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naomi_k's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Suicide, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
lunep's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book affected me quite a bit I think. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to continue it because the writing style was A Choice and I was kinda confused (probably because I tried to start it while there was a bunch of conversation around me), but I'm glad I stuck it out until everything started to make sense (I only needed a couple of chapters until the different plot-lines started to mesh tbf)
This book was...so lovely. I didn't remember the cast was a bunch of elderly people, but they were so funny and lovable, I have to admit I have a soft spot for elderly people. One would think murder mysteries deal a whole lot with making sense of our own mortality, but I think I haven't found one that really does it until this one, and it's not even because these octogenarians are solving a murder, but because they are octogenarians
The plot was full of twists and I didn't even try to figure out who was the murderer (ok maybe just a little, at first I was sure it had been Father Mackie but I even wrote in my note that it seemed to obvious, and for a moment there at the end I was scared it might be Joyce), and to be honest I wouldnt have gotten it, I for sure did not see it coming, but I've come to realize these kind of books dont give enough information to figure it out yourself anyway, so I don't mind never figuring it out, I enjoyed the ride nonetheless tho I did end up a little confused about Ian's murderer reveal. The first story John told the thursday murder club made sense, because they said he worked around there I think? My ipad is charging, I might need to check it later, so like, it checks out that the body they found could have been that guy whose horse John put to sleep; but when they reveal it was actually that asshole from the murder they were investigating when Elizabeth roped Joyce into the club, that Penny had killed...I can believe that, but did they live around there, then? Coopers Chase didn't exist yet, it was stil a convent...so why did Penny bury him in the Garden of Eternal Rest? And then did she decide they should move there to keep an eye out? Like John had said? But John also mentioned something about always going to sit by the hill and then Penny made them stop...idk, that part was confusing to me, if someone reads this and understood better, pls explain?
Also I think the fact that they're 70+ year old pensioners adds to the story, of course, it could work if they were younger and, say, working in the police, like Donna and Chris, but the fact that they're 4 old men and women, who have backgrounds that can help, and whose age definitely helps butter people up...it just makes it funner I think, it also allows, of course, for the characters to have experience to draw from, and that kind of wisdom that comes with age, and I think it elevates the book from just a fun murder mystery (like a Poirot, no shade to Agatha Christie ofc) to a book that also leaves some important insights and messages
I also loved the secondary characters, Donna and Chris, who I already mentioned (I was scared for a moment there that Osman would make them an age-gap couple, but I really enjoyed what he did with their relationship instead), and also Bogdan (who I think is my favorite, he's such a sweetheart in his own way) and Father Mackie, I think Osman did a great job adding them to the POV roster to give more insight into their characters (also? I ended up finding the writing style hilarious, how it can go from one theme to another and it's still easy to follow, it felt kinda like my head) through their backstory, making them maybe not fully fleshed out characters yet, but definitely more than props/means-to-an-end
Also Ian Ventham was a insane character, every time we got his POV I couldnt help but laugh out loud at how much of a horrible human being he was
I think this book definitely became a new favorite, and I might look for it in spanish so my mom can read it
This book was...so lovely. I didn't remember the cast was a bunch of elderly people, but they were so funny and lovable, I have to admit I have a soft spot for elderly people. One would think murder mysteries deal a whole lot with making sense of our own mortality, but I think I haven't found one that really does it until this one, and it's not even because these octogenarians are solving a murder, but because they are octogenarians
The plot was full of twists and I didn't even try to figure out who was the murderer (ok maybe just a little, at first I was sure it had been Father Mackie but I even wrote in my note that it seemed to obvious, and for a moment there at the end I was scared it might be Joyce), and to be honest I wouldnt have gotten it, I for sure did not see it coming, but I've come to realize these kind of books dont give enough information to figure it out yourself anyway, so I don't mind never figuring it out, I enjoyed the ride nonetheless
Also I think the fact that they're 70+ year old pensioners adds to the story, of course, it could work if they were younger and, say, working in the police, like Donna and Chris, but the fact that they're 4 old men and women, who have backgrounds that can help, and whose age definitely helps butter people up...it just makes it funner I think, it also allows, of course, for the characters to have experience to draw from, and that kind of wisdom that comes with age, and I think it elevates the book from just a fun murder mystery (like a Poirot, no shade to Agatha Christie ofc) to a book that also leaves some important insights and messages
