WOW!

What a book, loved the premise and completely fell in love with each character! It was such a treat after a long day at work to sit down and get lost in this novel! I hope there is a sequel as I loved it so much and can't wait to read more from Richard!
I would recommend this to all!

One of my greatest regrets in life involves Richard Osman. I was on the same train as him once going towards Bath from Cheltenham, I watched him get on the train through the window and as I am only 4”11, I desperately wanted a photo of me stood beside him. He’s nearly 7” tall, just imagine how epic that photo would be? It would have been hilarious. However, my friend convinced me to leave him alone, some people are sensitive about their height after all. I’ve regretted it ever since.

Something I don’t regret though is requesting his latest book when it popped up on Netgalley. This is even more charming than I believe that photo would have been.

Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves
A female cop with her first big case
A brutal murder
Welcome to…
THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB
In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves The Thursday Murder Club. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.
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. As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it’s too late?

As you can imagine from someone like Richard Osman, this was witty and fun. Well, as much as murder can be. This was the perfect read for this time of year, it was exactly what I wanted for a cosy afternoon with the rain tapping against the window and a blanket or two. It is so quintessentially British and was such a comfort read, I mean, who doesn’t love the idea of pensioners solving murder? Some of my favourite TV shows involve just that.

Speaking of TV, this is the sort of thing you could imagine being on on a Sunday lunchtime. It was like if Hetty Wainthrope and Jessica Fletcher got together for tea, biscuits and problem solving.

Even though this is primarily a bit of light hearted fun, the murder mystery element was pretty well done too, I changed my mind on the culprit at least four times and I was still a little surprised at who dunnit and why. It’s a well placed mystery and has a few red herrings in there too for good measure. I’ve heard that this is now the start of a series and I am HERE FOR IT.

So, as winter creeps ever closer and you want to curl up with a funny, charming book, make sure to grab this one.

I absolutely loved this hilarious, entertaining read which quickly pulled me into the madness of the story and the characters lives.

Firstly I loved the wonderful characters in this book who were all easy to get behind and quickly started to feel like old friends. I loved the dynamics of the murder club and how they were all very different to each other. They all managed to bring new skills and ways of thinking to the table which was hugely enjoyable to watch in action. I liked that the author often talks about the character’s lives before they came to the retirement village and puts so much spirit into his characters personality. This made a refreshing change to the normal elderly stereotypes you hear about.

The setting of Coppers Chase was absolutely brilliant, even though I kept accidentally misreading it as coppers chase. I loved the wonderful descriptions of the community they had there, with everyone looking out for each other and checking they were ok. The wide variety of activities on offer made me smile, particularly all the funny incidents that had happened during some of the groups. The descriptions of the beautiful grounds surrounding the village were very vivid and helped me to see the place in my mind. I really hope there is a similar village available for me when I’m older!

The murder mystery part of the story developed at a good pace and kept me guessing as to who the murderer was. I think I had suspected everybody by the end of the story as new evidence kept coming to light which sent the story in a new direction. I really enjoyed watching it all develop and I liked that the different threads to the story were given a great, satisfying ending.

A little warning to any potential readers, this isn’t a serious crime book and there are quite a few bits in the story that have to be taken with a pinch of salt. Elizabeth’s dodgy contacts and ability to get any information she wants or the murder clubs ability to meddle in a crime case without getting into trouble for example. I personally found these hilarious and they helped create some of the best, most memorable bits in the book for me. For example the part when the detectives first meet the murder club and manipulate the DI, although perhaps a bit unrealistic, was utterly hilarious and the thought of it still makes me chuckle now.

The ending was very satisfying though surprisingly emotional. I felt myself getting quite teary at some points but ultimately I liked the way everything was tied up. I was quite sad to finish the book and leave the characters, and Cooper’s Chase,behind. I was very excited to hear that the film rights have been bought by Spielberg and that there is a second book coming out next year!

Huge thanks to Penguin Viking for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

Brilliantly funny and incredibly clever I really didn't want it to end. I found myself looking forward to being older and hoping that wherever I end up in retirement, there are such interesting and rebellious people around me. I loved the pace and the characters were deep and loveable, even the bad guys. Can't wait to see what comes next!

