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The Thursday Murder Club: (The Thursday Murder Club 1) Paperback – 13 May 2021
Richard Osman (Author) See search results for this author |
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'Smart, compassionate, warm, moving and so VERY funny' Marian Keyes
'So smart and funny. Deplorably good' Ian Rankin
'Thrilling, moving, laugh-out-loud funny' Mark Billingham
'A gripping read' Sunday Times
THE FIRST BOOK IN THE #1 BESTSELLING, MULTI MILLION COPY SELLING SERIES BY TV PRESENTER RICHARD OSMAN
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In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.
But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case.
Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.
Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late?
The Times Crime Book of the Month
Guardian Best Crime and Thrillers
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'A great read, I really enjoyed it' Graham Norton, Home Stretch
'As the bodies pile up, and more is revealed of the lives and loves of Joyce, Ibrahim, Ron and Elizabeth, you can't help cheering them on - and hoping to meet them again soon' The Times, Crime Book of the Month
'Mystery fans are going to be enthralled' Harlan Coban, Win
'Pure escapism' Guardian, Best Crime and Thrillers
'One of the most enjoyable books of the year' Daily Express
'A beacon of pleasure' Kate Atkinson, Behind The Scenes At The Museum
'As gripping as it is funny' Evening Standard
'Funny, clever and achingly British' Adam Kay, This Is Going to Hurt
'An exciting new talent in crime fiction' Daily Mail
'A warm, wise and witty warning never to underestimate the elderly' Val McDermid, 1979
'Delight after delight from first page to last' Red Magazine
'I completely fell in love with it' Shari Lapena, Not a Happy Family
'This is properly brilliant. The pages fly and I can't stop smiling' Steve Cavanagh, The Devil's Advocate
'Charming, clever debut' Stylist
'I laughed my arse off' Belinda Bauer, Exit
'A witty and poignant tale' Daily Telegraph
'Clever, clever plot' Fiona Barton, Local Gone Missing
'An absolutely delightful read' Prima Magazine
'Utterly charming' Sarah Pinborough, Insomnia
'Funny and original' Sun
'Properly funny and totally charming... steeped in Agatha Christie joy' Araminta Hall, Hidden Depths
'This is one of the most delightful novels of the year' Daily Mirror
'A bundle of joy' Jane Fallon, Worst Idea Ever
- Print length400 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPenguin
- Publication date13 May 2021
- Dimensions12.9 x 2.4 x 19.8 cm
- ISBN-100241988268
- ISBN-13978-0241988268
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Product description
Review
'So smart and funny. Deplorably good' -- Ian Rankin
'Smart, compassionate, warm, moving and so VERY funny. I smiled a million times. This book will make a lot of people very, very happy' -- Marian Keyes
'A gripping read and rather moving' ― Sunday Times
'Funny, clever and achingly British - what else would you expect from a book by Richard Osman?' -- Adam Kay
'A superb debut. Thrilling, moving, laugh-out-loud funny and packed with characters you will want to see a LOT more of' -- Mark Billingham
'Compelling. Mystery fans are going to be enthralled' -- Harlan Coben
'By turns hilarious and poignant, The Thursday Murder Club offers up a brilliant concept that's flawlessly executed and told in a unique, captivating voice. These are rare qualities in any novel, let alone a debut. I read the first page, then put all else on hold to devour this pitch-perfect book in one sitting. Bravo!' -- Jeffrey Deaver
'So smart, so funny, so warm, and such a wonderful mystery. If we're lucky Richard Osman will keep these characters alive forever' -- Caroline Kepnes
'A properly funny and totally charming murder mystery steeped in Agatha Christie joy. Also the best crime solving foursome and full of a type of Britishness that makes you smile' -- Araminta Hall
'What a great read this book is. Brimming with fascinating characters, humour, intrigue and warmth. And of course a brilliant whodunnit' -- Lesley Manville
'Diabolically clever, very funny, highly entertaining - utterly delightful. I completely fell in love with it' -- Shari Lapena
'A total pleasure. Endearing characters, a page-turning mystery and sudden throat-lump moments of tenderness. It is also very, very funny' -- Abigail Dean
'A warm, wise and witty warning never to underestimate the elderly' -- Val McDermid
'Robert Galbraith meets Tom Sharpe. Plot driven with great characters, I'm doing actual lols on every page. I don't ever want to finish this book!' -- Philippa Perry
'What a joy! Full of brilliantly observed humour, spot-on dialogue and twists and turns aplenty. Joyce and the gang are now my favourite crime-solving team' -- Nina Stibbe
'A bundle of joy... Absolutely loved it' -- Jane Fallon
'What a tonic! A scrumptious mixture of wry humour, poignancy, OAP rebellion and the unexpected. I've never read a murder mystery like this one before. Should be on prescription' -- Jane Corry
'Such a pleasurable read. I laughed my arse off, and think that any fan of Richard Osman's (which I am) would love his sly wit and wry observations' -- Belinda Bauer
'This is properly brilliant. A stunning crime debut. The pages fly and I can't stop smiling' -- Steve Cavanagh
From the Back Cover
About the Author
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Product details
- Publisher : Penguin; 1st edition (13 May 2021)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 400 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0241988268
- ISBN-13 : 978-0241988268
- Dimensions : 12.9 x 2.4 x 19.8 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: 23 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer reviews:
About the author

Richard Osman is an author, producer and television presenter. The Thursday Murder Club is his first novel. He is well known for TV shows including Pointless and Richard Osman’s House of Games. As the creative director of Endemol UK, Richard has worked as an executive producer on numerous shows including Deal Or No Deal and 8 Out of 10 Cats. He is also a regular on panel and game shows such as Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You and Taskmaster.
