I'm always a little wary of "celebrity" novels so I wasn't sure what to expect of The Thursday Murder Club.
I had absolutely nothing to worry about.
This is a witty, tightly plotted novel with plenty of twists and turns and red herrings. I can absolutely recommend.

Last Christmas, I discovered the amazing game show that is Richard Osman’s House of Games. It’s a clever twist on the classic game show format, is highly entertaining, requires wit and is generally such a delight! So, it’s wonderful to report that this seems to be a signature move from Richard Osman as all these joyous elements can be found in his debut novel: The Thursday Murder Club.

So, just who are the Thursday murder club? Well, they are Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim, Joyce and formerly Penny.

Our club members are all in their 70s and live in Coopers Chase retirement village. Every Thursday, they look through old case files (belonging to Penny, a former member of the police) of unsolved murders and try to solve them. Then, a real life murder comes their way when Tony Curran – a local man with links to the retirement home – is murdered.

They immediately get to work at trying to solve the crime. Strong-willed Elizabeth calls the shots and utilise everyone’s specific skill-sets. Former nurse Joyce is the newest member of the club and she was my favourite character: so funny and astute, I got some Miss Marple vibes from her.

We also meet a wonderful cast of other characters who all play their parts in the plot: Ian Ventham, owner of the retirement village, Ron’s son Jason, a retired boxer who now tours the minor celeb scene (think Dancing on Ice), Father Mackie who has his own secrets, charming handyman Bogdan, grieving Bernard and Fairhaven’s local and likeable police: DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna De Freitas.

I’ve included all these characters here to show you how many sub-plots and people are expertly woven through the narrative. Nothing feels forced, cluttered or excessive and everything comes together and flows in a fiendishly wonderful way.

Along with the character mix there are not one but THREE murders that weave their way into this clever story and become cases for the Thursday murder club to sink their teeth into.

Basically, my takeaway from reading is this: you should never underestimate the power of a group of seemingly innocent septuagenarians.

The Thursday Murder Club felt to me like a little homage to Agatha Christie with its funny quips, dry asides, clever murder mystery and overall gentle tone that’s not afraid to throw in a serious moment. And also like a great Christie novel, no element of the story goes the way you think it will.

This was truly a delight to read. Here’s hoping the Thursday murder club have another outing very soon.

This is a well written interesting read. A group of friends in a retirement village investigate unsolved murders as their hobby and when someone connected to them is murdered, they take on this live investigation. Has a bit of an Agatha Christie feel to it in the way the police give them plenty of leeway in getting involved in the case. The characters are funny and interesting, with Elizabeth being the lead investigator in the group, Will be good to find out more of her back story if this becomes a series,

What a treat this book is. It's a quaint murder mystery set in a retirement village where a group of residents have set themselves up as the Thursday Murder Club of the title. They mull over old cases, but find themselves in the midst of an investigation when the business partner of the complex owner is bludgeoned to death. At the scene of a crime, a photo is left which includes the son of one of the group members and they can't resist getting involved.
The police are also keen to solve the crime. With some stealthy manipulation by the Murder Club's leader, the constable who delivers security lectures as part of the retirement village's entertainment programme is asked to join the refreshingly straightforward detective who leads the team.
Plots thicken when a further crime is committed during a protest aimed at saving a convent's cemetery from the expansion of the village and later when a range of skeletons are discovered in various closets (and other places).
What starts off as an interesting-enough tale soon becomes a compelling mystery rooted in strong traditions. Initial flavours suggesting a cocktail of Agatha Christie and PG Wodehouse soon fade as the realisation hits that Richard Osman has a talent and a style of his very own.
There's a wonderful life-affirming attitude throughout. We are reminded that all people are amazing individuals with unique histories. For that, they are to be respected and all but the most serious of indiscretions can be allowed to fade without close inspection.
Every character in the cast is delightfully constructed and the interplay between them is a joy to behold. Moments of genuine emotion are created by excellent storytelling, keen observation, neat turns of phrase and a range of comedy moments that inspires everything from a warm smile to laughs out loud. Just as importantly, the solving of the crimes unfolds with perfect timing and there are a few twists at the end to allow it to end with a flourish.
Once the glow of finishing the novel eventually faded, I found myself hoping that the delights of the read wouldn't be diluted by turning it into a series. Not long after that, I decided I was probably right about that, but that a sequel would be entirely in order (if you please Mr Osman).
And a final thought. Like a Pixar film where you really should stick around until the end of the credits, you should actually read the acknowledgements at the back. Not only are they entertaining, they include tips for eating out and a warmth of spirit that reflects the loveliness of the novel itself.
They say laughter is the best medicine. When combined with a gripping story, I reckon it becomes even more powerful. The Thursday Murder Club provided the antidote to lockdown that I needed and just in the nick of time, so thanks NetGalley for getting a copy into my hands. . .

