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A review by misskitty14
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
If you're a fan of Only Murders in the Building, this novel is great for you.
Set in an English retirement community, a group of senior sleuths investigate cold cases as a hobby when a murder happens in their backyard.
The mystery is solid; there are quite a few red herrings that all turn out to be mysteries in their own right. But the real joy of the novel is the cast of characters. Osman has wonderfully captured the spirit of septuagenarians (ex. their comedic focus on unimportant details). I found myself audibly chuckling at passages throughout the book as they reminded me of parents and grandparents long gone.
Finally, and perhaps this is just because of where I am in my own life, the setting and characters sparked a bit of self-reflection. I think it is difficult to read the novel and not consider what you want your retirement to look like, to think about what your future will be at a stage in life that we rarely explore as a society. Will you have children and grandchildren to visit with you? Do you want to live in the same home you did all your life? Will you prefer to live in this sort of close-knit, active community of elderly peers?
Ultimately, I am interested to see what other adventures the Thursday Murder Club gets itself into.
Set in an English retirement community, a group of senior sleuths investigate cold cases as a hobby when a murder happens in their backyard.
The mystery is solid; there are quite a few red herrings that all turn out to be mysteries in their own right. But the real joy of the novel is the cast of characters. Osman has wonderfully captured the spirit of septuagenarians (ex. their comedic focus on unimportant details). I found myself audibly chuckling at passages throughout the book as they reminded me of parents and grandparents long gone.
Finally, and perhaps this is just because of where I am in my own life, the setting and characters sparked a bit of self-reflection. I think it is difficult to read the novel and not consider what you want your retirement to look like, to think about what your future will be at a stage in life that we rarely explore as a society. Will you have children and grandchildren to visit with you? Do you want to live in the same home you did all your life? Will you prefer to live in this sort of close-knit, active community of elderly peers?
Ultimately, I am interested to see what other adventures the Thursday Murder Club gets itself into.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Dementia, and Grief