really good read! I was a bit sceptical as to whether I would enjoy this but I did. The plot is good and kept me guessing and interested until the end.

Four people from the upmarket Coopers Chase retirement community - the suspiciously well-connected Elizabeth, former trade union leader “Red Ron” Ritchie, psychiatrist Ibrahim, and newest recruit and former nurse, Joyce - form the Thursday Murder Club, discussing unsolved cases from the past. But when a local and universally disliked property developer is murdered, the club finds murder coming a bit closer to home. With the assistance of likeable police officers Donna and Chris (it definitely seems to be the police assisting the club, rather than the other way round), they set out to untangle exactly what’s going on.

The story is well written and I liked the setting (a retirement village, NOT a care home as some reviewers state, though there is a care home there too) and the characters (Elizabeth gave me “Carolyn from Killing Eve” vibes!), though there are so many plot strands that it became a little hard to follow at times. I certainly didn’t guess the outcome.

The ending certainly suggests future adventures are on the cards for the Thursday Murder Club - I look forward to reading them...

As well as TV presenter and producer, Richard Osman can now add ‘an author of a cracking good mystery feather’ to his cap. His first foray into the world of crime fiction is delightful.

The Thursday Murder Club is set in a well-heeled retirement community where the residents are far from retiring. There’s a pool, a gym, a spa, and a ‘contemporary upscale’ restaurant, along with committees and clubs to cater for any activity your active septuagenarian could wish for. One such club is the Thursday Murder Club, a small group founded by a former police detective who meet once a week to talk through old case files.

The story starts when one member drops out and a relatively new resident is invited to be the 4th member of this very selective club. We are immediately drawn into the shenanigans of the quartet and then, of course, up pops a real time murder for the club members to involve themselves in. And boy, do they inveigle their way into the investigation beautifully. The mystery itself is complicated with a few twists and turns, and the reader is treated to more than a few red herrings.

I love the four members of the Club. The most manipulative but entertaining set of OAPs I’ve ever come across. And the two members of the local constabulary – often treated as fools in crime fiction for not trusting the worthy amateurs - who are drawn into the story are treated well and compliment each other, and the group, perfectly.

I started off thinking the narrators of the story were unnecessarily garrulous but I was soon charmed by it, and then realised that actually most of what looked like excessive chattiness was pretty pertinent to the plot.

A great debut and I confess that I’m hoping we will hear more of manipulative ways of the Thursday Murder Club in the future.

Sincere thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for providing me with this digital ARC.

I’ve now pre-ordered a copy for my mom which is probably the biggest compliment I could give the book.

Full disclosure - crime/detective novels aren't usually my genre, and I only picked up this one because I'm a big fan of the author, Richard Osman of Pointless fame.

Richard therefore had a pretty high hurdle to overcome to keep me turning the pages on this, but I think he just about managed it.

The novel is structured as a typical detective story, setting up a murder mystery and a cast of potential suspects and then gradually ruling them out to leave us with murderer. Its main USP is that it is set in an old people's home, and that the detectives investigating the mystery are a group of enthusiastic amateur octagenarians.

As the book unfolds, that USP turns out to be the novel's main strength. It's great to see the older generation in the driving seat for once, rather than airbrushed out, and the main characters are all sparky, well rounded individuals with a wicked sense of humour drawn from already being in the waiting room for the great beyond. The nursing home setting also provides some real moments of pathos, as characters inevitably have to come to terms with saying goodbye to friends and loved ones, and the fact that it might be their turn next.

I also loved some of the supporting cast, with a special mention for Chris, the overweight, divorced DCI struggling simtaneously to rein in his elderly buddies, and get his life back on track.

On the less positive side, the plot isn't quite as strong as it could be, and throughout I was much more interested in the human side of the story (would characters A and B get it on, would character C be reconciled with her daughter etc.), than in the big reveal at the end.

Overall, however, a gently engaging read with a great sense of humour, and something that I think fans of this genre will really enjoy.

When residents of a retirement village set up a weekly murder club in addition to the Pilates, Zumba and jigsaw clubs already on offer they anticipated looking into cold cases that the police either could not solve or were so old they had been forgotten about. What this exclusive club did not expect was that they would soon be trying to solve not one but two live cases...

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first picked this book up - being often of the opinion that celebrity authors should stick to the day job - however I was pleasantly surprised and soon totally gripped by this first offering by Richard Osman.. In addition to being a great read this book would make fantastic tv adaptation.

#TheThrusdayMurderClub #NetGalley
A good read.
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?
Characters and narration were good of the story. I loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for giving me an advance copy.

