50 Must-Read 50 Beta
← The Must-Read 50
Cover of The Bullet That Missed by Richard OsmanThe Bullet That Missed
New · Fiction, Mystery, Crime

The Bullet That Missed

by Richard Osman
2022 · 342 pages · Fiction
77.9Must-Read
Score New
Critics' pick
≈ 9 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

It's an ordinary Thursday, but trouble is never far from the Thursday Murder Club. A decade-old cold case, their favorite kind, leads them to a local news legend and a murder with no body and no answers.

Why it's worth reading

It was an Anthony Award finalist and a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist. Richard Osman's series is funny, warm and clever.

You'll love it if you liked

Cover of The Thursday Murder Club by Richard OsmanThe Thursday Murder Club
The Thursday Murder ClubRichard Osman
Cover of The Last Devil to Die by Richard OsmanThe Last Devil to Die
The Last Devil to DieRichard Osman
Cover of The Impossible Fortune by Richard OsmanThe Impossible Fortune
The Impossible FortuneRichard Osman

Good to know

It's the third book in the series; start with The Thursday Murder Club.

By the numbers

77.9Must-Read Score
  • Readers87 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics18 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller36 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz37 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Shortlisted
Anthony Award finalist (2023)Goodreads Choice (mystery thriller) finalist (2022)

Reads as

Gripping, Funny, Uplifting

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

More by Richard Osman

Cover of The Last Devil to Die by Richard OsmanThe Last Devil to Die
The Last Devil to DieRichard Osman
Cover of The Impossible Fortune by Richard OsmanThe Impossible Fortune
The Impossible FortuneRichard Osman
Cover of The Thursday Murder Club by Richard OsmanThe Thursday Murder Club
The Thursday Murder ClubRichard Osman

If you like this, read next

Cover of Anxious People by Fredrik BackmanAnxious People
Anxious PeopleFredrik Backman
Cover of Eleven on Top by Janet EvanovichEleven on Top
Eleven on TopJanet Evanovich
Cover of Twelve Sharp by Janet EvanovichTwelve Sharp
Twelve SharpJanet Evanovich
Cover of Hot Six by Janet EvanovichHot Six
Hot SixJanet Evanovich
Cover of Hard Eight by Janet EvanovichHard Eight
Hard EightJanet Evanovich
Cover of Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet EvanovichLean Mean Thirteen
Lean Mean ThirteenJanet Evanovich

Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 rankedNew booksTop 25 · 485 rankedBooks of the 2020sTop 25 · 562 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 504 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 325 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 333 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 246 ranked

Quick answers

Is The Bullet That Missed worth reading?

Yes. It was an Anthony Award finalist and a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist. It ranks #583 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.9 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Bullet That Missed about?

It's an ordinary Thursday, but trouble is never far from the Thursday Murder Club. A decade-old cold case, their favorite kind, leads them to a local news legend and a murder with no body and no answers.

How long does it take to read The Bullet That Missed?

About 9 hours (342 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Bullet That Missed?

If you liked it, try The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman or The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman.