items: items 1: articleHeading: December reviews of The Thursday Murder Club
articleLink: https://www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk/email/bookclub/Thursday_Murder_Club.html
articleSummary: Viking River Cruises highlights the book's witty dialogue, engaging characters, and fast-paced plot.
articleTitle: Vikingrivercruises
articleType: web_article
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snippets: The book is praised for its witty dialogue, well-developed characters, and a fast-paced plot with twists and turns, and a unique blend of humor and suspense., If you’re looking for a good laugh, great character dynamics and a nice easy read, then pick up The Thursday Murder Club!
type: ARTICLE
items 2: articleHeading: The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club, #1)
articleLink: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46000520.The_Thursday_Murder_Club__Thursday_Murder_Club___1_
articleSummary: Goodreads reviews indicate that readers find the book charming and addictive, praising its smart, witty, and lovable characters.
articleTitle: Goodreads
articleType: web_article
favicon: https://www.goodreads.com/favicon.ico
snippets: Some readers found the book charming and addictive, praising the smart, witty, and lovable characters., On Goodreads, readers have shared diverse opinions.
type: ARTICLE
items 3: content: What a treat this book has been! The Thursday Murder Club has filled a Famous Five-shaped void in my adult life that I hadn’t realised was there. Okay, so there are only four members of this amateur crime-busting cabal … no dog (yet!) … and the ginger ale has been replaced by pricey bottles of Malbec … and the bones may be creakier than my beloved childhood gang, but the derring do, the charm, the well-meaning bickering, and the fabulous ability to outsmart the rozzers are all heartily present.
In a nutshell, The Thursday Murder Club has the potential to be the single most influential piece of marketing the (luxury) retirement village sector has ever seen. It vividly creates a setting of quintessential countryside chic, with rolling hills, farm shops, small stone bridges over a meandering river … and introduces an unexpected abundance of lamas … but generally very lovely. And the retirement village itself - Coopers Chase - boasts an array of activities and outings and gatherings to rival any Club 18-30, albeit of a more age-appropriate gentility …
… Apart from the Thursday Murder Club, that is. It’s something of a covert black-ops group masquerading as a Japanese Opera Discussion Group to deter nosy parkers, and those who lack the constitution for the grisly and graphic cold-case murder scene and autopsy photographs. Founded by retired police detective, Penny, and glamorous spook, Elizabeth, the group of four gather each week to scrutinise the files of unsolved murders that Penny diligently ‘liberated’ in the run up to her retirement.
Sadly, when we join the Club one they’re member down, Penny; lost to the advanced stages of dementia and now bed-bound in Willows; the village’s nursing home. As Elizabeth’s old friend, it’s her visits and her one-sided monologues that drive home the inescapable and rather poignant moments of the book. Because, whilst The Thursday Murder Club is a witty and chuckle-a-minute murder mystery, it’s also a compassionate window into the future, with the young-at-heart characters coming to terms with failing health, voluminous prescriptions, widowhood, and one or two regrets. But, exactly because this is a witty novel, these slightly scary truths are portrayed with just the right amount of light-hearted teasing, before romping off to solve the next puzzle.
The club has always been a group of four, so Elizabeth wastes little time in enlisting Joyce; retired nurse, chatterbox, demon cake-baker, and with a countenance that people frequently underestimate. It’s Joyce’s fabulous, no-holds-barred diary that makes up a large chunk of this book, giving voice to a character that ripples with idiosyncratic quirks, unflinching observations, and the charming but casually caustic critique that only the older generation can get away with. Her chapters felt like settling down with long-missed grandparents and listening with relish whilst they viciously demolish whoever’s rankled them that day. The vernacular and colloquialisms are so pitch-perfect it took a Herculean effort to remind myself these words are really spilling from Richard Osman’s ‘pen’ and not really from Joyce’s.
Ron and Ibrahim complete the Club; two chalk-and-cheese characters. Ron is a retired and very notorious trade union leader; a tattooed and rather shouty West Ham supporter whose cringingly outspoken and argumentative nature is generously explained away as ‘well, that’s Ron’. Heart of gold … salt of the earth … bull in a china shop … and surreptitiously endearing. Ibrahim, meanwhile, is neat, precise, immaculately dressed, and with a Gatsby-esque poise and politeness that won my heart immediately. In his hey day he was a psychiatrist … perhaps Elizabeth saw in him someone who could extract truths from unwitting suspects during their armchair investigations. Left to her own devices, I have no doubt that she has a painfully effective set of skills to deploy on more reluctant individuals.
