The next review of the year, is something a bit different from my other reads so far of 2023. This time we are dabbling in a bit of murder mystery with The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.
For my secret Santa present at work I received the third book in the series, The bullet that missed, but problem is, I hadn’t read the previous two, and being the sort of person I am, I had to go back to the beginning so I picked this up one day in town.
The Thursday Murder Club is about a group on pensioners living in a retirement complex. When a newcomer appears by the name of Joyce, who is an ex-nurse the group decide to invite her to the Thursday murder club to discuss previous cold cases and try and spot potential leads or clues that the police didn’t pick up on. Basically, they each become a version of Sherlock Holmes.
However, when an actual murder happens in their small town, they can’t help but carry out their own investigation, which is where things start getting a bit sticky.
I didn’t know much going into this except that it is a cosy murder mystery, but it will also make you laugh so much. The group of pensions each have their own personalities and traits from the sensible Elizabeth to the eccentric Ron, each character stands out for their own reasons. My favourite is Elizabeth. Not because of a certain sharing of names but because I feel she is the most complex character and you can tell she is hiding secrets beneath her calm, sensible exterior.
This is a very character driven story and I loved each and every one of the characters, with the exception of the complex owner, Ian who you are basically made to loathe. It is a tale of friendship, of growing old, of the consequences of being curious, but also of secrets as there are plenty of them in this book.
As you may well know by now, if you have read a few of my reviews, I love a good multi narrative story, and this one is no exception. From the newest member of the murder club, ex nurse, Joyce to the lovable Elizabeth, each chapter provides us with further insights into their traits, desires, and possible motives. As the story progresses, we get a good rounded picture of each of the main characters, and you can’t help but feel for them.
Like all murder mysteries they leave you hanging until the end, and I am not ashamed to admit I didn’t guess the murderer right but loved the twists and turns and of course the journey to get to the end.
If you like your strait laced, serious murder mysteries which is all about the case and nothing else, don’t get this book.
It is less about the murder at times and more about the characters and how they come to the outcome, so the path to the verdict is windy with plenty of twists and turns. But the strength and roundedness of each characters keeps the reader engaged.
If you are looking for a cosy, charming murder mystery that will have you smiling and laughing throughout, I highly recommend this book.
The one thing I didn’t expect this book to do is make me cry and it did this twice. It makes you laugh a lot more but the emotional scenes were unexpected and sudden which I think is why they have a more profound effect on the reader.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – a hilarious and cosy murder mystery which is sure to brighten any cold or boring evening. Highly recommend!!
Have you read this book? Are you into cosy murder mysteries? If so which are your favourites? Let me know in the comments below.
Much love 💘
Lizzieslittlebooknook 