RICHARD OSMAN - THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB

Richard Osman is all over the TV and seems like an all round good guy. Naturally funny and clever too. The idea that he could also be a novelist was not a leap of fiction. Nor that he would be good.

His debut novel Thursday Murder Club has been making the year’s shortlists and it is again easy to understand why. This is a beautifully easy read with great characters, lots of charm and humour and full of drama and twists.

Our main characters all live in Coopers Chase a rather high end Residential Home. Don’t get the idea though that this at all dottery  Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron are feisty characters and what of course we should know but too easily forget have full lives of intrigue and wisdom and skill. 

Starting out as a wee club these guys find themselves, beyond their wildest dreams in some ways, up the their neck in not one but two murders in their very own neighbourhood and loads of historical secrets get turned over as they help and outwit the local police in the investigation. 

Osman does a lot for the rights of our societal elders. He highlights what they have on us - memories, experience, life. Under the smooth top layer of this yarn we have regrets, broken dreams, life long love, heartache and need for confession.

You would need to be a literary snob to read this and not be looking forward to the follow up, slated for later in 2021. So enjoyable.