Four senior citizens getting together to solve a murder doesn’t seem like the racy thriller you’re after, but believe us, it really is.
Richard Osman, comedian and writer, surpasses himself and all expectations about crime books with The Thursday Murder Club, which was released in September 2020.
This book is nothing short of a standalone masterpiece.
The Thursday Murder Club .
The review
We follow Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Ron as they pass the time in Coopers Chase retirement village. They talk about old cases every week – until a new one lands right in the middle of them.
A man is murdered in the area where Coopers Chase resides – and the four members of the Murder Club will stop at nothing to find out who did it.
The book has a very interesting writing style, switching from a third person view of things to Joyce, one of the elderly folk in the Murder Club.
This is an exceptionally charming way of telling the story, as we see things from both Joyce’s view and the third person view of the other characters, and we are also let into Joyce’s wonderful heart and mind via her diary.
Joyce’s diary entries serve to also fill in the blanks that are left out of other sections of the book. For example, when Donna and Chris (both police officers trying to solve the same murder as the Club) show up to Coopers Chase, Joyce will occasionally, if need be, fill us in on why they’re there.
The members of the Club are all just wonderful and each serve an important purpose within the group. The two men, however, could have gotten a little more page-time as it were, as they had so much to offer within the story.
The book is utterly captivating and delightful, as we get a real genuine insight into the characters, and each member has a stellar personality. Elizabeth for example, is boisterous and demanding – she does not take 'no' for an answer.
It is lovely to hear Joyce talk about her in her diary, as sometimes Elizabeth will take Joyce out to God-knows where, and Joyce will follow along happily, glad for the company and for the day out.
Despite some of the other resident’s dark secrets, you love absolutely everyone you hear about - whether they’re the bad guy or not!
One final and undeniably brilliant scene which must be praised is one of the times Elizabeth visits her dear friend Penny, who is in a coma. She is unsure if she will see Penny again, so says a heartbreaking goodbye, and speak to her as if she is there – it is truly a wonderful moment.
Recommendations
This book would impress absolutely anyone; from crime lovers to romance fans; it is a story of trust and friendship, as well as deceit, murder and mystery.
There is of course subtle comedy as some of the elderly residents don’t understand FaceTime, and try to understand the thing young people do and it just adds to the charm and warmth this book brings.
Anyone who enjoys a good mystery with added charisma, love and genuine crime-solving will adore this book and its incredible characters and plot.
The rating
This book deserves nothing less than five out of five. The plot is fascinating, the characters are lovable, intelligent rogues, and the way in which Osman shows us Joyce’s dairy entries adds something purely genius to the book and it really is one of a kind.
Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal
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