The Thursday Murder Club

The Thursday Murder Club is a refreshing take on the murder mystery genre by author Richard Osman. On the surface, it is an inventive and entertaining tale about residents of a retirement village in the U.K. who form a club to crack unsolved cases until suddenly, they find themselves involved in a real murder investigation. Though Osman lightens the theme of homicide in the story, other dark elements also lurk, subtly, below the surface.

Many aspects of the novel are delightful. The main characters are engaging and authentic. The story is fresh and fast-moving, and the ending is hard to predict. Osman mines the unique retirement community setting in creative ways to develop his plethora of characters and storylines while also thoughtfully highlighting the challenges and losses of growing older. The concept of retirees solving crimes is made more plausible by the unique backgrounds of the characters, particularly Elizabeth – the ringleader of the elderly sleuths.

But despite the book's charm and humor, a sad undertone permeates the story. As the narrator compassionately lays bare the lives and concerns of the characters, a very humanist worldview emerges. Though the group finds companionship, adventure, and even a temporary sense of purpose as they work through the evidence together, the atmosphere underpinning the narrative feels somewhat hopeless. It seems like the heroes are simply passing the time until it’s their turn to die, acting as if only people or earthly pursuits are able to bring meaning to life. Their longings betray the fallacy of humanism with its missing piece (and peace) of a deeper spiritual purpose.

The protagonists’ search for meaning begs for some otherworldly element in the story, but the only mention of religion is through the character of a "sort of Catholic priest," Matthew Mackie, who, it turns out, has no true faith in anything. The characters seem to place their hope, temporal though it is, only in themselves and each other, particularly Elizabeth.

Although the murder club members do work with the police, they are also arbiters of justice, allowing some criminals to take matters into their own hands while expecting others to face the law. And Elizabeth's manipulative and questionable tactics (past and present) cast doubt on whether she is truly invested in people and justice or if she is just a sociopath.

Despite these thought-provoking themes, however, the book manages to be surprisingly lighthearted. Osman pulls off a very captivating novel that is hard to put down. It’s funny and fresh, and these qualities help overcome any notes of sadness to make it an exceptionally enjoyable read. I would highly recommend the book as a unique murder mystery sprinkled with authentic touches of poignancy. However, I would caution anyone feeling worried about aging not to be discouraged by the book's worldview. Instead, perhaps the humanist message will serve as a startling contrast to the hope-filled truth of the Bible. 

This is the first book of a series; Osman’s second book, The Man Who Died Twice, is already on shelves. A third book is reportedly in the works, expected in August of 2022. I plan to read the new installments while also hoping that his fascinating characters begin to find greater meaning in this life before it's their turn to leave it.