I was pretty excited waiting for this book to come out, I pre-ordered it as an audiobook as this worked out as the cheapest way for me to buy it. I like Richard Osman, he seems like a nice and intelligent chap, and I guess I was expecting a more cerebral book than The Thursday Murder Club turned out to be. It’s not deep. Set in a retirement village in Kent, the cast of characters are a group of old people who have set up a club looking at old unsolved crimes to try to work out whodunnit (the Thursday Murder Club of the title), two police officers, and a small gang of shady characters including the owner of the retirement village. When members of the shady gang start to be killed, and old bones are discovered, the Thursday Murder Club decide to solve these crimes. I liked how the book had a very positive world view, with most people being basically good and kind and well meaning, and I liked the gentle humour and the relatable conversations between characters about things like which shops make the best cakes and biscuits. There are some very touching moments as the subjects of bereavement and dementia are never far away from the inhabitants of an old people’s home. I got a bit bored in the middle, and found my attention wandering as I listened (although many books, in fact, probably the majority, dip in the middle) but I got back into it towards the end. The audiobook has an interview with Richard Osman by the Irish Author Marian Keyes (which is sick makingly sycophantic) in which he admits that he didn’t do any planning but just made things up as he went along, which is (I’m afraid) fairly obvious from the meandering and not well structured way the plot plays out. Saying that, I think I will buy and read the next book in the series when it’s released, as I did, overall enjoy reading this gentle ‘cosy mystery’ story.
Sarah Wray Writer 