The Bullet That Missed

Elizabeth, who is in her “late seventies” (146), is a former MI5 spy who lives in Coopers Chase. When she begins getting threatening texts from the Viking (Henrik), she “realizes that she has missed trouble” (37). She still craves excitement, which includes her work with the Thursday Murder Club, as well as these threats based on her past associations. Elizabeth frequently tells stories from her days as a spy, such as faking deaths, which is a task that becomes relevant in the case of Bethany (because she faked her own death). Overall, Elizabeth loves having information and “hates not knowing secrets” (155). She is married to Stephen and a former lover of Viktor. However, she was promiscuous in her youth, so while she thinks that she might have slept with Viktor, she isn’t sure (he, on the other hand, remembers explicit details from their sexual encounter).

Over the course of the novel, Elizabeth opens herself up to friendships. She reconnects with Viktor and realizes Joyce is her best friend. Elizabeth becomes more in touch with her feelings as the novel progresses. While “tears never come easily to Elizabeth” (240), she cries about Stephen’s worsening dementia. The Bullet That Missed ends with her perspective—watching Joyce swim in Viktor’s pool and wishing the best for all her loved ones. This ending, and Elizabeth’s control over many situations, makes her a secondary protagonist. Bogdan is at her beck and call, even late at night, and she is the instigator of many interactions, such as pretending to faint in order to get backstage at Stop the Clock.

Chapter 1 of The Bullet That Missed begins with Ron’s perspective as Pauline prepares him to go on South East Tonight to talk about his retirement community, Coopers Chase. Before becoming part of the Thursday Murder Club, Ron worked as an actor and “trades union official” (277). He wears West Ham shirts, struggles with his knees, and ends up dating Pauline. She provides cannabis for his arthritic knees, and other characters note—and approve of—his cannabis use for medical purposes. Ron enjoys playing games like snooker and cards, as well as having drinks with other men. Pauline convinces him to get a massage, which he is initially wary of because he is “deeply anxious about how relaxed he is supposed to be feeling” (204). However, he eventually realizes the massage helps him physically. This is an example of how Ron is open to new experiences.

While Ron learns about modern social issues, like how to avoid toxic masculinity, Joyce notes that “some of his attitudes are outdated” (151). Ron has a capacity for change. One example of this is how he admits to the problems with his knees at the end of the novel. In early chapters, he is unwilling to talk about being in pain, determined to endure it in a stereotypically masculine, stoic way. Joyce also notes Ron’s consistent positive qualities: he’s “loyal, he’s kind, he’s funny [...] Gerry would have loved him, and that’s the greatest compliment I have” (152). Ron is a good friend at the beginning and the end of the novel.

Ibrahim, a psychiatrist, is another member of the Thursday Murder Club and resident of Coopers Chase. He is a psychiatrist who “loves talking to criminals” (54). In The Bullet That Missed, he talks to Connie in prison. Connie considers him a “wise old owl” (183). Ibrahim also assists with Bethany’s case through his love of word games. He is the one who discovers the name Carron Whitehead, from the VAT scheme, is an anagram of Catherine Howard, the protagonist of Andrew’s books. When Andrew comes to talk to him about visiting Connie, Ibrahim says, “Of all the nuts to crack around here, I assure you I am very much the easiest” (136). He doesn’t reveal what Connie told him.

Bogdan also works with the Thursday Murder Club at Coopers Chase to solve cases. He’s always willing to run errands for Elizabeth, no matter what time it is, and considers himself a “big Polish brute” (243). His brutish behavior includes being able to get a gun for Elizabeth and not talking very much. He believes that one should “Only answer a question if one is asked” (253). Bogdan falls in love with police constable Donna. Stephen calls Bogdan an “old romantic” (254). Bogdan and Stephen play chess together.

Stephen is Elizabeth’s husband. He is intelligent, but suffers from worsening dementia. Elizabeth tries to keep people from finding out Stephen’s memory issues. However, he doesn’t recognize Joyce, which tips her off to his worsening condition. When he and Elizabeth are kidnapped, she thinks about how he “has not been put in this sort of position before” (52). Unlike his wife, a former spy, Stephen doesn’t have experience with kidnappers. However, he manages to memorize some of the books on the Viking’s shelves and later recalls them. He is able to help Elizabeth in solving the mystery of their kidnapping through the books. Stephen thinks that they belong to someone else, but Bogdan knows whose books Stephen is talking about. The Viking’s rare editions are key to revealing his identity as Henrik. At the end of the novel, Bogdan is upset when Stephen forgets how to play chess. Bogdan continues to care for Stephen as his condition worsens.

Viktor, a Ukrainian and “former KGB agent” (188)—is a foil of Elizabeth. Both are retired spies. He thinks of himself as an “old spy” (101), and is a senior, like the members of the Thursday Murder Club. Readers first encounter Viktor because the Viking wants Elizabeth to kill him. Once the book switches to his perspective, the reader understands Viktor’s “reputation for intelligence, rather than for violence” (200). Joyce notes that Viktor has a “persuasive tone” (271) when he hides out at her place. Viktor was nicknamed The Bullet for his ability to interrogate people as if he were aiming a bullet that never misses. This nickname ties in with the symbolism of bullets. Elizabeth does not shoot Viktor, so her bullet misses. Viktor is against cryptocurrency, which makes him an enemy of the Viking.

