Richard Osman can write, and The Thursday Murder Club is a jolly good romp of a read. You'll know already that it's set in a posh residential 'home' or clubhouse for the elderly but spritely of mind, and a nicely-controlled, diverse mix of men and women have formed themselves into a little sub-club for solving pretend mysteries when lo! There's a small crop of real murders to investigate.

Using a selection of voices to set the scene, unfurl the mystery (and there's a good mystery and a nicely achieved twist) and demonstrate a pre-Covid moment of relative sanity in a certain kind of middle-class society, Osman creates a compelling narrative that keeps you happily turning the page and enjoying small bursts of revelations about Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim and the regulation police characters, as well as a nicely-displayed set of possible murderers.

As the author is some way off the ages of his Club-members, it's pleasing to feel the empathy enfolding the elderly and their quirks and foibles about technology, or their still-potent powers of stirring up a demo (Ron, the ex-Miner's TU leader) or reaching into the Deep State to get vital clues (Elizabeth - ex MI5 it would seem). He's dedicated the book to his Mum, and I guess that's the ideal reader-demographic, but I think anyone who enjoys a good Kate Atkinson (and I envy him her resounding endorsement of the book) would take pleasure in this novel.

Thanks net galley for the free read. I really enjoyed this murder mystery - which was so much more than just another mystery novel. The reader is drawn into the world of Elizabeth and fellow members of the Thursday murder club where they investigate cold cases whilst living at an upmarket retirement village. Great twists and turns and good to read about the lives and background of the different characters. It would be great if this was the first of a series of murders solved by the club.

The Thursday Murder Club is a funny and exciting crime thriller. The story takes us to a rather superior retirement community, and we meet the four residents, of differing backgrounds, who make up the Thursday Murder Club. They meet in the Jigsaw room, which happens to be free on Thursdays, hence the name. At first, the quartet concentrate on looking at cold cases but, all too soon, there is a real life murder to draw their interest. Soon, they are involved in the investigation, bribing the police with cake and solving clues left, right and centre.

There are engaging characters, very clever plot twists, and a subtle humour which drives the plot along. I can’t wait to find out what our four friends get up to next!

In the book community we often talk about trying to find books that do something a bit different - sometimes it seems that in order to save the world you have to be between 15-25 years old, usually male, and an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time. What about literally everyone else in the world?

And what about people who have a very specific set of skills who are now retired so have all the time in the day to go over cold cases? Especially when a murder happens right on their doorstep and concerns their home, the 7th best retirement village in England, Coopers Case. 

We have four members of the Thursday Murder Club, Elizabeth (who is very much the leader and has a seemingly complex past that has left her with a lifetime of important connections and owed favours), Joyce (who was a nurse and who now keeps a journal, which is an excellent way of delivering certain facts for the reader or revealing scenes that happened that aren't shown in the book itself, without it seeming forced), Ron (who is never afraid of standing up for what needs to be protected and demonstrated for, and still loves a chance to get on his soapbox for a bit) and Ibrahim (a retired psychiatrist and the one with the mathematical mind). Being in a retirement village they are often visited by various spokespeople from society, and one day get a visit from the police to listen to a home safety presentation about not opening front doors to strangers or falling for various scams, and it's through this that they meet PC Donna De Freitas, a police woman who is far better than most of the small police centre she's moved herself out to after a bad breakup and a split second decision. She wants to be out there catching serial killers and taking on the big cases, not working in such a sleepy little back county... and this just so happens to line up with exactly what the Thursday Murder Club want, too.

It's so refreshing to have a set of very intelligent older people who are often overlooked and know how to play to this advantage. There's a tv show called New Tricks which is quite similar, but honestly this book is so much better - the characters are more likeable, the dialogue is a lot more fun, and the general observations about life and such are really quite entertaining.

