The Thursday Murder Club

 

By Richard Osman

Crime

My Review

The Thursday Murder Club isn't my usual choice of book as I'm not normally a fan of cozy crime. However, my 81-year-old mother, who loves the author's TV quiz show Pointless, purchased it and I decided to give it a go myself after she told me it was really enjoyable.

The story is about four elderly friends who live in an upmarket English retirement village. Together they form The Thursday Murder Club with the purpose of looking into cold crime cases. When a murder takes place on their own doorstep, they find themselves in the thick of a 'live' case and can't resist starting their own investigation.

With excellent characterisation and articulate writing I really thought I was going like the book more than I actually did but I found the four friends a little too twee. The author seemed to be trying too hard to write witty age-related banter into the story and I got frustrated with it. 

By halfway I was seriously considering abandoning it altogether, which is something I rarely do. However, against my better judgement I decided to plod on. . . and on. . . and on! The end came as a huge relief and I actually let out a little cheer! There's not a lot else to say except I hope the second book in the series is better.   

Book Source: Purchased copy

My Rating ⭐⭐

Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: Penguin (13th May 2021)

ISBN-13: 978-0241988268

The Blurb

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.

But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late?