Chapter summaries The Last Devil To Die Richard Osman

Chapter 55 Summary and Analysis: The Last Devil to Die

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Ron is expecting Joyce’s arrival at his flat. Elizabeth is away, so Joyce brings a coconut and raspberry cake and asks about the sting operation against the scammers targeting Mervyn. Ibrahim explains they have agreed to pay a further £2,800 but told Tatiana that the bank flagged the transfer as suspicious. They ask if she knows someone in England who can collect the cash. The plan is to arrest that accomplice when he appears. Ibrahim is communicating with “Jeremmy” (two m’s), pretending to be Mervyn. Joyce shares her distrust of everyone from yesterday’s lunch, believing one of them killed Kuldesh. Bob mentions Dominic’s body; Ron dismisses it as villain-on-villain violence. When Ron and Ibrahim turn to snooker, Joyce suggests she and Bob walk Alan, but Bob admits he likes snooker, so Ron invites him to stay. Joyce muses that everyone chases something just out of reach—love, money, heroin—and mentions dreaming of Gerry. The men relent and let her stay to chat.

Key Events

  • Joyce arrives at Ron’s flat with cake as Elizabeth is away for a couple of days.
  • Ibrahim updates Joyce on the sting: they have halted the bank transfer and asked Tatiana to send an accomplice to collect cash in England.
  • The team is communicating with a scammer alias “Jeremmy” (two m’s), with no reply yet.
  • Joyce recounts her impressions from the restaurant lunch, saying she trusts none of the attendees and believes at least one killed Kuldesh.
  • Ron and Ibrahim prepare to watch snooker; Joyce offers to walk Alan.
  • Bob hesitates to leave because he also enjoys snooker; Ron invites him to join them.
  • Joyce delivers a philosophical reflection on longing, comparing the hunt for heroin, love, and even Alan chasing his tail.
  • Ron and Ibrahim allow Joyce to stay and talk about anything, overriding their usual snooker-only rule.

Character Development

  • Ron: Shows his gruff but caring side by willingly including Bob and eventually letting Joyce stay. His dismissal of Dominic’s death (“Villains shoot villains”) underlines his pragmatism.
  • Joyce: Demonstrates her sharp observational skills (distrusting the lunch guests) and her emotional vulnerability. Her monologue about dreaming of Gerry reveals that beneath her cheerful exterior she still grieves and longs for connection.
  • Ibrahim: Methodical and focused, he explains the trap with precision. His playful remark about saying “testes” to end arguments shows his dry humour.
  • Bob: New to the group’s dynamic, he is shy about admitting his love of snooker. Accepting Ron’s invitation marks a step toward belonging.
  • Elizabeth: Absent, yet her presence is felt through Ron’s hug with Stephen and the team’s wish to have an arrest waiting for her.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • The bait-and-trap: The team mirrors the scammers’ own tactics—dangling money just out of reach, exploiting greed.
  • Longing and the elusive prize: Joyce gives voice to the chapter’s central metaphor: love, money, Alan’s tail—everyone chases something unattainable. This links the sting plot with her personal loss.
  • Camaraderie without Elizabeth: The scene shows the group functioning (and bickering) independently, proving their resilience while highlighting Elizabeth’s unique role.
  • Snooker as ritual: The strict “no general conversation” rule represents male bonding through shared, undemanding activity, contrasted with Joyce’s desire for heartfelt talk.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter advances the scammer subplot by moving the sting from digital deception to a planned physical arrest. It also deepens character dynamics: Joyce’s candid grief and Bob’s tentative integration into the group. The philosophical closing cements Joyce’s role as the emotional heart of the team, reminding readers that the “last devil to die” may be hope or longing itself. The chapter sets up the next confrontation while the team waits for Elizabeth’s return.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. What specific step do Ibrahim and Ron take to lure Tatiana’s accomplice?
    They tell Tatiana their bank has blocked the £2,800 transfer as suspicious and ask if she knows someone in England who can collect the cash in person. This trick is designed to get a real person to show up for arrest.

  2. Why does Joyce believe none of the lunch guests had the heroin?
    She argues that if any of them possessed the heroin or knew its location, they wouldn’t have attended the lunch at all. Instead, they were all fishing for information.

  3. What does Joyce’s speech about “something just out of reach” reveal about her state of mind?
    It reveals that she still grieves for her late husband Gerry and that she perceives the human condition as a cycle of chasing unfulfilled desires—love, money, even a dog’s tail. This longing gives her empathy for the scammers’ victims and connects to her own loneliness.

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