It also has its sad moments. Some of the main characters have already lost their life partners whilst some are worried about their curernt partners, and they're all a bit worried for their neighbours daily as they slip further away. Another main character is a woman who doesn't say a word yet is still integral to their group. She's in palliative care now, and is someone Elizabeth visits often, another way that we get information about the case without it seeming forced. This woman, Penny, seems like she was a member of the Thursday Murder Club until soon before the novel starts, and there seems to be some guilt of Joyce taking her place, which gives a nice lived-in feeling to this club and the retirement village itself.

As far as murder mysteries go, this one is quite complex with more and more information getting uncovered through various means and their initial suspicions changing as this comes to light or they get a feel for the various suspects (and more people keep dying). It's not obvious who did it at all, and there are surprises right until the end of the book - and not in a way that seems ridiculous.

The author, Richard Osman, is quite well known in England and anywhere else that airs the TV quiz show Pointless. We have so much more to thank him for though, as before he was a debut author or a tv presenter he worked in the behind the scenes of TV on shows like Out of 10 Cats and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, all the way back to Total Wipeout, Whose Line is it Anyway, and Deal or No Deal (he knows who the Banker is!)

Somehow, it also seems that he can write. I can't wait for the second book in this series and see what the Thursday Murder Club get up to next.

Set in the Kent countryside, Coopers Chase is an exclusive retirement village. All the residents appear to be well off financially or have wealthy children paying their fees. There are good amenities - swimming pool, gym, talks on security, computers, zumba classes, pilates, bridge, crosswords and a murder club!
Elizabeth and Penny, who was an inspector in the police, started the murder club. When she retired, Penny brought files of "cold cases" so that they could investigate. Penny is now permanently in the hospital wing, unconscious on a ventilator, her life over. Her husband comes to sit with her everyday.
Elizabeth has been in some government department - Mi5 or Mi6? She has many useful contacts. The other members of the club are Ibrahim who was a Psychiatrist, Ron who was an outspoken Union leader and there is Joyce, she was a nurse. It's her diary that provides most of the story.
The murder club target Donna who is in the police and visits the village to give a talk on security. She left the Met. because of a failed love affair, but is now bored. They get her seconded to Chris a detective inspector when there is an actual murder to investigate. It often feels that Chris and Donna are the only ones involved from the police!
This is a very enjoyable cozy mystery. Well written by this well known TV personality, famous for hosting quiz shows. You believe and enjoy the company of the various characters from the retirement village. I understand there is to be a second book and I eagerly look forward to this. Very well recommended.

This was a convoluted, sightly surreal murder mystery thriller set in a retirement village.

The police are competing against the Thursday Murder Club - who normally try to solve cold cases - in solving the murder of a local villain. The Thursday Murder Club is led by Elizabeth, who has a very 'interesting' network of people who all provide her with 'favours' which gets her closer to the murderer than the police.

It's not long before one murder turns into three, spanning five decades and two continents.

There are a plethora of characters - perhaps too many would be my opinion - each with an interesting back story going on which all intermingles to make a complex mystery to solve.

It's a light-hearted yet complex plot, with a couple of tear-jerking moments thrown in. .

Written by TV presenter Richard Osman – and I’m a huge fan – I just had to read it didn’t I. And I wasn’t disappointed.

It’s choc full of of red herrings. Even the red herrings have baby herrings and just when you think you’ve cracked the mystery, something else turns up. Having finished quite late in the evening, I had to concentrate when I woke up to check if I could remember it all. It’s highly entertaining and will keep you guessing right up to the very end. And some of the answers might even be pointless (see what I did there).

There are so many references to the four main protagonists’ previous lives – Elizabeth for instance was a spy – but also to popular culture, some of which made me laugh out loud. As well as a murder mystery, it’s also a sharp observation of life with plenty of humour and often hilarious dialogue. However, I didn’t expect to cry while reading it, but I did. The last part was so touching that I couldn’t help shed a few tears.

I know our gang will be back in a few months time to solve another tale of bludgeoning (it’s a wonderful word), poisoning and derring-do or whatever crime will take place in book two and I have a sneaky feeling that The Thursday Murder Club will become a modern classic and a TV series.

