The Bullet That Missed Quiz: 20 Questions on Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club Mystery
The Bullet That Missed Quiz: 20 Questions on Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club Mystery 3rd book in the Thursday Murder Club series, Richard Osman's The Bullet That Missed (2022) sends Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim into a cold case that turns out to be anything but cold. This quiz covers the full arc of the novel, from Bethany Waites's disappearance to the final unmasking of the killer. Test your memory of the plot, the characters' motives, and the book's deeper themes. When you're done, check your answers against the key at the bottom. If you need a refresher first, revisit the book overview, the questions and answers, or the ending explained. Good luck!
Section 1: Plot & Sequence (Questions 1–8)
1. What is the name of the journalist whose death the Thursday Murder Club investigates?
A) Fiona Clemence
B) Bethany Waites
C) Heather Garbutt
D) Pauline Jenkins
2. How did Bethany Waites supposedly die?
A) She was poisoned at a TV studio.
B) Her car went over Shakespeare Cliff.
C) She was stabbed in her apartment.
D) She drowned in the English Channel.
3. Who is the first person the group brings in to help them with the case?
A) DCI Chris Hudson
B) TV journalist Mike Waghorn
C) Bogdan
D) Chief Constable Andrew Everton
4. What does Connie Johnson run from her prison cell?
A) A legitimate catering business
B) A multimillion-pound drugs gang
C) A prison book club
D) A legal aid service
5. What item does the Viking find in Viktor's shower room that proves the shooting was faked?
A) A spent bullet casing
B) A bullet hole in the ceiling
C) A pool of fake blood
D) A hidden camera
6. Where does the group find the gun and a large amount of cash buried?
A) In the woods near Coopers Chase
B) In the garden of Heather Garbutt's old house
C) In Jack Mason's scrapyard
D) Under the floorboards of Juniper Court
7. Who is revealed to be the mastermind behind the VAT fraud and the blackmail of Jack Mason and Heather Garbutt?
A) Mike Waghorn
B) Chief Constable Andrew Everton
C) Fiona Clemence
D) The Viking
8. What is the name of the alias Bethany Waites uses in Dubai?
A) Alice Cooper
B) Carron Whitehead
C) Catherine Howard
D) Beryl Deepdene
Section 2: Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)
9. Why does Joyce initially arrange for Mike Waghorn to come to Coopers Chase?
A) To interview Ron about retirement living
B) To ask for his help with the Bethany Waites case
C) To introduce him to Pauline
D) To get free tickets to a TV show
10. Why does the Viking want Elizabeth to kill Viktor Illyich?
A) Viktor stole money from him.
B) Viktor's warnings to clients are costing him business.
C) Viktor is a rival for Elizabeth's affection.
D) Viktor knows his real identity.
11. Why does Heather Garbutt plead guilty to the fraud?
A) She was the mastermind and wanted to protect her boss.
B) She was blackmailed by Andrew Everton, who framed her for Bethany's murder.
C) She wanted to protect her family from Jack Mason.
D) She was paid a large sum of money to take the fall.
12. Why does Pauline keep the secret of Bethany's faked death for so long?
A) She was paid by Bethany to stay silent.
B) She was afraid of Andrew Everton.
C) She wanted to protect Mike Waghorn from the truth.
D) She didn't realize Bethany was still alive.
13. Why does Bethany decide to disappear rather than continue her investigation?
A) She was offered a job in Dubai.
B) She was scared by the bullet with Mike Waghorn's name on it.
C) She was tired of journalism.
D) She wanted to start a family.
Section 3: Theme & Symbol (Questions 14–17)
14. The bullet that Andrew Everton sends to Bethany is a symbol of what?
A) A warning and a threat
B) A promise of protection
C) A token of friendship
D) A clue to the investigation
15. What does the statue of Anahita, the goddess of love and battle, symbolize in the story?
A) The conflict between the Thursday Murder Club and the police
B) The dual nature of Donna and Bogdan's relationship
C) The violence hidden beneath the surface of Coopers Chase
D) The struggle between good and evil in the criminal underworld
16. The recurring theme of routine and schedules (like Elizabeth and Stephen's daily walk) serves to highlight what?
A) The boredom of retirement
B) The characters' vulnerability to being predictable
C) The importance of discipline in old age
D) The comfort of friendship
17. What does the title The Bullet That Missed most directly refer to?
A) The bullet fired at Viktor in the staged shooting
B) The bullet Andrew Everton sent to Bethany, which missed its intended target of scaring her off
C) A bullet that missed Jack Mason in his murder
D) A bullet that missed Elizabeth during her kidnapping
Section 4: Synthesis (Questions 18–20)
18. How does the group's plan to expose Andrew Everton rely on modern technology?
A) They use a hacked Instagram Live to broadcast his confession.
