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Cathy G. Cole
2.0 out of 5 stars Not my cup of Darjeeling
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2020
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I read so many mentions of The Thursday Murder Club being brilliant and hilarious that I began to wonder. For one thing, humor is probably the most subjective form of writing there is. For another, I always get nervous when the hype about any book begins to pile up. I almost changed my mind about reading it but decided to go against my better judgment.

The premise is fantastic. Four old folks who have all their marbles and are able to get out and about with no problem, who meet once a week to solve cold cases. What's not to like? The four-- a nurse, a spy, a psychiatrist, and a professional protester-- all bring their special skills and considerable intellect to the table, and they also get to help educate a detective constable who's new to the area.

There are poignant moments concerning growing old, death, and grief scattered throughout the book; this book is about more than your typical mystery. I did find myself smiling from time to time as I read some witticism, but at a quarter of the way through the book, that sort of humor seemed to vanish. I also didn't feel comfortable with a detective chief inspector working with anyone outside law enforcement so closely. The Thursday Murder Club also suffered from one or two first-timer mistakes. First, the mystery solving seemed to vanish occasionally because the author was so enamored of his characters he forgot about the story and just wanted to spend time with them. Yes, they're interesting characters, but please don't forget why they're there in the first place. Second, I found the mystery confusing. Too many bodies piled up. Too many killers were hauled out of the shadows. Motives were flying around like bats pouring out of a cave at dusk. It takes a lot for me to become confused when reading a mystery, and I have to admit that I lost the plot a few times. I finally got to the point where I was reading just to get it over with, and that's not good.

As much as I wanted to enjoy The Thursday Murder Club, I did not, but since so much of the enjoyment hinges on humor (and as I said before, humor is so subjective), your mileage may definitely vary.
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Dollyreads
4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely Read
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2020
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No smarmy sympathy, no faked respect. This story is about people living their best lives-- no matter what. Honest about aging, about loss, about unlikely but sustaining friendship. Well worth reading for the characters more than the mystery.
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J. Lesley
TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE VOICE
4.0 out of 5 stars A good crime puzzle at the core of this story.
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2020
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From the standpoint of my expectations of quasi-believability when it comes to investigating a murder mystery in a novel I would only give this book a 3 star rating, maybe even a little lower because the main characters here went way, way beyond the limit of police/amateur cooperation. (In all honesty, though, I see this happen in 'Golden Age' mysteries all the time and it doesn't bother me one bit. Maybe it's because this one is set in modern times?) However, I've decided to settle on a 4 star rating because I really did like the members of the Thursday Murder Club and how the author had portrayed them. At almost 78 I would fit right into that group from the age perspective and I enjoyed seeing my contemporaries presented as being highly functioning from a physical and mental angle. That isn't true most of the time; usually age automatically means a fictional character in a modern crime story has lost too many little grey cells to contribute much to solving crimes.

I have many friends who live in "villages" of this type so I was able to accept the entire location as well as the interesting mix of characters. I really did think I had solved the mystery, once again, only to have my solution proved totally wrong by the final revealing twist. I've been wondering if I would be interested in reading a second book featuring this group of characters and I find I'm wavering and hesitating somewhat. I really would have liked for the police to have acted more like professionals and not set-dressing for the real solvers of every aspect of the solution. Hmm, I suppose I'll just have to wait and see because as popular as this novel seems to have been it is probably a sure thing that there will be a second book.

Many thanks to the one who practically insisted I read this book. Yes, I liked it. Yes, I'm glad I read it.
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Tuppence
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book. Light enjoyable reading
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2020
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Enjoyed this book. Amusingly written. Light hearted murder mystery.
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Lee Killough
5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read I hated to see end.
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2020
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What fun Murder Club was to to read. A cast of wonderful characters and plenty of twists in the story. I read it on my Kindle and hated to see the reading time winding down toward zero. The Thursday Murder Club, consists of four members of a retirement community who have been working out solutions for cold cases (the founding member of the group was a retired police officer) though it can be only an academic exercise. Now, however, with the death of construction contractor, they find themselves with a current murder they can investigate. Roping in two officers officially involved in the case...who are both good at their job and not hostile to the Club as is often the case of police in books with amateurs investigating murder. I hope this is the start of a series.
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Golf Widow
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable cozy mystery
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2020
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I love this book. The mystery is deep, the writing excellent, and the characters delightful. I was worried about figuring out the murderer too soon, but it was fine; Richard Osman is clearly far smarter than I am.
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Memphis girl
5.0 out of 5 stars A gem of a book
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2020
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I love a mystery that keeps you guessing, with intriguing and likable characters, and a wonderful setting - i almost wish i hadn’t read this book so that i could read it for the first time again
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Harley
3.0 out of 5 stars Charming story
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2020
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If I had reviewed this after the first 100 pages I might well have rated it higher. Loved the setting, the characters and the whole dealing with age and it's inevitable progression. However, after a while the plot meandered through too many twists, the clever Elizabeth started to annoy and the police were unrealistic and shallow. The gentle witicisms charm, the setting is some sort of old people utopian village. This is well written and a welcome break from the blood, gore and angst of mainstream crime fiction. Where it fell down for me was it's failure to keep me inside the world and the fantasy for the whole book.
If you are debating reading it, go for it. I enjoyed it and finished it - but am debating whether to bother with part 2. Certainly not now.
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Top reviews from other countries

Siltone
5.0 out of 5 stars Reading this novel was an absolute joy!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2020
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I have always enjoyed watching Richard Osman on TV, in fact one of my favourite programmes is Pointless. So, my ears pricked up when I briefly heard someone on the radio mention that he'd recently penned his first ever novel. After listening to the outline of the book which, amongst other things, entails four elderly friends whose hobby it is to solve murders, well I just had to order myself a copy.

