This is a witty, intelligent cosy crime novel about four unlikely friends at a retirement home who name themselves 'The Thursday Murder Club'.

Initially, they meet up to discuss cold cases - unsolved crimes where they might be able to pick up on something the police missed. It keeps the brain cells turning. But they are absolutely thrilled when a new murder takes place, right on their doorstep...

To my mind, this is very much a cosy crime book - and luckily I like that genre. There's murder, but the focus is on the sleuthing over the gore or suspense. The characterisation is good and I enjoyed spending time with the cast, so to speak.

The plot got increasingly complicated as the book went on, almost on the verge of convoluted, but it kept my interest throughout. I look forward to meeting the old gang again in another book one day.

I really wanted to read this book and I really wanted to love it, and whilst i didn't dislike it I found it quite an unsatisfactory read. The concept was brilliant but I think Mr Osman got a bit carried away - not all of his characters need have such particular quirks and eccentricities and his "leading lady" character was just so full of ambiguities and mystery that instead of admiring her, I found her intensely irritating. His second "leading lady" on the other hand was rather underwritten - I know they are meant to be a foil for each other, but still too much.

I don't mind unlikely and improbable situations but the relationship between the 4 Club members and the 2 main police characters was just totally implausible - so too perhaps was the relationship between the officers themselves.

As I said I didn't dislike the book but I have to admit to rather skimming over the last 50 or so pages as I wanted to get to the end and find out whodunnit. In the end the resolution was too contrived and there were several plot lines that I think needed to be edited down.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Given that it’s inspired by a visit to a retirement community, you’d be forgiven for thinking Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club would be a gentle read about a meddling group of retirees who enjoy a bit of true crime – after all, this is how the book opens. However, it soon becomes one of the most incredible whodunits out there, with multiple twists and several red herrings that make you question everyone and which makes it increasingly impossible to put down.

Synopsis

When ex-nurse Joyce becomes the newest member of The Thursday Murder Club, she expects to spend her Thursday lunchtimes chatting over a glass of wine about unsolved murder cases. However, not long after she joins, a murder occurs right on their doorstep. Tony Curran, an ex-criminal and part-owner of Coopers Chase retirement village, has been killed. Together The Thursday Murder Club, which also includes Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim, want to find out who did it, but finding the culprit is difficult when so many people wanted him dead. Working alongside PC Donna De Freitas and the reluctant DCI Chris Hudson, the club begin to investigate the case, but with both the number of bodies and the number of suspects increasing, their investigation only gets more complex until it reaches its final shocking conclusion.

Review

This book was an incredibly fun read, with the quirky characters of Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim being very likable and easy to warm to. Each of the characters were distinct and had a lot of depth, and were so realistic that a lot of readers will recognise their own parents or grandparents in the residents of Coopers Chase. The narrative changes between third person and first person through the use of Joyce’s diary entries which, alongside Osman’s conversational style, I really enjoyed. This is because this allowed Osman to build the world of Cooper’s Chase well without the descriptions detracting from the pace of the plot, making it a real joy to read.

It was also full of twists and turns, with Osman deftly leading the reader to believe the culprit was a number of suspects before the final culprit was revealed. Furthermore, it was unexpectedly moving (I may have shed a tear or two!), and explored romantic love and friendship in a sensitive and thoughtful way that really added to the plot.

However, whilst I loved the references to British culture peppered throughout, I think including an (albeit very brief) reference to Prince Andrew’s wedding was an oversight which should have been replaced, especially given the time between the allegations against him being made and the book’s publication date. This reference does not detract from Osman’s work, but is something I wish the publishers had changed prior to publication.

Overall though, this was an incredibly enjoyable read, and surpassed my already high expectations. If you’re looking for a classic British murder mystery with a whole lot of fun and real depth, then I recommend you pick this book up as soon as you can when it is released on 3rd September 2020.

Rating: 5/5

This book was kindly gifted to me in the form of an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. My thanks go to Penguin Viking and NetGalley for sending me a copy.

“In life you have to learn to count the good days. You have to tuck them in your pocket and carry them around with you. So I’m putting today in my pocket and I’m off to bed.”

Caveat: I received this book free from the publisher, courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Oh this was a delightful little book!