PC Donna De Freitas has downgraded from the London Met to come to Fairhaven. She is bored with everyday Police work and wishes for a Juicy murder. Our four residents from the Cooper Chase Retirement Village will become her guardian angels. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron with a knack for manipulating events and using past skills to develop being one step ahead when murder strikes. Donna comes to realise this friendship is her stepping stone to greater things. The Thursday Murder club set up by Elizabeth and Penny (ex Policewoman) to investigate unsolved cases suddenly becomes real and close to home with the murders of the contractors of the new development at Coopers Chase. This story is mainly told from Joyce’s diary entry’s which have plenty of moments to make you smile “Also, it was a well known fact that there were no calories in home-made cakes”. It keeps you entertained in a Miss Marple type way. The solving of the murders is like a giant jigsaw it’s just a matter of filling in the spaces. Four great quirky characters who really sell this book which make you never want to leave. I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this book. Easy, conversational writing style meant that I just flew through the book! Loved the storyline, loved the characters (particularly Joyce and Elizabeth and wonderfully rounded Chris and Donna) and the humorous lines that made me chuckle throughout. Loved it ......an easy 5 stars from me.

GUEST REVIEW!

Today is a special day on the blog as it features a guest review from my other half... I'm sure you'll agree he has done a splendid job and has created a rather splendid and thoughtful review.

Now I just need to read the book myself! 

5 Stars from him!

I feel I should ask you to bear with me. It is a while since a read a book - too long if I’m being honest and certainly a writing review is a first. However, I had been quietly looking forward to reading this since I learned in the early part of this year of its upcoming release. Reading the book was very much my choice, though this review is under slight persuasion from the better half and, if truth be told, somewhat of a surprise.

I’m not sure how you couldn’t be an admirer of Richard Osman, so it may be my bias leaks through, but the thought of a crime book formed from the insightful and intriguing intellect that happily puts him high on my list of people I’d have as a dinner guest, sparked some long forgotten desire last lit by the likes of Terry Pratchett. Hat optional.

If you are looking for a high-octane, rollicking, in-your-face, let-‘em-have-it, slap-you–about-a-bit thriller, then I’m afraid you may be in the wrong ball-park. You may not even be in a park at all come to that.

What you will find is a story which immediately, casually, deftly and pleasantly draws you in and does not let go until the final page. Not that you wish to leave – which is lucky as I’m not sure you’d have a choice having met Elizabeth. The characters to whom you are introduced are gently captivating and are intertwined with such ease that you are wholly submerged in their world. You misjudge them at your peril, but not that they are a threat – well not in the conventional sense. The dual approach to the story-telling is inspirational and Joyce’s observations are wonderfully constructed and timed.

With obvious knowledge and experience, the retirement village which provides the focal stage for the book, unveils a depth of detailed characters with a wealth of sharp wit and amusing dialogue. It sets a stage for turning many a stereotyping misnomer inside out with an abundance of enjoyable politeness. Very much in the way a patient Nan would perhaps inform you it was generally thought courteous to wear clothes in company. The police team is, as with the members of The Thursday Murder Club, a delightfully well-observed addition and certainly blended beautifully to the plot. The descriptions of other elements of the retirement village daily life are left scattered throughout and almost confirms you as a resident.

The story gives ample opportunity to understand those in the retirement village. The values that are held dear, that for some only a lifetime can teach. Acceptance, truth, integrity, loyalty, love and friendship are underpinning every chapter but with subtly that does not interfere with the flow of the plot. As with most things in life, realisation rarely announces itself to a fanfare, but quietly arrives by your side and takes your hand. Then you get it.

There doesn’t feel any area which wasn’t thoroughly thought through. As a story, it holds together wonderfully and saddens you as it concludes. I’m going to look for a brochure, I recommend you do the same.

A drily witty debut novel, this murder mystery is tongue in cheek and funny and thoroughly enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoyed the story feeling and detail around life in a Retirement Village- not as dead as you might think,
Read this alongside a glass of wine, feet up on the sofa and , breathe deep and quaff delicately.
One to lighten a book club load!
Look forward the the next one,

The debut novel from Pointless' Richard Osman is a satisfying quintessentially British murder mystery.
Set in the world of the Coopers Chase Retirement Village, in the fictional Kent town of Fairhaven, the book revolves around the Thursday Murder Club. This is a club who meet secretly each Thursday in the jigsaw room, under the guise of “Japanese opera- a discussion” whereby they set about solving criminal cold-cases to their own satisfaction. As our book starts Joyce (and ex nurse) is being invited to become a member. She joins Ibrahim (ex-psychiatrist), Ron (ex-Trade Union boss), and their leader, Elizabeth (whose past is never revealed to us, the reader, but Joyce states "murders and investigations and what have you wouldn't be unfamiliar work for her") What Elizabeth's past does provide – handily for the plot - is a lots of connections that can provide access to important information. What Joyce and Elizabeth don't bank upon, is that a current real life murder soon needs their attention too. Who killed Tony Curran, the Retirement Village owner?