I also loved the secondary characters, Donna and Chris, who I already mentioned (I was scared for a moment there that Osman would make them an age-gap couple, but I really enjoyed what he did with their relationship instead), and also Bogdan (who I think is my favorite, he's such a sweetheart in his own way) and Father Mackie, I think Osman did a great job adding them to the POV roster to give more insight into their characters (also? I ended up finding the writing style hilarious, how it can go from one theme to another and it's still easy to follow, it felt kinda like my head) through their backstory, making them maybe not fully fleshed out characters yet, but definitely more than props/means-to-an-end
Also Ian Ventham was a insane character, every time we got his POV I couldnt help but laugh out loud at how much of a horrible human being he was
I think this book definitely became a new favorite, and I might look for it in spanish so my mom can read it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Fatphobia, Suicide, Xenophobia, Dementia, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Medical content, and Pregnancy
bronzel's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Body shaming, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Dementia, and Murder
Minor: Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
taylormoore's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Murder
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Racism and Dementia
megelizabeth's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
"The daffodils will always come up by the lake, but you won’t always be there to see them. So it goes; enjoy them while you can."
Reading this a few years after its release, I couldn't help but feel it didn't quite live up to all the hype, but I still enjoyed it overall. It's well-written with an interesting plot and fun set of characters, and it's of course very witty and full of a very specific British humour which I appreciated. It's also a great combination of gripping and fast-paced on the one hand, and then complex, layered, and bittersweet on the other, with important things to say about ageing, relationships, and illness and death.
My main issue with this book is that there's a significant part of the ending which just didn't make sense to me at all, in terms of a certain character's actions and the impact that these then have on the plot. Maybe I was missing something, but it just seemed so out of character for me that it was difficult to look past, particularly as otherwise I found the various strands of the mystery to be wrapped up in a satisfying way.
On a lesser note - and perhaps more of a personal preference - I wish that more of the story had been told from Joyce's point of view and particularly that the police officer characters had been less prominent.
I'm not sure if I'll pick up the next book, as there were definitely elements of this that I really liked and I do enjoy Osman's writing style, but there were also big drawbacks for me. I suppose time will tell!
Reading this a few years after its release, I couldn't help but feel it didn't quite live up to all the hype, but I still enjoyed it overall. It's well-written with an interesting plot and fun set of characters, and it's of course very witty and full of a very specific British humour which I appreciated. It's also a great combination of gripping and fast-paced on the one hand, and then complex, layered, and bittersweet on the other, with important things to say about ageing, relationships, and illness and death.
My main issue with this book is that there's a significant part of the ending which just didn't make sense to me at all, in terms of a certain character's actions and the impact that these then have on the plot. Maybe I was missing something, but it just seemed so out of character for me that it was difficult to look past, particularly as otherwise I found the various strands of the mystery to be wrapped up in a satisfying way.
On a lesser note - and perhaps more of a personal preference - I wish that more of the story had been told from Joyce's point of view and particularly that the police officer characters had been less prominent.
I'm not sure if I'll pick up the next book, as there were definitely elements of this that I really liked and I do enjoy Osman's writing style, but there were also big drawbacks for me. I suppose time will tell!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Racism and Sexual assault
cooliuscaesar451's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
4.25
It starts off slowly but the characters suck you in ❤️ I found myself verklempt time and time again at the end.
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, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Classism, and Deportation
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Pregnancy
luananki's review against another edition
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
2.75
sad to say, that this one just wasn‘t it, but positive aspect first: i loved the characters, i had a lot of fun reading a mystery from an elderly person‘s pov.
the mystery didn’t catch me at all, it had way too many plots that didn’t even connect with each other at the end. if the book had been written from one or two povs, i would have enjoyed it so much more but with so many characters introduced and puzzles to solve it was very confusing to get into.
also, the sexist and racist comments in between could have been left out, they had nothing to do with the story.
all in all, lovely characters, great setting but the execution was not what i expected it to be
the mystery didn’t catch me at all, it had way too many plots that didn’t even connect with each other at the end. if the book had been written from one or two povs, i would have enjoyed it so much more but with so many characters introduced and puzzles to solve it was very confusing to get into.
also, the sexist and racist comments in between could have been left out, they had nothing to do with the story.
all in all, lovely characters, great setting but the execution was not what i expected it to be
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Dementia, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.5
I picked up The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman because I liked the idea of reading a mystery set in a retirement village!
