Richard Osman's debut novel is quaint, cosy, charming and quintessentially British.

Written in a quirky, chatty style reminiscent of Fredrik Backman, The Thursday Murder Club is a light and easy read with a good dose of humour. The story is set in a retirement village in England, where our characters meet every Thursday to discuss unsolved murders. However, the story becomes ridiculous when the police end up working with them in order to solve cases.

The characters in the story are sadly underdeveloped and rather stereotypical - we have the hardworking Polish builder, the egotistical, ruthless property developer and the downtrodden policeman. I found Elizabeth to be particularly irritating.

Overall, a charming, easy read if somewhat predictable.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Books (UK) and Viking for the ARC.

I have to admit that I am a bit of a Richard Osman fan. Living in Australia with English parents and I married a Brit as well, we watch alot of British TV. He is a very clever and funny man, so when I heard that he was writing a fiction novel I was super keen to read it. The Thursday Murder Club was a charming and funny story that I spent my weekend engrossed in. It is not a full on crime fiction novel, it is a sweet murder mystery that will keep you guessing and have you falling in love with the quirky characters. It will appeal to all sots of readers and I look forward to the second book in the series already.

The residents of an exclusive retirement village in the Kent area of England are not giving up on life. In fact, they are having the times of their lives. Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim have formed their own club, the Thursday Murder Club, where they look into old cases (a former member worked in the police and took the fires with her when she retired!) Over tea and cake they look for clues to try to solve these cases. But when there is a murder in the village just you try and stop them from investigating! Even better when a second case comes along and they discover links to the past. Will they crack the case?

These characters are so much fun! They love being older and use it to their advantage. They get away with things that others might not necessarily even think of. Elizabeth in particular is like a dog with a bone and will stop at nothing to get the facts. Joyce writes herself a diary each day and through this we learn alot more about her friends and their antics.

I loved this book and hope that many many people will find some joy in reading it.

Thank you to Viking Books UK for my advanced copy of this book to read.

Among the acknowledgements at the end of the book is the following: ″Thank you to my mum, Brenda Osman. I hope that, amongst other things, there is a sense of kindness and justice, running through The Thursday Murder Club, and that comes from you.″ For me, that sense of kindness and justice was very strong. We see the story unfolding from many viewpoints and understand why people do what they do, even if we don′t agree with their actions. There is an empathy towards the state of growing older, and the gradual loss that arises from that which adds a quiet melancholy to many of these viewpoints. The elderly characters suffer the whole range of problems that people encounter in old age, and sometimes use these vulnerabilities ruthlessly to progress their detecting, but they aren′t described as less than human. When one of the characters leaves the room where a woman lies in a coma with her husband of fifty years sitting reading nearby it is described like this, ″Elizabeth leaves the lovers together.″
There are actually several mysteries throughout the book, all interwoven, and it′s satisfying to get each one resolved. Perhaps I appreciated this more since I′m of retirement age myself, but it was good to see how the main four protagonists used their experience, including their knowledge of people, to work out the solutions. They′re not wunderkinds, although they all have their own brand of intelligence, and one of the characters has a very useful background in what may have been one of the security services.
I wanted to read this book initially because I′ve enjoyed the author′s wit when I′ve seen him in various programmes, and that dry with runs through the book. Perhaps not many laugh out loud moments – except possibly a bit with two Tupperware containers near the end – but lots of wry chuckles, and a glee in going against conventional assumptions. I found it a delight to read, and this review ended up taking longer to write than I meant since I kept re-reading some of my favourite sections.

I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley

Charming and quirky, even if I did get slightly muddled towards the end. I was a bit sceptical about Richard Osman as an author but saw The Thursday Murder Club getting good reviews, so thought I'd give it a go, and I'm glad I did. The characters are well drawn with a real sense of personality, and I particularly liked Elizabeth. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club. Written in an amusing, chatty style, with a cast of “real characters” (by which I mean they are people about whom you would say, “he/she’s a real character”, rather than that they are real-life, people-I-know type characters). They each have their quirks which will either endear them to or irritate the reader. I found them endearing. Joyce with her irrelevant questions, Elizabeth with her mystery past and connections (could it be she’s a fantasist/Billy Liar-type personality?), were my favourites, although I have a massive soft spot for pedantic Ibrahim, too.

The action is set at a very attractive sounding retirement village in south-east England, where each Thursday a small group of residents meet to pick over the details of unsolved murders to see if they can work out whodunit (one of the founding members was in the police force and brought the details with her when she retired!).

That is, until the day Tony Curran is murdered. With a live murder case virtually on their doorstep, the group can’t resist using their sleuthing skills to help out the police/use the police to gain information to aid their own investigations. Better still, a second murder follows closely on the first, with mysteries from the past resurfacing to add more intrigue.

The twists and turns come thick and fast, especially towards the end. I must confess I got a bit lost at one point, and if I’d been reading the book in printed form, I would have flicked back to remind myself of who some of the characters from the past were and what they’d done – it’s not so easy when reading on a Kindle.

