Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

51 reviews

kajoreads's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The beginning felt slow and dragged out. Luckily it picked up some pace towards the end. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Dementia, Murder, Fatphobia, Grief, Suicide, Death, and Body shaming

Minor: Gun violence, Terminal illness, Cancer, Pregnancy, Violence, Chronic illness, Drug use, Medical content, and Sexism

kmedusa's review

adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Grief

Moderate: Suicide, Dementia, and Death

Minor: Alcohol, Gun violence, Drug use, and Violence

karlin0336's review

funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

I don't read mysteries much, but I think that's about to change!  This book was so much fun and so addicting (I didn't want to put it down)! 
 I quickly fell in love with our main characters and all the humor they brought to the story.  The story itself was compelling from start to finish, and I had so much fun trying to solve the mystery as I read.

I did have a few minor nitpicks, but they were mostly with the writing --- a couple things weren't explained very well and left me a little confused, and I also believe there were some verb tense errors at the beginning of the book.  

Overall, though, this was an excellent book, and I will definitely be continuing on with the series!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Murder, and Death

Minor: Alcohol, Grief, Dementia, and Drug use

agathajanemaud1908's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I wish I had read this sooner because the hype is warranted! I put the second book in the series on hold when I was only halfway through this one. The main characters are the kind that I want to visit over and over.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Murder, and Dementia

Moderate: Drug use and Grief

marioosa517's review

adventurous emotional funny mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Fatphobia, Death, Grief, Dementia, and Suicide

Moderate: Violence, Religious bigotry, and Drug use

Minor: Pregnancy, Infidelity, and Child death

sobo31's review against another edition

funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Death, Dementia, and Grief

Minor: Medical content, Rape, Drug use, Animal death, Gun violence, and Pregnancy

abicaro17's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Its ok. The characters are underdeveloped and boring. The plot only makes sense like half the time. There are some funny/cute moments but they're generally overshadowed by shitty plot or bad character arcs. This book had potential but its kinda a flop. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Blood, Murder, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Dementia, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Stalking, Suicide, and Violence

jalync03's review

funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcohol, Death, Drug use, and Suicide

wickedgrumpy's review

emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

The characters were lovely.  I imagine I will pick up the next in the series at some point because I thought it was a charming read, even though it wasn't my usual cup of tea.

Also, I know it's a murder mystery but I wasn't expecting so much casual death.  Was a bit grim at times.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Bullying, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Infidelity, Murder, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Trafficking, Alcohol, Animal death, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Sexism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Police brutality, and Suicide

luciferin's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

PLEASE read and heed the trigger warnings for this book. I didn’t, and I can only tell you that if I had, I probably would’ve hesitated reading it, because that one specific warning TRIGGER WARNING 

suicide

isn’t just something mentioned in passing in the book, MILD SPOILER WITHOUT SPOILING MUCH

it happens, repeatedly, and more or less graphically.

 

Anyhow. This book made me laugh, then cry, then laugh again, then stare melancholically into the distance, then cry again. It made me gasp and question the whole plot I just read, it made me root for people I maybe shouldn’t root for (but always will, because I LOVE. MORALLY GREY CHARACTERS. Always have, always will. Because life is fucking morally grey. And I both LOVE the ending and dread its implications.) I really like all of the characters and I cannot wait to see where their paths will take them. 

The dialogues are incredibly funny and so very British, the pop culture references were so good and there were quite a few plot twists (both storywise and in the development of one character or another) that I didn’t see coming, which rarely happens. It was a very enjoyable read, and a mystery slash crime that didn’t try the absolute hardest (while failing) to be sooo inventive and new and what have you. But it still manages exactly that. It’s a fresh-ish view (sometimes it kinda feels like visiting all of Agatha C‘s figures in the retirement home they live in together, but in a nice, old memories way, not in the way of plagiarism) of crime solving with a group of people that have seemingly lived their lives with spouses and children and careers and such, who now still have just as much fun in using their different abilities (I love Ibbsy and Joyce and Bogdan especially) to solve murderous puzzles. 
I also like how it alludes to things they have done before coming to CC and I‘m really excited to learn more about Elizabeth‘s past at some point, even though I have a hunch about her vocation. I like how the author often sets us on wrong tracks until we suddenly understand what exactly is happening or who is involved; it often made me notice that I am still, unfortunately, thinking in a very socially normative (not to say heteronormative, able-bodied, ageist kind of way, because I pride myself on AT THE VERY LEAST noticing if I do and correcting myself; so rather in a pop culturally normalised) way, MILD UNSPOILERY

for example with Donna and Chris. I never would have thought of THAT. And I LOVE IT.

I love when books do that. 

Also, please be aware that while this IS indeed a book about murder old and new, it also talks about lot about transience in life, loss, the pain of living itself, loneliness, estrangement from family members and or friends or lovers, the impact of being oneself on the life one gets to live. Characters are desperate, lonely, tired of living, ill, slowly slipping from their loved ones‘ grasp. It is FULL of heavy topics, so if these things are not something you want with your lighthearted crime solving, skip this. And again, HEED THE TRIGGER WARNINGS. 

Still, even though none of these are topics I actively seek out and or enjoy or usually read willingly if I can avoid them, the descriptions of the TMC‘s members‘ lives actually weirdly give me hope. I am not scared of aging: it is very much a privilege which only few of us get to enjoy. But seeing those wonderful elderly people with all of their pasts and aches and losses just having fun with their friends, accomodating their lives to what they can do and how, and joking about it. I want to be like that later on. 

So yeah, I am very much looking forward to reading the next installment in this series. 
Oh and also, Joyce and Donna teaching Elizabeth how to be modern and and correct and inclusive in her way of speaking? Love. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Grief, Murder, Death, Dementia, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, and Fatphobia

Minor: Animal death