Batting for the youth team are PC Donna De Freitas - a cracking character who brings a sardonic wit and hint of jaded-London cool to the rolling Kent countryside - and her boss, DCI Chris Hudson who’s not quite braced for the ambitious and sharp-tongued whirlwind that’s just joined his team. On paper, they really shouldn’t gel as well as they do … but they do, and oh so well. Nor should they forge quite such a super relationship with the subversive Murder Club crew … but the chemistry is first-rate, giving rise to sparks and clashes that elicit so many laughs.
It doesn’t take long for the Murder Club’s investigations to progress from the theoretical to the practical, with the first murder implicating the owner of their retirement village. The undisguised glee amongst the plucky foursome had me laughing out loud, and when the second murder takes place even closer to home the mood escalates from giddy excitement to down-right celebratory. The victims and the suspects are as colourfully characterised as Joyce and co, and although they’re an eclectic mix of the odious and the unlucky I found myself enjoying getting to know them every bit as much as I did the good-guys. None of them are quite prepared for the determined snooping of four unassuming pensioners, whose remarkable discoveries create headaches of their own for DCI Hudson as he struggles to keep up with their underhand fact-finding.
Don’t underestimate the cosy nature of The Thursday Murder Club … the main characters may be elderly, the setting may be genteel, and the humour may catch you off guard … but this is a murder mystery of the most entertaining kind, with an unpredictable plot, and a large cast giving the puzzle plenty of capacity to twist and mislead. Whilst, at first, the murder seems to be quite obvious, take a moment to remind yourself of the enormity of the mind that’s created and authored this story. I can honestly say this has been the most enjoyable read … and I want more.
marketplace: amazon
source: amazon
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/amazon
starRating: 5
title: Delightful romp, charming characters, intricate plot
type: REVIEWS
items 4: content: The Thursday Murder Club is the first book in the series of the same title by British TV presenter, producer, director, and novelist, Richard Osman. When builder, property developer and drug dealer, Tony Curran is bludgeoned to death in his kitchen, the members of the Thursday Murder Club are inordinately delighted. They are accustomed to discussing cold cases from police files; a real live case is much more exciting!The Thursday Murder Club meets weekly in the Jigsaw Room at Coopers Chase retirement village, of which they are all residents. Their leader, Elizabeth, is circumspect about her former life but it possibly involved espionage; Ibrahim Arif is a former psychiatrist; Joyce Meadowcroft, who strikes most people as quiet and sensible, was a nurse; Ron ... MoreThe Thursday Murder Club is the first book in the series of the same title by British TV presenter, producer, director, and novelist, Richard Osman. When builder, property developer and drug dealer, Tony Curran is bludgeoned to death in his kitchen, the members of the Thursday Murder Club are inordinately delighted. They are accustomed to discussing cold cases from police files; a real live case is much more exciting!The Thursday Murder Club meets weekly in the Jigsaw Room at Coopers Chase retirement village, of which they are all residents. Their leader, Elizabeth, is circumspect about her former life but it possibly involved espionage; Ibrahim Arif is a former psychiatrist; Joyce Meadowcroft, who strikes most people as quiet and sensible, was a nurse; Ron Ritchie, an infamous trade-union leader; and their now non-verbal, but never excluded member, Penny Gray was a Detective Inspector with Kent Police. PC Donna De Freitas, ex-London Met, has recently become an unofficial member.The members, two of whom saw the pair arguing, are fairly certain that the owner of Coopers Chase, Ian Ventham murdered Tony Curran: he had motive, means and opportunity. Donna would love to be involved with the Murder Squad, solving this crime, but is relegated to school visits and home security talks. Until, that is, Elizabeth wields her mysterious influence, and she becomes DCI Chris Hudson's shadow. After all, the Thursday Murder Club needs a reliable information source.Elizabeth and Joyce manage to track down some interesting facts that point to motive. Before they progress very far with the case, however, there is another murder, during a blockade of the adjoining cemetery, and present are residents, neighbours, members of the TMC, and their two tame cops: a not-inconsiderable suspect pool.Meanwhile, a set of bones is located where they shouldn't be, and one of the suspects dies, all keeping the police and the TMC busy investigating and second-guessing the conclusions they reach.Before they manage to solve two (or three?) murders, a trip to a Cypriot prison, a skating rink and a Folkestone florist are made, some evening spadework at a gravesite is done, a disused chapel confessional is brought into play, chess is played and much tea, alcohol and cake are consumed.The story is told through a narrative from multiple perspectives interspersed with Joy Meadowcroft's chatty journal entries. With its hugely entertaining dialogue, this is a perfect mix of cosy crime fiction and British humour that should probably not be read in the Quiet Carriage of public transport as it is likely to have readers chuckling, snickering and laughing out loud. The follow-up, The Man Who Died Twice, is eagerly anticipated. Less
