The Thursday Murder Club

• Read: 1 Oct 2026 - 12 Oct 2026

• Author: Richard Osman

• Year: 2020

• Pages: 381

• Remarks: Thursday Murder Club Series Book 1

• Synopsis:

  • In a peaceful Kentish retirement village of Coopers Chase, four unlikely residents - Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim, formed a secret club that met weekly to investigate unsolved cold cases. Their routine was upended when a local property developer's associate was brutally murdered, presenting the amateur sleuths with a real, live crime to solve. Leveraging their varied life experiences and the tendency of society to underestimate them, the sharp-witted retirees deftly inserted themselves into the official police enquiry, led by DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna De Freitas, to track down the killer.

[12 Oct 2026] ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ (2020), by Richard Osman.

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Reading Background:

• Since the start of Oct 2026, the haze shrouding Singapore appears to have worsened. It has reached a point where it's unsafe to exercise outdoors. The skyline has remained hazy day after day, and I have resorted to running on the treadmill - something I dislike, but have no other choice. Really getting frustrating.

• I am also currently on ICT. Thankfully, we are having some WFH days, and I have been able to get some rest, exercise regularly, and read my books as well.

• Could have finished this book earlier, but was rather distracted over the last 2 weekends. There was the Bahrain GP in Malaysia last weekend, and we invited J's family over to watch the Race! Then over the weekend that just passed, it was the Singapore GP! Enjoyed it live on Days 1 and 2, and at home on Day 3. Plus, we bought nice McLaren Singapore-edition merch for ourselves and our families too! It would have been perfect if McLaren had done well, but sadly it wasn't to be. Sigh, oh well.

• This book was actually introduced to me by Kym, Isa and Ange separately back in 2023/2024. I hadn't read it myself, but I still recommended it to Phy and G. All of them gave very positive reviews!  

What I enjoyed about the book:

• The well developed characters and their heart-warming stories.

  • I was very touched by the stories of the characters in the book - the love between elderly couples, between the parents and their children, between lifelong friends, and so on. 

  • It got to a point where I found myself reading not because I was eager to find out who the perpetrators were (as I usually am when I read mystery crime books), but because I wanted to learn more about the various characters and their stories. Many of them left a deep impression, and their bittersweet stories truly warmed my heart. 

• The insight into the perspectives of elderly folks.

  • This book is set in a retirement community, and whilst these residents form only a small, privileged segment of the elderly population, I really appreciated the insight into some of their lived realities. 

  • Examples include: the struggles they face navigating a society and technological landscape vastly different from the one they were born into; the fear and utter helplessness they and their loved ones feel during the onset of dementia; the calm acceptance that death could take them or their friends away at any time; the appreciation of every single day and the desire to make full use of it; and the profound and devastating sense of numb emptiness they suffer when their soulmates pass away.

• The writing style.

  • I felt that Osman writes well and I liked how the story was delivered. 

  • There were thrilling and mysterious moments that compelled me to flip (or rather, scroll) through the pages, even whilst walking. There were also bits of light-heartedness and humour which made me chuckle. There were also several clever misdirections (especially by playing on reader assumptions) which I found brilliant! 

What I found less enjoyable about the book:

• The pacing.

  • Although I generally prefer books with shorter chapters (as it is nice to easily reach a "checkpoint" to take a pause), this book had too many chapters (125 in total), and some were extremely short. 

  • The experience was akin to reading a page filled with far too many unnecessary punctuation marks, or taking a ride in a taxi that keeps accelerating and braking every few metres. This "start-stop" pacing became a little bit frustrating at times because it broke my reading momentum.  

My overall thoughts:

• I enjoyed this book tremendously! Now I understand why G said she liked this series a lot, and why Kym, Isa, Ange and Phy all highly recommended it haha. So grateful to them for the great recco!

