The Thursday Murder Club

Richard Osman

This cozy mystery is so much fun! A group of four elderly retirees in England get together each Thursday and solve a cold case, working from files they should not be able to access. Their home is an entire village built solely for their community, and this makes for a small and charming setting. When someone close to them is murdered, they suddenly have a case on their hands that needs solving, urgently. Thanks to some secret resources, they’re able to access what the police know by trading the information they gather. It follows all the cozy mystery tropes—murder is never scary, there’s plenty of comedy, the results are comforting—but it’s never boring. Osman puts a truly unique spin on each of the necessary elements.

Every character in this novel has a distinct voice, and yet the many points of view are never confusing. It’s a master class in character development! We follow the four septuagenarians at the heart of the story, of course, but we also follow the police officers, the murder victim, and others, even if it’s just for a chapter. There are even chapters that are journal entries, but it’s never jarring.

What makes this novel delightful is the way each character has a unique story to tell, and we get those stories slowly, in the context of the investigation. My favorite is Elizabeth, who seems to have been a spy, and can find out practically anything by using her contacts or manipulating the police into telling her. She notices everything but doesn’t share too much, so the reveals are still surprising. What’s intriguing is that we know she has more to share and is choosing to either wait or keep the secret.

The red herrings (another requisite trope in a cozy mystery) are somehow charming and heartwrending, all at once. We emphatize with characters who might otherwise seem too shady, and it allows Osman insert backstories without confusing the reader or going on a tangent. They’re also incredibly clever!

I highly recommend this novel if you need cheering up, and it’s the beginning of a whole series! It can stand alone but you’ll want to read more—the characters are so fascinating. I’m anxiously awaiting my hold to become available for the second book. I also recommend the audiobook for the accents, which I would have had a hard time with if I hadn’t listened to it.