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an unbiased review.
I really wanted to like this book but it has left me a little nondescript.
I actually felt that the more it went on the more it became completely unrealistic in terms of how the police reacted to the investigative efforts of a group of retirement home residents in their eighties.
The actual story behind the killings was fine, actually it was pretty good.
I appreciate that with an ARC it hasn't been edited properly and normally don't have any real issues with that, but this one jumped from one character to another with no notice and often I found myself having read a paragraph or so before realising we were now on a different character.
All told I find myself a bit middle of the road here, so a solid three stars.

An excellent debut novel. Highly entertaining and amusing. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Hope Richard writes aMother novel. Loved it

This is not my usual kind of story but I thought it was a great idea for a book so thought I would give it a try. The book did take me a while to get into as it was slow going initially, however it does have a clever plot, a fantastic set of characters and the story is funny yet poignant at the same time. I can just imagine it as a tv series! An enjoyable holiday read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Books and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the murder mystery, particularly the unlikely heroes of the elderly super-sleuth residents of a care home.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron set out to crack a murder on their doorstep, staying well ahead of the local constabulary and my own thoughts on whodunnit.

Love, love, love this book!
There are many marvellous laugh-out-loud moments, and Osman brings us characters we would all love to know better. The setting is unusual - how much fun could a care home possibly be for those of us some decades off? - but be prepared to have your assumptions upended. The storyline is suitably twisty and holds your interest - and you won't guess whodunnit till the end.
I do hope he is planning sequels.

This is very much the book I was hoping it would be. Warm, clever, intelligent, funny - the story of a retirement community hunting down murderers sounds - well, actually it sounds as ingenious as it is. There are some wonderful characters in this book. It's such an easy read, but so absorbing too.

This is a great idea for a book with a clever setting and vibrant characters. It would make a great tv series, and in places I felt it read more like a TV spinoff than a standalone book . But it was an enjoyable read.

What a fun book! Picture a bevy of Marples relocated to Exotic Marigold Hotel.
With a fantastic cast of characters and a clever plot, this rip-roaring mystery takes place in an exclusive retirement village in Kent. The residents from the Thursday Murder Club set up initially to solve cold cases purely for their own enjoyment end up investigating murders that directly involve themselves and their friends. Will they solve it?
Charming and highly enjoyable with a lot of chuckling. Great stuff.

I really love Richard Osman and was really excited to read this. So excited that it jumped to the top of my pile of books to read.

I feel bad saying this but I just didn't enjoy the book at all. It was much too wordy and I struggled to connect to the characters at all or being interested in them.
There is some great dark humour but overall this book wasn't for me and I am really sorry to say that.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I did find that this book jumps between characters a lot and I would often find myself a bit confused and having to reread a sentence or two. Having said that, the characters are all very likeable, the storyline kept me interested and I did enjoy it. 3.5 stars

Thank you to #netgalley and #penguinuk for the free copy in exchange for an honest opinion. #thethursdaymurderclub

I hadn't even heard that Richard Osman had written a book before I came across The Thursday Murder Club on Netgalley, so my thanks to them and the publishers for my copy.

Richard Osman is such a clever, clever man; we love Pointless and for the last few years our family Christmas fun has been based around his quiz Two Tribes so I was going into this a little bit on the biased side. And, oh my word I was not disappointed, the book is a joy and nothing like I expected. If you remember the British TV series Waiting For God, also set in a retirement village, I felt it was a cross between that and Miss Marple and, in fact would probably also make a great TV series in itself.

This is probably the funniest murder story I have ever read and yet it still gets the old grey cells working as it has lots of twists and turns and maybe I should warn that tissues may be required at the end.

All in all a very entertaining read and I hope it's the first of many as it's refreshing to see the older generation starring in a great plot.

It's one of those books that make you want to grab a hot cup of steaming tea, and a sink under a duvet as you read. I did just that!. 

The Thursday Murder Club is a short crime fiction novel, but set in a retirement village. This place is home to a quirky group of four 80-year-olds who like to play detective. (It's how I wish my retirement to be!)

If Enid Blyton and Agatha Christie would have planned a book, it might have been something like this. Of course, we cannot compare Richard Osman to such legends! Yet the characters
reminded me, at times, of The Secret Seven and sometimes of the Miss Marple series. 

My verdict is that it is a good one time read. It seems like the start of a new series, so we might as well jump right in! 