My husband commented on the amount of chuckling I was doing as I read. The humour more than made up for my odd moments of confusion. I didn’t want it to end. Loved it!

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are founder members of the Thursday Murder Club at Coopers Chase Retirement Village in Kent. When the one of the owners of the village is murdered the Police are involved but the Thursday Murder Club see an opportunity to help solve the murder then the count goes up.
I enjoyed reading this book and found the characters quite believable. The more of the book I read the harder I found it to put down. I look forward to reading the next instalment to see how the characters aredeveloping.

A light, easy read which one could describe as 'very British'. It is, of course, a story and not to be taken as too realistic especially the most unlikely involvement and almost control of the Police officers who themselves were somewhat implausible. I also feel that the other main characters lacked some originality which could have been developed q little more..
However, a pleasant read with humour which will appeal to many.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for this chance to give an unbiased review.

This book wasn't my usual type of read! It's a lighter hearted mystery, although still has dark insinuations in parts. I chose it because I think Richard Osman is clever and funny and I was right because the book is too. The characters are well observed and the different strands and red herrings keep the pages turning. This was my holiday read for 2020 and took me away from the weirdest year ever, so thanks for the escapism.

Firstly, a disclaimer; I’m a big fan of the author and love his weekly quiz emails which are filled with wit and wisdom.
I wasn’t at all sure for the first part of this book to the point where I wasn’t sure I’d read to the end and then suddenly, the style of story telling went off, I was pulled in and both amused and intrigued. A light hearted, entertaining read with really fabulous characters who definitely deserve their own novels for their backstories!

Received with thanks to NetGalley...

This was an easy ready - fluffy and light with a good dose of humour interweaved amongst characters and plot alike. Though pitched as a thriller, mystery, crime novel; this debut offering from Osman really reads best when taken with a pinch of salt.
Telling the tale of a miscast set of characters who find unlikely cohesion in their love of the intrigue and mystery involved with unsolved crimes. Nothing too sinister happens, there's an embargo it seems on details of anything grisly that the pulpier titles of the genre will rest their laurels on. Osman invests in characters, setting, atmosphere. By the end, not only do you have a comfortable resolution - a true denouement which closes the narrative satisfactorily - but you have enjoyed time spent with the characters in their world. Personally, Joyce's sections were my favourite, offering that touch more insight, reality of voice and depth to the tale. Osman works hard to successfully set these people into a world readers will want to return to. And they will, with his upcoming sequel, with an ease or comfort reminiscent of worlds created by Alexander McCall Smith and his No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.

To be honest, I was anticipating something of quite a different caliber in tone and plot. Hence only the three stars - but that's based on personal taste, not the skill of the author here.
It cannot be denied that Osman has a mastery on the lighter touch here. Think Jasper Fforde, rather than Jo Nesbo, and it's an enjoyable read in the main.

#TheThursdayMurderClub #NetGalley

Living in a retirement village isn't usually the way to come to the notice of the local police department or become part of an exclusive club investigating an actual real life killing! This is what happens to Joyce however, as she becomes the newest member of the eponymous Thursday Murder Club.

She joins Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Ron, a small group of residents, whose individual strengths have come together as a force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to unorthodox ways of gathering information. The local police, having to follow the more accepted means of investigation, have some qualms about joining them when invited but their goals are the same, aren't they?

Richard Osman, the well known presenter of House of Games and Pointless on the BBC, always comes across as a thoroughly nice guy. As an author, his intelligence and imagination have been given free rein and the resulting work is very good. People in his fictional world, it would seem, are, for the most part, decent, but all have skeletons they would far rather stayed hidden. He uses this fact to create believable, empathetic, and well rounded characters which, added to an excellent plotline and understanding of human nature, produces a novel which is both cozy and crafty in equal measure.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it flowed and moved along at a good pace. I had no problem working out whodunnit - only to find I was totally wrong! By the end I had one part sorted out but the rest, nope, not even close. That doesn't mean it didn't work, it did, brilliantly, especially for a first novel, and the ending was satisfyingly right, suggesting a distinct possibility of more great books in the future.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys cozy crime with a bit of a bite or is a fan of the author. In both cases you won't be disappointed and I hope this will be the first of many Thursday Murder Club books as well as the beginning of another successful part of Mr Osman's future career.

The Thursday Murder club and Richard Osman were a great find for me and I look forward to reading more of his work in future. I have a friend who lives in a similar retirement village which made Coopers Chase, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibraham and the intrigues within the community very believable for me.

I really liked his style and getting to know the characters a bit at a time through them and their friends. The plot included some twists and turns and poignant moments I certainly wasn’t expecting and finally left me pondering the age old contradiction of law versus justice.

All in all I really enjoyed the tale and it would make a good film or TV mystery. I hope that this won’t be a stand alone novel and eagerly await more on Elizabeth’s hush-hush past and her fellow sleuths in future novels.