In a very upmarket retirement village a group of friends meet every week to try and solve murders in cold case files. When a local property developer is murdered the group suddenly have a real-live murder to get their teeth into. Along with a young, keen police woman, a somewhat jaded detective & their various connections they attempt to solve the case whilst uncovering other secrets that could endanger them or their friends.

Maybe I'm the only person on the planet who had to Google who Richard Osman was after glancing at reviews. So needless to say I didn't choose to read it because of who wrote it! Regardless of what else he does, he tells a good tale. I loved the cast of characters. The book was well paced & kept me guessing. I'm hoping that there are more books to come featuring this endearing murder club. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book- I loved it!

Imagine Miss Marple in a residential village for the elderly and you have conjured up the general feeling of this.
At first my reaction was one of incredulity as I thought there was no way the police in an active murder case could let a group of pensioners be so involved. However, as soon as I accepted this was not along the lines of the more horrific murder investigations I have been reading recently, I relaxed and became fully involved.
From its title you might wonder whether the Club members investigate or carry out the murders and Osman’s writing ensures the reader is made to ponder this for most of the book. Of course, this adds to the plot.
Although murder is obviously always cruel and vicious 'The Thursday Murder Club' is not a terrifying account of torture and fear of the victims. Nor does it go into scientific detail about the investigation and methods. Instead, it is a really enjoyable mystery and Osman’s inclusion of reflections upon life and people make this personable and sometimes quite humorous.
Thank you to Viking (Penguin Random House) and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Charming, warm, tender and funny, whimsical cosy crime

This hit my soft spots and provided some kind and much needed feelgood during this terrible year. A group of seniors in a retirement home, keeping their brains alive by trying to potentially tease out solutions for unsolved historical crimes, land up in the middle of a real crime on their doorstep.

It reminded me a little, in its warmth, heart and wonderfully vibrant cast of elderly protagonists, of Joanna Cannon’s Three Things About Elsie.

Lots of laugh out loud moments, not to mention a few furtively wiped away tears

I received this gratefully as a digital ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley

And am absolutely delighted that this is Book 1 of a planned series

I'm not normally someone who gravitates towards a book written by a 'celebrity' but when I think of Richard Osman, I think of someone who is incredibly clever, witty and likeable. And that's exactly what you get with The Thursday Murder Club.
This is a murder mystery but with many twists, several murders/possible murderers, red herrings, all set in an incredibly believable world.
But it's not just all about finding out 'who dunnit'. It goes on to explore friendship, loneliness, secrets and much more.
The characters are so well developed, as is the world that they live in. And it was an absolute pleasure to immerse myself in their world.
The only thing that did irk me slightly but not enough to deduct even half a star, because I enjoyed the book so much, was the fact that in the chapters there isn't separation between different points of view.
I'm not sure if it was just in the Netgalley proof but it would go from Joyce's diary to something else without even a line break to highlight this. And this was slightly annoying at times, particularly when I was engrossed in someone's POV. But this might just be in the proof so I couldn't downgrade it based on that.
This was a book that I was keen to pick up each evening and read until my eyes got sore.
I can't wait to hear more from The Thursday Murder Club/Richard Osman. And I am seriously counting down the days until the sequel is released.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the perfect read for an autumn weekend: warm, cosy and delightfully charming, this book had me hooked! I particularly loved the witty characters and the quintessentially British humour throughout. Several times I found myself giggling uncontrollably, which acted as a good counterbalance to the tension created by the mystery.

While this is by no means a bite-your-nails-thriller (nor does it pretend to be), the mystery was still complex enough to keep my interest but not so much that it became confusing. I was surprised by most of the many twists and turns, something I thoroughly enjoy: there's nothing worse for me than a predictable mystery!

The cast was wonderfully diverse, and I loved the glimpses of Joyce's life and thoughts that we got through her journal entries. There was also no shying away from difficult but very important topics, such as getting older, loneliness, grief and loss, all of which play an important part in the main characters' life. These were beautifully integrated in the narrative as a part of characters' lives without ever feeling trite, and clearly being only one part of a much bigger whole including friendships old and new, wine and delicious baked goods. My only complaint about this book is that I would have liked some characters to be fleshed out a bit more, but I hope that will happen in future books in the series.

Overall, this was a delightfully entertaining read, perfect if you're looking for a cosy mystery filled with charming characters and locations.

