Reviewed by Craig Sisterson
In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved killings.
But when a local property developer shows up dead, 'The Thursday Murder Club' find themselves in the middle of their first live case.
The four friends, 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?
When you’re reading a book about murder and trying to unmask a dangerous killer, the words ‘exuberant’, ‘charming’, and ‘delightful’ aren’t usually the first descriptors that come to mind. But in the case of THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB, a grin-inducing debut from British television quizmaster and celebrity Richard Osman, they’re entirely appropriate.
There’s just something wonderful about this tale, which has echoes of classic mystery fiction while still feeling fresh and contemporary.
Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Joyce, and Ron have all lived vastly different lives over their many decades, but now the pensioners are all living alongside each other in the rather swanky Coopers Chase retirement village in the Kent countryside. Death is not an unknown or unexpected visitor to their usually peaceful retirement home, given the advancing years and myriad ailments suffered by many of the residents. But usually it’s natural causes that bring the Reaper and add to the nearby cemetery.
So when a contractor linked to their village’s greedy owner is bludgeoned to death, it's quite a jolt for the quartet. Though not in the way you might think. For these four retirees share a love of mysteries and meet regularly to discuss real-life crimes. Could they now solve one that's happened right where they live. The killing of a man suspected of using his building business as a front for drug dealing piques the interest of not only the police, but the four members of the Thursday Murder Club.
After young constable Donna de Freitas visits the retirement village to give a talk on ‘Practical Tips for Home Security’, she finds herself officially involved in the homicide inquiry. But is she being helped or manipulated by a group of pensioners who might be undertaking their own amateur investigations rather than leaving the crime fighting to Donna and her colleagues?
Then, a second death.
Full of wit, charm, and sharp observations about life, THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB showcases Osman’s deep love and understanding of the crime genre. It's the kind of book that may have you grinning the whole way through, despite the killings and some poignant moments. Dosed with wonderful, unforgettable characters and a rich vein of fun among the dastardly deeds, there's plenty to love here. Please Mr Osman, can we have some more?
Craig Sisterson is a lawyer turned features writer from New Zealand, now living in London. In recent years he’s interviewed hundreds of crime writers and talked about the genre on national radio, top podcasts, and onstage at books festivals on three continents. He has been a judge of the Ned Kelly Awards and the McIlvanney Prize, and is founder of the Ngaio Marsh Awards and co-founder of Rotorua Noir. You can heckle him on Twitter.
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