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Detailed plot summary, witty dialogue, cosy crime
type: REVIEWS
items 5: content: I love,love,loved this. It is a murder mystery set in a quaint English town but the main investigators are residents of a retirement village. Well, the police are the actual investigators but the oldies help the police more than they'd like to admit. The main residents who help solve cold cases are the Thursday Murder Club and they meet weekly in the jigsaw room. Each have various skills from their working lives which assists in them solving the cases. While solving the case of a local murdered developer another person is murdered and links to past murders unfold. Along the way the murder club learns that the past has a way of catching up with you and that murder and love are often intertwined. This was engrossing, heartfelt, poignant and funny. I loved the ... MoreI love,love,loved this. It is a murder mystery set in a quaint English town but the main investigators are residents of a retirement village. Well, the police are the actual investigators but the oldies help the police more than they'd like to admit. The main residents who help solve cold cases are the Thursday Murder Club and they meet weekly in the jigsaw room. Each have various skills from their working lives which assists in them solving the cases. While solving the case of a local murdered developer another person is murdered and links to past murders unfold. Along the way the murder club learns that the past has a way of catching up with you and that murder and love are often intertwined. This was engrossing, heartfelt, poignant and funny. I loved the characters , particularly Joyce,and they all shine in their own way. I even became fond of Bogden. It was wonderfully written and exciting to read. I cannot wait to read the next two books. I love these people. I highly recommend this book. It will make you smile. Less
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Loved the characters, heartwarming, poignant, funny
type: REVIEWS
items 6: content: Thanks to Richard Osman, Ive been introduced to a new genre of Crime story: Cosy Crime. More Miss Marple than Rebus, and written with style and wit. There is a murder, but its the four elderly protagonists who try to solve it who spark my interest. We get to know them gradually,over many chapters, and though this could never be called a page-turner, the brilliant observation of old people and their foibles is wonderfully entertaining. This is what Id call Slow Fiction, written in a thoroughly modern style, and though you have to reread paragraphs every now and end to keep up with some clumsy changes of viewpoint, its worth the effort. Im looking forward to the next book, The Bullet that Missed; the title alone ia delicious!
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Introduced to cosy crime, witty, observant
type: REVIEWS
items 7: content: Awesome scenario of older people forming a "Thursday murder club " in an aged care type accommodation. It's funny & written well. I highly recommend this book (series of 4)
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Awesome scenario, funny, well-written, recommend
type: REVIEWS
items 8: content: The Thursday Murder Club" is an absolute gem of a book! This cleverly crafted murder mystery follows a group of retirees who meet up to solve crimes, and the twists and turns will keep you hooked until the very end. The characters are wonderfully written, the pacing is spot on, and the humour is perfectly balanced with the suspense. It's a witty, charming, and thrilling read that I highly recommend to any mystery lover out there!
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Gem of a book, witty, charming, thrilling
type: REVIEWS
items 9: content: Richard Osmans first novel is witty & amusing. It is innovative too to have four oldies as the central characters. Probably best defined as cosy crime it also has moments of pathos. The retirement community where the novel is set is rather unlikely although perhaps there are places like this where everyone is beautifully cared for. It was an easy & comfortable read - just the thing for a cold winters day. The sequel is due in September 2021.
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Witty, amusing, innovative elderly characters
type: REVIEWS
items 10: content: Excellent writing and a great story well told. Interesting characters and plot, hard to put down for any length of time, and hopefully Richard Osman's next 2 books I have waiting on my desk will be equally as good. A gripping "whodunnit" read and I highly recommend this book.
