The Thursday Murder Club: A Novel

Now a Netflix Film

The first installment in the beloved and New York Times bestselling series from Richard Osman, also author of We Solve Murders

Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves
A female cop with her first big case
A brutal murder
Welcome to...
THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves the Thursday Murder Club.

When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it's too late?

“Witty, endearing and greatly entertaining.” —Wall Street Journal

Richard Osman is an author, producer and television presenter. The Thursday Murder Club is his first novel. He is well known for TV shows including Pointless and Richard Osman’s House of Games. As the creative director of Endemol UK, Richard has worked as an executive producer on numerous shows including Deal Or No Deal and 8 Out of 10 Cats. He is also a regular on panel and game shows such as Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You and Taskmaster.

Praise for The Thursday Murder Club:

“Witty, endearing and greatly entertaining.”
—Wall Street Journal

“An amusing debut that finds gold in getting older.”
—People

“If you like a good mystery but also want to laugh and go 'aw,' the Thursday Murder Club books by Richard Osman are definitely for you.”
—Daisy Rosario, NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour

“Don’t trust anyone, including the four septuagenarian sleuths in Osman’s own laugh-out-loud whodunit.”
—Parade

“[A] jaunty mystery. . . What's delightful is that there are no stereotypes here — the senior citizens solve the murder with wit, style and ferocious intelligence. The puzzle is intricate and involving, but there's a breeziness about it that makes it an ideal hammock read.”
–NPR

“Funny, clever, and compelling. Mystery fans are going to be enthralled.”
—Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boy from the Woods

“A little beacon of pleasure in the midst of the gloom. . . SUCH FUN!”
—Kate Atkinson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Sky

“The mystery’s good, the characters are wonderful, and [the series are] just very entertaining. . . top notch.”
—R.L. Stine, bestselling author of the Goosebumps series

“Charming, funny, and ultimately, surprisingly, very moving.”
—Linwood Barclay, New York Times bestselling author of Find You First

“I don’t know how to do this brilliant book justice. Diabolically clever, very funny, highly entertaining—utterly delightful. I completely fell in love with it. I need more of The Thursday Murder Club!”
—Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

“Loved every word. Loved the fleet, nimble plotting, as ingenious as top-shelf Agatha Christie; loved the boisterous cast of characters—think Fredrik Backman; loved the crisp, witty, Carl Hiaasen-caliber dialogue... yet above all, I love The Thursday Murder Club for its psychological texture, emotional depth, and luminous, fireside warmth. What a generous novel. Readers of Louise Penny and Kate Atkinson, rejoice."
—A. J. Finn, #1New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Woman in the Window

“It may seem oxymoronic to call a mystery thriller heartwarming, but this one—along with its follow-ups in Osman’s bestselling series—surely fits the bill. While there’s certainly a complex and twisty puzzle at its core, the real draw of the story comes from its hilariously quirky cast of characters, a squadron of senior citizens who take up digging into cold cases as a casual hobby at their retirement community, and all too often find themselves facing down fresher murder cases in the process.”
—Marie Claire

“Suspenseful, funny, and poignant. The delightful, spirited characters from this witty, sometimes bittersweet story deserve a return engagement.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman is a clever and warm-hearted mystery set in the peaceful retirement village of Coopers Chase, where a group of elderly residents meets every Thursday to discuss old unsolved crimes. The club is made up of Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim, and Joyce, with Elizabeth as the sharp-minded organizer, Ron as the fiery former union man, Ibrahim as the calm and analytical psychiatrist, and Joyce as the newest member whose diary-like observations give the story much of its charm. What begins as a hobby built around cold cases soon becomes a real investigation when a murder happens close to home.

The story opens with tension inside Coopers Chase, where developers want to build luxury flats on the land, threatening the retirement village and the graves of the former nuns buried nearby. This dispute creates conflict among the residents and the owners of the property, especially Ian Ventham and Tony Curran. When Tony is found murdered shortly after the meeting, the Thursday Murder Club sees an opportunity to apply their skills to a live case. Their amateur sleuthing suddenly becomes much more serious, and the cozy routine of retirement life turns into a fast-moving whodunit.

As the club investigates, they quickly realize that the murder is tied to a messy web of business deals, old crimes, and hidden loyalties. The police are also involved, especially Donna De Freitas, a young officer who is smart, frustrated by routine police work, and eager for something more meaningful. She becomes an important ally to the club and helps connect their instincts to official detective work. The mystery widens when clues suggest that the killing may be linked to a long-buried case involving a murdered woman named Angela Hughes and to people with criminal connections far beyond Coopers Chase.

One of the book’s strengths is how it balances the investigation with the personalities of its elderly detectives. Elizabeth is calm, strategic, and surprisingly formidable, with a background that gives her access to people and information most others cannot reach. Ron brings blunt humor and energy, often acting before thinking. Ibrahim is methodical and thoughtful, always trying to make sense of the facts. Joyce, though she initially seems gentle and ordinary, proves observant and emotionally astute, and her voice adds humor as well as warmth. Together, they are far more effective than anyone expects, and the novel constantly shows that age does not make them irrelevant or helpless.

The deeper the club digs, the clearer it becomes that the murder is connected to corruption, exploitation, and violence hidden beneath the polished surface of a pleasant retirement community. Coopers Chase is not just a setting but a place where history, money, and secrets overlap. The club uncovers links to criminal figures, property schemes, and abuse of power, revealing that the fight over the land is about much more than real estate. The novel keeps the mystery moving with twists and reversals, but it also uses the investigation to expose the moral rot behind people who appear respectable.

The emotional center of the novel is not only the mystery but the friendship between the four members. Their meetings are funny, affectionate, and full of small rituals, and those moments make the darker parts of the story easier to bear. Joyce’s perspective, in particular, gives the novel a sense of everyday life continuing alongside the crime, which makes the book feel human rather than grim. The club’s bond is what allows them to take risks and keep going, even when the case becomes dangerous.

By the end, the murder case is solved through a combination of observation, patience, and surprise intelligence, with the “Thursday Murder Club” proving that underestimated people can uncover truths professionals miss. The novel wraps its mystery with a sense of wit and satisfaction, but it also leaves the impression that the club’s adventures are only beginning. The Thursday Murder Club is both a detective story and a celebration of friendship, showing how curiosity, courage, and teamwork can thrive at any age.