And the moral of the story – never underestimate the combined wisdom of a group of octogenarians when it comes from the pen of one of our cleverest writers. And I almost forgot their partners-in-crime-solving – our two detectives Chris and Donna.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been waiting a while to read this one, and it was well worth the wait. Set in a luxury retirement village in Southern England, we meet the members of the Thursday Murder Club, who spend their spare time (between yoga, swimming, and all of the different facilities available - sign me up!) solving cold cases. Until a murder close to home leads to them investigating a very much current case involving betrayal, intrigue and revenge.

The humour from the main characters is what sets this apart, I could have happily kept reading about these characters for much longer after finishing the book, and I’m really looking forward to another instalment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a debut from Richard Osman! Celebrity authors can be pretty hit and miss but Richard Osman has played a blinder with this one!
Set in a posh retirement village in Kent, the four main characters try to solve old murder mystery cases...until a property developer gets murdered on their doorstep and they have a live case to try and solve.
Lots of twists and turns, a fast-paced plot and well developed, likeable characters. This is a book that will have broad appeal and now Steve Spielberg has bought the rights to turn it into a film, I have no doubt this book will get a lot of buzz.

One of TV's best-loved personalities turns his hand to crime fiction and we have here a debut that is every bit as good as anything written by Agatha Christie.
The characters are authentic and endearing, the prose is gossipy, warm-hearted and humorous, and the plot only as old-fashioned as you would hope for in a modern day cosy crime novel.
Richard Osman is a worthy successor to those titans of crime fiction whose names are all on the tips of our tongues.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this author but I would most certainly read any other books he writes! This was a clever, warm and humourous book with the added bonus of an intriguing mystery. I was very impressed by the writing style, the three dimensional characters and a plot with plenty of twists and turns. Even the narrator comes under suspicion. I really warmed to Elizabeth as a character and hope that Osman develops this book into a serious with her at the helm.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who likes reading mysteries/thrillers or just likes to read a really good book!

I think it is always hard for a debut author to establish a style. It is probably even harder for someone like Richard Osman, who is already a well known television presenter.

However, he has managed to create a very enjoyable and entertaining murder mystery.

His dry wit shows through from the outset. I really liked the setting, a retirement village in Southern England. This provides the perfect backdrop for a whodunit in the vein of Agatha Christie, with the added bonus of Richard Osman's subtle humour interwoven in this cleverly crafted story.

The novel has pace and sufficient twists and turns to keep it interesting to the very end. In my opinion the real merit is the eclectic cast of characters, all of which are beautifully crafted. Each with their own peculiarities.

I found myself drawn in to the community, even though the links between a retirement community and an active set of police investigations, really does go beyond the boundaries of reality.

In all, this is a beautifully written and engaging debut novel. I will look forward to reading future novels by Mr Osman on the strength of this book.

I give my thanks to Netgalley and Penguin, Viking for a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

A group of “elderly” in a retirement village meet every Thursday to look into past murders. Hence the book title. But now they have a local murder to investigate and they bring all their skills together to influence the police and others while their investigation continues.
What a brilliant read, loved every page and all the characters. Looks the ideal place to spend retirement with all these brilliant people. Will not tell you what happens, read it yourself.

Richard Osman is officially my favourite author. After one book. He's done it.

The Thursday Murder Club is absolutely fantastic. At first I was a bit dubious - four OAPs solving a murder in their retirement village? But then, all the classic detectives are the wrong side of 50, and where would the world be without Miss Marple?

From the first chapter I was absolutely hooked. The main four characters, Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Ron are spirited and not ready to give up on life just yet. Their ages become almost forgotten the more you get into the story, and the trappings of older age are not dwelled upon. There are moments to remind you though, such as the declining health of loved ones, but again these are dealt with thoughtfully.

That's a big draw about this book. There are a lot of crime thrillers out there these days, many of which feature graphic violence or particularly uncomfortable circumstances. The Thursday Murder Club doesn't follow this mould, it's a good old school whodunnit and it's no mean feat to come up with something new to keep readers engaged.