• I really liked how the characters, both the main and secondary cast, were all very well-developed. Most of them are elderly, and I found so much warmth and love in their touching stories. I also found it illuminating to step into their shoes, learning about the myriad of emotions they go through as they navigate the realities of their sunset years. This is the closest experience I have had to gerontological studies.

• I also generally liked Osman's writing style - the humour, misdirection, thrills, and mystery were all enjoyable. I just found the pacing to be a bit less than ideal, though it didn't detract from the experience too much.

• I read online that many readers were unhappy with the ending, G included, and in a way I can understand why. Some felt the ending was abrupt, or was left open-ended without proper closure. However, I thought it was fine, and I actually liked it! The ending scene felt heart-warming to me, and there was sufficient denouement in the last chapter to let readers to wind down! 

• Hyped to read the second book in the series next, leggo! 

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• Chapters 1-5

  • Joyce described meeting Elizabeth over lunch at Coopers Chase retirement village, where Elizabeth asked for her medical opinion on stab wound mortality. PC Donna De Freitas gave a security presentation to the residents, but was challenged on broader issues by Elizabeth, Ibrahim, and Ron, who invited her to lunch and introduced the Thursday Murder Club. Coopers Chase was described as a peaceful retirement village built on former convent grounds. Joyce formally joined the club, replacing Penny Gray, to review cold cases in the Jigsaw Room under the cover of a fake activity, whilst noting upcoming village expansion plans. Meanwhile, developer Ian Ventham met Polish builder Bogdan Jankowski to fire contractor Tony Curran and replace him with Bogdan ahead of a tense village consultation.

• Chapters 6-10

  • At the consultation meeting, former trade union leader Ron Ritchie vocally challenged Ian Ventham over his plans to expand into the Woodlands. Father Matthew Mackie watched silently from the back row while Ron, his son Jason, and Joyce observed Ventham and Curran engaging in a heated argument outside. Jason departed after warning Ron to stay out of trouble, leaving Ron and Joyce to watch the row come to an end. Ventham then visited Karen Playfair to discuss acquiring land for his ambitious Hillcrest project, reflecting on his cut-throat business tactics. Back at his home, a furious Tony Curran was struck on the head with a heavy spanner by an unseen killer, leaving him dead next to a mysterious photograph of three men with cash.

• Chapters 11-15

  • Elizabeth visited Ibrahim at dawn with news of Curran's murder, organising a plan to manipulate the police investigation. Over at Fairhaven police station, PC Donna De Freitas overheard details of the case from DCI Chris Hudson and glimpsed the crime scene photograph showing Curran, Bobby Tanner, and Jason Ritchie. Joyce recorded Curran's death in her diary as Elizabeth began taking charge of their secret enquiry. Elizabeth also visited the bedridden Penny Gray at the Willows nursing home, promising to keep her updated on Ventham's potential involvement. Later, Joyce enjoyed her weekly minibus trip into Fairhaven with fellow residents, soaking up local gossip about the murder.

• Chapters 16-20

  • Elizabeth accompanied Joyce into Fairhaven and took her straight to the police station to see Donna. Meanwhile, DCI Chris Hudson examined Curran's criminal past in drug dealing and the unresolved Black Bridge pub shooting. In an interview room, Elizabeth manipulated Donna by offering her a way onto the murder squad in exchange for insider details. Chris visited Ibrahim and Ron at Coopers Chase, where the two men conditioned their cooperation on Donna being added to the official investigation team. Joyce noted in her diary that being routinely overlooked as an elderly woman would serve as her greatest asset during the investigation.

• Chapters 21-25

  • Bogdan Jankowski relaxed at Ventham's house before Father Matthew Mackie arrived to plead for the preservation of the Garden of Eternal Rest cemetery, which Ventham flatly refused. Elizabeth interrupted Joyce's hairdressing appointment to take her to London, where Joyce's daughter Joanna had a colleague analyse Ventham's business accounts, revealing Ventham stood to gain 12,000,000 pounds from Curran's death. Elizabeth tracked her cognitive health using a daily diary quiz whilst caring for her memory-impaired husband Stephen. Thanks to Elizabeth's clever manoeuvring, Donna was officially assigned to work alongside DCI Chris Hudson, and the pair bonded over ice cream before heading to interview Ventham.

