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!

I absolutely loved this book and urged all my colleagues to get a copy and read it. Its witty, quirky and charming.

It would have been a 5 star review from me but honestly the suicides (there are 2 in this book, one to a character and one in a story told by a character) really shocked me and felt out of place with the cosy atmosphere. I knew I was reading a crime novel so obviously expected murder and maybe violence but honestly I wish I could read this book again without the suicide. That is a personal thing though and I would definitely recommend this to people.

An enjoyable, entertaining debut novel by Richard Osman, I found it quite funny in parts and loved the characters.
There are plenty of twists and turns and red herrings thrown at you to keep you gripped.

I loved this debut by Richard Osman. It was quite a quirky read, with OAP characters that draw you in. Plus, the mystery part is pretty gripping too. I gather this is the first in a series and I will definitely read future titles in this series. I would describe this book as a ‘gentle’ murder mystery - not for those who like the grittier crime books. All in all, I really enjoyed it.

I loved this - mainly because of the main characters. What a fantastic group of people and so nice to see older people as the “stars.” It’s a good story, a solid plot but the character really make this a wonderful gem of a book.

In The Thursday Murder Club, we have Elizabeth and Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron. Although they may be pensioners living in a retirement village and acutely aware their days are numbered, they don’t plan on wasting any of those days sitting around doing nothing.

Joyce has been asked to join after former and co-founding member, Penny, became too ill to take part. Penny, a retired police officer, was still haunted by past unsolved crimes so she started the club with Elizabeth. Each bring their own special set of skills. Ibrahim was a psychologist and a bit of a number-cruncher. Ron’s a former trade union leader and is able to make himself heard, loud and clear. He also has huge compassion that we see in rare moments. Joyce is a retired nurse and so brings some medical expertise. Elizabeth… well, we never know exactly what she used to do but there are enough hints to suggest a secretive and slightly murky past. Although they’re used to looking at cold cases, it isn’t long before a real murder happens and The Thursday Murder Club get the chance to try and solve it. And maybe more besides that.

I absolutely loved this the book. I giggled a lot and often read out parts to my husband which he didn’t fully appreciate as he was trying to go to sleep. There’s a cast of many characters and the viewpoint switches quite a lot which took a while to get used to. As well as being humorous with an interesting plot, it’s also acutely observational. Richard Osman highlights perfectly the need that older people have to remain useful. Coopers Chase Retirement Village may be fictional but in the acknowledgements Richard Osman mentions a retirement village that he actually visited. It’s refreshing to know that such places exist.

I wish I could comment more on the plot but I don't want to reveal any spoilers. Suffice to say things are not at all as they seem.

Overall, this book sums up the best in cosy crime – wonderfully eccentric characters, enough red herrings to eat for breakfast for a week and a quirky police duo. I do hope there’s a second book planned. These characters are too good to be used only once.

I absolutely loved this book and was gripped from the word go, I really enjoyed this book and the characters & would love for this book to be made into a series of books as its so good.

This book is a perfect book to read on a summer day with a cup of tea.

With Thanks to NetGalley & Viking -Penguin Books for the advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

This was a joyous hug in a book! The Thursday Murder Club make me wish I could move into their little village and join. What fabulous characters and bravo to Richard Osman for casting the older generation as the heroes of this book, so often ignored in creative work. For me, it was as if Mr Osman had inquired of what I particularly enjoy in literature and then written a book around my own personal favourites. Every person involved was sublime, exquisitely drawn and full of their own, unique characteristics. Nothing in the story played out as the reader expected, small and extremely clever twists and turns made the tale completely absorbing. I would have expected a brilliant tome from Richard Osman and he delivers with bells on. I can't wait to listen to this on audio. 5 stars and a standing ovation all round. This years 'MUST READ'

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC of this book.

I’m not entirely sure what the make of this book. Despite containing several murders, suicides and drug criminals, it is a very easy, fluffy, cosy, British and just ever so nice crime book. It is set in a retirement community and boils down to 4 OAPs sitting around effectively saying “There’s been a murder, oh how jolly! Would you like another slice of cake while we solve it?”. I think I do prefer a nice cosy crime read like this to the far too prevalent reams of gritty psychological thrillers featuring the abuse/torture of woman and children. However, this chatty, friendly, nice style does make the plot feel a little low-stakes in spite of all the death.

I think you can definitely tell that this is a first novel. The writing manages to be face paced (short chapters, chatty prose) and plodding at the same time. Richard Osman throws in so many red herrings and misdirects that by the end of the book it feels like none of the characters really care that much who has committed the murders, let alone the reader. I think there is something lacking in the set up and resolution of the whodunnits, this is probably because Osman is more interested in his characters than in his plot.

I like Richard Osman and I think his voice comes through very strongly in the book, despite half the entries supposedly being written as a 80-something(?) year old woman’s diary entries. There are lots of witty asides and unnecessary facts added in, probably to the detriment of the narrative but fun for the reader. I feel like Osman has looked at the demographic of his fans, mostly OAPs who watch daytime TV due to his popular TV quiz programmes, and written something specifically to appeal to them in order to sell more books. I’m not sure I find OAPs to be the most compelling protagonists. This is a shame because, according to his author’s note, he was trying to highlight how people in retirement villages all have had interesting worthwhile lives and experiences.

This is the first in a series of books but I’m not sure whether I would bother to read the next one. However, they may improve as Osman gains greater experience as a writer. I can see how it might be nice to follow some of the characters, particularly the police officers, to find out what their future holds. Osman clearly has a great fondness for the characters he has created, so I’m sure he will develop them well over time.

I must add that I absolutely love the cover design for this book. The title is instantly engaging and the font is beautiful. it’s really well done and makes the book seem really appealing. I’m sure it will do really well. It’s probably an ideal comfort read for these troubling times.

Ooh, I did enjoy this book, debut novel of the very talented Richard Osman. The book is extremely funny from the beginning and you can definitely hear Richard's voice coming through.

The story is set at Coopers Chase, a retirement village in Kent and includes a sterling cast of characters, including the various residents who live there, businessmen trying their best to make some profit and CID from the local constabulary, all of whom are depicted in an easy to visualise manner.. The story moves seemlessly from current times to the past and back again, cleverly interweaving the characters.

This is a very intelligent story, full of twists and turns and a most entertaining read. You need your wits about you to keep up with the various goings-on but this is a real page turner.

Recommended!

Perfect holiday read! Hilarious murder mystery and full of remarkable characters with twists and turns. Would love to read the next installment!