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.

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!

This book is incredible, honestly I was not expecting to love it but it was gripping, hilarious and moving in equal measures. I can't wait for it to be released properly so that I can buy a copy for all my family and friends who I have annoyed raving about it. Christmas will be easy this year.
Anyway I cannot recommend this book enough. The idea of a group of crime solving pensioners at a luxury retirement complex sounds unusual but it makes for a gripping read. Elizabeth, in particular, who manipulates the police, outwits the cleverest criminals and plays fast and loose with the official secrets act made me chortle out loud. I want to be as much of a fabulous old lady as she is one day. She is not alone though, this book is peopled with the most amazing cast - from Donna the ex-Met police officer with her ex on Instagram, to Ibrahim and Red Ron, the male stalwarts of the murder club, every character is beautifully drawn and full of life.
It was simply fantastic and reminded me slightly of my favourite book as a child. If you ever read "Harry and the Wrinklies" when you were little, this is like a grown-up, clever and back to front version. I cannot think of a higher compliment. Thank you so much to Richard Osman, please write more!

Well worth reading. I was sceptical when I started reading this, but I needn’t have been. It’s part mystery, part comedy but so readable. We meet 4 characters in a retirement village and they are all members of The Thursday Murder Club. They look through old cases to try and solve them, but then a real murder comes along and the 4 get involved. These are not just 4 old people in a retirement home, don’t be fooled. The plot is pacy, the characters interesting and believable and it keeps you guessing, or it did me, every step of the way.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Viking for the chance to read this one pre-publication in exchange for an honest review.
I read this in about 3 sittings, usually a great sign, and no different in this case. Richard has written a superb murder mystery, perfect for putting your feet up with a cuppa and getting to know the characters and the retirement village they reside in.
There's a rich range of characters throughout, all with little quirks that you'll either love or hate.
It isn't a gritty murder mystery at all, but rather a 'Sunday afternoon' kind of book - not a criticism
at all. It's full of twists and turns, and amusing plot points, and has you thinking all the way through.
I'm looking forward to the next one already! I would recommend reading this to anyone, and already have the actual book on pre-order.

A gripping crime novel with plenty of twists and turns, along with a nice touch of humour, making The Thursday Murder Club an extremely enjoyable read.

The story moved at a fast pace and I particularly loved the relationships between the characters, especially between the residents and the police.

I recommend this book to any readers who enjoy crime and cozy mysteries.

A favourite book of 2020!
This charming mystery revolves around a supported living establishment of a quiet village.
The characters get together once a week to review cold murder cases.
This book flows well through the story and the characters are just delightful. They are well described and you can visualise them easily.
The story takes many turns and takes you on a journey of humour, sadness and love.
The plot is not guessable and here are mysteries right up until the end.
A book to read again and again and is definitely one of my favourite books of 2020.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley in allowing me to read in return for a review.

This is set in an upscale retirement complex where a group of retirees meet on Thursdays to solve murders. It is a lightweight comedy in which you can hear Richard Osman's voice throughout - it has quips, rambling anecdotes and asides to the audience - just the way he normally speaks on Pointless. There is no depth of character or attempts at tension. I found it very tiresome to read.

Picture the scene, an expensive retirement village in Kent (think pilates, Zumba, a gym, a swimming pool and cafe), called Cooper's Chase Retirement Village, built on the site of a former convent and four retirees meet every Thursday to try to solve old murder cases.

Then the retirement village's shady owner Ian Ventham decides he wants to expand by digging up the nun's graveyard and cutting out his builder and minority partner Tony Curran, the retirees are up in arms and Tony Curran is found bludgeoned to death in his own home. Soon there is an embarrassment of murders, old and new, for the club to solve, working alongside local detective DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna de Freitas. There are red herrings galore and it is all set in my corner of the world (I don't know why it gives me a thrill when characters are on a train that stops in my home town of Orpington, but it does). Think Miss Marple but with an iPad and brought right up to date with modern concerns. It had a plethora of engaging characters, all with interesting backstories.

I had two niggles with this book. First, Richard Osman writes in the present tense a lot and it can be difficult to determine whether one of the characters is speaking/writing or whether the author is speaking directly to the reader, then he mixes his tenses, like this:
Ron had come to her with the photograph that Karen Playfair had seen. Karen would have been young at the time, but she was sure. Elizabeth had tried to piece it all together in her head. It seemed impossible at first. But the more she thought about it, it began to seem horribly true. She worked out the steps, one by one. Ibrahim had come back an hour ago, with the final piece of the jigsaw, so now is the time. The case is solved and only justice remains.
I could follow it but the changing tenses pulled me out of the story to be honest.
My second niggle may merely be a formatting issue with my ARC, scenes changed and the character changed within the same paragraph with no warning. One minute Elizabeth and Ron were talking in the Jigsaw Room and the next sentence features Chris and Donna watching TV and can take a sentence or two before you realise the change. Now, as I say this could be formatting of my ARC, I seemed to lose the chapter numbers partway through the book so it could be that the final version doesn't have this issue.