• Chapters 26-30

  • Joyce wrote about her late husband Gerry and her growing commitment to the investigation. Driving to Ventham's house, Chris and Donna discussed whether the crime scene photograph was a genuine clue or a red herring. During their interview, Ventham dismissed his argument with Curran as a minor dispute over sprinklers and claimed an alibi visiting Gordon and Karen Playfair. Chris and Donna then visited Coopers Chase, where the retirees plied Chris with lemon drizzle cake to extract police details. Meanwhile, Father Matthew Mackie walked through the cemetery, reflecting on his deep personal resolve to protect the holy ground.

• Chapters 31-35

  • Chris shared key details about the absence of security footage, while Elizabeth handed him a file exposing Ventham's financial arrangements with Curran. Chris and Donna questioned Jason Ritchie, who denied knowing Tanner's whereabouts or the significance of the photograph. Elizabeth visited Penny at the nursing home, where Penny's husband John Gray revealed he saw Ventham's Range Rover driving down the hill at precisely 3:00 on the day of the murder. Elizabeth texted Donna to confirm Curran's time of death, which was established at 3:32 via his broken Fitbit. Joyce recorded these developments in her diary, looking forward to an upcoming mystery excursion.

• Chapters 36-40

  • Donna cut short a dull date with a trainer named Gregor, reflecting on her move from London and feeling grateful for her new alliance with the Thursday Murder Club. Late at night, Elizabeth called Donna to outline the 12,000,000-pound motive created when Curran's stake reverted to Ventham. The club embarked on a road trip in Ron's Daihatsu, driven slowly by Ibrahim to time the route from Coopers Chase to Curran's house. Chris presented the financial motive to his team, whilst receiving real-time text updates from Elizabeth. Meanwhile, resident Bernard Cottle sat alone on his bench, overwhelmed by grief and staring at the development site.

• Chapters 41-45

  • Parked near Curran's house, Ibrahim calculated that Ventham could have left Coopers Chase at 3:00 and reached Curran's house by 3:29, leaving 3 minutes to commit the murder. At his home, Ventham ordered Bogdan to deploy heavy machinery immediately to dig up the cemetery. Joyce summarised their timing findings in her diary, confirming Ventham had both motive and opportunity. Night fell across Coopers Chase as residents dealt with their own thoughts, including Stephen's failing memory and Bernard's silent misery. Early the next morning, resident Edwin Ellidge spotted diggers arriving, prompting Ron to rally residents into a human barricade at the cemetery gates.

• Chapters 46-50

  • Donna alerted Chris to a distress call from Coopers Chase, while Father Mackie was warned of the impending cemetery destruction. Residents gathered at the gates, forming a firm barricade as Ron delivered impassioned speeches. Elizabeth walked up to Bernard's bench and questioned Bogdan, who confirmed he had access to Curran's house but denied killing him, before heading into the cemetery with a spade. Joyce recorded the unfolding standoff as Chris and Donna arrived to manage the conflict. Father Mackie arrived by taxi, blessing the protesters and preparing to confront Ventham directly.

• Chapters 51-55

  • Joyce described Father Mackie's tense arrival as hostility mounted between Ventham and the crowd. In the cemetery, Bogdan unearthing an older grave discovered an extra set of human bones resting on top of an 1871 coffin, quickly reburying them as sirens approached. Down at the gates, Ventham shoved Father Mackie, causing Chris to intervene with threats of arrest. Furious, Ventham backed away towards his car, suddenly gasped for air, collapsed, and died on the spot. Joyce reflected on Ventham's death in her diary, noting few would mourn him. Chris later revealed to his team that Ventham was murdered via a lethal injection of fentanyl administered during the scuffle.

