Quiz The Last Devil To Die Richard Osman

The Last Devil To Die Quiz – 20 Questions

About This Quiz

This 20‑question quiz covers the full story of The Last Devil To Die (Thursday Murder Club #4). Questions are grouped into four categories: plot/sequence (8), character motivation (5), theme/symbol (4), and synthesis (3). Use the answer key at the bottom to check your responses. For more details, visit the book page, the questions and answers page, or the ending explained page.

Plot / Sequence Questions (1–8)

1. In the prologue, what happens to Kuldesh Sharma on the night of 27th December?

(a) He hides a mysterious box in his shop.
(b) He drives to a dark woodland, hides a box, makes two phone calls, waits, and is shot dead.
(c) He calls Elizabeth for help.
(d) He leaves the country.

2. On Boxing Day, what does drug trafficker Mitch Maxwell personally oversee?

(a) A romance scam targeting Mervyn Collins.
(b) A funeral for Kuldesh Sharma.
(c) The unloading of a heroin shipment hidden in a terracotta box.
(d) A family dinner with his wife and father‑in‑law.

3. What does the Thursday Murder Club discover about Mervyn’s online girlfriend Tatiana?

(a) She is a real estate agent.
(b) She is a Lithuanian singer whose photo was stolen; the relationship is a romance fraud.
(c) She is an undercover police officer.
(d) She is Ibrahim’s long‑lost sister.

4. Who is the first murder victim in the novel?

(a) Dominic Holt.
(b) Samantha Barnes.
(c) Kuldesh Sharma.
(d) Luca Buttaci.

5. What valuable item do Joyce, Elizabeth, and Bogdan dig up from the allotment?

(a) A Picasso painting.
(b) A box of heroin.
(c) A terracotta box containing jewels.
(d) A letter from Stephen.

6. Who finally confesses to killing Kuldesh Sharma?

(a) Garth.
(b) Nina Mishra.
(c) Mitch Maxwell.
(d) Connie Johnson.

7. How does Mitch Maxwell die?

(a) He is shot by Garth.
(b) He suffers a heart attack while searching a rubbish tip for the box.
(c) He is arrested and sent to prison.
(d) He escapes to Paraguay and lives a quiet life.

8. Where are Stephen’s ashes sent at the end of the novel?

(a) London.
(b) Baghdad.
(c) Paris.
(d) New York.

Character Motivation Questions (9–13)

9. Why does Elizabeth decide to run a parallel investigation into Kuldesh’s murder?

(a) She suspects the police are covering up the crime.
(b) She feels loyalty to Kuldesh and Stephen, and wants the truth.
(c) She is bored with retirement.
(d) She wants to prove she is still capable.

10. After Stephen’s death, why does Joyce take charge of the group’s plans?

(a) She is the most experienced detective.
(b) She wants to protect Elizabeth from carrying the burden alone.
(c) She enjoys being the leader.
(d) Ron and Ibrahim force her to do it.

11. Why does Garth throw Luca Buttaci off a multi‑storey car park?

(a) He believes Luca killed his wife Samantha.
(b) Luca threatened to expose Garth’s art forgeries.
(c) Garth wanted to steal Luca’s drug money.
(d) Luca tried to shoot Garth first.

12. What motivates Nina Mishra to kill Kuldesh?

(a) She is in debt and sees the ancient box as a chance to become rich.
(b) She was ordered to do so by the National Crime Agency.
(c) She had a personal grudge against him.
(d) She wanted to protect the box from falling into the wrong hands.

13. Why does Connie Johnson feel guilty after speaking to Ibrahim?

(a) She accidentally revealed too much about the drug trade.
(b) She lied to him and manipulated his trust during their prison sessions.
(c) She had him arrested.
(d) She failed to prevent Samantha’s murder.

Theme / Symbol Questions (14–17)

14. In the novel, the ancient “sin box” primarily symbolizes:

(a) The inevitability of death.
(b) The illusion of safety and the hidden cost of greed.
(c) The link between humanity and the divine.
(d) The randomness of fate.

15. The fox named Snowy is a recurring motif that most directly represents:

(a) Cunning and trickery.
(b) Companionship, mortality, and the need to say goodbye.
(c) Wildness and freedom from society.
(d) Death and rebirth.

16. Stephen’s dementia is used in the story to explore:

(a) The cruelty of old age and the failure of medicine.
(b) The enduring power of memory and love even as the mind fades.
(c) The isolation of the elderly from their families.
(d) The burden of caregiving on partners.

17. The romance‑scam subplot involving Mervyn and Tatiana primarily illustrates:

(a) The greed of elderly people.
(b) The human desperation for connection and the vulnerability of loneliness.
(c) The ease with which fraud can be carried out online.
(d) The kindness of strangers who help the elderly.

Synthesis Questions (18–20)

18. Compare the approaches of Elizabeth and Garth to achieving justice. How are they similar, and where do they differ?

Short‑answer space.

19. How does the novel suggest that small, trusting communities like Coopers Chase can succeed where official authorities fail?

Short‑answer space.

20. The book ends with Joyce writing a note to her deceased husband Gerry. What does this reveal about the theme of grief and the act of writing?

Short‑answer space.

Answer Key

Plot / Sequence

(b) – Kuldesh drives to a woodland, hides a box, makes calls, and is shot dead.
(c) – Mitch oversees unloading a heroin shipment hidden in a terracotta box at his East Sussex warehouse.
(b) – Donna’s reverse‑image search reveals Tatiana’s photo belongs to a Lithuanian singer, confirming a romance scam.
(c) – Kuldesh Sharma is the first murder victim, killed in the prologue.
(b) – They dig up the heroin that Kuldesh had hidden in the allotment.
(b) – Nina Mishra confesses to killing Kuldesh during the trap set at the motorway service station.
(b) – Mitch has a heart attack while climbing a rubbish tip looking for the box.
(b) – Stephen’s ashes are placed in the ancient box and sent to Baghdad via back channels.

Character Motivation

(b) – Elizabeth pursues the truth out of loyalty to Kuldesh and Stephen, and because the police are blocked.
(b) – Joyce steps up to protect Elizabeth from the emotional weight of directing the investigation.
(a) – Garth kills Luca because Luca knew Samantha was dead (only the killer and the police knew), making him the murderer of his wife.
(a) – Nina is in debt and sees the valuable ancient box as her one chance to become wealthy.
(b) – Connie feels guilty for lying to Ibrahim and using his trust to gather criminal intel.

Theme / Symbol

(b) – The box is said to protect against evil but actually brings danger and greed; it symbolises false safety.
(b) – Snowy’s death and Stephen’s subsequent passing highlight themes of companionship, mortality, and letting go.
(b) – Stephen’s condition is portrayed through his lucid moments of love and his painful awareness of loss.
(b) – Mervyn’s willingness to send money shows his deep loneliness and need for a connection.

Synthesis (Sample Answers)

Both work outside official systems, but Elizabeth relies on her team and intellectual manipulation, while Garth uses physical violence and a personal moral code. Elizabeth seeks truth and closure; Garth seeks revenge and profit.
The Thursday Murder Club uses local knowledge, deep trust, and creative thinking—elements often missing in bureaucratic police work—to unravel the mystery.
Joyce’s letter to Gerry shows that grief continues but can be processed through writing and memory; she finds solace in keeping a connection with the dead, turning loss into a still‑active relationship.

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