Coopers Chase is a retirement village in Kent. The residents have many activities to enjoy and one of them is called The Thursday Murder Club. Their quest is to investigate old unsolved murders, seeing if the police have missed something so that they can solve the crime. All ticks along nicely until a builder involved with the retirement village is discovered murdered. Can the retired folk of Coopers Chase solve this live case?
This is an awfully British, cosy mystery that shows retired people having fun and purpose in their old age. It is a jolly read told with tonnes of light humour. For example…
He is wearing an expensive polo shirt, and a watch so large it might as well be a clock.
...And...
‘Would you like some sherry?’ asks Joyce. ‘It’s only Sainsbury’s, but it’s Taste the Difference.’
...Richard Osman is very well known for being a presenter on the BBC One television quiz show, Pointless. Richard has a distinctive conversational style that is mirrored by Joyce, a leading character in his novel. Joyce has a lovely British turn of phrase and she sounds so much like Richard does whenever he is on television. Even in his acknowledgements at the end of this book, he has the same voice as Joyce when he writes…
I had wanted to write a novel for a long time, and over a very nice lunch at Skewd Turkish restaurant in Barnet (delicious, great value for money, try the chicken wings) Mark gave me exactly the encouragement I needed, at exactly the right time.
...I enjoyed reading The Thursday Murder Club, the accent was not on the crime but retired people making the very most of their later years. Rather than being out of touch these lively residents enjoy all that modern life can offer. I found this book to be a refreshing tale of retired life. I loved how it depicted modern day Britain and the cultures we share. How people view groceries, shopping and the prestige of stores like Waitrose. How people embrace modern technology and software like Fitbits, WhatsApp and Tinder.
The Thursday Murder Club is NOT a hard edged, gritty crime thriller full of police procedure and special skills. This novel is a warm, heartfelt tale of people coping with the mistakes of the past and making the best of current times. There is sadness but also people meaning well.
I found this book an entertaining read and loved the colourful characters. The pace of the murder enquiry dragged a little but my interest was retained by how the residents coped with everything else that was going on. Richard has a very relaxed writing style and his tale is told with all the time in the world, kind of like how some old people talk. Overall, I found this a very pleasant GOOD read that gets 4 stars from me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Books UK/Viking for providing me with a free copy of this book on the understanding that I publish a review.
The Thursday Murder Club was written in 2020 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.
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