A Witty, Laugh-Out-Loud Whodunnit

The Thursday Murder Club is one of many social groups at the thriving retirement village of Coopers Chase in Kent. Among the spirited members are dithery former nurse Joyce, lonely Bernard (who still talks to his late wife), smartly-dressed Ibraham and Ron, father of the famous ex-boxer Jason Ritchie. The club usually meets to discuss historic murders but then a murder happens nearby. Ian Ventham, who financed the construction of Coopers Chase and is planning further development on green belt land, is found dead. The Murder Club leader, Elizabeth, a lady with pertinent past, recruits PC Donna De Freitas to help solve the murder. Donna, recently transferred from London, is relieved to be given an interesting project in this sleepy place! The Murder Club has such well-drawn characters you feel part of this gang of amateur sleuths. Loved the unexpected twists at the end. A charming, clever mystery, as you would expect from erudite Pointless expert Richard.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.


This book was such a lovely read, It was centred around an old people’s care home.

The ladies, I found were funny and had their devious ways of getting information out of other people including the police.

An easy book to read,

The rhythm of the book flowed and hoping Richard rights more books.

Light-hearted crime novel set in a retirement home - enjoyable and different

Four residents at the retirement village form the Thursday Murder Club to look into cold cases but up-to-date events take over and they get involved in solving a murder much closer to home. Things escalate and get quite complicated towards the end with plenty of revelations. There's a nice light touch to the writing and the characters are interesting, different and well-conceived. The pace is steady and the whole experience is enjoyable and easy.

A completely different stance on a murder book, following a group of pensioners who are more capable of solving a crime then the police. Lots going on making it a quote light hearted murder book!

What an amusing, clever and well written book!
The story of a group of people in a retirement home who get together on a Thursday to solve crimes and then actually have to solve a real crime - such fun to read. The characters were interesting and realistic and relatable, the mysteries within the story were fascinating and believable, and the ending was just right. And I loved the Britishness of it all!
Well done on a thoroughly enjoyable book that had me giggling, mystified and always interested in the outcomes.

I would normally avoid a celebrity written book, they're often ghosted and ghastly, but I suppose a latent fondness for Richard Osman took hold of me when I requested it. What is he famous for after all, a fact-checking sidekick on a gameshow (where it is all done on the internet). Chummy tall bloke who seems to be quite quick witted but is not a comedian or writer of note. Brother of a member of Suede*. Well the worst it can be is a lousy cosy mystery and I've read enough of those in my time.

Well it is a cosy mystery and it isn't. It also has a strangely topical degree of poignancy coming out now after the massive Covid death toll in care homes. Because The Thursday Murder Club is set in an upscale retirement home, full of quirky, quick witted and fascinating characters, and also full of people slowly fading, dying o bereaved. Osman manages to juggle the central lightly comic tone with this sense of melancholia partially through a deft slipping of viewpoint an omniscient narration and an overall respect for the characters. Our main viewpoint character Joyce is written with a touch of Bennett - there is an observation about halfway through regarding Ashford that "any station calling itself International is bound to have an M&S and if we're lucky and Oliver Bonas' which I think captures the tone perfectly. We have the core retirees - a nurse, a psychologist, an ex Union leader and Elizabeth - whose past is mysterious and we are lead to believe espionage,. There used to be a fourth, an ex Police Inspector who is now fading away, but they would meet on Thursdays to look at cold cases. All solid New Tricks style set up, and then people in the nearby town start getting murdered.

There are so many ways this could go wrong. It could be patronising to the old (it is anything but). It could be too cosy (luckily setting it in Kent gives us no end of ne'erdowells). The mysteries (a few intertwine) aren't going to give Midsomer a run for their money but they are interesting enough to tick the book over whilst you really are quite invested in why Joyce doesn't really talk to her daughter Joanne, and if Elizabeth is going to accept Penny's death. It builds a hopeful community of people living their lives but every now and then remembering that those are nearly over (Elizabeth's self led dementia tests are heartbreaking). At the same time there is a decent gag on most pages and the book is full of the love of humanity. If perhaps we all saw care homes, and retirement communities in this way, full of lively people trying to eek out their days - we wouldn't just let them be statistics. Great fun, but weirdly right now, it almost feels important to say.

[NetGalley ARC]

*And author and I really do now have to get round to reading his book as its supposed to be great. too.

Such an enjoyable murder mystery. What a team of characters from the retirement village they all are, who set to, to try and solve the mysteries - with or without the help of the police. The story is easy to read and along the journey we discover that most of the members of the Thursday Murder Club have secrets of their own.
There are so many ‘one liners’ within the book that had me chuckling to myself. The author obviously has a great sense of quick humour.
In the end, all the threads are drawn together with even the DI getting his act together and well, if you want to know what happens - treat yourself to a great read.

This is a wonderfully good read- it’s classically English in the Agatha Christie sense - picture modern Miss Marple multiplied by four- whilst visually imagining a Midsomer Murder setting . But also there is comedy -:observational snapshots of contemporary life and emotional responses that made Victoria Wood spring to mind. The plot is brisk and the characters very likeable. The use of the narrating character and diary helped draw the plot tighter and the enigmatic Elizabeth and her past teased the reader.It is easy to imagine a sequel and subsequent BBC series. A definite hit

The group of people named ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ are a group of residents of a rather exclusive retirement complex. They are all strong but whimsical characters who enjoy finding solutions to past crimes. Of course, they now have a real murder to solve in their neighbourhood and manage to help the police (who seem to spend more time talking to them than their actual colleagues) whilst greatly entertaining themselves. Their interaction is amusing and the case interesting but this is more of a cosy crime than my favourites. Thanks to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a quirky and joyful book so full of life and character. The delightful residents of Coopers Chase have lived full lives but have no desire to waste their remaining years and so a select group spend their time investigating cold cases until a real life murder happens in their midst which really brings them into life. Whilst this is a mystery novel which does make you wonder what dubious secrets some of the residents may be hiding it is far more about the characters and that’s the secret of its charm. This is a warm-hearted read overall but with some tragic events thrown in, some of which are deeply sad but are fortunately balanced out with the overall tone that so clearly has Richard Osman’s voice.

