The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman concerns four friends, who are spending their twilight years in a luxury retirement village in Kent, and who meet up every Thursday to solve cold case murders.
Joyce is the newest member, an ex-nurse recruited by Elizabeth, after interrogating Joyce about knife wounds. It is suspected that Elizabeth has worked for one of those hush, hush organisations that no-one will admit exists.
The other two members of the team are Ibrahim Arif, who worked as a psychiatrist before he retired, and Ron Richie, a once famous trade union leader with an equally famous son. Jason is a well-known boxer and is also becoming quite the celebrity on various TV shows.
The “Thursday Murder Club” members meet PC Donna de Freitas, age 26, who works for the Fairhaven Police Station, when she gives a talk on Home Security at the village. Elizabeth knows talent when she sees it and is very keen to recruit Donna to their cause.
Donna has transferred to Fairhaven from the Met. and longs to join the crime investigation team headed by DCI Chris Hudson.
The retirement village was developed by the owner, Ian Ventham, and his builder, Tony Curran, at Coopers Chase, where The Sisters of the Holy Church attended a convent that had housed generations of nuns for 100 years. A nursing home, established by the sisters, also stands on the 12 acre site as does a graveyard, where the nuns were laid to rest. When the last nun passed away the Church cashed in quickly and sold the lot.
Ian Ventham has called a meeting of the residents regarding further development of the land which involves uprooting ancient trees and desecrating the graveyard.
Before various objections to the new development can be resolved, a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep and the Thursday Murder Club find themselves investigating their first live case.
Can the infamous four discover the killer and help bring him/her to justice?
The author has created four lovable elderly characters who, although they have led very different lives, make a formidable team when it comes to solving crime.
The bucolic setting is perfect with the old convent overseeing the 12 acre site and its herd of twenty llamas, plus a mysterious interment in the graveyard.
It’s the best of British with its gentle humour and more than enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the most avid crime reader on the edge of their seat.
Put it on your list of reads for 2020/21. It’s the perfect gift for Christmas!
ISBN: 9780241425459
The Thursday Murder Club is available in paperback, audiobook and e-book
About Richard Osman
Richard Osman is a creative director for Endemol UK. He has worked as an executive producer on numerous shows including 8 Out of 10 Cats and 10 O’Clock Live. Richard rose to fame presenting Pointless with Alexander Armstrong. Richard’s popularity and tremendous knowledge of trivia led to him presenting his own BBC quiz,Two Tribes along with Insert Name Here, Child Genius and Richard Osman’s House of Games. He is also a regular on panel shows such as Have I Got News For You and writes a column for the Radio Times.
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