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hahaly's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The premise, the humor, and the characters were so perfect and I had such high hopes for this book, especially given the rave reviews. However the quirky moments, frequent plot twists, and the many many side plots and characters detracted away from what I felt could be an exciting murder mystery and interesting exploration into grief, aging, and death / illness — both of which feel like the biggest cores of the story. I wish the author could have explored our four main characters (aka the Thursday Murder Club) a lot more because the ending could then have landed more strongly. And the murderers’ reveals themselves did not feel as impactful, thanks to how hurried and “everywhere” that the novel felt at times.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Death, Suicide, Violence, Dementia, and Murder
hannah_hodges's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-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? No
4.75
Loved it. All the twists and turns and dead ends kept you guessing! Really laughed out loud or gasped in shock at multiple times throughout the book. Such an enjoyable read and can’t wait for the next one!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Animal death and Dementia
ec02freeman's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Animal death
cryptid404's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Child death, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Police brutality, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
One of the main characters mentions dieting/calorie-counting a few times.mil_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Dementia, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, and Violence
rorikae's review against another edition
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? Yes
4.5
'The Thursday Murder Club' by Richard Osman is an endearing mystery about a group of residents at a retirement community in Britain who work together to solve a local murder.
Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron, and Ibrahim are the Thursday Murder Club, a group of residents at a retirement community who are fascinated by crimes that they hear about on the news. When a local man is found dead, they decide to try their hand at solving a murder themselves. They get wrapped up in the case, crossing paths with the local police who are working hard to solve the murder. As they delve deeper into what happened, they begin to learn more about the town and the people they live amidst.
I am relatively late to the party on "The Thursday Murder Club" but I completely agree that this is a really wonderful mystery book. The shining stars of this book are the characters. The four members of The Thursday Murder Club are complicated, endearing characters that I came to care for quickly. Their banter, complicated relationships, and persistent desire to solve the case all work together to make them characters I'm excited to return to in the future. The story balances an engaging mystery with an exploration of the characters as we come to know them better. The slow but steady character development paired with tender moments of human connection are what make this story really stand out. I'm excited to continue this series and see what these characters get up to next.
Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron, and Ibrahim are the Thursday Murder Club, a group of residents at a retirement community who are fascinated by crimes that they hear about on the news. When a local man is found dead, they decide to try their hand at solving a murder themselves. They get wrapped up in the case, crossing paths with the local police who are working hard to solve the murder. As they delve deeper into what happened, they begin to learn more about the town and the people they live amidst.
I am relatively late to the party on "The Thursday Murder Club" but I completely agree that this is a really wonderful mystery book. The shining stars of this book are the characters. The four members of The Thursday Murder Club are complicated, endearing characters that I came to care for quickly. Their banter, complicated relationships, and persistent desire to solve the case all work together to make them characters I'm excited to return to in the future. The story balances an engaging mystery with an exploration of the characters as we come to know them better. The slow but steady character development paired with tender moments of human connection are what make this story really stand out. I'm excited to continue this series and see what these characters get up to next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Suicide, Terminal illness, Dementia, and Murder
Minor: Animal death and Pregnancy
beauuuu's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
I think this book is probably better on a reread, an easy read that’s flip flopping between a multitude of things in a mystery that was a little simple for what I was expecting from Osman, but still typically and ideally subversive. What really stood out to me were the main characters, while the ensemble cast of characters probably needed more time allocated to them to be considered and fleshed out, the core Thursday Murder Club were all very engaging and something I see myself returning for more of. It’s certainly a cosy, comfortable and enjoyable read that’s as much a delight from start to finish as much as its underlying plot can be a little pale and weak at times too. Either way, it’s carried by an almost cinematic perspective that I found captivating and seamless. Though nothing to do with the book itself, it’s what drew me in. I’m not sure how many variations of cover there are for this book, but the one you’ll find in most places is fantastic and I think it captures the vibe of the book perfectly.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Dementia, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol
huntress's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Dementia, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug use, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
kimberlyswalters's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The humor sprinkled throughout this book made it an absolute pleasure to read. The characters, their wit, and the balance of seriousness & light-heartedness had me laughing and tearing up. I highly recommend this to anyone of any age. I'm 26, but the perspective of life from an older person was refreshing and makes me want to appreciate my life more. My favorite bits are Joyce's journal entries. I'm not sure if I have a favorite character, but she had me smiling the most. I'm excited to read the other installments.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexism, Blood, and Pregnancy
divine529's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
This was a bit of an odd book for me. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but if I was away, I never really felt compelled to pick it up.
The setting was different and I really enjoyed the characters overall and their friendship, but the plot was a bit more complicated than it needed to be. There was so much going on and it often pulled me out of the story. So many murders and pieces at play and somehow everything was connected and wrapped up nicely at the end (for the most part).
I figured out the killer for the first murder as soon as they walked on page because there's a stereotype with specific kinds of characters and it was disappointing that they fell into that same thing over and over again. The thing about knowing that though, it didn't explain anything and there really weren't many clues along the way to lead you there unless you squinted. Elizabeth just seemed to know everything from the start and pretended she didn't for the benefit of everyone else. Given her background that makes some sense, but still, it should be more of a group effort than one being a puppetmaster and everyone else the puppets to the point where several of the characters just kind of notice it and roll with it. The writing and pacing also had a lot of issues too.
The relationships are truly where this book was in its element and some of the sleuthing was fun to read, but overall it was fun and I will probably continue just to see if they improve a bit, but slightly disappointing.
The setting was different and I really enjoyed the characters overall and their friendship, but the plot was a bit more complicated than it needed to be. There was so much going on and it often pulled me out of the story. So many murders and pieces at play and somehow everything was connected and wrapped up nicely at the end (for the most part).
I figured out the killer for the first murder as soon as they walked on page because there's a stereotype with specific kinds of characters and it was disappointing that they fell into that same thing over and over again. The thing about knowing that though, it didn't explain anything and there really weren't many clues along the way to lead you there unless you squinted. Elizabeth just seemed to know everything from the start and pretended she didn't for the benefit of everyone else. Given her background that makes some sense, but still, it should be more of a group effort than one being a puppetmaster and everyone else the puppets to the point where several of the characters just kind of notice it and roll with it. The writing and pacing also had a lot of issues too.
The relationships are truly where this book was in its element and some of the sleuthing was fun to read, but overall it was fun and I will probably continue just to see if they improve a bit, but slightly disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Violence, Dementia, and Grief
Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Pregnancy