Blurb:
Four members of a retirement community form a club to discuss and try to solve cold cases. When one of the people who helped build their community is murdered, they decide to take the opportunity to solve a real-life murder case.
Review:
It is easy to see why The Thursday Murder Club gained such buzz when it was released. The writing is clever, the elderly members of the Thursday Murder Club are endearing and well-written, and the book (especially the first half) is chock full of humor. I laughed out loud several times while reading. At the same time, the retirement community setting—a place that is both lively and sober, given the age of its members—offers an opportunity for touching and poignant moments as the characters face the realities of aging and losing loved ones.
Toward the end of the novel, as Osman works to tie up the loose ends to the main mysteries, the red herring mysteries, and almost every other random plot point he has introduced, I started to feel lost in the weeds. The book contains an unusually large supporting cast of characters, and nearly every single one of them had their own ending or mystery that Osman felt the need to address. The focus shifted away from the main Thursday Murder Club members, draining the story of much of its initial humor and heart. Although I enjoyed watching the police and the senior citizens work through the clues and the mystery step by step, I was disappointed that the author still opted for the surprise “info-dump” resolution to the mysteries instead of letting the reader figure out the solution at the same time as the characters.
The story also suffers from occasional tonal dissonance as Osman tries to make the narrative funny, cerebral, lighthearted, serious, and exciting. One throwaway line that stuck out to me in this regard was a remark about one of the main police characters: “She had arrested a shoplifter in Fairhaven last week, and when he had struggled, she had brought him down with a baton between the knees. She was aware she had hit him much harder than she should. Sometimes you just had to hit things” (124-25). That line greatly disturbs me, as it paints police brutality as something that is normal and relatable. The book completely glosses over the problematic nature of referring to a person as a “thing” that can be beaten by police to let out their excess anger. There were other similar, if less alarming, instances where Osman occasionally drops the ball when trying to juggle multiple tones.
Overall, I enjoyed many aspects of The Thursday Murder Club, but my enjoyment waned significantly as the story went on. I do not feel compelled to pick up any of the story’s sequels.
The Run-Down:
You will probably like The Thursday Murder Club if:
· You are a fan of cozy, small-town murder mysteries
· Following a quirky cast of elderly crime solvers sounds like fun
· You enjoy stories that alternate between humorous remarks, serious reflections on life and death, and crime investigation
You might not like The Thursday Murder Club if:
· You prefer simpler mysteries
· You don’t like having to keep track of multiple characters and plotlines
· You are upset by people making light of murder
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Suicide, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, and Religious bigotry
johanna08's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
imreads's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
The story was rather slower, and it felt like it was distracted by the c plot from time to time.
I enjoyed the main cast of characters, Ibrahim and Donna, being one of my favourites.
My only main criticisms with the book is too many red herrings and the story seems to drag on longer than necessary, and when the last twist happens, we are jolted to a obvious set up for the next story. Also, the xenophobia, misogyny (and one racist joke between Ibrahim and Ron) was uncomfortable and honestly revolting to get through. Let's just say I was glad Ian died, good riddance. The reoccurring casual xenophobia was disgusting. If the book wasn't at least entertaining, I would've lowered the rating or DNF this book.
However, I enjoyed the groups friendship and the unlikely friendships along the way.
I enjoyed the main cast of characters, Ibrahim and Donna, being one of my favourites.
My only main criticisms with the book is
However, I enjoyed the groups friendship and the unlikely friendships along the way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicide
Moderate: Misogyny, Xenophobia, Dementia, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Racism
There is numerous xenophobic statements by one character and misogynistic statements. I wouldn't recommend this book if you can't handle topics of s*icide, misogyny, xenophobia/racism and death.