in book 3 and was so looking forward to more of it in this book. I love all the smaller characters that have been developed in the previous books and it felt a bit like they were sidelined for Elizabeth and Stephen's main storyline.
The narrator is excellent, wish she'd done thr first two books but I didn't understand why she changed the accent for Chris, I'd got to like it by the end of book 3.

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1 person found this helpful

The heart of kindness

It takes an author full of huge compassion, fun and tenderness to draw characters like Joyce, Elizabeth, Stephen, Ron and Ibrahim, not to mention the smaller players, to make me laugh out loud, weep and mourn and not want the book to end. Thank you Richard.

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Wonderful characters

Beautiful and believable characters. Lots of special moments regarding dementia very sensitively handled. Love that Joyce is the balance.
Can’t wait for book 5

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Beautiful, story telling at its best.

The characters, once again, tell their own most beautiful stories, one of which had me silently crying at midnight as I didn’t want to leave them alone. The sensitivity applied to such a horrific condition speaks of a great writer. Long may these characters continue to tell their stories to us all.

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