Joyce (nurse), Ron (a Union man), Ibrahim (psychiatrist) and Elizabeth (who may have been a spy), are residents at Coopers Chase Retirement Village. They meet once a week to discuss cold case murders, but now they have a fresh murder to investigate.

Written with an original style, it was easy to conjure up images of the main characters in this book. I particularly liked Joyce and her diary entries.

The narrative includes some wonderful statements about older members of society, for example, ‘getting out of a garden chair at our age is a military operation. Once you are in one, you can be in it for the day’.

There are many jarring sudden changes of point of view within chapters, and sometimes within paragraphs. This may be a formatting issue on the ARC edition of the novel, but it did impede the reading flow on a number of occasions. The pacing of the story felt slow at first, but by the middle of the novel, I was becoming hooked.

Overall, it was an entertaining, enjoyable fictional tale. I rate it as very good, and therefore 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. This is my unbiased review.

TV presenter Richard Osman's debut novel is a charming and delightful cosy mystery composed of interesting characters and infused with wit and a sense of fun.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibriham all live in a swanky up-market retirement village in Kent, with it's own 'contemporary upscale restaurant' and a full range of sporting and recreational activities including numerous clubs and interest groups. The four retirees all belong to the Thursday Murder Club, originally set up by Elizabeth (an ex spy/intelligence officer) and her very good friend Penny (an ex detective inspector) to take a second look at some of Penny's unsolved cases. Now that Penny is lying in the nursing home waiting for the final act in her life, ex-psychiatrist Ibrahim, ex-nurse Joyce and ex-trade union leader Ron (known as 'Red Ron' in his time) all join Elizabeth for two hours every Thursday to continue working through Penny's files. When a real life murder happens at the village the Thursday Murder club set about trying to solve the crime, feeding timely information to a young PC bored with the local petty crime, Donna de Freitas, and her boss DCI Chris Hudson.

Richard Osman has an easy writing style and his characters are all delightful, warts and all, particularly Elizabeth who seems to have had quite a past and possesses a shrewdness that has not been diminished by time. Part of the narration is in the form of a diary kept by Joyce, the newest member of the club, and gives a different perspective on life in the village and what is happening. Donna, who finds herself adopted by the murder club, is delighted to find herself somehow recruited to the investigating team with Elizabeth's assistance. The plot does become quite complex (perhaps more than needed) with a lot of red herrings and revelations, but it was nevertheless good fun and all is all neatly resolved.

I was really looking forward to reading The Thursday Murder Club as I like Richard Osman on TV.

I am sorry to say this book was not for me. I must be honest and say that I did not read to the end as I found it rather slow and totally unrealistic from the characters in the retirement village to the Police that liaise with them regarding the murder..

I found it difficult to follow at times as there were lots of characters and it was often difficult to tell when it switched to someone else speaking.

I am sure I am in the minority and that other people will love it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review

I wasn’t sure what to expect but was really looking forward to reading this book.

I found it gripping even though I’m not sure I liked how it was written but I didn’t want to give up with it.

I Loved the setting. It was a classic who dunnit kind of story.
Not realistic at all but fun.

So many twists and turns, I thought I'd solved it then something else happens and I found myself totally hooked. Good strong older characters, who are so likeable I really hope there are more books in this series.
Thank you enthralled.

I loved this book! It was funny and sad and full of people that I wanted to meet and be friends with and listen to their life stories.
Set in a retirement village, these pensioners are keeping busy investigating cold cases when a murder takes place and they decided to assist the police with their investigations. Not surprisingly their help is not exactly welcomed but each side comes to appreciate the skills of the other and together they get to the bottom of the mystery.
It's a delightful story with interesting characters, a clever if convoluted plot and a satisfying conclusion. I couldn't put it down.

I’ve not read many murder mystery books, not my preferred genre but I was intrigued by the title of this and interested to read something Richard Osman has written, being a big fan of his quiz shows. The Thursday Murder Club is a group of older people who all live in a “retirement village” and meet each week to examine and try to solve cold cases. Then a real-life murder happens ….. The Murder Club members are Elizabeth, Joyce (who could be described as the narrator), Ibrahim and Ron - they are interesting and well-drawn characters, their idiosyncrasies are beautifully observed and I found myself enjoying their company. There’s a gentle humour running through the book and a lovely conversational style. I didn’t guess the identity of the murderer and I changed my mind several times! And I'm a bit concerned about Mr Osman’s extensive criminal knowledge.

It’s a great read, pacey, very funny, moving in parts and very satisfying. I’m glad there will be a Thursday Murder Club 2!

Thoroughly enjoyed this story about a group of pensioners solving cold case murders from records taken from one of their members who served in the police. Whilst solving these murders they stumble across a murder and become involved in solving the case
This was a feel good read which although at times was very disjointed as it suddenly slipped into another point of view (this could be down to me reading an arc) with no break between meaning at times I had to reread bits to get my head around it.
I loved all the characters and their larger than life/slightly unbelievable characteristics.
Highly recommend