Overall, loved this quirky gang of octogenarian sleuths, able to find out what the police cannot (just like Miss Marple) and would love to read another one.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A great premise... a group of 4 pensioners in a retirement home set out to solve a murder that has happened on their doorstep in their retirement village. Great cast of characters, plenty of twists and turns. Reminded me a lot of old episodes of midsummer murders... and that’s no bad thing!

At times I got confused by the sheer number of characters and suspects, but I liked the two police detectives Donna and Chris, reliant on the eighty-somethings to help them solve their crimes

I see book 2 already on the horizon and this I am sure will be a great commercial success.

I enjoyed this book about an eccentric bunch of murder solving old codgers - all rather implausible but amusing. I did find the layout of the book annoying to read. Part of the story is told through Joyce's diary and part is narrative but one minute I was reading the diary, then with no break or new paragraph, it was suddenly the narrative. It may be partly due to formatting on the kindle. With so many twists and turns in the plot it was a bit confusing.

I requested this book out of curiosity. The description sounded really interesting. I am always a fan of murder mysteries and this seemed really different featuring 4 members of a retirement community. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim were very diverse characters and there were some very poignant scenes. I enjoyed the beginning of the novel, it was really obvious that it was written in a witty ‘Richard Osman’ style, but I felt it dragged and was quite drawn out/ meandering. It was also quite hard to read as the paragraphs ran together. Moving to another characters input into the story with very little notice. I assume this was because it was an early copy but I did find it confusing.
I prefer mysteries that provide hidden clues so you can try and work out the twists. I didn’t feel this was achieved in this book. Maybe that was not the intention anyway? It seemed to meander on then suddenly the answers were provided.
I am sure given who the author is this book will sell very well,
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy of this novel.

This was a meandering cozy crime novel. When I saw it was by Richard Osman I had to read it because I love his dry wit on Pointless. Although I usually like gritty thrillers I found this novel a welcome change. The characters are well portrayed. The moral of the story is don't underestimate the elderly! People assume they are hard of hearing and short-sighted and don't remember things. But Richard's characters are all retired professionals and very astute. However, they aren't afraid to play to typecasting at times and pretend to be dotty when it suits them

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book. I literally couldn't wait to pick it up and I smiled the whole the way through.

This is a murder mystery but set in a luxury retirement home and four elderly residents a.k.a The Thursday Murder Club are the sleuths!

Richard Osman is obviously such a funny man and I am so glad this came through in this book! I absolutely loved every character and I laughed at the utter madness of the conversations. It is absolutely brilliant and I really hope there is more from The Thursday Murder Club!!

This was absolutely brilliant, I'm so sad I've finished it but I am sure I will often think of Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Viking for the advanced copy (I did a happy dance when I received it). This book is due to be published the 3rd September, BUY IT!!!

I have always enjoyed watching Richard on TV and was very much looking forward to his debut thriller. It certainly didn’t disappoint.

On the surface, the location and the characters would seem an unlikely setting for a murder mystery. The setting is a peaceful, idyllic retirement village called Coopers Chase. The main protagonists are four octogenarian friends who meet every Thursday to study cold murder cases from old police files. This unorthodox group each of whom have interesting past histories, comprises feisty Elizabeth, who it is believed was something to do with MI6 and is certainly the ring leader of the group, and Joyce an ex nurse, who is a fairly new member of the group; Ron a former engineer and Ibrahim a psychologist.

When a brutal murder takes place on their own doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. The race is then on to see whether the four amateur, but brilliant sleuths can solve the murder ahead of the police.

This is a delightful book, but more of a cosy, entertaining read than an exciting page turning thriller. More like Marigold Hotel meets Midsomer Murders. The crime solving is almost secondary to the wonderful array of characters, who aren’t afraid to play the dementia card if and when it sits them. There are also some wonderful one-liners and endearing comic moments.

I would certainly recommend this for a relaxing enjoyable summer read.

This quirky, fun, witty and emotional cozy mystery has a deep emotional heart.
The members of the Thursday Murder Club at the Coopers Chase Retirement Village are quite unique. Each character has emotionally evocative and sometimes heart-rending challenges to cope with as they face old age.
Yes, I did guess who killed the unlikeable victims very early one, but one thing is certain. Indomitable English ladies are still a force to be reckoned with! They are not going down without a fight!

My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for a copy of “ The Thursday Murder Club” for an honest review.

What a talented man Richard Osman is ! He seems to have the golden touch to whatever he puts his name to.
I found this book to be a joy from start to finish , so I was so glad to see the next one is already in the pipeline .
I loved the style of writing , the story kept me intrigued and was laced with humour.I can easily see this televised
This is definitely a book I will be recommending .