The setting of this book was very well set with some great characters however this book wasn't for me unfortunately.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for a honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book as I really like Richard's writing style, easy to read and free flowing. His descriptive text is brilliant allowing you to picture exactly the characters and their individual quirks. What I found difficult was the amount of characters and the convoluted story which towards the end had me wishing for the book.to be over.. I wanted to enjoy it more and with a more straightforward storyline I am.sure I would have but this is Richard Osman and I can't ever imagine him .doing simple! Good first book though but maybe just not my taste..

Every Thursday, a group of elderly friends meet in their retirement village to discuss unsolved crimes. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim all bring different expertise to the table. When a local developer is found dead in his home, the Thursday Murder Club can’t believe their luck. Their first live case. Can they catch the killer, before the body count rises?

The Thursday Murder Club took me a minute to get into, but once I did, I loved it. The general concept of a gang of retirement home residents solving crimes is obviously brilliant, and the Richard Osman has done a great job with it. I loved the way the characters were comical, stereotypical old people, and this was blended into the story so well. Joyce fussing about the cakes she’s made while the police are trying to discuss a murder investigation was just fantastic.

The story is told through multiple perspectives, with chapters from different characters. At first, I found this difficult to get on with because Osman had obviously gone to a lot of trouble to give them all distinctly different voices, and they didn’t flow together particularly well. It almost felt as though the book could have been written by four or five different people. Luckily, this became easy to overlook as the plot thickened.

The plot itself was entertaining and not too predictable, with plenty of twists and red-herrings, but it really is the characters that make this book so special.

If there is one thing I cannot abide it is chuntering. I say this only because there has been A LOT of chuntering in the book community about Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club. ‘Oh, another celebrity book!’ has been the general murmur, to which I am happy to reply ‘And?’.

Richard Osman is, yes, ok, a celebrity but he is also an incredibly intelligent man who has written an absolute gem of a book which is able to laugh at itself and deliver a corking murder mystery plot to boot.

There seems a growing trend of making older characters the focus of a book, which is something I very much appreciate now I am getting past the age of the main characters in many books I read. The book acknowledges that older people still have plenty to contribute while never shying away from the realities of growing older, losing loved ones and succumbing to the illnesses of old age. I hope this doesn’t make it seem too grim and maudlin because it really isn’t!

On reading the book I could hear the narration and sly asides in Richard Osman’s voice, while at the same time hearing Joyce’s voice very clearly – I tried to explain it to a friend of mine (very poorly), the fact that his voice was so clear, but never spoiled my enjoyment of the story.

At the same time as being a quite affectionate story about these elderly residents of a retirement village, The Thursday Murder Club is also a solid mystery book. I have read a lot of crime novels and the murder plot here stands alongside any one of the better ones.

So celebrity book or no, you can’t argue with an intelligent mystery thriller that more than pulls its weight in the genre.

Everyone has a past, often secret, and old people weren’t always harmless old dears!
Although I liked the premise of it, I found this book rather depressing, possibly because I’ve had rather too much experience of many parts of it.
It was all too complicated, too many characters, so when yet another died, I couldn’t find it in me to care at all!
It was beginning to seem like a Shakespeare tragedy, all those people dying all over the place...not for me, I’m afraid.

An absolute joy ! A delightful and witty mystery. I can guarantee you will recognise your parents or your grandparents in this book ! Lots of twists and red herrings. You find you really care about the characters. This would make an excellent book club read. If you like your mysteries gritty then this perhaps isn't for you.

The Thursday Murder Club may be retired but continue to be inquisitive, resourceful and determined. They regularly survey cold cases but their skills are brought to the fore when the owners of their retirement village are murdered.

The story is inventively plotted with several increasingly complicated strands and laced with humour, ranging from the clever to the not so subtle. The villains are rather stereotypical but our heroes are both sympathetic and endearing, even though they appear to harbour their own dark secrets.

The story rattles along with brief meditations on loss and grief and the creeping inconveniences of old age. There are moments of melancholy and poignance but overall the mood is one of joy and satisfaction.

A reading delight.

I was expecting a witty entertaining read considering the author but for some reason I couldn’t get involved in the characters or storyline
Lots of people loved this book so maybe it’s just me.

