This was a convoluted, sightly surreal murder mystery thriller set in a retirement village.

The police are competing against the Thursday Murder Club - who normally try to solve cold cases - in solving the murder of a local villain. The Thursday Murder Club is led by Elizabeth, who has a very 'interesting' network of people who all provide her with 'favours' which gets her closer to the murderer than the police.

It's not long before one murder turns into three, spanning five decades and two continents.

There are a plethora of characters - perhaps too many would be my opinion - each with an interesting back story going on which all intermingles to make a complex mystery to solve.

It's a light-hearted yet complex plot, with a couple of tear-jerking moments thrown in. .

Written by TV presenter Richard Osman – and I’m a huge fan – I just had to read it didn’t I. And I wasn’t disappointed.

It’s choc full of of red herrings. Even the red herrings have baby herrings and just when you think you’ve cracked the mystery, something else turns up. Having finished quite late in the evening, I had to concentrate when I woke up to check if I could remember it all. It’s highly entertaining and will keep you guessing right up to the very end. And some of the answers might even be pointless (see what I did there).

There are so many references to the four main protagonists’ previous lives – Elizabeth for instance was a spy – but also to popular culture, some of which made me laugh out loud. As well as a murder mystery, it’s also a sharp observation of life with plenty of humour and often hilarious dialogue. However, I didn’t expect to cry while reading it, but I did. The last part was so touching that I couldn’t help shed a few tears.

I know our gang will be back in a few months time to solve another tale of bludgeoning (it’s a wonderful word), poisoning and derring-do or whatever crime will take place in book two and I have a sneaky feeling that The Thursday Murder Club will become a modern classic and a TV series.

And the moral of the story – never underestimate the combined wisdom of a group of octogenarians when it comes from the pen of one of our cleverest writers. And I almost forgot their partners-in-crime-solving – our two detectives Chris and Donna.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a debut from Richard Osman! Celebrity authors can be pretty hit and miss but Richard Osman has played a blinder with this one!
Set in a posh retirement village in Kent, the four main characters try to solve old murder mystery cases...until a property developer gets murdered on their doorstep and they have a live case to try and solve.
Lots of twists and turns, a fast-paced plot and well developed, likeable characters. This is a book that will have broad appeal and now Steve Spielberg has bought the rights to turn it into a film, I have no doubt this book will get a lot of buzz.

One of TV's best-loved personalities turns his hand to crime fiction and we have here a debut that is every bit as good as anything written by Agatha Christie.
The characters are authentic and endearing, the prose is gossipy, warm-hearted and humorous, and the plot only as old-fashioned as you would hope for in a modern day cosy crime novel.
Richard Osman is a worthy successor to those titans of crime fiction whose names are all on the tips of our tongues.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this author but I would most certainly read any other books he writes! This was a clever, warm and humourous book with the added bonus of an intriguing mystery. I was very impressed by the writing style, the three dimensional characters and a plot with plenty of twists and turns. Even the narrator comes under suspicion. I really warmed to Elizabeth as a character and hope that Osman develops this book into a serious with her at the helm.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who likes reading mysteries/thrillers or just likes to read a really good book!

I think it is always hard for a debut author to establish a style. It is probably even harder for someone like Richard Osman, who is already a well known television presenter.

However, he has managed to create a very enjoyable and entertaining murder mystery.

His dry wit shows through from the outset. I really liked the setting, a retirement village in Southern England. This provides the perfect backdrop for a whodunit in the vein of Agatha Christie, with the added bonus of Richard Osman's subtle humour interwoven in this cleverly crafted story.

The novel has pace and sufficient twists and turns to keep it interesting to the very end. In my opinion the real merit is the eclectic cast of characters, all of which are beautifully crafted. Each with their own peculiarities.

I found myself drawn in to the community, even though the links between a retirement community and an active set of police investigations, really does go beyond the boundaries of reality.

In all, this is a beautifully written and engaging debut novel. I will look forward to reading future novels by Mr Osman on the strength of this book.

I give my thanks to Netgalley and Penguin, Viking for a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

A group of “elderly” in a retirement village meet every Thursday to look into past murders. Hence the book title. But now they have a local murder to investigate and they bring all their skills together to influence the police and others while their investigation continues.
What a brilliant read, loved every page and all the characters. Looks the ideal place to spend retirement with all these brilliant people. Will not tell you what happens, read it yourself.

Richard Osman is officially my favourite author. After one book. He's done it.

