Unfortunately I was expecting more from this book. At the beginning I really enjoyed the premise and the characters but I feel it didn’t go anywhere quick enough for me and the characters fell a little flat. I did however enjoy the British humour throughout.

This is the first book by Richard Osman and I'm sure there will be more.
Centred around the retirement village of Coopers Chase it would be a mistake to underestimate these OAPs. They are manipulative and clever in getting their own way and just thoroughly entertaining.
The motives of the murders were a bit convoluted but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.

The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to Penguin Books and Netgalley.

I am a member of the Richard Osman mailing list so I have been looking forward to this book since it was announced and let me tell you it does not disappoint.

The Thursday Murder club usually meets up to discuss old unsolved cases, but find a new challenge when a local developer is murdered. There is a lot of misdirection within the investigation to keep the reader in suspense.

I would recommend that fans of crime novels and encourage you to read it when it is released on the 3rd September

Rating: 4/5
I cannot wait for more of this series to be released

This is the debut novel from Richard Osman, the TV presenter and producer behind such delights as Pointless and the excellent House of Games. I must confess I had high hopes for it as I enjoy Richard’s dry, witty, sense of humour, and I was not at all disappointed.

Set in Coopers Chase, a luxury retirement complex, it centres around a group of friends who, refusing to fade away quietly, spend their Thursdays solving past murder cases.Thursdays because that is when the jigsaw room is not occupied by one of the various other clubs and meetings held there. Along the lines of New Tricks with a helping of Miss Marple if you will.
Led by Elizabeth with her mysterious past career, there is also ‘Red Ron’ the trade union firebrand, Ibrahim the retired psychiatrist and quiet gentle ex-nurse Joyce who we hear of intermittently through her diary.
They soon have a fresh corpse to ponder when one of the mercenary owner/developers is bludgeoned to death in his own home.

The way the four friends manipulate the two investigating officers, Donna De Freitas and her boss Chris Hudson into letting them help with their enquiries is very amusing. The scene in Joyce’s small living room with the two seater sofa, the cup of tea and slice of cake particularly made me chuckle, and I have to say this is the first time I have come across the time of death pinpointed by Fitbit!

Richard captures the sort of meandering, tangent taking conversational style of the elderly inhabitants of the retirement village perfectly and touches on the background fear of senility setting in and widowhood with sensitivity.

Thanks go to Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC, it is an excellent debut and left me wanting more.

‘The Thursday Murder Club’ is a very entertaining read. However, unusually, it’s not the challenge to solve the crimes that keeps the reader hooked but the delightful characters that Richard Osman conjures up and the ways in which they interact throughout the novel.
Based in a retirement complex for the elderly, the Thursday Murder Club is made up of an eclectic mix of people who all enjoy browsing through unsolved cases, courtesy of comatose Penny, a retired detective. Her friend Elizabeth, who probably worked for MI6, along with Joyce, a former nurse, Ibrahim a retired psychologist and Ron, father of once-famous boxer, Jason, enjoy mulling over ancient files – illegally, of course. Then, in real time, two murders occur close to home and this disparate band are determined to help solve them both.
PC Donna de Freitas and DCI Chris Hudson are the ‘odd couple’ who allow the Club to help them with their enquiries – unofficially, of course. Richard Osman gives us plenty of red herrings in this very entertaining romp and lots of laughs along the way. The characters are witty, astute, kind and fallible and it would be fun to see more of them in a follow-up tale.
Don’t read this for a compelling plot line or a whole new type of murder mystery. Many of the tropes are pure ‘Golden Age’ and the motives not always entirely convincing. However, the writer’s depiction of the elderly is delightful. Never sentimental, he allows us to enjoy their intellect, their loyalty, and their sense of fair play. An uplifting treat!
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books UK for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

Loved it! Is there anything this man cannot accomplish? I would love to end my days in this sort of retirement village. I read this straight after Elly Griffiths' 'The Postscript Murders' and thought it would be just more of the same but was very pleasantly surprised. There are plenty of loose threads to keep you guessing and an interesting dynamic within the 'club'. Part of me really wants this put on screen but having seen the disaster that the tv 'Agatha Raisin' has become, maybe not! Looking forward to the next one.

An excellent debut - entertaining, witty and charming, much like the author! I look forward to the next instalment of the Thursday Murder Club series.

The Thursday Murder Club – Richard Osman
I have to say up front that I like Richard Osman, so I was predisposed to like this book, and I’m both relieved and delighted to say that I wasn’t disappointed. I loved it.
The story is entertaining, witty, and warm, and just what we need to dip into during these difficult and gloomy times.
It’s set in an upmarket retirement village where a gang of unlikely crime busters runs a weekly club dedicated to solving cold murder cases. Much to their delight, they find themselves at the centre of a present-day murder mystery, and they bring together their various talents to solve it.
I love the way Osman introduces us to each of these characters as interesting and intelligent people rather than merely ‘old folk.’ He reminds us that old doesn’t mean dull and that elderly people are just as varied, just as intelligent and just as multi-layered as the rest of us.
Osman’s unlikely gang of endearing and eccentric octogenarians are each interesting and clever, they’re the kind of people we would all like to spend time with.
There’s Elizabeth, with the mysterious espionage background and friends in high places who all owe her favours. There's Ron, the former trade union leader who really wants to be back on centre stage, Ibrahim, the retired psychiatrist who mulls over past cases, and Joyce, a former nurse, who by appearing to be the least significant, manages to hold the group together and manipulate a lot more than she lets on. Aided by the invisibility and latitude that old age confers on them, they make a formidable team.
This is not a hard-hitting murder thriller, it’s more of a cosy and very British crime story, but it is very clever and kept me guessing almost to the end. If you like your crime dished up with warmth, joy and some great comedy moments, then I would really recommend it. There’s not a dull character or moment in it.
In summary then – just like its author, the book is smart, funny, witty and warm. I’m looking forward to a sequel.
And if Mr Osman ever needs any more strings to his bow, perhaps he should consider opening a retirement village just like the one he has created at Coopers Chase – I know I would be booking a place for the future…
With thanks to NetGalley for a free digital copy of the book in return for an honest review.

