The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

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⭐ Book Review: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

👉 Grab your copy on Amazon

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⚠️ Trigger Warnings

Heads up before you dive in:

• Murder & homicide 🔪

• Death & poisoning ☠️

• Dementia & assisted suicide 🧠💔

• Political & business corruption 💰🏢

• Grave desecration & skeletons ⚰️💀

• Sexual content 💋

• Dark humor & pranks 😏

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🤷‍♀️ My Honest Take

I tried, I really did. I picked up The Thursday Murder Club thinking it would be a delightful whodunit, especially after the TV-style intrigue of We Solve Murders. But nope… Richard Osman, we have a problem: WAY TOO MANY CHARACTERS. 🙄

The book is funny, I’ll give it that — the banter between Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron, and Ibrahim is clever and charming. But keeping track of all the suspects, townspeople, relatives, and shady developers was exhausting. By the middle, I found myself skimming paragraphs just to keep up.

Verdict? 2 out of 5 stars. Could have been a solid cozy mystery if we just had… fewer humans.

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🕵️‍♀️ Plot Summary (Full Spoilers Ahead!)

The Setup: Welcome to Coopers Chase

The story opens with Joyce’s diary, reminiscing about an old murder case with Elizabeth. Joyce is invited to The Thursday Murder Club, a group of amateur sleuths who meet in the Jigsaw Room at Coopers Chase retirement home. Other members include Ron and Ibrahim; co-founder Penny is in a coma.

Tension brews over a new development project by Ian Ventham, which threatens to demolish the Garden of Eternal Rest cemetery. Ian’s shady business dealings and conflicts with his partner Tony set the stage for murder.

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The First Murder

Tony is found dead, with a photo mysteriously left next to his body featuring Tony, Ron’s son Jason, and a man named Bobby. Elizabeth and Joyce get involved, interacting with the police to subtly influence the investigation, using clever tricks and misdirection.

Meanwhile, residents like Father Matthew protest the demolition of the cemetery, and Joyce bonds with Bernard, a lonely widower near the graveyard.

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Twists, Clues & Skeletons

The plot thickens when Ian begins the cemetery demolition. Contractors uncover a skeleton buried atop another coffin. Ian is later poisoned with fentanyl — yep, murder #2. The club narrows suspects to 30, themselves included.

Elizabeth’s sleuthing uncovers Bobby/Peter’s past, secrets from the church, and the tragic story of Father Matthew and a nun named Maggie, who committed suicide after being shamed for her pregnancy decades earlier. 😢

Jason plays amateur detective on Tinder, wrongly accusing Karen Playfair, Gordon Playfair’s daughter.

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The Big Reveal

The Thursday Murder Club finally confronts John, Penny’s husband, and learns:

• Penny, during her dementia, confessed to killing a murder suspect who had evaded justice.

• John killed Ian to stop the demolition project that would have disturbed Penny’s secret burial.

Then we learn Bogdan (one of the construction workers that worked for Tony and Ian) killed Tony in revenge for his friend’s murder, though he is never charged. Father Matthew killed Ian so Ian can't disturb Maggie's grave.

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The Ending

The novel closes with Joyce’s diary entry, reaffirming her belief in justice and friendship. She leaves to meet the club in the Jigsaw Room for another meeting. Cozy, humorous, and slightly chaotic — a true reflection of Osman’s style.

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😅 Why This Book Didn’t Fully Work for Me

• Overloaded with characters – keeping track is a full-time job.

• Mystery gets lost in the shuffle – too many plot threads and side stories.

• Humor is good, but pacing suffers – chapters jump around like a TV show montage.

What I did like:

• Witty, British humor

• Clever, resourceful elderly protagonists

• Some genuinely charming moments between the club members

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✅ Verdict

• Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

• Tone: Funny, cozy, TV-show style

• Best for: Readers who love quirky characters and lighthearted mysteries

• Not for: Those who struggle with big casts or fast-moving subplots

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📚 Other Book Recommendations

If you enjoy cozy mysteries with humor, try these instead:

• A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman – quirky, heartfelt, and funny

• The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith – charming, witty mystery

• Mrs. Pollifax series by Dorothy Gilman – older protagonists solving crimes with style

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⚡ TL;DR

The Thursday Murder Club is funny, charming, and TV-like, but suffers from way too many characters, making the mystery hard to follow. If you love quirky seniors with detective skills, you might enjoy it — otherwise, it can feel chaotic and slow.