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Excellent writing, great story, gripping whodunnit
type: REVIEWS
items 11: content: I love this book and the series! So witty and funny and light-hearted. The writer has done incredibly well to develop the characters. You can picture them in your mind so easily. Recommend to anyone who likes a good read with characters you will love and a twist you won’t see coming!
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Witty, funny, light-hearted, well-developed characters
type: REVIEWS
items 12: content: I couldn't put this book down, and had to read it again when the sequel arrived. The plot is skilfully devised, with brilliant detailed observations of social manipulation amid revelations of serious evil. A range of different characters from different social groups interact. Throughout there is a viewpoint of serious kindness, empathy and concern for justice, which the author (whom I've come to like in his TV appearances) says is largely due to the influence of his mother.
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Couldn't put down, skilful plot, social observations
type: REVIEWS
items 13: content: One of my favorite books of all time! One of the few books out there that is genuinely funny without being overkill or contrived.The narrative style is also enjoyable and keeps the reader intrigued until the very end. Osman succeeds in weaving every event and side plot into one easy to read novel, and also somehow manages to delve deeper into the feelings of his characters in a way that is thoughtful - creating well-developed and realistic characters.
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Favorite book, genuinely funny, intriguing narrative
type: REVIEWS
items 14: content: Wonderful story! What a killer debut. Twists, turns - truly thrilling; yet with warmth and kindness penetrating the mystery. Glorious book. Can't wait to read the next one.
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Wonderful story, killer debut, thrilling mystery
type: REVIEWS
items 15: content: I was slightly doubtful this debut novel would be as good as the hype but I was happily surprised. A good murder plot, some proper twists and turns and a cast of interesting and intelligent amateur and professional crime solvers made it, for me, a book I did not want to finish. I am really hopeful there will be a number 2, as I would definitely buy it. Also, I understand Spielberg bought the film rights. Can't wait!
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Happily surprised, good plot, interesting characters
type: REVIEWS
items 16: content: This is a well written thriller, intriguing because the characters are endearing and seem ordinary. They put their collective minds together to solve serious crime. Throughout Osman inserts his quirky wit to create a blend of true crime with the ordinariousness of a 'mid summer murder'. Clever and engaging, never disturbing.
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Well-written thriller, endearing characters, quirky wit
type: REVIEWS
items 17: content: For a murder story, this is quite funny. The murder club consists of a group of disparate, interesting oldies living in a retirement village and they get very excited when murder is committed close to home. They 'help' the investigating police with their local knowledge and experience.Very English humour, a bit daft, but consistently entertaining and interesting.
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 4
title: Funny murder story, likeable elderly detectives
type: REVIEWS
items 18: content: One of the funniest, most enjoyable reads I have had for a long, long time. Totally enjoyable from the first paragraph to the last. I rarely buy new novels, but I really wanted this one after hearing a review on the radio and I was not disappointed. Will not say anything about the story, but the whole time I was reading it, I was wishing I was a member of the Thursday Murder Club. Richard Osman has created the best written characters I have ever read.
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Funniest, most enjoyable read, best characters
type: REVIEWS
items 19: content: First book by Richard that I have read and it certainly will not be the last. It was a great read, extremely funny but with a great story line. I just had to keep reading until I finished it. The characters were described so well you felt you knew every one of them. Love humour in a book and this excelled. Looking forward to reading another of his books.
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Great read, extremely funny, well-described characters
type: REVIEWS
items 20: content: A good murder story with interesting characters. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the others in the series but summer is a busy season for me so it might be some time.
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Good murder story, interesting characters, enjoyable
type: REVIEWS
items 21: content: When I began I had no idea who the author was or expectations of how exceptionally funny and refreshing this book would be. I wasnt sure at first but after the first few pages I was laughing out loud and quickly realised what a treasure it is . Very British, sharp and clever and not in the least patronising towards us older folk. I have recommended to many of my friends & given two copies away
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Exceptionally funny, refreshing, treasure of a book
type: REVIEWS
items 22: content: I really enjoyed the change of pace and fun with Richard Osman's funny, fascinating and quirky senior sleuths. The Thursday Murder Club was so much fun.
marketplace: google
source: google
sourceLogo: https://i.flash.tech/a/rs:fill:300:400:0/g:sm/plain/s3://flash-creatives/images/merchants/google
starRating: 5
title: Enjoyed the pace, funny, fascinating, quirky sleuths
type: REVIEWS