A murder mystery in the old school style while still being very current and up to date. The murder club members all live in a retirement home but this does not stop them out witting the police and solving a murder. Issues are dealt with carefully and with compassion and warmth

This is a modern day "whodunnit", Agatha Christie style, in that there are a closed group of suspects, brought up to date in the 21st Century. It's written in a really light, enjoyable style that differs throughout the book to keep a great rhythm throughout the story.
Fun twists & turns and lots of subplots, but not too many to keep tabs on!
Amusing at times, heart breaking & thought provoking at others.
Written really cleverly (of course given the author!) - I've guessed twists in other books pretty early on, but I had no idea or inkling at the conclusion and the big mystery isn't solved until 94-95% of the way through the book - that rates very highly for me.
Rooted in enough reality to be believable with just a few fantastical & coincidental elements.
I loved the way the characters themselves were built and all had clear, individual voices & styles. I particularly enjoyed the conversations & was impressed with the different styles throughout (eg Joyce's diary entries)
(Complete personal highlight was the references to locations in Kent & Sussex because I've lived in both areas - appreciate this won't translate to everyone but I had to mention!)
At numerous points whilst reading, I just kept imagining this being adapted for a wonderful Bank Holiday 3 part special on tv - hope that isn't an insult to a book(!) but I definitely mean it as a compliment.
Thoroughly, thoroughly recommend Richard Osman's debut novel & no hesitation in giving the story + style a full 5 stars

I hoped this would be fun, springing as it does from the wit of Richard Osman, and so it turned out to be. Entertaining characters and some wry observations about life in retirement made it for me. I found the pacing a little difficult - about two thirds through I was struggling with the number of investigations and motives, and was dismayed towards the end to find new suspects and motives appearing to muddle it all up a bit more. A first novel begging to become a series - I think it is successful enough for that and hope to read more of the Club’s exploits in future.

I was unsure what to expect when I first started this book as I do not take to the author on the TV, however put all perception aside as this is a very good story. I like the fact that all the characters are elderly and addresses what they can and can't physically do to in order to catch a murderer or two. There are enough red herrings and the book is written in such a way that I did not suspect the actual murderers until the reveals. I actually hardly put the book down once I started and that was only to cook. I am hopefully that another book will follow so we can catch up on the exploits of Joyce and her friends.

I don't usually read books by 'celebrities' as I feel they are often merely cash cows devoid of any merit but I am pleased to say that Richard Osman does not fall into that category.This is without a doubt one of the most entertaining and pleasurable reads I have had for some time..
A group of wonderful characters inhabiting a retirement community one of whom narrates the story. make up the Thursday Murder club ,They meet each week to look into unsolved crimes .Joyce an ex nurse and narrator,Ron an ex Union leader and firebrand..Ibrahim a retired psychiatrist and the marvelous Elizabeth with a shadowy past and connections everywhere and surely a past in one of the security services.,you'll make your own mind up.

Of course one day a crime happens closer to home, the Murder club swing into action amusingly railroading a young police officer to give them information on the enquiry..Their enquiries lead them one way but the murder of their main suspect brings that to a juddering halt. The clubs further enquiries raise many a smile as they run down leads and mostly through Elizabeths connections track down people now living under assumed names .They do pass on information to the police ,this isn't a Dads army force.
Osman tells his tale with a lovely light touch, his depiction of the pensioners refusing to give up and keep themselves active and relevant is exceptional and the reader laughs along with them and their foibles rather than at them.
The murder mysteries are also excellent with lots of twists and turns and red herrings and the solution was excellent, a complete surprise,
Funny moving sad at times and .the police aren't stupid unlike many amateur detective tales.
If this is the first in a series then I am really looking forward to the next instalment.

I wasn’t quite sure about this book but surprisingly really enjoyed it. Loved the characters and getting to know their past careers and skills in helping to solve the murder. It reminded me of an episode of Murder she Wrote.
I found the plot a little bit over the top and there was so many characters with stories of their own, some quite sad,
Overall if you want an easy read, then this is the perfect book.

I thought I was going to love this one, but the characters didn't feel real to me and I just couldn't connect with the story as I would have liked. It was also a little slow for my taste, but I'm sure an army of readers are going to love it!

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman attracted me because of Osman’s clever wit. I therefore struggled a little at the start of the book, which was unexpectedly set mainly within a retirement community but then I got my head round the characters and their interests/special skills. It wasn’t the sort of book I expected from Richard but I really enjoyed getting to know the personalities, working through the clues with them and getting engaged in the story. A great read and, like other reviewers, I too would love to join this little club again in future books.

Well, that was fun! This book is so good, it's a very cosy sort of murdering. Like Midsummer Murders or Death in Paradise.
A bunch of eccentric oldies, a couple of police officers and mystery and murder. What's not to like?
It kept me guessing all the way through. Plus, the characters were very clear, there were a lot of them but I didn't get confused.

Delivered with all of the warmth and pathos you would expect from Richard Osman, this is the autumn hit of 2020