Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

33 reviews

luciferin's review against another edition

4.5

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

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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, Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Dementia, Grief, Murder

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Alcohol

Minor: Animal death

peh27's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous funny mysterious 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: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder

cooliuscaesar451's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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It starts off slowly but the characters suck you in ❤️ I found myself verklempt time and time again at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Classism, Deportation

Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Pregnancy

hannahlberg's review against another edition

4.0

funny mysterious medium-paced

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Dementia, Grief, Murder

Minor: Fatphobia

they talk a weird amount about food/eating/weight in kind of unhealthy ways, just enough that I noticed it and was uncomfy

prairieraven's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Super fun book to read, a delightful collection of characters, this book had me pondering, laughing, sad, and pause for reflection. Super entertaining & intriguing, highly recommended for mystery lovers and those looking for a mystery book that is a bit less grim. Perfect for a rainy or Snowy day read. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Dementia, Trafficking, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation

spookily's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Murder

Moderate: Child death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Dementia

Minor: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Sexism, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol

eileenp59's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, Murder, Alcohol

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Medical content

Minor: Drug use, Fatphobia, Pregnancy

toomanytbr's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder

cait_margaret's review against another edition

4.25

funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

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This was so fun and really engaging. The characters are so wonderfully built up and the plot was twisty without ever being hard to follow (which is especially appreciated since I was listening to the audiobook). I will say, there were chapters where the narration, though third person, was floating amongst several characters and those didn’t always work for me. I much preferred when it was a close third person or else the chapters from Joyce’s perspective, which were probably my favorite.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder

mari_books's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

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On its face the book is a fast paced almost beach read style mystery with a lovely and curious team of elderly detectives. There are lots of elements of mystery and emotional life/ death/ love/ family sentimental moments. Solidly 4 stars. Dinging one star for how anticlimactic the ending was and I think in general the author introduced too many characters it was kind of unneeded and hard to keep track of 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent