The Thursday Murder Club

(The Thursday Murder Club 1)

By: Richard Osman

Narrated by: Lesley Manville, Richard Osman, Marian Keyes

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE FIRST NOVEL IN THE RECORD-BREAKING, MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING THURSDAY MURDER CLUB SERIES AND SOON TO BE A MAJOR NETFLIX MOVIE RELEASE!

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

'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

Richard Osman, Sunday Times bestseller, March 2024
The Bullet that Missed broke the record for the fastest-selling adult fiction hardback ever, September 2022

© Richard Osman 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Critic reviews

'A little beacon of pleasure' (Kate Atkinson)

'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'

'Funny, clever and achingly British' (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)

Delightful

Loved all the characters. I will definitely read the whole series. A kind and happy book with multiple murders. Good fun.

Really loved this

After a few months of quite heavy thrillers, this made a refreshing change. The storyline was great but the characters are exceptional, especially the narrator; made me think of my Mum all the time. Such a great book, looking forward to the next one.

Wonderful characters and plot

It took me quite a few chapters to feel comfortable with the writing style and the seemingly superficial and unconnected elements of the story. But I like Richard Osman and wanted to see what he had to offer in terms of fiction. I’m so glad I did because this is one of the best books I’ve read. The writing is crisp and the characters are engaging. The story has so many elements that I thought it would be difficult to follow all the twists and turns but I needn’t have worried. Through some wonderful writing techniques (which are very interestingly discussed in the author interview at the end of the story) everything flows smoothly, there’s no forced conclusions to any situation and everything is brought together at the end.
Leslie Manville’s narration is amazing and adds extra dimensions to this whole experience.
Can’t recommend this enough!

Lovely

I love this book! I'm a crime fan who loves the likes of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle. Richard Osman writes with more optimism and warmth than the two, which is lovely and refreshing. The book also feels more colored in than other crime novels, because of the authenticity and nuance of the characters. I feel like I have read in black and white until now, now I have finally read in colors! I cried many times, and belly laughed more times than I cried. It is really a beautiful book. And the narrator is perfection.

Wonderful listening

Compelling story with loveable, hilarious characters - narration added so much depth and life to the novel