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This is a typical 'very English' whodunnit, featuring eccentric characters who come alive on the page. The principle players are: Elizabeth (ex-spy chief), Joyce (former nurse), Ibrahim (retired psychiatrist) and Ron (ex-trade union boss) who reside in a gated retirement village situated on the south coast. These are folk who I soon came to care about, despite their individual flaws. They may be fictitious, but Richard effortlessly brings them to life, and gives each a unique personality of their own. Old age can sometimes be a burden to them, and they may have to endure certain physical and mental issues, but combined they are still a force to be reckoned with. These amateur sleuths are also somewhat unorthodox when it comes to the methods they employ to investigate and potentially trap a killer. Despite murder being the theme running through this excellent novel, this is very much a cosy read. It's clever, it's sad, it's moving in places, and it's wickedly funny throughout.
You know, these are difficult, worrying times we find ourselves in, and so we all occasionally need a break, a diversion, some form of escapism - and if that's what you're looking for, then reading this book is one way of achieving that. I'm not easily amused, but I have to say that at times The Thursday Murder Club had me in fits of laughter. This novel is the perfect antidote to the sometimes depressing stuff that has been going on around us of late. My advice is to get your hands on a copy of this book ASAP - then sit back in your favourite armchair, with a mug of tea and a plate of biscuits at hand, and just lose yourself in this compassionate, witty mystery created by the inimitable Richard Osman. All that's left for me to add is that I really cannot wait for the next book in the series.....
Kate Atkinson and Ian Rankin are on the book cover making flattering statements. Why? That seriously undermines their judgement and credibility in my eyes. On the back cover someone says: 'Laugh out loud'. Really? The humour is tired, cliched and resorts to stereotypes; in effect little asides from the author which are not amusing. Richard you can do so much better than this surely? It needed editing. In fact, I am wondering if the first draft was published by mistake and now no one can admit the error. The Joyce diary entries are tedious and nothing more than padding.
I came to this novel with enthusiasm and expectation but it is the worst text I have read in years. Who actually writes fiction in the present tense and thinks it is cool? I despair that another one of these novels is already planned and I can see a film version of this on the television in the future as a Christmas special. Perhaps when 'Death in Paradise' has had its day? Is that actually possible? If you are thinking of buying this for someone's Christmas stocking, I urge caution. I like 'cosy'; it is not cosy like Agatha Christie might be. Someone who agrees with my assessment, said it reminded them of Enid Blyton. They are right. Instead of lashings of ginger beer however, we are given lemon drizzle cake instead.
I admire the way Richard has transformed himself from a producer to a successful presenter. But I ask myself would this have been published if he was not a celebrity? I feel the pain of all the talented writers out there who fail to obtain a publishing deal and remain frustrated throughout their writing career. What a disappointment and an anti-climax. Coming to this having finished a David Nicholls novel the difference in characterisation, language and overall quality is immense. Not your finest moment Richard.
21/3/21. Revisited. Tried to give it another go. Didn't work, truly awful, do not understand on any level the 5 star reviews. Would really like to give zero stars but not possible.
29/4/22. Fail to understand why this book has so many 5-star reviews.