A live murder case, also brings the Club to the attention of the local police, and in particular DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna De Freitas. The clubs parallel investigation exasperates the pair until they realise the value being provided. The comedy value provided in the exchanges is also delightful. The image of Hudson sandwiched on a sofa during one update had tears – from laughter - in my eyes.

Book flips back and forward from third person narrative involving all the books characters and Joyce's diary entries. This works well, playing on her 'new' to the group position. The pacing is fairly sedate, but that seems rather appropriate given the setting and the main characters. That said the final body count – past and present for various causes - is surprisingly high when all the stones are uncovered! Character development is also at a minimum but again, is enough to engage the reader and drive the plot. The book meanders, it twists and turns, it has red herrings galore, it has wit (as you'd expect from Osman) and it has heart. The way various issues around ageing – dementia, assisted suicide, grief, loss etc – are handled is with warmth, care and understanding.

I have to say I enjoyed my time with Donna, Chris, Ibrahim, Ron , Joyce, and Elizabeth immensely ; which is just as well, as it seems that they may be returning next year in a follow up mystery. I can also see this ending up on our tv screens in the not too distant future. Lots of fun.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC to read and review.

This is genuinely one of my favourite books I've ever read. It had everything that makes a good book for me: Loveable characters, a murder mystery, emotional moments and humour.

Starting with the characters, I just adored them. They were all so easy to picture and I really loved reading about them. Joyce is one of the best characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading about - she was just lovely and I really enjoyed her witty observations.

The mystery itself was also brilliant. There were just enough red herrings without getting into the realms of the ridiculous and I had no idea where the story was going but I really enjoyed finding out! Everything ended perfectly for me and I loved that the epilogue was written by my favourite character.

I had a lump in my throat at various moments in the book and I loved the theme of couples growing old together and not knowing quite what to do with themselves when the other passes away. You could really feel how much their partners meant to the characters and reading about their love stories was just wonderful (and a bit sad at the same time.)

All of this emotion was balanced by the fact that Richard Osman is very funny. There were some laugh out loud sentences and I thought the writing was generally fantastic.

I could go on for hours about how much I enjoyed this book but suffice to say I will be recommending it to everyone I know and I will be first in line for Richard Osman's next book. I have a feeling this one will stay in my heart for a long time.

This novel is great fun. It is based in a retirement home where its Thursday Murder Club members finally find themselves in the ‘fortunate’ position of being able to investigate a real murder. Wry humour brilliantly undercuts much of the narration and there is plenty of action, well-conceived characters, unexpected twists, and some hilarious one-liners. As well as being brilliantly funny in places there are more tender moments told with great warmth and compassion. The pacing was a little slow in places where I felt there was too much unnecessary detail, but I really enjoyed it overall.

I like you, Richard Osman, really I do. As a dead-pan compère. As an author, not so much.
Four retirement villagers try to solve two murders, usually in their “Thursday Murder Club” they review unsolved cases but then a real murder happens...and another.
As geriatric sleuthing goes, this ain’t no Miss Marple. You’d be much better served with Joanna Cannon’s “Three Things About Elsie”. Or if you prefer a sassy madcap protagonist, try the Auntie Poldi books by Mario Giordano.
The plot of this book moves at a glacial pace and there is a pongy whiff of patronising in the air: Ha, those oldtimers - they thought a “tablet” referred to their medication... awww bless. Similarly, the reader is deemed incapable of following the plot since everything is recapped in the chapters headed “Joyce”. There is a cast of gazillions, the gaggle of oldies, nasty developers, a shady priest, an ex-spy, a retired psychiatrist, an ex-union VIP, nuns, a shady boxer, a Cypriot mobster, a landed farmer, a suspicious Polish handyman, spouses loyal to the death (and beyond) plus loads of sideshow characters, it’s exhausting.
I’m sorry, but had it been written under a non-de-plume, I guess it would never have broken surface.
Just scraped into 3*.

