The case file
A decade-old cold case and a threat to Elizabeth bring the club back into action.
Get this book
ISBN 9780241992388
Some links earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.Series position · Book 3
Can I start here?
Not ideal. The central mystery stands alone, but the character relationships assume the first two books.
Who will enjoy it
For readers already fond of the cast
The Bullet That Missed suits readers who enjoy warm ensemble mysteries, dry humour and character-led investigations.
Tone & themes
Warm, wry and quietly moving
Friendship, ageing and community sit alongside the puzzle. Expect emotional weight without losing the comic touch.
Listening note
Fiona Shaw
The English recording listed below is unabridged.
Our opinion · 30-second verdict
Choose this for a media-world cold case and a sharper moral dilemma.
The club reopens the case of a murdered television journalist while Elizabeth is forced into a separate deadly bargain.
Spoiler-free companion
Inside this case
A cold-case puzzle with a darker threat close to home.
- Key locations
- Coopers Chase · A television studio · Kent
- Characters in the story
- The club · Donna and Chris · Bogdan
- Themes
- Truth · Conscience · Friendship · Media
Our opinion · reader profile
What kind of case is it?
Content notes
- Murder and threats of murder
- Coercion and weapons
- References to past trauma
Formats & languages
How else can I read or listen?
Penguin lists print, ebook and audio editions. For The Bullet That Missed, the details below cover 4 audio recordings, including Deutsch, Español (Castellano), Italiano. Exact formats, covers and availability vary by country.
While you read
Three things to notice
- The tension between public stories and private truth
- How parallel investigations echo one another
- Moments when conscience matters more than procedure
Reading-group file
Three spoiler-free questions
- Which source of information proves most trustworthy?
- Is the mystery fair to the reader?
- How does the media setting shape the case?
Quick answers
Frequently asked
Does this book solve its central mystery?
Yes. The Bullet That Missed has its own central case, while the character stories continue across the series.
Should I read the series in order?
Not ideal. The central mystery stands alone, but the character relationships assume the first two books.
Are translated audiobooks available?
This guide includes Deutsch, Español (Castellano), Italiano recordings. Check the audiobook section below for marketplace details.
Edition details
UK edition history
Formats on the publisher record
Edition described above
- Format
- Paperback
- Published
- Imprint
- Penguin
- Dimensions
- 198 × 30 × 129 mm
- Weight
- 320 g
- 2022HardbackFirst UK publicationFirst publication
- 2022Ebook
- 2022Audio download and CD
- 2023Paperback
Reception
Awards, milestones and critical pattern
Celebrate the books’ awards and bestseller milestones, and discover what readers and critics enjoy about them.
Fastest-selling adult fiction hardback
Penguin records that the third novel broke the UK fastest-selling adult fiction hardback record in September 2022.
Nielsen Bestseller Award — Platinum
Nielsen BookData’s 2024 awards release records Osman’s second Platinum award for this novel.
Available recordings
English
- Narrator
- Fiona Shaw
- Audible marketplace
- UK
- Running time
- 11 hrs 17 min
- Audio release
- Edition
- Unabridged
- Includes a conversation with Richard Osman and Steph McGovern
Der Donnerstagsmordclub und die verirrte Kugel
Deutsch
- Narrator
- Johannes Steck, Beate Himmelstoß
- Translator
- Sabine Roth
- Audio publisher
- Hörbuch Hamburg
- Audible marketplace
- DE
- Running time
- 11 hrs 6 min
- Audio release
- Edition
- Unabridged
El misterio de la bala perdida
Español (Castellano)
- Narrator
- Marta Martín Jorcano, Azucena Díaz
- Translator
- Albert Fuentes Sánchez
- Audio publisher
- Planeta Audio
- Audible marketplace
- ES
- Running time
- 12 hrs 22 min
- Audio release
- Edition
- Unabridged
Il colpo che mancò il bersaglio
Italiano
- Narrator
- Gigi Scribani, Francesca Vettori
- Translator
- Roberta Corradin
- Audio publisher
- Saga Egmont
- Audible marketplace
- IT
- Running time
- 10 hrs 4 min
- Audio release
- Edition
- Unabridged
Meet characters in this book
- Elizabeth Best — Retired intelligence professional
- Joyce Meadowcroft — Retired nurse and diarist
- Ibrahim Arif — Retired psychiatrist
- Ron Ritchie — Retired trade-union organiser
- Bogdan Jankowski — Builder and all-purpose problem solver
- Donna De Freitas — Police officer
- Chris Hudson — Police detective
- Stephen Best — Retired academic
- Patrice De Freitas — Donna’s mother and a friend of the club
- Joanna Meadowcroft — Finance professional
- Alan — Rescue dog and companion
- Connie Johnson — Fairhaven drug wholesaler
- Viktor Illyich — Former Soviet KGB officer and former head of station in Leningrad