The Thursday Murder Club is absolutely fantastic. At first I was a bit dubious - four OAPs solving a murder in their retirement village? But then, all the classic detectives are the wrong side of 50, and where would the world be without Miss Marple?

From the first chapter I was absolutely hooked. The main four characters, Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Ron are spirited and not ready to give up on life just yet. Their ages become almost forgotten the more you get into the story, and the trappings of older age are not dwelled upon. There are moments to remind you though, such as the declining health of loved ones, but again these are dealt with thoughtfully.

That's a big draw about this book. There are a lot of crime thrillers out there these days, many of which feature graphic violence or particularly uncomfortable circumstances. The Thursday Murder Club doesn't follow this mould, it's a good old school whodunnit and it's no mean feat to come up with something new to keep readers engaged.

As I read it, I could well imagine it being a Bank Holiday three part special, with Judi Dench, Miriam Margoyles, Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart in the main roles (please, please!)

It's not lightweight though, and cleverly deals with some very topical concepts. I loved every minute of it!

What a delightful breath of fresh air this novel is. I've been going through a bit of a detective fiction phase recently and I was worried I would have become very used to the usual tropes of the genre and this would therefore feel a little stale but I could not have been more wrong!

Set in a retirement community where the eponymous club meets weekly to discuss cold cases and try and come up with a solution to them, the characters are thrown into a real life investigation when a murder happens which touches their community. Theories abound as the club races to solve the case before the police can.

The cast of characters are fantastic. Endearing, vivacious, and yet, thanks to a few little touches which remind you these people are the same age as your parents/grandparents (delete as appropriate), startlingly real and relatable. I lost count of the number of times I giggled and guffawed out loud - not something you'd expect from a typical murder mystery - and yet there are also moments of pure, raw emotion which tug on the heart strings and bring some gravity to the tale.

You don't need to be a fan of murder mysteries to find something to enjoy here. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a book which makes them feel something - joy, heartache, anger, fear: they're all here. This is a fantastic debut from Osman and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

Absolutely loved this book from start to finish. I found all the characters believable and would like to see the Thursday murder club become part of a series. Really like the humour in the book too. If you've not read this yet, get your hands on a copy without delay.

For the first half of the book I wasn’t sure I liked it. I didn’t find it funny or amusing and the story seemed silly. I did stick with it and I began to enjoy it, I liked the characters and the story came into its own with me guessing repeatedly who had committed the murders and repeatedly getting it wrong

I was so excited to read Richard Osman's first work of fiction. It was a totally new and unusual twist on the whodunnit / murder mystery genre with lots of amusing asides. Despite so many deaths, it was a quirky, entertaining, laugh-out-loud book. The setting of a luxury retirement village was wholly original and teaches us not to underestimate older people!

Firstly, you will come to adore the octogenarian Club members. They are something else! And they thrive on murder. Elizabeth, a female version of James Bond, in retirement. Ron, a geriatric activist and tireless instigator; quite an orator, when pushed. Joyce, quiet as a mouse, a once-upon-a-time nurse. Ibrahim, a psychotherapist with a sharp eye for detail (so sharp that it borders on compulsive-obsessive). This quartet of amateur detectives gathers once a week to solve cold cases. Until, one day, a brand-new murder lands in their collective lap; and another one a few days later. Not to mention the discovery of human bones in an old covent graveyard, which would be perfectly normal had said bones be found inside a coffin. And so the scene is set for a thorough and methodical investigation, which the actual police detectives, Donna and Chris Hudson, can hardly keep up with.
Osman builds the case skilfully, adding layer upon layer of wider social and personal background. The network of current and past events is smoothly woven together. As the unravelling of the two murders progresses, the characters develop and flourish. I particularly enjoyed the character of the Polish builder, Bogdan who started as a stereotype only to surprise me as I got to know him better (well, as Elizabeth and her husband, Stephen, got to know him better).
This is a classic cosy mystery: funny, full of observational humour, presenting the reader with a deliciously twisty and unpredictable case to get your teeth into.

I have been looking forward to reading this book and was delighted to receive an advance copy for review! For the first few chapters, I was reading it in Richard Osman's voice although I am glad to say that disappeared once I got into the book properly! I really enjoy books where older people are the protagonists, I love listening to their voices and their life experiences. This book is set in a retirement village where some of the residents are amateur sleuths investigating past crimes. When a real life murder lands on their doorstep they are delighted!
This was a funny, quirky, character led book which I really enjoyed. However I felt it veered off plot a bit too much with too many characters making things more complicated than they should have been and I did struggle a bit with who was who and who did what! I loved hearing the back stories of the main characters especially Elizabeth who definitely had a very interesting past! I think a bit more pruning of the characters and the unrelated plot lines would have helped this book flow a little better but I certainly enjoyed it and look forward to the follow up.

