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 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

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.
I like Richard Osman and I really enjoy watching House Of Games, so when I heard of this book I was excited to read it.
Set in a retirement village four friends, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron start a murder club where they research unsolved killings. When someone they know ends up dead they decide to try and solve the murder.
I had really high expectations of the book but I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped to. I expected a thrilling and suspenseful novel but it wasn't. It seemed more calm and relaxed to what I was hoping. I think some parts were dialed down and it could have been suspenseful.
The characters were really likable and I like how we got to know them before diving straight into the main plot. I also liked how to story was told in different perspectives.
If you are thinking about reading this I would make sure this is for you as I was left slightly disappointed.

Coopers Chase Retirement Village sounds like the ideal place to retire. Fun, friendship, lots of activities to keep the body and mind active. It would be idyllic, but for the murders... However, there is the Thursday Murder Club, four pensioners with different skills, who grouped together to look at unsolved historic cases. When a murder takes place, they decide to look at that. Can the exceptional quartet work through the mystery and solve the murder before the police do so?
A brilliant debut novel by Richard Osman. Very clever and witty. More of a cosy mystery that a thriller, but a great one of its genre. Can’t wait for the next one in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderfully funny story about a medley of intuitive and engaging pensioners who regularly meet each Thursday, to try and solve previously unsolved murders. They find themselves caught up in a murder which has just happened, and offer their help to the police who are investigating.

The setting is Coopers Chase, a beautiful village, inhabited mainly by the elderly. Characterisations are delightfully written, with lots of humorous comment. I laughed out loud in places. I liked all the characters, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibraham and bolshy Ron, an aging trade unionist who has failed to win any of the injustices he feels have happened in the past. I didn’t find the characters to be stereotypical, they are smart, intelligent and beating the police at their own game.

The chapters in the book are short, which adds drama and keeps you interested. As the story unfolds there are various twists and turns becoming a little complicated at times, and seems to be drawn out at certain points.

Richard Osman’s first book is an absolute delight to read, and I eagerly await his second.

The idea itself was very interesting, a little detective club in a cute retirement village in Kent, however execution was far from good in my opinion..

Narrative constantly jumps from one character to another and at times it happens within one line, where it makes it all pretty confusing until you realise that you're looking at it through someone else's eyes now. But the biggest problem I think is that the author tried to squeeze in too many intertwining stories into one and made it look like something quickly thrown together. Every detective story has red herrings and "fake" clues, but in this particular case some of them were just needless.

I found it hard to get through as it didn't hold my attention, found too many characters there that lacked depth and too many little story lines that made it way too long for what it should be.

This story is about a series of murders, some current, some unsolved from the past. If it was then a murder investigation by the detectives who feature in it, the story would run well if not particularly original. As it is set in a posh old peoples’ care home the scenario changes somewhat. Four residents, Ron, Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Joyce, calling themselves the Thursday Murder Club, interfere in the police investigation to an extent that would not be tolerated in real life. Another resident, formerly a police inspector brought her files of unsolved cases, giving a start to solving old cases. A story set in such a home is not original either but the characterisation is good and there is lots of humour as well as perceptive comment about old age. They are all grumpy, choosing tea in a cafe because fair trade coffee is 15p more expensive and parking in the disabled bay because it is nearer the door! The challenge for the reader is to come to terms with the merging of the crime solving and life in a retirement village. The story also switches location and characters randomly paragraph by paragraph without warning. The ending and winding up of the murders is well done even if it is hard to believe in real life.

I haven’t read many cosy mysteries before so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I was approved for an advanced copy of this novel from Net Galley. What I did know was that I was a fan of Richard Osman so I had high hopes. I wasn’t disappointed.

The Thursday Murder Club follows four OAP’s as they investigate a murder linked to their luxury retirement village. Each character brings something different to the table from their previous life and the way they interact with the local police is wonderfully funny.

The characters are easy to like and add humour and depth to the story through their behaviour and glimpses into the changes and impact on life advancing age can have. There were plenty of twists to keep you guessing throughout and I am delighted that this is the first in a series.

If you are looking for a gritty thriller then look elsewhere but if you want a mystery with laugh out loud moments, twist and turns and heart then this is the story for you.

I am not a cosy crime lover but I unexpectedly really enjoyed this. Loved the characters and their references, their wine consumption, the friendly rivalry with the Police, their relevancy to the modern world despite being over the age of 70. Refreshing. Found the plot maybe a little too convoluted but laughed out loud more than once, Will be delighted to read another one with the same characters and learn more of the merits of M and S cakes versus home-baked.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron live in an upmarket retirement village. Elizabeth, who appears to have been in MI5 or MI6 ( I can never remember which is which) formed the Thursday Murder Club with Penny a retired police officer now out of the picture because of illness. Together they look at cold cases but when a property developer is murdered they find they have a real life murder on hand and get together with two local police officers to solve it.

This is very much a cosy crime mystery. The words cosy crime set my teeth on edge and I rarely read the genre but like many others i was attracted to this because of the author, Richard Osman is undoubtedly a very clever man. He is very quick witted and I enjoy his television appearances. There is a lot to like about this book. The characters are on the whole sympathetic and there is enough wit to make you smile from time to time. However the plot is all over the place and rambles on and by the time I reached the end I couldn't have cared less who did it and why. There are more red herrings than you'd find in the fisherman's branch of the Communist Party and this aspect was tedious. Would I recommend it? Yes, if you like your crime safe and middle class. If you prefer it even slightly gritty then steer clear. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Well-written cosy crime!
I am writing this as someone who does not generally read crime novels, and I cannot stand Agatha Raisin type pastiche detective books- however, this is a bit different.
I found Osman's writing style chatty and amusing, and the plot was interesting. Even though the plot includes murders, suicides and drugs, it was light-hearted without any really graphic description. The main characters are OAPs in a retirement village, which was unusual, and it was nice to think about how the retired spy, psychiatrist and others could still use their skills to try and solve a murder. It didn't get too unbelievable (although I got a bit annoyed with the deus ex machina of the mysterious retired spy being able to get hold of all the information needed with no problems, before the police) and there were some satisfying twists, turns and red herrings.
A nice summer light crime read!