This book has had so many fabulous reviews, it feels like sacrilege to disagree. There are lots of qualities, including some very funny moments and a feel good element that will appeal to readers of cozy crime.

Characters are very thinly drawn, though. It falls somewhere between comedy and crime, not quite delivering on either front.

On the positive side, it offers pure escapism and is a book made for Lockdown in that respect. If you can go with the story and ignore the implausibilities, it is a lot of fun. It has struck a chord with so many people, which reflects the fact that it is a very compassionate novel in such a tough year.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman focuses on four retirees who decide to use their powers of deduction to solve crime. It makes a lovely change from the usual emotionally stunted loners who appear to be the main crime solvers these days. In some ways the characters slightly reminded me of Miss Marple, people who appear to be slightly dotty on the outside but are really sharp as a tack, and bring all their seemingly unrelated life experiences to give them a completely fresh perspective. It is also (and this will come as no surprise to fans of Richard Osman) extremely funny. This is the first one in a series and I'm looking forward to more adventures with the Thursday Murder Club.