ARC copy via Netgalley (out in the UK in September)

Brilliantly entertaining crime fiction set in a luxury retirement village, where you don't mess with the parking committee, and you underestimate the murder club at your own risk! This reminded me of Agatha Raisin, Mick Herron and Fredrik Backman, but the best thing about it is that it's unique to itself. Hoping the author finds time to write another amongst his many irons in the fire!

I wasn't sure initially that I was going to enjoy this book because of the writing style. It is written partly in the first person as a diary written by Joyce, one of the residents of an upmarket retirement complex, and partly as a narrative. However, as the story developed I was hooked. There are some really profound pieces within it, making you think about aging, and life, and priorities.

The story hinges around the twee premise of a group of these oldies who meet once a week and look over old crimes and try to solve them. One of them, Elizabeth, seems to have a shady past and infinite resources.

However, crime comes to the retirement home when the owner's business partner is killed in suspicious circumstances. The group set out to find the killer, but events have repercussions for them all.

Sensitively told, with a real eye for the human condition, I enjoyed it very much.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Books (UK) and Viking for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I just LOVED this book, from the very first page it was funny, observant, utterly entertaining, original and delightful characters. I can't praise this highly enough. SO well written which is not surprising seeing as the author is Richard Osman, a man of many words. Please let there be a sequel or at least another book by this wonderful author very soon.

That was a good read! I'd love to know what the Club investigates next and hope that The Thursday Murder Club is the first in a series featuring this unusual Wealden retirement village setting and these most engaging characters. 

The plot has numerous twists, turns and, of course, a fair number of red herrings which all keeps the reader interested and very keen not to put the book down. Characterisation is good, with some perceptive and amusing asides which had me laughing out loud.

Many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.

A charming romp into old age. Octogenarians Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim, and Ron, are all residents of Cooper Chase, an upscale retirement community for the wealthy elderly. The gang of four have a weekly club where they examine cold cases, and pit their collective wits against the initial investigators. When, much to their delight, they have an actual murder in their midst. Then, their prime suspect gets killed right before their eyes. Deep joy, they are on a roll.
Likable characters, evil protagonists, competent and somewhat cooperative police, with a twisty plot that entertains, satisfies, and challenges. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Viking, and Richard Osman for an advance copy. I do hope this is the first in a long series.

I love Richard Osman on TV and was curious when I heard he had written a crime novel. Let's face it, celebrity books can be a bit hit and miss but I felt Richard was clever enough to pull this off. And he did!! This is a delightful cosy crime novel. Look elsewhere if you want blood and guts all over the place, but if you like a well written, entertaining, fun crime caper then I urge you to give this a try.

It is well written and very witty. The four main characters, residents of a retirement village, are all fantastically portrayed.. There's Elizabeth who is an enigmatic former spy with friends in high places who owe her favours. Then there's Ron, a bolshie ex Trade Union official with a heart of gold and a famous son. Ibrahim is a former psychiatrist who still has the odd client. Lastly there is newcomer, Joyce, a former nurse. It's great to read a book with quirky, non-stereotypical older characters. I also loved both of the police characters and the way the pensioners ran rings around the poor DI was hilarious.

The plot is fairly complex, and there are plenty of red herrings and misdirection which fooled me completely. I laughed at some of it, and at other times I shed a few tears, and I loved all the cake references!

I really hope this is the start of a series as I'd love to meet the residents of Coopers Chase again. And I think it would make a wonderful TV series.

Mr Osman's reputation as affable and charming precedes him. There has been a lot of advance publicity for this book. I'd seen Mark Billingham interview him at Bloody Scotland 2019, which was a delight from start to finish, despite being a year off publication date.

The premise, of a group of retired individuals from disparate backgrounds who meet each week to discuss old police cases, is excellent. When a fresh police case lands at their gate, naturally these seasoned amateur sleuths want to assist in the investigation.
The world was fully realised and entirely plausible if you accept that all the residents have had the wherewithal to buy into the idyllic-sounding retirement complex, which of course has a murky underbelly.

I expected the charm and the gentle humour, occasionally sharp but never cruel. The plot keeps thickening nicely, and there is cake. Nigella's orange drizzle gets a mention.
There will be comparisons of this debut and golden age village mysteries, for good reason.

What I didn't expect was to cry quite so freely toward the end as the many strands come together, realising I'd been utterly beguiled by this very accomplished debut.

Thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for a copy of this book to review.

A rather quirky, tongue-in-cheek murder mystery about a group of retirees turned amateur detectives. A light and fun read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This should have been right up my alley, and still i am agraid i didn't enjoy the book. I found it rather slow and there were too many characters to grasp my attention. I was expecting a Miss Marple like charming novel but ibhad a hard time getting into and then completing the novel. It will work for the cosy lovers though.

With grateful thanks to netgalley and Richard Osman for an early copy in return for an honest review.
Well what can one say!! it's just Richard to a tee, his extremely dry witty charismatic humour is so evident the whole way through this fabulous book the characters are all charged up the plot is set but not all is what it seems. what more could you want, I couldn't put it down a sheer delight to read.

