I always approach any celebrity written book with a slight degree of caution. Just because someone is famous doesn’t mean they’re a good writer. Yes, this theory has been proven completely wrong with the likes of David Walliams and his children’s books. And I’m delighted to say that Richard Osman also disproves it in the adult crime fiction genre with The Thursday Murder Club.
I honestly can’t remember where I first read about The Thursday Murder Club, but as soon as I did I was determined to get myself a copy to read it. Just the setting of a group of pensioners in a posh retirement village getting together every week to investigate unsolved murders intrigued me enough to hook me into the story and want to find out more about them. Richard Osman has said in interviews that he was inspired by people that he met when visiting a real retirement complex and I’d love to hear what those particular pensioners think of the book.
The Thursday Murder Club is a bit like a modern day Agatha Christie story, with these pensioners suddenly turning their skills to a live local murder case. One where they knew the victim. But instead of curtain twitching Miss Marple you have Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron. An unlikely quartet, who bring together a mix of backgrounds that give them the skills to succeed where the police struggle.
One of the things I love most about The Thursday Murder Club is actually what I struggled a little with in the first few chapters. The characters. Richard Osman has done an amazing job in creating some brilliant characters. As you might expect from their age, they all seem to have fascinating backstories and I want to know more about all of them – especially Elizabeth. But with there being so many (wonderful) characters in the retirement village I actually got a bit confused at the start of the book. So many new people to meet in quick succession had my head spinning a bit. Maybe that’s just me showing my age though!
Once I’d sorted out in my head who was who the book just started to fly. So many twists and turns, and so much more that I’m still keen to find out about our “amateur” detectives. I’ve heard there is a second book planned and I so hope that’s right as I can’t wait to learn more about everyone’s back story.
It’s also fair to say that I can no longer go past any sort of retirement village or block without wondering if there’s an equivalent club there. Part of me’s quite excited now by the prospect of retirement!
The Thursday Murder Club is available to buy online *here.
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