Henrik is referred to as the Viking until Stephen reveals his identity in Chapter 60. Henrik came from a working class family—his father was a librarian, and his mother was a pastry chef. He is originally from Sweden, but Henrik “is at home” (302) on the computer. He ends up being “worth [...] three billion” (232). He made his fortune in cryptocurrency and wants Elizabeth to kill Viktor because Viktor opposes cryptocurrency. Henrik sends Elizabeth threatening texts and kidnaps her and Stephen. He threatens to kill Joyce if Elizabeth doesn’t kill Viktor. However, Henrik is “not good with guns” (233), so Joyce is easily able to drug and incapacitate him. Once his identity is revealed, Henrik joins the Thursday Murder Club in their efforts against Andrew, whom he knew through the VAT fraud. They use Henrik’s library for the livestream although he is off-screen during Andrew’s confession. This important location, like his identity, reflects how Henrik “love[s] books” (307).

Jack also was involved in the VAT fraud with Andrew. Jack is described as a “gangster” (277), “squat and strong, but showing his age. Like a last defiant East End house standing alone in the rubble of a demolished street” (121). He lives in Ramsgate and enjoys playing snooker there with Ron and Viktor. Jack also owns Heather’s house. Andrew claims Bethany’s body is there with incriminating evidence. In this way, Andrew frames Jack and Heather for Bethany’s murder. So, Jack (incorrectly) tells Ron that Bethany is dead. After Jack tells Ron and Viktor about the frame job, Andrew kills Jack and makes the death look like a suicide.

Mike, who is 61, pretends to be younger and gets Botox injections, which make it hard for him to cry. He works as a newscaster on South East Tonight and was a friend of Bethany’s. Joyce has a crush on Mike, but Pauline tells Ron that Mike “dates cameramen” (48). Bethany helped Mike come out to his friends, so he is upset about her disappearance. While Mike seems to have the “Chief Constable at [his] beck and call” (211) for television appearances, Andrew put Mike’s name on a bullet and sent it to Bethany. Mike was not aware of the threat on his life and considers Bethany a close friend.

Bethany was Mike’s much younger cohost—“from a different generation” (318). She started as a researcher at the station. As part of her work on South East Tonight, Bethany investigated the VAT fraud and discovered a link to Andrew. This led to Andrew sending the bullet. Bethany also learned how to control the VAT money and used it to escape to Dubai after Andrew threatened Mike. She didn’t want to jeopardize Mike’s life by going forward with the story about Andrew. The Prologue is from her perspective, and she is presumed dead for most of the novel. Elizabeth and Viktor plan to visit Dubai after finding the money trail there, and it is implied (but not shown) that they will discover Bethany is alive.

Pauline is the makeup artist on South East Tonight. She meets Ron while doing his makeup for the segment on Coopers Chase, and they begin dating. She gives him cannabis for his arthritis and convinces him to get a massage. Also, Pauline helped out Mike by being his plus one when needed (while he was in the closet) and gets his favorite snacks. Pauline becomes a murder suspect after it is discovered that she lives in Juniper Court, where Bethany visited on the night of her disappearance. Ron also realizes that a pseudonym with a VAT fraud payment is a reference to Pauline: Robert Brown MSc refers to her Bobbi Brown mascara. However, Pauline eventually confesses to Ron that she helped Bethany alter her appearance with cosmetics so she could escape. Bethany tried to pay Pauline, but she never touched the VAT money that Bethany set aside for her.

Fiona became Mike’s cohost on South East Tonight after Bethany disappeared. This job catapulted her media career and led to Fiona’s fame (261). She hosts Stop the Clock, which Elizabeth and Joyce attend to question her. They learn that Fiona, like Bethany, received threatening messages from a producer on South East Tonight. Fiona enjoys their meeting and allows them to use her Instagram to post the livestream of Andrew’s confession.

Andrew is the antagonist of The Bullet That Missed. He is the chief constable of the police department—Chris and Donna’s boss. Andrew writes detective novels that he publishes on Amazon and hopes the books will make him famous and rich. When he hears Joyce is reading his books, he asks Elizabeth, “Did she really say she was enjoying my book?” (294). This, and his fake tan, are examples of Andrew’s vanity. It is later revealed that he is a criminal associate of Jack and Heather—the “brains behind the VAT fraud” (356). When Jack begins to talk to the Thursday Murder Club, Andrew murders him. Andrew goes from respected police official to prisoner over the course of the novel. His books provide clues to his crimes. He believes he was caught because of his “greed and being too clever” (398). This quote refers to his original plan for the VAT fraud: a plot for a book. While he doesn’t get the money from them, his books do become famous when the public learns about his crimes.

Donna and Chris are police officers and partners. They investigate Bethany’s case in addition to their regular caseload. Donna is in a romantic relationship with Bogdan, and Chris is in a relationship with Donna’s mother, Patrice. These relationships develop over the course of the novel. Donna momentarily doubts Bogdan, due to his running errands for Elizabeth, but forgives him when she learns he is part of the team that gets Andrew’s confession. Patrice has a positive influence on Chris. From Chris and Donna’s access to CCTV, they learn that Bethany visited Juniper Court the night of her disappearance, and they do not tell the Thursday Murder Club.