The Thursday Murder Club is made up of four friends from a retirement village in Kent who get together every Thursday (ofcourse!) to discuss cold murder cases. But when a murder takes place practically on their own doorstep, they are thrilled to be able to put their detective skills to the test on a case much closer to home! These are no ordinary pensioners but a group of savvy and intelligent detectives who will rest at nothing to solve the crime.

If this is what retirement plans to bring to The Grumpy Scotsman and I then bring it on! Keeping a healthy mind is an important part of growing old but problem solving is usually confined to the odd sudoku or crossword but Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Don have taken brain maintenance to another level here! I was completely engaged by their activities and Richard Osman brought their energy alive perfectly with his sharply insightful and twisty narrative that he delivered with his trademark dry sense of humour. This is a cleverly put together book that uses a unique angle to bring some brilliant character creations together to solve a “not so cosy” mystery. I could almost hear Richard Osman narrating the story in my head as I read it which was an added bonus for me and meant I actually read it a lot slower than I had planned to!

The Thursday Murder Club is an intelligently written, gripping debut novel with characters that you will miss as soon as you reach the last page. So thankfully I found out that there is a “The Thursday Murder Club 2” on the way next year! And another thing…if this isn’t made into a tv series (ideal for that Sunday evening drama slot on BBC1) then I will eat my hardback copy! This book is highly deserving of all the hype and publicity it’s getting so grab your copy now!

Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves
A female cop with her first big case
A brutal murder
Welcome to…
THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB
Joyce is new to the retirement village but is welcomed into The Thursday Murder Club by Elizabeth. A small group consisting of four wonderful personalities that meet every Thursday in the Jigsaw Room to discuss closed cases. That is until there is a fresh murder on their turf. When a local property developer is found murdered with a mysterious photograph laying next to him, the Thursday Murder Club are up against time to find out what is going on. As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it’s too late?
I fell in love with everything to do with this story. The characters are wonderful and the story is brilliant. I have never really watched much of Richard Osman or know too much about him, but I do know this - the man can write! It is a perfect cosy murder mystery, all you need is a blanket and a cuppa, then you can lose yourself in this marvellous mystery.
I felt the story was especially strong in the area of how well the characters were written. They are all so diverse and so full of character it really brought them to life. Everyone we meet is so different but it truly reflects the lives of those around that age. I couldn't help but fall in love with Elizabeth with her hidden past she likes to drop into conversations every now and then. I especially enjoyed how they would work their way around the police in order to help them solve the case, sometimes hiding things and sometimes being so brutally honest without any thoughts or cares, it really made me laugh out loud. The biggest appeal for me was the mystery around the murders itself and with multi layers around each body being found, just made me want more. I love to try and guess ‘who dunnit’ and this was another fun story where I could do just that. Overall, a thoroughly clever and enjoyable book and I cannot wait for the next in the series!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Contrived.

Joyce had recently moved into the Coopers Chase. She’s enjoying a quiet lunch when Elizabeth approaches her to ask her professional nurse’s opinion on knife wounds. This is her introduction to the Thursday Murder Club. So-called because it takes place on Thursdays in the room generally reserved for the residents interested in doing jigsaw puzzles. There are four in the group; Elizabeth, who seems to have led a very eventful life in the Secret Service. Ibrahim, a retired psychiatrist, Ron, a famous trade union leader and now their new recruit Joyce. The “club” had been initially started by Elizabeth and Penny, an inspector in the Kent Police. Elizabeth and Penny had started to meet to see if they could solve cases Penny had not been able to.

The group soon have a “fresh” murder to solve. Ian Ventham, the owner of Coopers Chase, is a greedy man. He’d agreed to Tony Curran being his partner. The idea that he’d have to share money from the next stage in building further flats on the site rankles him, and after a consultation showing the residents the next stage for development, he fires Tony in front of the residents. The Thursday Murder Club is, of course there and witness the fiery exchange. Not long after this, Tony Curran is found murdered. Who could possibly have committed the murder? Elizabeth and her gang decide that the police need their assistance to help solve the crime.

I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. They weren’t real. The police are far too happy to take their advice and tolerate their interference. However, I’m sure that lots of people will disagree with me and welcome this band of eccentric geriatrics into their midst.

Richmond Osman’s storyline is pretty unique, so gets my five-stars for that and the setting. We’d all love to live in a retirement village with jacuzzi and sauna! But the group? No – sorry – I’m too cynical to accept them.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.