The cosiest of cosy detective stories! Wrapped up in the warm woolen blanket, put the fire on, grab a cup of tea and settle in for pure and simple comfort with warm and pleasant characters, a beautiful setting and a gentleness that belies what would otherwise be a rather high body count!

So, Osman – yes, him off the television and Pointless – sites our tale in the Kent countryside which is “picturesque if you like dappled hedgerows….” and was also where I grew up, which lent its own nostalgic warmth to the novel. And specifically in the Coopers Chase Retirement Village – not home but village.

“The old convent dominates Coopers Chase, with three modern residential developments spiralling out from this central point. For over a hundred years the convent was a hushed building filled with the dry bustle of habits and the quiet certainty of prayers offered and answered… the west-facing side of the convent is now entirely glazed to accommodate the residents’ swimming pool complex”

Within the village, in addition to the swimming pool complex and gym and sauna and jacuzzi and “contemporary upscale restaurant” as well as a range of activities and committees run by cabals of residents – as well as the chapel, the Willows nursing home and the cemetery, the Garden of Eternal Rest. The community of Coopers Chase is elderly but incredibly active with Zumba and Pilates, jigsaw clubs and parking enforcement as well as the eponymous Thursday Murder Club comprising our four main characters who carry the novel.

So who are these aging retired heroes? Meet Elizabeth, whose past is shadowy and sinister and something the residents are not supposed to know or discuss, “even though she does go on about it herself at times”, but it was a life where “murders and investigations and what have you wouldn’t be unfamiliar work for her”. As a founding member of the Thursday Murder Club, she is at the heart of the investigations into old unsolved cases. The group also includes Ron, erstwhile political agitator and left wing campaigner, Ibrahim, a dapper psychiatrist and stickler for details, and finally Joyce our every(wo)man character. Yes, there are cliches at play here – or perhaps being played with here is a better description – but it is so much damn fun!

Fairly quickly in the novel, the builder and borderline criminal and part-owner of Coopers Chase is murderer, bludgeoned in his own kitchen, and the Thursday Murder Club take up the case with an ill-disguised under-stated sort of glee. Throw in Donna, a PC longing for adventure, and Chris Hudson, a DCI who’s personal life has ceased to exist, and the main cast are ready. Bodies pile up. Elizabeth pulls strings and calls in favours. The timeline of Curran’s death is established via day time television shows. Bickering car journeys are undertaken to time whether alibis were credible, fuelled by mini cheddars. Joyce bakes compromising cakes. Ibrahim calculates. Ron is called on to be insensitive and blunt when necessary.

And of course as the novel progresses, more bodies are discovered and secrets unravelled, many of them rather close to home. I’ll not say more – it would be unfair to deprive you of the pleasure of discovery.

We alternate between a third person omniscient narrator – and very omniscient and a little knowing at times – and extracts from Joyce’s diary within the novel, and we jump between the Coopers Chase residents and the police detectives. I found the shifts in point of view a little jarring at times and might have preferred longer with one focus before slipping to another character. But they were all rather pleasant characters to spend time with.

It would be easy with this sort of cosy mystery to become silly – or indeed rather patronising to its protagonists – and Osman never gets to that point. Elizabeth remains both formidable and vulnerable – wracked with worries about her husband Stephen whom she thinks she is losing to Alzheimers and her fears that she may succomb too to “the bogeyman that stalked Coopers Chase. Forgetfulness, absent-mindedness, muddling up names”. Those moments in the novel are painful and full of pathos: Elizabeth’s early warning system where she opens her diary to two weeks ahead, every day, to write a question that she has to answer in a fortnight’s time; Stephen’s getting up to work and write each day, work which turns out to be nothing more than “a piece copied from his newspaper, repeated over and over, but most often it is stories about Emily, or for Emily. All in the most beautiful handwriting”.

And of course physical frailty, illness and disease are ever present. For every joke about Waitrose delivery vans which “clink with wine and repeat prescriptions” and characters unfamiliarity with fitbits, satnav and tinder, there is a Penny lying insensate in the nursing home, there are ghosts of lost wives and husbands and lovers and children, and there are the characters’ own physical limitations.

These are heart aching moments which punctuate an otherwise fun story, and they are beautifully judged and balanced.

