Richard Osman's ,"The Thursday Murder Club" is set in an exclusive luxury retirement village in deepest rural Kent. The Murder Club consists of 4 of the residents who mull over cold cases to pass the time and to see if they can find a resolution. When they find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation at the Village they use their skills to assist the Police,who are not always entirely grateful for their input, not least some of the unconventional and not always entirely legal methods they use.

Thankfully,and the strength of the book,is that the elderly cast of characters are not portrayed as the stereotypical bumbling,forgetful,lovable, twee amateur sleuths who stumble across the right answers. All have done exceptional things in their own fields in their younger days and those talents have them out-thinking and premeditating the Police a number of times. They make mistakes,they sometimes get things horribly wrong....because they got them wrong,not because of their age and one of the quartet, Elizabeth is quite a sinister and cold-blooded character.

While the book isn't purely about "old people" it does address a lot of issues that age brings in a touching and sympathetic way, deteriorating health, loss , reflections of past actions and the sense of having limited time left that affects people in different ways. Richard Osman give a great insight into what elderly people think about, how they get through life with a sense of decline but determined to live the best life they can . Osman is never patronising and I hope younger readers will learn more from his portrayals than that of the usual amiable old duffer or befuddled elderly lady of similar books, these are powerfully-thinking,quick-witted and talented people.

The story is quite complex,refreshingly realistic are the dead ends that the plot sometimes takes as all the clues point the finger at the wrong person. It's often touching and sometime laugh out loud funny.

There was a lot of pre-publication interest in this book,I suspect largely as Richard Osman is a very popular TV personality. Thankfully "The Thursday Murder Club" isn't just a "celeb" vanity project and while it's not perfect it is a great read with a clever,entertaining and involving plot and any top murder mystery author would be proud of this one.

Thanks to Richard Osman, Penguin Books UK and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This is the Richard Osman of Pointless (and other TV quizzes and Chat shows) so you can expect an off-beat novel! You will not be disappointed - there are plenty of pithy observations, and tangential quips which are off the wall in typical Osman style. His characters, primarily located at a top-end care complex, offer the full spectrum of behaviour and customs. His quirky humour is a constant delight throughout the story,

Murder Club novels seem to be in vogue.  The Thursday Murder Club is a collection of retirees who are looking to occupy their own time but waste police time! Of course, they solve the murders before the police. Part of the fun is the way they inveigle their way into the police investigation. Totally improbable but a delight nevertheless. The murders and investigation make the bones of the story, but we also get Joyce's commentary and insight into the backstory and character of the care home residents.

As the crimes and investigation reveal past digressions and some shady pasts, you get the full range of emotions. In all, a crafty whodunnit which is great fun to read. Definitely a Pointless score of zero (you have to watch Pointless to understand the score!).

I really enjoyed this. It’s not a ‘thriller’ as such, it’s more of a Sunday afternoon ‘whodunnit’ which was enjoyable.

The characters are intriguing and the different perspectives keep you interested.

Read if you like watching Midsomer Murders of an afternoon.

I am a Richard Osman fan, not only for his work on Pointless, but any time he appears on any radio or TV show, he brings a huge amount of wit, intelligence and comedy to the table. I was immediately intrigued when I saw he would be writing a mystery novel and was highly anticipating reading it. I was however left a little flat in the end.

The book is set in a retirement village, one very spruced up, none of its residents are settling in for a relaxed time in later life. 4 of the residence Elizabet, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron are part of the Thursday Murder Club. They like to investigate murders and are mostly led by Elizabeth. It is not long however until there is a real live muder case on their hands.

The book is told from a mix of perspectives. Some by Joyce and her journal entries and other times it flicks between characters. At points I felt there were just too many voices. The book was always going to have a quintessential Britishness about it, and whilst it had that in abundance I just felt it slowed everything down. You could have predicted the Waitrose jokes a mile off and they just kept coming left right and centre. The murder itself never felt to engaging, but neither did any of the subplots of relationships. I was looking for something to cling onto but never found it.

There are plenty of laughs to be found in this book. There is warmth and charm but a cunning mystery that I wanted to find out at the end, that was left out and with this reader nowhere else to go. I went in really wanting to enjoy it but sadly that was not the case.

My partner is a big fan of Richard Osman which maybe isn't the best reason to read a book. I felt the author's sense of humour often shone through while I read The Thursday Murder Club but I didn't realise beforehand that I was taking on an ARC well out of my preferred genre; I just don't really get on with cosy, charming mysteries of this type. Errors in the digital print meant that I often struggled figuring out where one chapter and scene ended for another to begin. I did often feel like I was reading something that had been written safely, with the hope of comfortable afternoon telly and older audiences in mind. Which could certainly make a lot of sense.