B) They use a drone to film him at his house.
C) They hack into his bank accounts.
D) They use a voice-altering app to impersonate him.
19. What is the significance of the name 'Carron Whitehead' being an anagram of 'Catherine Howard'?
A) It reveals the identity of a secret spy.
B) It is a clue that the names in the financial documents are fake.
C) It connects the fraud to a historical figure.
D) It is a red herring that leads the group astray.
20. In what way does the novel suggest that the 'perfect crime' is impossible?
A) The criminals always leave behind DNA evidence.
B) The criminals always confess under pressure.
C) The criminals make small mistakes that unravel their plans.
D) The criminals are always caught by the police.
Answer Key
Section 1: Plot & Sequence
1. B) Bethany Waites
Bethany is the co-host of South East Tonight whose car goes over Shakespeare Cliff, prompting the group's investigation.
2. B) Her car went over Shakespeare Cliff.
The police ruled her death a murder after her car was found wrecked at the cliff's foot with her blood and clothes but no body.
3. B) TV journalist Mike Waghorn
Joyce arranges a fake interview to bring Mike to Coopers Chase so the group can ask for his help with the case.
4. B) A multimillion-pound drugs gang
Connie Johnson runs her criminal enterprise from her prison cell, with most staff bribed and cooperative.
5. B) A bullet hole in the ceiling
The Viking traces the path of the bullet and finds a hole in the ceiling, proving the shooting was staged.
6. B) In the garden of Heather Garbutt's old house
The group's dig at the house bought by Jack Mason uncovers a gun and a metal box with about £100,000 in cash.
7. B) Chief Constable Andrew Everton
Everton is revealed as the brains behind the VAT fraud, the killer of Bethany Waites, and the blackmailer of Jack Mason and Heather Garbutt.
8. A) Alice Cooper
Bethany lives in Dubai under the alias Alice Cooper, a name chosen because it makes her impossible to Google.
Section 2: Character Motivation
9. B) To ask for his help with the Bethany Waites case
Joyce's interview ruse is a deception to get Mike to Coopers Chase so the group can ask for his help.
10. B) Viktor's warnings to clients are costing him business
The Viking launders money through cryptocurrency, and Viktor's advice to clients is hurting his enterprise.
11. B) She was blackmailed by Andrew Everton, who framed her for Bethany's murder.
Everton killed Bethany, buried her with evidence linking Heather, and blackmailed Heather into pleading guilty.
12. C) She wanted to protect Mike Waghorn from the truth.
Pauline kept the secret to protect Mike, who was deeply affected by Bethany's death.
13. B) She was scared by the bullet with Mike Waghorn's name on it.
The bullet convinced Bethany that Everton meant harm, not just to her, but to Mike, so she chose to disappear.
Section 3: Theme & Symbol
14. A) A warning and a threat
The bullet is a crude threat designed to scare Bethany off her investigation.
15. B) The dual nature of Donna and Bogdan's relationship
The statue, a gift from Bogdan to Donna, symbolizes their love, which is both tender and connected to the dangerous world of the investigation.
16. B) The characters' vulnerability to being predictable
Elizabeth and Stephen's daily walk, for example, makes them a target for the Viking's ambush.
17. B) The bullet Andrew Everton sent to Bethany, which missed its intended target of scaring her off
The bullet was meant to frighten Bethany, but it instead cost Everton ten million pounds and ultimately led to his downfall.
Section 4: Synthesis
18. A) They use a hacked Instagram Live to broadcast his confession.
Elizabeth obtains Fiona Clemence's Instagram login, and the group livestreams Everton's confession to over three million viewers.
19. B) It is a clue that the names in the financial documents are fake.
The anagram reveals that the names are not real people but constructed aliases, a key to unraveling the money trail.
20. C) The criminals make small mistakes that unravel their plans.
The novel shows that crime is undone by small details: a bullet hole in a ceiling, a name in a book, a gun that was too small, a forged note with different handwriting. These tiny errors lead to the criminals' exposure.
Want to dig deeper? Explore the full book analysis or test your knowledge of the series' other mysteries.