When I started this book I wasn’t sure that I wanted to carry on reading it, but I’m so glad I did. It’s a very different murder(s) mystery with a cast of elderly people in a retirement village and members of the local police force.
The book has a lovely dry humour, the main characters are so well drawn that you feel you know them, and it has many twists and turns to keep you on your toes. My only (small) complaint is that it became very convoluted near the end, and I found it a little difficult to ‘keep up’ - but that could be just me.
If this is the start of a series - I’ll be reading the next one.

I really enjoyed this book. The portrayal of the main 4 characters based in an upmarket retirement village was great. How lovely to read a murder mystery where, despite being beyond retirement age, they have their marbles, aren’t portrayed as completely over the hill and are credited with realistic and interesting back stories. Also, the local police were portrayed as ordinary hardworking people, not just bumbling plods, which happens so often in this particular genre. This is a lovely tale, plenty to get your teeth in to and not too obvious an ending. I’ll certainly be looking out for the follow up.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

When I found that Richard had written a book, I was very eager to read it. So was very grateful to Netgalley, and Penguin Books for this ARC.
I hoped that Richard’s intelligence, obvious humour and wit, would flow into his writing, and I wasn’t disappointed.
The book is very subtle, the murder is not gory, the humour is not of the “belly laugh” variety. What you read is much better than that. The book is full of intelligent, wry humour, with a generous sprinkling of irony throughout.

There are constant light touches of humour peppered through. The naming of the dog that Ron helps to Rescue. The play on words in the name of the vegan cafe. The Keep It Simple smoothie that Ian favours. The reason why Malcolm Weekes was late for the minibus.
The whole scene where DCI Hudson meets The Thursday Murder Club in Joyce’s lounge had me smiling and chuckling continuously.
In my mind I see Joyce as being a lovely June Whitfield character, and Elizabeth as a similar character to Maggie Smith, as The Dowager Countess from Downton Abbey. A very sharp mind and tongue, which belies the kindness she shows to those who deserve it.
There are so many lines that I could quote to you, that have made me smile, but I won’t. This would spoil you finding these gems for yourself, and it would also make this one of the longest book reviews ever written.

This book is wonderful. It is very British, intelligent, warm, witty and it is also very tender. The love and protectiveness that Elizabeth has for Stephen is beautiful, and I found the meeting between Donna and Penny very touching.
In case you weren’t sure, this is a 5* star review from me. Read the book, you won’t regret it.

A hugely enjoyable caper filled with smart observational humour and a vast list of hugely likeable characters.

The Thursday Murder Club is difficult to pin down. It’s a cosy mystery that isn’t all that cosy. The characters all have plenty of suprises and secrets to keep us guessing. However, what really sets it out is the comedy. It is packed with observations and humour to the extent I think I would pick up even more from reading it a second time.

Thoroughly entertaining albeit, if it’s pitching in the crime genre, the “whodunnit” element didn’t really hold my attention. A rounded up 3.5*.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in consideration of an honest review.

This is exactly the type of book I would pick up in a bookstore. I love a murder mystery and this book is billed as exactly this. It is more a cosy mystery than thriller, but still very enjoyable. There is a good mix of characters, and I really enjoyed that they all had such vibrant personalities. There isn't a lot of character development in the story, but I don't think that's what this book is about at all. I would have loved to see more of the police officers, as I think they could've added a new dimension to the story.

I have to admit (no spoilers) there are a couple of twists in this book and I did not predict them, in fact at one point I thought something was going to happen and it turned out to be something totally different! There are also some great comedic moments, but I would've loved to see more of Osman's dry wit throughout the book, as I think that could've boosted the slower parts. I also think Osman's handling of sensitive topics (assisted suicide, dementia, etc.) was expertly done.

However, the pacing is very slow. There were definitely things I felt could have been missed out, or written in much less words, and the whole book could probably do with being about 25-50 pages shorter. If you're looking for fast-paced, this isn't the book for you. I also thought the writing was a bit jumpy. It's split into two points of view - Joyce's notes/diary entries, and a third person narrative. I personally didn't feel Joyce's POV added anything to the story, but I can see what Osman was trying to achieve by including it.

My final thoughts: overall an enjoyable book. If you're a fan of a cosy cottage type mystery, then this could be just the book for you! I would 100% pick up another if this were to become a series, but I would like to see more character development over more books.

This full review will be featured on my blog on 22nd August 2020.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron are all part of The Thursday Murder Club at their posh retirement village where they all live. I liked the underlying message that you shouldn't right any of them off just because they are all considered elderly! They had all lived fascinating lives and love getting together to solve unsolved murders! Thought it was entertaining and hope it's optioned for TV, it would work on the screen really well