So, overall, I really liked this! And the best news: there is certainly scope for further installments and a series may be in the offing!

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron live in the upmarket retirement village of Coopers Chase. Their Thursday afternoon Murder Club, where they mull over cold cases, becomes more interesting when not one, but two actual murders occur in their midst. Elizabeth and her team take on the investigation sometimes working with and often against Detectives Chris Hudson and Donna De Freitas.
In his first novel Richard Osman has come up with a compelling set of characters. Four clever seniors, with skeletons in their closets, having already lived life to the full and now happy to jump in the deep end with scant regard for consequence.
Cleverly written and planned, the author takes time to paint the settings, from the wonderful Coopers Chase (I want to live there now) to the organisation of their first meeting with DI Hudson, designed to make him uncomfortable enough to comply with the Club’s wishes.
This book brims over with lots of people doing the right thing, some who used to do the wrong thing and have now seen the light, but more importantly those who do the wrong thing but for the right reason.
This book is a delight, and while I could have done with more of Ian Ventham, a delicious character who make me rock with laughter and maybe a bit less of the slightly confusing dénouement, I loved it.
With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books (UK) Viking

I enjoyed this easy to read, cosy, murder mystery. It's a heartwarming, gentle read (which is strange as it's about murder) that involves some fascinating characters, most of whom live in a fabulous sounding 'luxury retirement village'.
It was a little confusing at times as it does meander. However, for me, this only added to it's charm and it's all very neatly summed up at the end, which I enjoyed.

It's got good characters, a convoluted storyline, lemon drizzle cake and much more!

I'd definitely recommend as either a holiday read or just a lovely book that takes you away from the day to day and involves you in funny and engaging insights, such as (and I'm paraphrasing) "the wine was a screw top, but, very nice....it's difficult to taste the difference these days"....the lemon drizzle "nicer than M&S".
What is very clever about the way it's written is, it has these anecdotes woven throughout, but, it's never too twee or ridiculous sounding.

The group of people involved in the Thursday Murder Club generally get involved in cold cases.....then there's a murder much closer to home. Their relationship with the 2 key police characters is heartwarming and engaging and the family relationships are complex and realistic.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Penguin UK for the opportunity to preview and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Strong 3* good read.

Oh, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman is wonderful. It made me laugh and it made me cry. I was gripped by the plot and thought I knew whodunnit, then I thought they didn’t, then I thought they did again.

I suppose the advantage of being past half-way, as I describe my age, is that you appreciate books about others of a similar maturity. You can relate to their challenges, prejudices and infirmities. For example, talking about a bottle of wine, “It was a screw top, but you don’t notice these days, do you? It’s just as good.” However, I would be wary of describing TTMC as infirm. Their leader, Elizabeth, appears to have worked for one of the exotic parts of Her Majesty’s Government and is unafraid to call upon favours from that time.

TTMC are all residents of a retirement village and meet every Thursday, as the name suggests, to work through cold cases. They find themselves caught up in a live murder investigation when the obnoxious businessman who owns the village decides to extend it. Some people are worried about what this might uncover and are prepared to take steps to prevent it happening.

On the plus side, there are a lot of witty one-liners; relatable characters; a gripping plot; and some poignant moments. I spent a lot of the book mentally casting different stars as the various characters. The only negative points I can think of are
a) The book is written in the present tense. This seems to be fashionable but I don’t think it works. It’s artificial and it achieves nothing, other than distancing the reader from the story.
b) The ebook version I had for review didn’t distinguish between the sections that were excerpts from Joyce’s diary and those that were normal narration. After a while, I learned to guess when the voice had switched.

I shall definitely look out for the next in series.

#TheThursdayMurderClub #NetGalley

I was really looking forward to reading it but it was just a bit too quirky for me. Too much meandering thoughts which at times were confusing but a few twists and turns to keep me interested. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

This is a 3.5 star book for me. I mean it was good but different and different isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I love the setting of this book using a retirement village was just lovely and I haven't read a book previously set in one.
There was lots of development of the characters, however it just felt like maybe there was too many characters. Or people being mentioned at times it got a bit confusing who was being referred too was 'talking'.

