Information
Book Title: The Thursday Murder Club
Author: Richard Osman
Publisher: Viking Press
Publish Date: September 3, 2020
Genres: fiction, contemporary, crime, mystery
Moods: funny, lighthearted, mysterious
Pace: medium-paced
Thursday Murder Club Age Rating
The Thursday Murder Club is probably best for ages 14 and up because it deals with murder, death, and some violence, but it’s written in a light and funny way. There’s some strong language, but nothing too intense. The book also talks about heavier topics like getting older and loss, so it might be better for older teens and adults.
Synopsis
The Thursday Murder Club is about four elderly residents of a quiet retirement village who gather weekly to solve old, unsolved crimes. When a local developer is murdered, they unexpectedly find themselves investigating a real-life case full of secrets and surprises. As they dig deeper, the group uncovers more than they bargained for, with plenty of twists along the way.
Personal Thoughts
It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either. I’d say it lands somewhere between okay and good. It had some funny moments (though less than I expected, since I’d heard it was a funny murder mystery), and the mystery itself was interesting, but there were too many characters and too many plot lines to keep track of. I couldn’t remember about 75% of the characters' names because there were just so many, and people I’d completely forgotten about suddenly became important near the end.
I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been reading multiple books at once, or if it’s the way this book was written, but to follow along with the mystery without feeling lost, you’d need to make a whole murder board just to keep track of all the people and plot points. I picked this book up because Goodreads' Instagram recommended it to fans of the TV series Only Murders in the Building, but in my opinion, that comparison was a bit of a stretch. Sure, both feature groups of f murder enthusiasts stumbling into an ongoing murder, but that’s where the similarities end.
The Thursday Murder Club felt too unrealistic for me. People confessing left and right, murderers spilling all the details to a group of elderly crime enthusiasts—it just didn’t sit right. Maybe it was supposed to be fun, and sometimes it was, but overall, I found it more frustrating than enjoyable. There were too many characters involved in everything, and I was so confused that I even turned to ChatGPT to help sort out the plot and characters. Some plot points felt really random, like Joyce’s “thing” with that guy whose name I don’t even remember.
I usually like to finish series once I start, but honestly, I don’t think I’ll be continuing this one. There are just too many other books that feel more worth my time.
Book Rating
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5) stars
I’d rate The Thursday Murder Club 3.5 stars. The idea of a murder mystery in a retirement village was interesting and different, but there were just too many characters and plot points to keep track of. While it did have some funny moments, it didn’t live up to the hilarious mystery I was expecting. A lot of the plot felt unrealistic, especially with characters confessing too easily, and random things like Joyce’s "thing" with a guy whose name I don’t even remember. In the end, the book was more frustrating than fun for me, even though I could see why some people might enjoy it.
Favorite Quote
In life you have to learn to count the good days. You have to tuck them in your pocket and carry them around with you.
Sources, Credits & Links
Mood, genre and pace via The Storygraph
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