I'm a massive fan of Richard Osman, so I was really looking forward to reading his first novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it, The setting is somewhat unusual, in an upmarket retirement village, we meet 4 very different characters who have formed the Thursday Murder Club. Their usual research into old murder cases, is put on the back burner, when the owner of the retirement complex is murdered,
I loved the relationship between the somewhat unlikely mixture of friends and the police officers who are officially investigating.
A gentle writing gives you an easy read, but the plot and its' twists keep you thoroughly engaged.
I am very much looking forward to the next one in the series

The Thursday Murder Club is a cosy crime mystery set in Coopers Chase Retirement Village. Led by the inimitable Elizabeth, the group of four octagenarians spend their Thursday evenings keeping their brains active by going through cold murder cases to see if they can solve them. When a real murder happens on their doorstep, they are right in the middle of solving what happened and by who.
This book feels ripe for at least a book series, but I would love to see it televised. Brilliantly British, laugh-out-loud funny and with some of the most likeable characters I have read for a while, I can't wait to go back to Coopers Chase!

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman is a slow burner, I nearly put it down after the first few chapters but I soldiered on and it improved a bit.

Four friends living in a retirement community meet once a week to discuss unsolved murder cases (one never quite finds out why or how). Then a brutal murder takes place on their doorsteps and they manage to insert themselves into the case gradually unpicking the threads which go back almost 50 years.

The narrator is one of the 4 pensioner detectives and her voice is droll rather than funny. There are a couple of twists as the plot draws to a close but you are left with the feeling of clumsily strewn red herrings rather than gasping in surprise.

Maybe if I you like the Miss Marple series or watch Midsomer Murders you will enjoy this, but I thought it was a bit meh!

I absolutely loved this book! It’s a murder mystery, but it’s funny. More than once I laughed out loud. A joy to read, I was honestly sad when it was over. Very well written with lovable believable characters. I am hoping this is the first of many, it really is that good. Highly recommended! Thank you #netgalley

This book was a real treat. I find that I enjoy the various TV shows that Richard Osman presents, so it wasn’t surprising to hear his voice, in my head, as I read.
Our four heroes are just perfect, each with their own idiosyncrasies. I particularly enjoyed Ibrahim and his attention to detail and knowledge of facts.
The action is set in the lovely retirement village of Coopers Chase. Built by Ian Ventham and Tony Curran, there is talk of expansion which includes relocating a graveyard. Things turn sinister when a murder happens on the doorstep and local police officers, Chris Hudson and Donna De Freitas are tasked with investigating. Well, Donna is not automatically involved, she’s brought in after interference from The Thursday Murder Club. As you can imagine, our septuagenarian quartet are determined to solve the case themselves.
The ensuing story is at times both hilarious and poignant as friendships and relationships are scrutinised by Elizabeth and team.
I wanted to read this book as I think that Richard Osman is great and, as a result, I was nervous that I wouldn’t like it. Happily, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The pace is slow, in parts, but as each element unfolds and secrets are uncovered, I realised that the slower parts are simply building blocks to ensure that the story completes with no loose ends.
Apparently, there is talk of this being the first in a series; I do hope so.

What an absolute gem of a book!

I will admit that it was curiosity that led me to read The Thursday Murder Club. I love Richard Osman on his various television shows and I wondered if he would be as brilliant on page as he is on TV.

The short answer is yes. More so.

The story centres on four residents of sheltered accommodation who attend a club every Thursday to discuss unsolved crime case files but when a real life crime happens on their doorstep they set about trying to solve it.

The Thursday Murder Club is joyous. I wanted to be old and part of their gang of crime fighters. This novel helps to remind us that we should never underestimate pensioners. They have lived longer and know more so let’s give them a fair chance.

What is marvellous about this story is that Osman has you guessing to the very last page. I genuinely didn’t see it coming and made various guesses with very sound arguments for all of my suspects throughout. I didn’t even come close.

The Thursday Murder Club has a lot of heart, humour and page turning cliffhangers. I bloody loved it and I hope it gets commissioned to become a TV drama so those who are not readers get to enjoy the story as well.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman is available now.

For more information regarding Richard Osman (@richardosman) please visit his Twitter page.

For more information regarding Penguin (@PenguinUKBooks) please visit www.penguin.co.uk.