I requested this out of curiosity. I'm a huge fan of Richard Osman on TV, but I found this to be very disappointing. There could have been a lot to like, if the characters had been developed and the plotting had been less obvious. It could have done with some sound editorial input, but probably no need as it will sell by the bucket-load because of who the author is.

This was a well written book, a good story in the main with interesting characters which I enjoyed.

I found it to be a bit of a slow read for me but I think that is because my main reads are psychological thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book which I can thoroughly recommend.

A cozy, very British crime novel with a lot of heart. Set in an upmarket Retirement Complex (a well described Utopia) four friends pass the time by looking over cold cases provided by an ex policewoman, now incapacitated in the Nursing Home attached to the complex. They call themselves the Thursday Murder Club. When a real murder happens they inveigle their way into the police investigation. The characters are well drawn and sympathetic, and of course, Richard’s humour runs through the whole book although there are also some poignant moments. As an ‘oldie’ myself, I appreciated his take on the elderly as having something to give in their later years, although grief, and dementia are also covered with tenderness. Lots of red herrings and duplicity make this an entertaining read. More please!!
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for a early reading copy in return for an honest review.

Fabulously entertaining mystery, very a la Christie. Loved the characters and setting, I hope I end up in that type of residential home. My favourite character was Elizabeth, with her useful friends and mysterious past. Please let there be a sequel!

I am a huge fan of Richard Osman and love his TV shows, his intellect and humour are phenomenal and this really shows in this book, I could almost hear his voice narrating it, really interesting to see have a group of more mature characters as the main protagonists and I really hope to read more of their adventures in the near future, highly recommended

Can a group of old age pensioners really solve a murder before the police? Well this group will give it a go and might just cause a bit of chaos on along the way.

This was my first cosy mystery which is how I would classify it, it didn't really have the tense feeling of a thriller but it was definitely a good mystery story. Maybe a little like a mix of Agatha Christie and Midsummer Murders. The characters were all really interesting and I liked the mix they brought to the story and I really liked how the plot unfolded throughout and how a few times the reader was surprised after being led one way and the story went another. I definitely felt and appreciated Richard Osman's dry sense of humour throughout the book, some things I think you do need to be British to appreciate.

I would recommend reading this especially if you enjoy mysteries and like Richard Osman, it's a very strong debut novel.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

A cosy, delightfully British murder mystery, The Thursday Murder Club is a real treat. The narrative is well crafted, although the storytelling does like to roll off at a tangent (as anybody who has ever been told a story by an elderly narrator will recognise). It wasn't particularly nail biting, but there was enough mystery to keep me guessing, and enough wit to keep me entertained.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I could really hear Richard Osman’s voice and feel his excellent sense of humour as I read his unusual crime novel. The characters are great and interesting- I would live to hear their next escapade. Highly recommended.

I have a new author on my 'list of favourite authors' - Richard Osman.

This was a great book which I read in just days. It has a lovely starting point for a good story - a group of older people who live in a retirement village getting together to try and solve unsolved murders.

It is very funny and the writing is perceptive and sharp. The characters are well drawn, although the main characters are suspiciously lacking in any kind of ailments or health problems that you might expect them to have. Although it could be that the author is trying to make the point that older people are about more than just health issues.

But they are multi-facted and each has a backstory that has shaped how they think and behave.

The dialogue between characters made me laugh out loud more than once. Osman is sympathetic to people while noting their foibles and flaws. You never get the sense that he is being cruel or laughing at anyone.

There are lots of twists and turns, and plot developments that I did not see coming. The book keeps you interested until the end - and then leaves you sad that you can't keep reading it..

I finished it relieved to hear that The Thursday Murder Club is planned as a series, and not just a standalone book. I would highly recommend the first instalment.

As a fan of Richard Osman I was eager to read this book and I wasn't disappointed.

An elderly group of residents from a retirement home meet every Thursday to discuss real crimes.

This was a humorous, light hearted, intriguing book which I found very enjoyable.

I recommend this book and hope that there will be more to come from this author.

As soon as I heard Richard Osman was writing a debut novel I was interested. A very witty talented man that I considered would write a very decent novel. Well I wasn't disappointed this novel has a lot going for it, good characters, decent plot that is a little different from the usual detective novels and generally a very good read.

Four friends who live in a retirement village have weekly meetings to discuss unsolved crimes. They call themselves The Thursday Murder Club.

The crimes are old unsolved crimes that have left the police baffled but when a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

The members of the club are very likeable characters and among the crimes there are plenty of smiles. There were a lot of positives in this novel, mainly the lead characters and humour. A cosy gentle novel that is a little bit too hard to believe at times, but it is fiction after all. My only slight negative was it felt a little drawn out at times and things were just a little too convoluted.

Overall a very good debut novel and I would certainly be interested in reading any future novels by Richard Osman. 

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Penguin Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

A group of pensioners in a retirement community meet every Thursday to discuss unsolved murder cases. This book follows their attempts to solve a case much nearer to home.

I really enjoyed this book - the characters and the storyline were very appealing. The four members of the Thursday Murder Club were like a geriatric version of the Famous Five (minus the dog)! The book was very funny, often poignant (particularly the nun story) and always engaging. I hope Richard Osman goes on to write more books about the Thursday Murder Club.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for an ARC of this book.