An all-round delightful read - as a tv presenter Osman is known for being both incredibly witty and very funny, and he brings this same unique blend to bear here in a murder mystery where the main detectives are a rather rowdy group of pensioners in a luxurious retirement village. I loved reading from the point of view of Joyce, with her enthusiasm for vegan baking and nursing experience taking Murder completely in her stride; alongside Joyce the Thursday Murder Club consists of Ibrahim with his mathematical calculations and psychology; Ron who likes a righteous fight and a glass of wine (while pretending he likes beer); and Elizabeth, the former spy and ringleader who seems to capable of running circles around the police and conjuring up eighty-year old bone analysis experts when she needs them. There was a constant humour throughout which was such a pleasure to read, the characters all had such vibrantly real personalities and I really hope I can manage to retire to even half such an interesting social life as these guys have - Coopers Chase has been a riot, thank you Mr Osman. I look forward to the next one and the return of my new favourite sleuths.

My thanks to the publisher, @vikingbooks, and to #NetGalley, for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. The book is out on the 3rd September in the UK.

I received this free from PenguinUK in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Penguin!

Mild Spoilers - Character Names only.

I'd like to start off by saying I am SO happy that this book is good, it was one of my most highly anticipated book this year and it didn't disappoint. Having been bought for an amazingly high figure by the publishers I would have been seriously disappointed if this hadn't been good.

First things first, the mark of a good murder mystery in my book...I didn't guess who did it, which honestly is refreshing.

This is a 'cosy' murder mystery with wonderful characters, an engaging plot and good writing.
It has most of the charm of an Agatha Christie (quite without her edge, and not quite on her level hence the 4 stars) set in a retirement village. The characters are infiniately likeable, Ron and Ibrahim especially, both of whom made me laugh on several occasions. I also cried at the ending which for me does not happen often.
I found Joyce to be frustratingly passive which I forgave on account of the fact that she's supposed to represent the reader (I think) and Elizabeth was downright annoying at times if I'm perfectly honest. Though one thing I did like about the group as a whole is that they buck the 'trend' of old people becoming useless once past a certain age, this book goes to show they aren't!

At times there were too many unknown elements for me, I felt that it distracted a little from the story, but having said all of that, these are minor issues.

The book is full of warm, REAL characters and I will not hestiate to join them on another enjoyable adventure. I laughed, cried, and liked this book a lot, as I knew I would, and would recommend it to Agatha Christie fans who need a good mystery to distract from life for a while.

I loved this! Laughed out loud at the astute observations of the elderly and great characters that made me feel like their friend! A book about murder should not be warm and funny but this was!

I was hooked in the first three minutes, when I found myself involuntarily laughing very loudly, much to the annoyance of my spouse, and continued at irregular intervals to do the same. There is a lot of clever humour, and it’s obvious the author is a people watcher, all the characters have a rich back story and are perfectly believable. I was annoyed to be unable to solve ANY of the many mysteries, despite plenty of clues being right in front of me, if you think you’ll be able to work out who dunnit, give up immediately. There’s really five (ish) murder stories and at times I felt I needed to start making notes! There were also several horribly poignant moments that resulted in me having something in my eyes and being unable to see clearly, probably dust. My only criticism was that at times the story jumped about a bit without warning, a heading / new chapter / even just a new paragraph would have helped make it clearer, so sometimes I had to go back a bit for clarity. A brilliant book, loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. This book has been on my radar for awhile. It’s gotten massive book deals, and there is plenty of hype surrounding this debut. So I was excited to read this, but also cautious as often books with hypes have left me disappointed in the past. I’m pleased to say this one was a pleasant read that surprised me.

Set in a retirement village this follows four retired individuals who meet on Thursdays for their murder club solving cold cases. The club was set up by Elizabeth and Penny. Penny is a retired cop, and has old files, which she brings to the group to solve. Although Penny’s dementia drastically deteriorated and due to an accident she’s now in a coma, so Elizabeth manages the club. The club also includes Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim. When their land developer, Terry, winds up dead the club find themselves in the middle of a crime. They join forces with Donna, a PC that regularly gives talk at the retirement home and Chris, the DSI investigating the case...

This was an utterly charming read. There’s a good balance of wry British humour and dealing with serious topics. I really liked the characterisations. I did go in thinking, ‘Oh retired characters. Is this going to be emotional to read?’ But it wasn’t. I enjoyed that Osman breaks stereotypes of old people and showcases them as clever individuals, who’ve had successful careers and lived rich lives and that was refreshing to see. I just adored the warm, and slightly whimsical relationship the group share.
This is written in third person narrative and follows a whole cast of quirky characters. All are well fleshed out from the sweet and wonderful Joyce to the snarky Ian. The writing is good, with short chapters that propels the story forward.
My only gripe, as per usual often is, was the ending. I was disappointed by the way the story was wrapped up especially regarding Bogden, Penny and John which left me feeling cold. I thought the subplot regarding the skeleton (there was hardly any forensic information about the identity of the corpse except that this person was poisoned) that’s found was bit of stretch and not drawn out well enough, and I was surprised the way the suspense peters out and didn’t understand how Elizabeth, Chris and Donna just accepted things at the end regarding the crime.
Overall this is a confidently written novel, with assures voices and a host of quirky characters. Reminiscent of Agatha Christie this is a whimsical, funny and refreshing take on the thriller genre. 4/5.

The Thursday Murder Club has been high on my anticipatory list, therefore it was the highlight of my day seeing the email alerting that this arc has been approved 🤗🤗
A charming debut, full of a host of quirky characters set in a warm and affluent retired community village and a crime to solve...Reminiscent of Mrs Maple Osman’s writing evokes the tender work of Agatha Christie and is a much needed boost of whimsy read in this turbulent times.
This novel is in both first and third narrative. In first person we have Joyce, a retired nurse whose daughter has brought her a flat in this posh, affluent retirement community. In leafy Kent with stunning hills and a graveyard that was part of a church, and a bus ride away from Fairhaven, a seaside town, Coopers Chase is a delightful setting for a novel. Joyce is approached by Elizabeth for her expertise and invited to the Thursday Murder Club. This club was initiated by Elizabeth’s friend, Penny, who was a former copper and has a stack of cold cases that the group try to solve. However after her health worsening and an onset of an aggressive form of dementia and an injury Penny is now in a coma, where her husband, John, a retired vet sets vigilance by her bedside.
Ian Ventham is one of the co-owners of Coopers Chase, who brought the land and he has plans to purchase the neighbouring lands and build more flats. His plan has strong opposition but Ian isn’t to be deterred. But first he must fire Tony Curran, who owns a certain percentage of the shares.
It’s not long after that Tony himself winds up bludgeoned to death and a photograph is placed by his side...

This was a wonder of a read. Strong voice and characters, the plotting is intricate with subplots emerging right and left, this is a splendid read. I did find, however, the reveal of the killer abit of anti-climax, especially the way the character explain the motivations. It felt too easy. And some strands of the story didn’t tie up well. It’s difficult for me to say anymore without giving away spoilers so I won’t.
A weak ending aside, this is a compellingly charming read from a brand new voice in the crime fiction, who perfectly fills the hole of a cosy crime genre.

Well that was fun. A book that really is delightfully different, this polished and enjoyable debut centres around a group of elderly friends intent on solving long forgotten murders. Then one day a real murder drops into their lives. Highly amusing, beautifully written with lovely details. I look forward to the next instalment. @richardosman

The Thursday Murder Club grabbed me from the first few pages, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Charmingly written, with a well-rounded cast of characters and peppered with witty lines and shrewd observations, there's a lot to love here.

Though the crime(s) themselves are nothing particularly unusual, with the standard unpleasant victim who plenty of people would have reason to want dead, long-buried secrets and, naturally, gangs and drug rings, they're well handled, with twists that I didn't see coming. The true stars, though, are the central cast of Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim; all vividly written, with distinct personalities and a lot of warmth, and some hilarious dialogue. The joy of The Thursday Murder Club is seeing how they navigate their way through events, and how they use their age and backgrounds to manipulate situations to their advantage. They're going to be capable of carrying a series through several more books, and I look forward to reading them.

I gained access to This E - ARC through NetGalley. This book is a very British cosy mystery. This book was entertaining but as the genre denotes fairly predictable.

I enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club – more than I expected to, to be honest. It’s a decent mystery, it’s genuinely witty in places with some shrewd observation and Richard Osman’s characterisation is very good.

The story is of a group of 70- and 80-year-olds in a comfortable retirement village who meet each week to discuss historical unsolved murders as a hobby, until they are suddenly in the middle of a real murder investigation. It sounds pretty well-worn, and the idea of yet more quirky, fiesty old people wasn’t especially appealing, but Richard Osman writes very well and paints amusing but very believable portraits of all his characters. I especially liked the kindness and humanity he shows toward them, including the two very engaging police officers with whom the Club becomes involved. It is largely told in the third person, but there are also diary entries from Joyce, a member of the Club, who has a delightful and convincing voice. Osman manages to find a good mix of mystery and the everyday preoccupations of his protagonists which works very well and never strays into the twee. I liked little touches like, “...not a single person has ever been late [for the coach]. Except for Malcolm Weekes who, it turned out, had died in the lightbulb aisle of Robert Dyas.” Or “‘Would you like some sherry?’ asks Joyce. ‘It’s only Sainsbury’s, but it’s Taste The Difference.’”

The plot is well-constructed with some neat misdirection; I was prepared to forgive some rather tardy revelations which lead to the solution and it’s a very enjoyable read. Books by celebrities aren’t always a success by any means, but this one certainly is. I hope there will be more from Richard Osman, and I can recommend this warmly.

(My thanks to Penguin Books for an ARC via NetGalley.)