The Thursday Murder Club

A Novel

By: Richard Osman

Narrated by: Lesley Manville

Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

A New York Times best seller!

Soon to be a major motion picture from Steven Spielberg at Amblin Entertainment

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

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

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?

©2020 Richard Osman (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“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

“[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

Loved the book but needed better audio production

This book was very well written and very well read by the narrator. However each chapter was a different sound level. That got to be a bit annoying as there were over 100 chapters. I had to reset the sound level for each one.

Cozy mystery

This is a heart felt and surprisingly stimulating who done it. The characters are well rounded, The author took Special effort to show the characters as real people regardless of their age. I found it to be a refreshing take on senior living. It has a good balance of sad and sweet and the narration is excellent. It does get a little too clever by half as it spreads an array of red herrings about.
One caveat, do yourself a favor and do not listen to the fawning interview at the end.

loved it

I love this book, the writing is fantastic. I love Joyce the most. The story was a little over complicated but for me the characters were the real joy not the plot.

Pleasant, but not gripping, with some quality control issues

This is a sweet, funny book where, also, some murder happens. It is not a thriller. I wouldn’t even call it a murder mystery. But it was an enjoyable read. There were some truly funny scenes and a few moments that made me tear up. I enjoyed the characters and wished some of them had been more fully developed.

There is a bit of a quality control with the audio for this recording, some chapter are very quiet and others are loud. Also, while I enjoyed the narrator, I think she was a bit inconsistent on some things — particularly the pronunciation of “Ibrahim.” Those things aside, I liked the book.

1st audible book-after first chapter I was hooked!

I wasn't quite sure if I'd like this book or not. I'm a big reader, and the thought of listening to someone else read "to me" (and not as a kid in a classroom) felt a bit odd to me. I started listening during my 30 minute drive into work and then back home. I was hooked! The characters really came a live for me as they do when I read a book on my own, and I loved that! It was a different experience but more immersive in a way, as if you're one of the characters, too, and not just someone reading about what happened. To be cliche, there were parts of the books where I laughed out loud and parts where I teared up. The writing was beautiful and heartfelt, and as the interviewer in the end said "even the 'baddies' were good people" (mostly...no spoilers here). I would highly recommend!

Narrator Brings story to life

As a narrator should, Manville gives the characters depth and personality and keeps you engaged in the tale. She is an excellent actress and applies her talent to the reading of this audiobook.
I agree with other reviewers that the audio quality is a bit wonky.
Lots of plot twists, the book is like a cozy mystery with some modern active Miss and Mr. Marples along with some spy intrigue and a couple local detectives. Oh yes and some cold cases tangled up with some underworld criminal activity.

Excellent story and performance

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend. Very enjoyable to listen to, with humor and intrigue. Can't wait for the second book!

Really Enjoyed This Book

This book was funny and, sometimes, sad, but very enjoyable. Can't wait for the next installment. Lots of twists, but well written enough to be able to follow easily.

Smart and touching

I picked up this book intrigued by the characters and walked away with a lot of deep feelings and a few good laughs as the character list solves several mysteries

Surprisingly Addictive

I didn't know what to expect, but by the time I got to chapter 3 I was hooked! I fell in love with the loving regard the principal characters had for one another. I wholeheartedly recommend this adventure!