My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Thursday Murder Club, does that name sound quite sinister to you? Well, no worries, you are in for a treat reading the first in the series of this stellar work by Richard Osman. Amidst all those crime thrillers which have you biting your nails, The Thursday Murder Club is like a breath of fresh air. The retirement village as such offers a contented picturesque feel, the quintessentially British charm on full display.
The story with the four septuagenarians keeping themselves mentally fit by taking up unsolved murders and teaching the police force a thing or two was a riot to read. Elizabeth is of course the terrifying master of the club, she sounds so diminutive but the mysterious background of her work has given her a network of people to call upon all sorts of favors which she uses brilliantly, Ron was a famous protester in his prime and the man who was never far from media lights, Ibrahim is the psychiatrist who discerns details and presents them with hard data and of course Joyce; an ex-nurse who is mostly an observer, a quiet mouse often ignored but is always the problem-solver in a crisis.
It is thru Joyce’s journal entries that we begin to understand the activities of the Thursday Murder Club and when murder strikes close to home, the 4 of them take it upon themselves to find the culprit. DCI Chris and PC Donna are the police presence investigating the crime, honestly, it was so much fun seeing these retired pensioners making them jump hoops at their command. The club has a quid pro quo rule, so for every fact they present to the police, they demand an equal exchange of information.
The author has characterized his characters so wonderfully that for a time even the murders take a backseat. I was so engrossed to know the workings of the club that the actual fact of murder committed completely slipped my mind, and there was in fact not one but more murders being revealed. The foursome does create obstruction and crime scene destruction and it requires a suspension of belief with the way the police handle it but presenting everything in a lighten vein keeps the reader engaged and interested. It was marvelous to be involved with the club and hopefully, the series will continue for a long time, coz these lovable oldies are people who anyone would be happy to look up to.
Glorious 5 stars⛈️⛈️⛈️⛈️⛈️. Highly recommended to all!
Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves
A female cop with her first big case
A brutal murder
Welcome to…
The Thursday Murder Club
In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves The Thursday Murder Club. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.
When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it’s too late?
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I love the stories where the senior folks rule! LOL! Nice review – thanks! 😉
Much apprecaited Felicia, I know it makes such a difference when Miss Marple type stories are back!
I enjiyed reading this book too! Nice review!!
Thank you so much😊, it was totally different from the usual crme thrillers!
Oooh, this sounds so good! I’ll add it to my TBR list. I just finished writing a short story about two women sleuths in a retirement home!
Wow Noelle, Congratulations, I am sure its gonna be amazing and am looking forward to reading it🤗
This sounds sooo good! I’m adding it to my TBR list!
I think you will love it Noelle, it was a laugh riot😁
Sounds like so much fun!
Yup, Lisa, no wonder it made all the waves, the difference with the old gen doing whatever they want to do was fantastic to read🖤
This has been on my tbr for ages so I’m glad to see such a positive review! It’s a little out of my comfort zone as I don’t usually read thrillers/murder mysteries but I’m excited to give it a go. Great review!
This is not the like the usual dark thrillers, there’s good humor which keeps it light and entertaining. Thank you and I hope you have fun whilst reading:-)
I received the book as a birthday present. I must admit I admire Richard Osman for his intellect and resourcefulness, so I anticipated the novel to be dynamic and fast paced. A link with the writing style of Agatha Christie is a good link. However for me it’s stuck in a technic and writing genre that’s twee. I was disengaged within a few chapters, thinking this is aimed at an older generation of reader. Even getting further into the book I could not engage with the characters or his writing style. In fact I could easily believe that it’s been ghost written with Richards name added to increase sales. I read a lot of crime novels both new and established writers and this one is just not my cup of tea. There we’ll be lots of people that disagree with me and love the novel and will purchase others that have his name on the cover. But it’s not for me.
Yes, I have heard that this one didn’t appeal to many readers. I haven’t seen anything by Richard Osman and honestly in between all the tense nail biting thrillers, I was happy to see Mis Marple type returning with that English charm. probably that’s exactly what sold it for me:-)
Hope you have fun with your next read!