Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club is the first book in his series of septuagenarian sleuths. It’s a 2020 Penguin House Publication available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook formats, as well as at your local library or through the Libby App. Fiona Shaw brilliantly narrates the audiobook.

Osman sets the book in a peaceful English retirement village named Cooper’s Chase. Every Thursday, Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim, and Joyce meet in the Jigsaw room to discuss cold cases, hoping to uncover new clues to solve the old crimes. However, their investigation takes a dramatic turn when a murder occurs close to the community, and they have a hot case to pore over. Soon, another murder takes place close to home, and the foursome find themselves deep into solving a double murder with the help of the detectives Chris and Donna. 

Here’s a quote that illustrates some of the sassy, unapologetic attitude of our group of sleuths: 

“After a certain age, you can pretty much do whatever takes your fancy. No one tells you off except your doctors and your children.”

This attitude lands them in trouble as they navigate their webs of mysteries, unraveling each clue and red herring. Osman’s attempt to insinuate guilt onto each character one at a time to dupe his audience becomes convoluted, confusing, and tedious, and the long-winded ending wraps things up with mediocre satisfaction.

Osman’s editing team could have trimmed some repetitiveness, avoiding the book’s drone-on tone. The numerous characters also complicate the storyline, as the narrative jumps about so much that it’s challenging to keep track of who’s who. However, it’s the well-developed characters of our gang of murder-solving septuagenarians, along with Joyce’s diary entries and their flair and flippant approach to solving the murders, that make this book a 2.5-star read or listen.