I was so impressed with this book. Clever plot, gorgeous characters and funny too.
I love a good detective story and was not disappointed by this one. The characters are great, I really felt like I knew them by the end of the book. They may be old, but they’ve still got skills and their brains are still geared up to solve puzzles.
If you like a good old ‘who done it?’ This book is a must read.

A very interesting and well thought out novel. I am happy to say that it kept me guessing the whole way through and I didn’t figure it out.
And while it was dark and upsetting at times it was also humorous.
The only downside for me personally was that it included some slightly upsetting material (suicide) which while thoughtfully done did take me a little by surprise.
It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing but for me it was a little unsettling.
Over all though it was a a good book and I enjoyed reading about the gang and their adventures.

I'm a huge Richard Osman fan so was keen to see if his clever affability transferred to the page. It does. I think I liked this more because I imagined him writing it, than I would have had I picked it up blind to the author. However, it is a witty, shrewdly observed, contemporary 'cosy' crime that would be enjoyed by anyone who likes the genre. Hooray for Joyce and Elizabeth... here's hoping we hear more from the Thursday Murder Club soon.

The Thursday Murder Club is the debut novel from Richard Osman. The novel follows the happenings of four residents of a retirement village.

All is not as quiet as appears when one of the extra curricular groups of the village, The Thursday Murder Club, meet up and try to solve cold case murders. The crimes that are usually investigated are put on hold when a murder happens on the doorstep of the sleepy retirement village.

Osman brings his quick sharp humour to the novel very well, it's not your usual murder mystery, as we are seeing the investigation through the eyes of the retirees, who seem to have used their knowledge and age to their advantage. Often to the suprise of the real police force.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a murder mystery, crime novel but with a twist. I would also be very interested in any subsequent novels from Osman.

Thank you to Penguin for the copy of the book to review.

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved killings.

But when a local property developer shows up dead, 'The Thursday Murder Club' find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

The four friends, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron, might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it's too late?

I love the author Richard Osman so was delighted to read his book! It wasn't what I was expecting at all a bit of Agatha Christie meets Agatha Raisin meets the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The book was well written, funny in places and I really liked all the main characters, it was an interesting story with a satisfying ending, I would definitely read more of his books.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book in return for a honest review.

Much thanks to Penguin General UK and Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Four friends have an interest in discussing old murder cases and meet up every Thursday to chat. They don't let the fact of being elderly and living in a retirement village hold them up at all, and before they know it a real murder had occurred- the owner of their village! Now it's up to these unlikely amateur detectives to take up the case and give the local police a helping hand!

4⭐- this was a very enjoyable read and written with great wit, which I'd never doubt it @richard_osman_ ! Even though the whole story is light hearted fun, it still addresses some of the poignancy of growing older and facing the last stage in life, which is very delicately woven through. A fab, fun filled rollick!

Thursday Murder Club
By Richard Osman
4*

The story follows four 'friends' Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim who live in an upmarket retirement village, every Thursday they get together and try to solve cold cases. When a local property developer dies they find themselves in the middle of their first live murder case.

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this with it being Richard Osman's first book, but it's a great cosy crime novel. I found myself really invested in the story which flowed nicely and was easy read. The story goes back and forth from plot to Joyce's Diary entries and is written in short chapters which I loved.

This is a great 'who did it' that leaves you guessing, right till the end.
I honestly changed my mind a hundred times in this book, each time I'd convinced myself I was right and each time I was not. I did guess a few bits but not fully and it certainly didn't take anything away from the story.

'What a shame. I always had a bit of a thing for him. Like you could tell he was a wrong'un, but you still would?'

There's so many moments in the book where you laugh, not only because it's witty but because you would say that or it would happen, even though the book isn't all believable it's written in a very honest and intelligent way that theres believability to the plot, I mean why wouldn't 4 OAPs be solving murders?
In the same way it's witty it's also got elements of heartache and realism the struggles of getting older and not wanting to lose your importance in life.

The main characters in the book were brilliant, you get a real sense of the older generation. All the characters had really unique personalities and even though Elizabeth and Joyce where written to stand out, I feel they all had as much purpose as eachother.

I really would recommend this book, Its one of those books you can pick up and it'll make you smile, laugh and cry all at the same time.

As my only negative and reason I knocked a star off was because it took me a little bit to get in to the story, there was so many characters named especially within the first few chapters of the book it just seemed a bit unnecessary and confusing.

Gripping funny and interesting first for Richard Oman. A great read that I couldn’t put down. Once or twice as it moved from one character to another was it a bit confusing but that could have been to reading an early edition on Kindle. The interaction between 4 residents of a care village and the Police was great escapism I do hope there will be more. Thanks Richard and NetGalley

This book is worth persevering with. At first it seemed more like a sitcom and the characters were drawn accordingly.. However as the book progresses they are drawn more deeply and with compassion. The plot had humour and suspense and it certainly is a retirement village most over 70s would like to live in.

I enjoyed a lot about this book, set in an retirement hub, this book is witty, charming, filled with fabulous characters with meat attached. There is a mystery within a mystery, within a mystery in this story and you need to keep your wits about you, but the ending is rather poignant and surprising. The laying out of the residents fears, attitude and resolve is very well done - there are not many books that can depict the elderly with dignity and feeling like this book does. There are laughs and unlikely events but all go to making an enjoyable book

As a huge fan of Richard Osman, I've been dying to read this book ever since he first mentioned it, even though I generally avoid celebrities turned authors, and as such had high expectations. I loved the premise of a bunch of pensioners solving cold cases in their weekly meetings but on starting to read it, felt I may have set my expectations too high. I found the writing style of the first few chapters hard to read with inordinately long sentences, which distracted from the enjoyable storyline. Fortunately, the writing then settled down and from then on I powered through this delightful yarn.

Full of witty, relatable observations generating wry smiles and occasional laugh out loud moments, the story was great fun, if somewhat implausible, particularly when the police team were consistently outmaneuvered by the oldies. There are of course many dark, and sometimes emotional moments as you might expect when combining murder and a retirement village, and overall a very satisfying read.

Although there are four members of the Thursday Murder club, we spend significantly more time with the two women. I'd like to think that in any further stories about the club that we will get to know more about the men

This book grew on me as I went along. I at first found some of the plucky residents of the retirement village a little cliche, but as the characterisations developed, I warmed to them.
I enjoyed the writing style and the story was very clever in places. Not laugh out loud funny but I felt the corners of my mouth turn up. Decent.

I loved this book so much!
Such an excellent debut offering from Richard Osman.
From the outset the story was witty, charming and welcoming. We are invited into the Thursday Murder Club, such a novel way to spend your downtime in retirement! Such wit and charm weaved throughout every page...knit and natter making way for chat and crochet, the merits of home made cake over M&S lemon drizzle cake. I loved it!

Richard seems to have great empathy for the characters, they were well constructed, very true to life and very relatable. I could 'see' Elizabeth; she would be an older version of Fiona Shaw in Killing Eve.
The storyline was fast moving and engaging, the characters were wonderful and I think Mr Osman should take a bow for delivering such a clever book!
I want to join The Thursday Murder Club at the earliest opportunity! I was fully invested and I was amused and entertained throughout the entire tale.
I would like to thank Netgalley, the author and the the publisher for an advanced copy of this book and I shall eagerly anticipate Richard's next foray into fiction.

A luxury retirement village, a group of four residents in their late seventies, and a dead body. The Thursday Murder Club is an unlikely cozy murder mystery full of unexpected twists and turns, interesting characters and wry humour.

While this is a murder mystery, it is more of a “cosy” mystery rather than a thrilling, keeping you at the edge of your seat one. There are some interesting twists along the way and the ending does get a little pacey, but most of the book is character-oriented rather than action-oriented. While overall enjoyable, it also deals with some darker topics such as assisted suicide and the overall idea of old age and mortality.

The main characters of The Thursday Club viz. Ron, Ibrahim, Joyce and Elizabeth are all unique and memorable. There is no doubt that Elizabeth is the star of the club, with innumerable tricks up her sleeve and her unending connections to “get things done”. Each of the remaining three characters, however, are not lacking in wit, courage and experience. The feisty and bold Ron, the subtly clever Ibrahim and the unassuming but all-observing Joyce, I loved each of them for their unique characteristics.

The story is presented from the point of view of Joyce (in form of her diary entries) and the author. I loved Joyce’s personality – her sweet and disarming mannerism making her often ‘overlooked’ and hiding the darker and quirkier aspects of her personality. The transition between the two PoVs was often confusing as there was no formatting or break to indicate the change, and it was often one or two paragraphs later that I realized that the PoV has changed. Maybe a formatting issue?

Though enjoyable overall, The Thursday Murder Club was not without its flaws. For one, there were way too many names peppered across the book, many of them totally insignificant to the plot. Now, being a person who can forget a character name while reading the book, this presented quite a challenge to me. This, coupled with the lack of indication at change of PoV had me doubling back at times and taking more time than needed to get through the book.

What I loved most about this book was the delicate and tender, sometimes even funny portrayal of old age. Beneath the spunky and jolly exterior, the characters often dwell on the limited time they might have. As Elizabeth makes deliberate efforts to keep her mind sharp and Joyce clings to every happy moment, I felt a bit sad and happy at the same time…like I really haven’t figured out a name for this emotion? At the same time, these characters really knew how to *use* their age to get out of slightly sticky situations, and it was simply hilarious to read!

Incredibly clever, wonderfully written and a really down to earth setting. I loved this book as much as I knew I would.