• Chapters 56-60

  • The Thursday Murder Club met in the Jigsaw Room to analyse photos of Ventham's body, using Ibrahim's spreadsheet of 71 attendees to narrow down the primary suspects to 30. Chris briefed his team on the fentanyl finding, suspecting Ventham's murder was linked to Curran's death. Elizabeth visited Penny, where John Gray suggested investigating who stood to lose the most from the project. Chris reviewed speed camera records, finding Jason Ritchie's car parked near Curran's house for 12 minutes at the exact time of death. Bogdan visited Elizabeth's flat, played chess with Stephen, and asked Elizabeth to meet him in the cemetery after dark.

• Chapters 61-65

  • Chris and Donna discovered an untraceable phone that called Curran three times on the morning of his death belonged to Jason Ritchie. They interviewed Jason at an ice rink, but he refused to answer questions about the timing or phone records. Elizabeth met Bogdan at Larkin Court, walking up to the moonlit cemetery where Bogdan revealed the extra skeleton from the 1970s. Realising an unknown body was illicitly buried decades earlier, Elizabeth instructed Bogdan to cover the grave while she investigated. Meanwhile, Joyce spent a pleasant day in Fairhaven with her daughter Joanna.

• Chapters 66-70

  • Ibrahim and Ron drank whisky while evaluating their suspect list, giving Father Mackie a 10 out of 10 and Bernard Cottle a 9. Jason Ritchie reflected on his past in the 2000s with Curran, Tanner, and Turkish Johnny, recalling the fatal shooting at the Black Bridge pub and the murder of a taxi driver. Jason met Ron to show him the anonymous photograph sent to his house, swearing he did not kill Curran. Chris and Donna interrogated Father Mackie, exposing him as Dr Michael Matthew Noel Mackie, a retired GP who was never a real priest. Jason met the club in a steam room, explaining he visited Curran's house but received no answer, prompting Elizabeth to agree to track down Tanner and Johnny.

• Chapters 71-75

  • The club brought in forensic expert Sir Austin late at night to examine the skeleton, confirming it belonged to a man buried in the 1970s who had suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. Joyce described Sir Austin examining the bones over cake in her flat. Chris and Donna suspected Dr Mackie was protecting a secret buried in the cemetery. Ibrahim hosted a follow-up Skype call with Sir Austin, while Joyce prepared lunch for an increasingly frail Bernard Cottle. Chris and Donna discussed Mackie's motives at a service station before accepting Elizabeth's invitation for sherry at Coopers Chase.

• Chapters 76-80

  • Elizabeth revealed the 1970s skeleton to a stunned Chris and Donna, defusing Chris's anger by suggesting the police officially discover the bones the next day. Joyce noted in her diary that the police were now cooperating on the bones and expressed faith in Elizabeth's hunt for Tanner and Johnny. Chris drank whisky in a bar, reflecting on his solitude and the overlapping murder cases. Elizabeth and Joyce travelled to Folkestone, locating Bobby Tanner operating as a florist under the name Peter Ward. Tanner proved he was working during Curran's murder via CCTV and suggested Turkish Johnny was the killer.

• Chapters 81-85

  • Ibrahim and Ron joined Bernard Cottle on his bench, but when Ron pressed him about his constant presence, Bernard quietly rebuked him and walked away. Joyce detailed their Folkestone trip in her diary, explaining how Elizabeth used flower delivery records to find Tanner. Late at night, an unknown intruder picked the lock of the allotment shed at Coopers Chase. Chris and Donna met Jason and Tanner in the Jigsaw Room, where Tanner revealed Johnny had stolen over 100,000 pounds from Curran before fleeing to Cyprus. Jason and Tanner then met gym owner Steve Ercan to trace Johnny's location.

