The Thursday Murder Club: The Record-Breaking Sunday Times Number One… (original 2020; udgave 2020)

Convoluted and Confusing
Review of the Pamela Dorman hardcover edition (Sept. 2020)

Unpopular Opinion Alert.
Just as with "The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" (2018) i'm in the minority against the gushing 4-5 star reviews on this one. About 1% of ratings here are 1-star and 2% are 2-star. 7½ Deaths was convoluted as well, but at least it became interesting when the reveal came. The Thursday Murder Club started off as promising, but became tiresome and wore out its welcome. The concluding solution (and an unresolved non-solution, grrr...) of so-and-so murdered so-and-so because of so-and-so murdering so-and-so because of so-and-so murdering so-and-so was just too absurd.

Too many protagonists, too many suspects, too many red herrings, too much cutesy patronizing, etc. just couldn't accept it all. i still love the concept of a group of seniors solving cold cases that the authorities can't be bothered with. There was at least some humour here esp. with Joyce's commentary. That got it into 2-star territory and rescued it from 1-star for me.

i've read a lot of classic cozy mysteries and golden age of crime during the lockdown, so perhaps i am just too old-school for this new-school of convoluted high concept stuff.

i read The Thursday Murder Club due to its nomination for Best Novel in the 2021 Edgar Awards by the Mystery Writers of America. The 75th Annual Edgar® Awards will be celebrated on April 29, 2021. ( )

Coopers Chase is an upscale retirement community with lots of activities for residents: jigsaw puzzling, Pilates class, Zumba, and The Thursday Murder Club. The murder club has four diverse members who become involved in investigating murders close to their home.

This was a delightful book and very funny. Joyce, a retired nurse and current newsletter writer, Elizabeth, a mystery woman, Ron, a famed Labor leader, and Ibrahim with a methodical approach to everything make up this club. Their investigation leads to "cooperation" with two local police officers who are outcasts in their own right. ( )

A cozy (and exclusive) retirement village in the beautiful Kentish countryside. A greedy developer. A young female cop who’s inexplicably moved from big city excitement to sleepy Kent. And a quartet of elderly residents whose favourite part of the week is their club meeting, where they discuss unsolved murders and try to come up with the culprit. Until, that is, murders start occurring in their own neck of the woods…. “The Thursday Murder Club” is the debut novel from a well-known (in England) quiz show host, which you wouldn’t think would necessarily mean he’d be a good writer, but Mr. Osman is just perfect, at least with this book, blending humour and pathos with tremendous compassion and just enough acidity to keep things lively. This is one of those books where the reader keeps on hoping that they’ll never reach the end of it, because then it will be over and how sad will that be! Joyce, Elizabeth, Red Ron and Ibrahim are wonderful elders who remind us that people who are old have stories to tell, and Donna and Chris are the most sympathetic coppers one can imagine. I really, really hope there’ll be more adventures from this group; very highly recommended! ( )

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves the Thursday Murder Club. When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it's too late?

This was a fun story with very lively and distinct characters who are all retirees but very interested and serious about figuring out murders. The plot was complex with a lot of twists. There was a lot of humor but there were also parts that were touching regarding aging problems and death. I’m looking forward to the next book with these characters. ( )

For the first 100 pages or so I loved this book. The central characters are four old folks resident in a retirement community, along with two police people. They are all interesting, quirky, and likable. The book is also funny, and touching at points, when it considers the losses of old age. But as the book progressed, I started to lose touch with the plot -- too many bodies, buried too many times. Maybe the problem is my own old age, but I was definitely disappointed by the end. ( )