As I read it, I could well imagine it being a Bank Holiday three part special, with Judi Dench, Miriam Margoyles, Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart in the main roles (please, please!)

It's not lightweight though, and cleverly deals with some very topical concepts. I loved every minute of it!

What a delightful breath of fresh air this novel is. I've been going through a bit of a detective fiction phase recently and I was worried I would have become very used to the usual tropes of the genre and this would therefore feel a little stale but I could not have been more wrong!

Set in a retirement community where the eponymous club meets weekly to discuss cold cases and try and come up with a solution to them, the characters are thrown into a real life investigation when a murder happens which touches their community. Theories abound as the club races to solve the case before the police can.

The cast of characters are fantastic. Endearing, vivacious, and yet, thanks to a few little touches which remind you these people are the same age as your parents/grandparents (delete as appropriate), startlingly real and relatable. I lost count of the number of times I giggled and guffawed out loud - not something you'd expect from a typical murder mystery - and yet there are also moments of pure, raw emotion which tug on the heart strings and bring some gravity to the tale.

You don't need to be a fan of murder mysteries to find something to enjoy here. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a book which makes them feel something - joy, heartache, anger, fear: they're all here. This is a fantastic debut from Osman and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

Absolutely loved this book from start to finish. I found all the characters believable and would like to see the Thursday murder club become part of a series. Really like the humour in the book too. If you've not read this yet, get your hands on a copy without delay.

For the first half of the book I wasn’t sure I liked it. I didn’t find it funny or amusing and the story seemed silly. I did stick with it and I began to enjoy it, I liked the characters and the story came into its own with me guessing repeatedly who had committed the murders and repeatedly getting it wrong

I was so excited to read Richard Osman's first work of fiction. It was a totally new and unusual twist on the whodunnit / murder mystery genre with lots of amusing asides. Despite so many deaths, it was a quirky, entertaining, laugh-out-loud book. The setting of a luxury retirement village was wholly original and teaches us not to underestimate older people!

Firstly, you will come to adore the octogenarian Club members. They are something else! And they thrive on murder. Elizabeth, a female version of James Bond, in retirement. Ron, a geriatric activist and tireless instigator; quite an orator, when pushed. Joyce, quiet as a mouse, a once-upon-a-time nurse. Ibrahim, a psychotherapist with a sharp eye for detail (so sharp that it borders on compulsive-obsessive). This quartet of amateur detectives gathers once a week to solve cold cases. Until, one day, a brand-new murder lands in their collective lap; and another one a few days later. Not to mention the discovery of human bones in an old covent graveyard, which would be perfectly normal had said bones be found inside a coffin. And so the scene is set for a thorough and methodical investigation, which the actual police detectives, Donna and Chris Hudson, can hardly keep up with.
Osman builds the case skilfully, adding layer upon layer of wider social and personal background. The network of current and past events is smoothly woven together. As the unravelling of the two murders progresses, the characters develop and flourish. I particularly enjoyed the character of the Polish builder, Bogdan who started as a stereotype only to surprise me as I got to know him better (well, as Elizabeth and her husband, Stephen, got to know him better).
This is a classic cosy mystery: funny, full of observational humour, presenting the reader with a deliciously twisty and unpredictable case to get your teeth into.

I have been looking forward to reading this book and was delighted to receive an advance copy for review! For the first few chapters, I was reading it in Richard Osman's voice although I am glad to say that disappeared once I got into the book properly! I really enjoy books where older people are the protagonists, I love listening to their voices and their life experiences. This book is set in a retirement village where some of the residents are amateur sleuths investigating past crimes. When a real life murder lands on their doorstep they are delighted!
This was a funny, quirky, character led book which I really enjoyed. However I felt it veered off plot a bit too much with too many characters making things more complicated than they should have been and I did struggle a bit with who was who and who did what! I loved hearing the back stories of the main characters especially Elizabeth who definitely had a very interesting past! I think a bit more pruning of the characters and the unrelated plot lines would have helped this book flow a little better but I certainly enjoyed it and look forward to the follow up.