This is a typical 'very English' whodunnit, featuring eccentric characters who come alive on the page. The principle players are: Elizabeth (ex-spy chief), Joyce (former nurse), Ibrahim (retired psychiatrist) and Ron (ex-trade union boss) who reside in a gated retirement village situated on the south coast. These are folk who I soon came to care about, despite their individual flaws. They may be fictitious, but Richard effortlessly brings them to life, and gives each a unique personality of their own. Old age can sometimes be a burden to them, and they may have to endure certain physical and mental issues, but combined they are still a force to be reckoned with. These amateur sleuths are also somewhat unorthodox when it comes to the methods they employ to investigate and potentially trap a killer. Despite murder being the theme running through this excellent novel, this is very much a cosy read. It's clever, it's sad, it's moving in places, and it's wickedly funny throughout.

You know, these are difficult, worrying times we find ourselves in, and so we all occasionally need a break, a diversion, some form of escapism - and if that's what you're looking for, then reading this book is one way of achieving that. I'm not easily amused, but I have to say that at times The Thursday Murder Club had me in fits of laughter. This novel is the perfect antidote to the sometimes depressing stuff that has been going on around us of late. My advice is to get your hands on a copy of this book ASAP - then sit back in your favourite armchair, with a mug of tea and a plate of biscuits at hand, and just lose yourself in this compassionate, witty mystery created by the inimitable Richard Osman. All that's left for me to add is that I really cannot wait for the next book in the series.....
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CSM
1.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointing, silly and boring
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2020
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I have read so many brilliant reviews of this book by well known and ordinary readers like myself. I like Richard Osman and find him witty and I was really looking forward to this widely advertised first novel. Therefore I am so disappointed that I found this book almost childish in the way the characters were presented. To me there was nothing comical about it apart from the idea that the police would have happily liaised with a group of pensioners to solve a murder. Even when laws were broken by the group this was perceived as acceptable and everyone swapped theories as to perpetrators over tea and cake. Mostly lemon drizzle but orange drizzle on one occasion. I have every respect for anyone who can write a book and on reading reviews I am sure this will do well. It was just too far fetched and rather silly for me.
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T. Wood
5.0 out of 5 stars Celebrity Author, First Class Murder Mystery
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2020
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Living in a retirement village isn't usually the way to come to the notice of the local police department or become part of an exclusive club investigating an actual real life killing! This is what happens to Joyce however, as she becomes the newest member of the eponymous Thursday Murder Club.

She joins Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Ron, a small group of residents, whose individual strengths have come together as a force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to unorthodox ways of gathering information. The local police, having to follow the more accepted means of investigation, have some qualms about joining them when invited but their goals are the same, aren't they?

Richard Osman, the well known presenter of House of Games and Pointless on the BBC, always comes across as a thoroughly nice guy. As an author, his intelligence and imagination have been given free rein and the resulting work is very good. People in his fictional world, it would seem, are, for the most part, decent, but all have skeletons they would far rather stayed hidden. He uses this fact to create believable, empathetic, and well rounded characters which, added to an excellent plotline and understanding of human nature, produces a novel which is both cozy and crafty in equal measure.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it flowed and moved along at a good pace. I had no problem working out whodunnit - only to find I was totally wrong! By the end I had one part sorted out but the rest, nope, not even close. That doesn't mean it didn't work, it did, brilliantly, especially for a first novel, and the ending was satisfyingly right, suggesting a distinct possibility of more great books in the future.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys cozy crime with a bit of a bite or is a fan of the author. In both cases you won't be disappointed and I hope this will be the first of many Thursday Murder Club books as well as the beginning of another successful part of Mr Osman's future career.
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Bizzy61
1.0 out of 5 stars Not for me
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 10, 2020
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The wheel goes round and round, but it's the same wheel, charming and witty, time after time. Very boring after the first two or three chapters. Not a very good novel, but a great idea for a novel that didn't develop into one in spite of trying.
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Sorbus
2.0 out of 5 stars Oh dear Mr Osman!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 12, 2020
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Sunday Times Number one! Did they read the same book?
I really like and enjoy Mr Os appearances and television personality and looked forward to reading his first crime writing effort. Usually I would not pay more than £5 for any Kindle book but decided in lockdown to indulge.
What a mistake. The first half needs some severe editing. Using the character Elizabeth as pivotal (ex M15 or whatever) was a sloppy device. By the end I rather wished to share Penny's state.
Sorry Richard I really felt it all a bit "Pointless"
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