But this was an enjoyable read, it was quintessentially English and the writing and style were really easy to get through and keep you wanting to read to find out what would happen.

I would describe this book as more of a cosy mystery rather than a full blown mystery but that doesn't detract away from the book at all.

I received a copy of The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

In The Thursday Murder Club, we meet four friends (Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim and Joyce) in a charming retirement village who meet once a week to solve cold cases, that is until there's a murder

I loved every character in this book, even if I only loved to hate them. Everyone was so well-rounded and had depth

The book was very witty and I found myself laughing out loud quite often and reading passages to my husband. It also felt fresher than all cosy mysteries I've read so far

The mystery engaging and I couldn't figure it out myself so I doubt they'll be inviting me into their club any time soon

I would recommend this book to fans of the cosy mystery genre and I'll be buying a few copies for Christmas gifts this year

#Netgalley #ARC #Thethursdaymurderclub

The 3* from me equates to a good read.
I don’t usually read murder mysteries as I find them a bit tame, but this one is quirky.
I like the easy going humorous chatty diary writing style of the book.
Coopers chase retirement village Sounds like a posh mcCarthy and stone in a village reminiscent of midsomer with a miss marple type and her cronies the famous four.
Ok I’m paraphrasing here but you get the drift.
The manipulative skills of the Thursday club are impressive 🧐
Like old women often do when chatting it ambles off topic frequently, which fits with the dotty persona. But not so effective when the other characters do it. Then it’s just a bit too much extraneous description.
The relationships and friendships are well written, and lets you engage well with the characters.
Interesting twists as the story unfolds.

I'm a big Richard Osman fan and really wanted to.like this book, but while I enjoyed some of the humour it was a little too slow and gentle for me. Haven't finished for now but may go back and give it another go.

I loved this book - I read it overnight and struggled to put it down.

The Thursday Murder Club are a group of residents from a retirement village who try to solve cold cases until two murders happen on their doorstep and a collection of bones are found. Led by Elizabeth who has an interesting past and lots of connections they work alongside the police to find the murderers.

I loved the quartet - their characters and back stories were built up over the course of the story and you felt for all of their as they all nursed their own secrets. The two police officers were gently manipulated and again I took to them both.

A satisfying read - full of human interest and a good plot.

Will be recommended.

I did enjoy this book very much. It was very well written, though I would have expected no less. It was quite different from your usual murder mystery, very gentle with little blood and violence. The concept of the Murder Club and the setting was excellent. I so liked the idea of the retirement village and if i could find one like that I would move in tomorrow..
I have one or two slight reservations about the book. I found the first half a little slow, but the pace did pick up. I did wonder whether it would have universal appeal, would less mature readers be interested in a lot of old people trying to solve a murder? Lastly I found the solution to the murders a little contrived.. In spite of these criticisms it was a pleasure to read and I look forward to meeting all the characters again in the next book. They are all so wonderful that I miss them already.

This book has everything. It's hilarious, and also heart-breaking. It's clever, but also very readable and accessible. It feels comfortingly familiar, but I've also never read anything quite like it. I enjoyed reading it very much and will definitely follow the series.

The journey was fun so I was uncaring about anticipating story twists and just enjoyed the ride. An amusing slightly tongue in cheek murder tale with strong characters and a convoluted plot. I really enjoyed this book .

I really enjoyed this book and will give it a huge thumbs up. With a great story line and excellent main characters - I would highly recommend this book.

I laughed so much while reading this book, it was exactly my sense of humour. The way it was written reminded me exactly of how my Nanna would tell stories too so it just made me extra happy.

The last few chapters had so much going on and so many ends to tie up that it felt a bit muddled but other than that, I am so happy I picked it up. A very fun read.

A classic murder mystery, and debut novel from Richard Osman.

Coopers Chase is a retirement village full of sparkly characters. Together, a small band form the "Thursday Murder Club", meeting weekly to review unsolved killings.

Yet suddenly the developer of Coopers Chase is dead, killed in their midst, and a few days previous, his building contractor.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim - all four well written and quirky characters - take it upon themselves to solve the crime. Can they do so before the police?

Enjoyed this tremendously, and looking forward to the next instalment in the promised series!

Best Who dunnit in a long time.*********************************************************************************************************************