Will be posting a longer review a fortnight or so before the publish date on: https://thebookbuff.com/ https://www.instagram.com/therealbookbuff

I have heard a lot about Richard Osman's debut novel and was keen to see if it lived up to the hype. It did - and some. I couldn't put #TheThursdayMurderClub down. It is such a novel idea and will undoubtedly sell quicker than M&S lemon drizzle cake. I can think of at least 10 people I want to buy it for.
The main characters are four friends living in what sounds like a very nice retirement community in rural Kent, and they pass their time working on unsolved police cases shared by their neighbour a retired police officer. The elderly Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron are spirited, funny and engaging. Everyone needs an Elizabeth in their lives. She is the unspoken leader of the Thursday Murder Club and clearly a retired M16 operative or such like. I loved her.
The book also introduces the likeable police officers, Chris and Donna, who become involved in a crime that occurs and find themselves working alongside the Thursday Murder Club, whether they like it or not.
A fun and yet poignant book that sensitively considers growing old and the fear of losing meaning and independence.
I am hoping there will be a sequel - I would definitely read it.
Thank you to Richard Osman, his publishers and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this charming novel.

The Thursday Murder Club is the debut novel from Richard Osman, he of Pointless and House of Games fame. He’s always come across as an intelligent guy with a way with words, so giving it a go was a no-brainer. I’m so glad that I did – I absolutely adored it.

Set in Coopers Chase Retirement Village, an upmarket retirement home in Kent, the novel follows the amateur sleuthing efforts of a small group of retirees who meet on a Thursday (they can only get a two-hour slot in the Jigsaw Room then, in between the meetings of the Art History Club and the Conversational French group) to try to solve a number of cold murder cases.

Using the benefits of their varied expertise, they investigate the case files left by ex-police inspector Penny, a founding member of the Club since lost to the ravages of dementia and moved to the nearby Willows nursing home. Now the group consists of Ibrahim (former psychiatrist), Ron (former Trade Union leader), Joyce (former nurse), and their unofficial leader, Elizabeth, who has a background veiled in mystery of the ‘if I told you what I did, I’d have to kill you’ kind.

The cold cases are quickly set aside, however, when there is a murder related to Cooper’s Chase. The business partner of the scheming owner of the retirement village is found dead at his home, so Elizabeth and the gang swing into action. Roping in the unwilling and sometimes unwitting involvement of two members of the local police force, they throw themselves into the investigation and find that nobody is beneath consideration.

Told in a combination of epistolary and narrative form, The Thursday Murder Club is a gentle but sometimes bittersweet cosy murder mystery that I simply can’t pick fault with. The characters are fantastic, especially Elizabeth, who is devious and manipulative, but always in a polite and understated way, so that you don’t realise you’ve been manipulated until after it happens (and you end up not minding anyway). Joyce’s relationship with her daughter is poignant and sincere, and made me miss my own Mam so much. The mystery aspect throws up multiple diversions and red herrings, and I admit that I couldn’t figure out who the killer(s) was/were before the end.

For a debut novel, Osman has done fantastically. If there isn’t a sequel, I am going to be so incredibly cross. Everybody needs Elizabeth in their life.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest 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 didn’t anticipate to read this book as fast as I did.

The first half of this book does begin slow as we build the scene but the second half of this book you just fall into, the pace being picked up and the story unfolding perfectly. As the loose ends of the tale begin to get tied, the book really comes into its own and our collection of characters, particularly The Murder Club really do keep pulling you into this book from beginning to end, particularly with Joyce’s narration running throughout.

The voice of the author shines throughout this story, a little dry wit, a little sarcasm that you almost hear the author saying sometimes and it makes for some light moments in a book that left me in tears at the end. The characters are built perfectly and kept human throughout this book that sometimes I was sat there thinking, I swear I know this person and that makes the story feel more real and immerses the reader more deeply within it.

Plot wise, sometimes I thought I knew the answer, and then I definitely did not know the answer, you’re set up to believe one thing and it is not the thing, the lack of predictability in this book is so well done and I loved it for it. Each twist and turn is brilliant and thoughtfully done, (Spoiler) the story of Father Mackie for example is so heartbreaking and a really hit-you-where-it-hurts part of the book for me. (spoiler ended).

With characters that really build and grow throughout the story, a plot that swerves and changes at breakneck speed and in a setting that works perfectly throughout, The Thursday Murder Club is an excellent start to series I can’t wait for the second of, I look forward to seeing Elizabeth, Joyce, Elizabeth and Ibrahim again soon and I’ll be shocked if this isn’t a drama or film sometime in the near future, this book is perfectly made for adaptation.

Four of the most unlikely people to be in a club together meet every Thursday to solve old crimes. They live in a lovely retirement village and all seems idyllic. That is until a murder happens close to home and the club decide to solve the crime themselves. Can these retirees really do what the police can’t before things get worse?
Richard Osman has written a clever story with unlikely heroes that has a wonderful sense of drama and great twists you don’t see coming and all crafted with a great air of comedy in the background.
This was a fantastic debut that I thought was highly entertaining.