The Impossible Fortune plot revolves around the disappearance of Joyce’s new son-in-law’s best friend, Nick, after he seeks Elizabeth’s help to protect him from people trying to kill him; followed by the brutal death-by-bombing of Nick’s business partner Holly, all linked to a an ‘impossible bit-coin fortune’ that they both hold keys to. As our famous four step into action to solve the case, we get our usual fix of Elizabeth’s feisty leadership of the clan, Joyce’s endearing tea and warmth, Ibrahim’s objective analytical approach and Ron’s cowboy swagger. Along with the supporting ensemble of characters we’ve grown to know and love. Chris and Donna from the police. Joanna, Joyce’s independent and very-millennial daughter. Jason, Ron’s stud son. And of course Bogdan, the reliable Friday-man for Elizabeth and the others. All of it intermingling with the joy and drama of their own personal lives: Elizabeth’s grieving state of mind, Joyce’s mooning over her daughter’s newly married life and son-in-law Paul; Ron’s struggles with his fast-ageing body clashing with his role as the family patriarch; and the subtle-but-potently portrayed, Ibrahim’s loneliness.
I must say, after the first book, this might be the most enjoyable novel in the series. It almost felt like after finishing 4 successful books in the series, the author is finally free to explore and write in an easy flow, going where the characters and the story took him, without having to try too hard to solve a murder, or make meaning where none exists. This allows the story to breathe and for each of the characters that we’ve known for so long, to just be and respond to the situations they are thrown in… a lot like real life.
As always, the joy of this book too, is not in the murder mystery (although is is a nice reveal at the end), but in the journey that the characters take to get there. There are multiple enjoyable little moments all through the story, that make you smile, laugh, despair, cry and get that warm glow inside your heart. In that sense, the real story in the book is about life and what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans… and oh, while trying to solve a murder mystery. The crime, then, just becomes a common goal that brings all these people together, not really the reason for the novel.
Further, being the fifth book in the series, our septuagenarians are older and closer to mortality, and the theme of an ageing body conflicting with a youthfully-alive spirit is palpable and extremely touching, but in a light-hearted way.
Finally, one of the strong suits of Osman’s storytelling is his ability to build very real and human characters. This book once again, introduces, many new characters like the nerdy-golden-hearted-nice guy Paul, the-meticulous-paranoid-businessman Nick, the WYSIWYG-Holly, the priveleged-but-tortured Lord Townes, and the gay-ruthless-mobster Davey Noakes, all of them critical to the story, and each of them as real and endearing as our favourite four.
And the book also gives new dimensions to older characters that we’ve always seen, but not really gotten to know yet. Like Joyce’s daughter Joanna, who shows up as equally feisty standing up to Elizabeth, gaining her respect. Or the earlier novel’s villain drug dealer Connie, who grows a conscience with all of Ibrahim’s counselling.
If you’ve been following the series, then I’d say this one is a no-brainer to pick up, and an absolute delight, turning the pages, immersing in this wonderful world of Cooper’s Chase, in the suburbs of London, feeling like comfort food, like a nice cup of tea everyday. If you’ve not been following the series, then I’d say pick up book 1 first, skip 2 and 3, and jump into books 4 and 5.
Until next January, by which time, book 6 should be out…
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