Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Thursday Murder Club

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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itsnotalakeitsanocean's review

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medium-paced

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

2.75

Honestly kind of meh and could have been vastly improved with several more drafts and a more critical editor.

Unfortunately I fell ill when I was reading this so I don't remember how I felt enough to give a more in depth review. I do remember skimming over parts that were really drab and having trouble suspending my disbelief that they'd let a bunch of pensioners have access to confidential material from old police cases among other spoilery things.

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tiffthelibrarian's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.25

Took me three tries, but finally got stuck in and really started caring about the characters and story. Will read the next one.

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agathajanemaud1908's review

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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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oxfordcommas91's review

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

A perfect cozy mystery that you want to read while curled up with a steaming hot mug of tea. (British of course, with milk and sugar). Much in the same vein as “Only Murders in the Building,” or “Vera Wang’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers,” this book follows a group of four friends (and a large supporting cast, which honestly could have been cut down some…) living in a swanky British retirement village as they try to solve murders. Little do they know that they’ll be up to their necks in dead bodies in just a wink.

With plenty of witty banter and heartwarming moments, this book was generally enjoyable and hit the right notes. I loved all the characters and the author did a beautiful job of really bringing them to light. We’ve all known retirees like Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Rob, and Joyce. Each with their own spin on their detective work, the murder club follows the twists and turns of the bodies piling up around them.

There are some decent red herrings and good twists throughout, but I wasn’t in suspense. I wanted to know what happened to our fabulous foursome more than I cared about who the murderer was, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a terrible thing.

The short chapters and fast pacing of this book made it easy to read and make quick work of. There were some unexpected heartwarming moments and a decent number of sweet conversations that happened as a result of the age and life experiences of our characters, a unique and lovely addition.

I didn’t know when I started reading that this was a series. I’m not sure I desperately need a second book but I’m going to read it anyway, and will look forward to visiting Coopers Chase retirement village again in the near future!

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bzliz's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

This was a surprisingly charming whodunnit featuring a cast of elderly amateur detectives. If you’re looking for a high octane thriller with shootouts and car chases, this is not the book for you. It really captured the parts I love about mysteries- the intrigue and the clue following- without the stress of being genuinely concerned for anyone’s health or safety. There were so many little threads that tied up into a beautiful bow by the end. I was giving some running commentary to my fiance and I even cheered out loud at the end of part 1 when

Ian Ventham was killed. He sucked so much and I was so bummed that Tony was the initial murder victim rather than Ian.

The world feels rich and well populated around our four heroes- Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim & Ron- and their two police contacts, Donna and Chris. They all have distinct voices and bring something special to the crew. That said- this book has a lot of side characters. Despite reading this in essentially one sitting, I had a tough time keeping some of them straight. From other residents of the retirement community to family members to cops and suspects and possible set ups for later books in the series, it was a lot to keep straight.

And I was honestly shocked by how many deaths that factor in to the plot even just a little bit (full spoilers):

Annie (the cold case from the beginning), Tony, Ian, the extra body in the grave (that turns out to be Peter, the boyfriend who killed Annie), Bernard’s wife, Bernard, Sister Maggie (Father Mackie’s pregnant nun lover), the boy Tony killed, the cab driver Johnny killed, Johnny himself (maybe), Penny & John.

I guess that’s what you get when the cast has 7-8 decades of secrets they’re keeping. I can’t wait to continue this series!

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