From its inception, the Thursday Murder Club series shows how strong and capable the elderly can be, arguing that it is possible to lead a rich and dynamic life in retirement. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron routinely prove that they are more than up to the challenge of solving cases that have stumped the local police, and this pattern continues in The Last Devil to Die.

Even in the face of tremendous physical and emotional adversity, the Thursday Murder Club displays resilience and resourcefulness. When Elizabeth and Joyce attempt to search Kuldesh’s shop for clues and are rebuffed, they head down the street to the local café, where they manage to secure CCTV footage that the police haven’t found. Shortly after this, the gang stakes out Dominic Holt’s warehouse in Ron’s car. Dom shows up and threatens them, going so far as to slash their tires and smash their windshield, but they are unperturbed and even mildly insulted: “‘An old woman too scared to use her gun?’ says Elizabeth, as the car clunks toward the ground again. ‘We’ll see about that’” (79). Here, Elizabeth directly challenges the stereotypes surrounding elderly individuals, implying that they can be just as brave and decisive as anyone else.