• Chapters 86-90

  • Donna checked flight records to Cyprus while Elizabeth took her to see the comatose Penny Gray at the nursing home. Joyce grew terrified when Bernard failed to answer his daily check-in call. The club gathered as Joyce read Bernard's suicide note, which revealed that following his wife Asima's death, he swapped her ashes with bonemeal and buried her real ashes in a tea caddy under the bench; when workers cemented the bench down, he became trapped in grief and guilt. Chris unjammed a photocopier before preparing to fly to Cyprus. Joyce reflected on Bernard's death and noted that Ventham's widow was selling the development to Bramley Holdings.

• Chapters 91-95

  • Elizabeth and Joyce interviewed local farmer Gordon Playfair, who had lived on the hill since the 1970s when Coopers Chase was a convent. Looking through Gordon's photo albums, they found a 1970s Christmas party picture showing a young Dr Matthew Mackie at the convent. Elizabeth arranged a meeting with Dr Mackie in the chapel confessional. In Nicosia, Chris interviewed Demir Gunduz, the imprisoned crime boss father of Johnny Gunduz, but Demir refused to reveal his son's location. Dr Mackie walked to Saint Michael's chapel, reflecting on the tragedy that ruined his life 50 years earlier.

• Chapters 96-100

  • Chris ran into Ron and Ibrahim at the airport in Cyprus, discovering Elizabeth had sent them on a parallel lead. Inside the confessional, Elizabeth tricked Dr Mackie into admitting his past, then asked why he killed Ventham. Joyce waited nervously outside, ready to call Donna if Elizabeth did not emerge. Elizabeth and Dr Mackie walked to the grave of Sister Margaret Anne, where Chris found them. In the Jigsaw Room, Dr Mackie confessed that in 1971, as a young priest, he fell in love with pregnant Sister Margaret Anne; after another nun reported her, Maggie hanged herself, and Mackie struck a deal with the mother superior to stay near her grave under a fake identity.

• Chapters 101-105

  • Gordon Playfair shared beers with Ibrahim, Elizabeth, and Joyce, relieved the development turmoil was ending. Jason gave Ron and Joyce VIP television tickets and revealed he set up a Tinder profile to trap the killer. Joyce rejected online dating in her diary. Karen Playfair went on a Tinder date with Jason at Le Pont Noir and laughed off his murder accusations; however, looking at a village newsletter, she recognised John Gray's face in an old photo. Chris and Donna visited Steve's Gym, where Steve handed over 5,000 euros left by Johnny Gunduz before he vanished permanently.

• Chapters 106-110

  • Elizabeth, Ron, and Ibrahim confronted John Gray in Penny's room, presenting evidence linking him to the murders. Chris reviewed files in his office, attempting to piece together remaining clues. John Gray confessed to everything: 50 years ago, Peter Mercer murdered his girlfriend Annie Madeley, and Inspector Penny Gray secretly killed Mercer, burying him in the graveyard (the skeleton Bogdan found). Decades later, when Ventham threatened to dig up the site, John killed Ventham with a fentanyl syringe during the protest to protect Penny's secret. Chris ate curry at home, texting Donna. John Gray finished his confession and was granted a final private moment with Penny, where he ended both their lives peacefully.

• Chapters 111-115

  • Chris visited Donna's flat, meeting her mother Patrice and enjoying a warm family evening. Elizabeth bade a final farewell to Penny and John, who died peacefully together. Chris closed an email request from Demir Gunduz, satisfied Johnny was no longer a threat. Bogdan played chess with Stephen, quietly confessing he killed Tony Curran because Curran and Johnny had murdered his friend Kazimir years ago. Joyce concluded her diary: Penny and John were buried together; Joanna's firm Bramley Holdings bought the site, saving the cemetery; Gordon moved to Coopers Chase; Father Mackie visited Maggie's new headstone including their son Patrick; Joyce scattered Bernard and Asima's ashes together in the sea; and the club prepared to solve a new mystery note slipped under Elizabeth's door.