A Book A Week

 "A few glasses of wine and a mystery---very social, but also gory. It is good fun."

When you think of a retirement community, what is the first thing that comes to mind? I have memories of visiting my great grandmother in her nursing home, seeing the other folks gathered in the cafeteria/activities room, playing dominoes, and sharing stories. My guess is that you would think of something similar. What you probably wouldn't imagine is a group of seniors investigating murders, but that's exactly what British TV Presenter Richard Osman has conjured up in his debut novel The Thursday Murder Club. I was so intrigued by this inventive premise that I was eager to dive into the copy of the book that Osman's publisher graciously provided me. 

Joyce is one of the newer residents of the upscale senior living facility called Coopers Chase. She's a former nurse who did well enough financially to end up spending the rest of her days in the luxury retirement community. The rooms are spacious enough, but the rest of the amenities really sealed the deal. She spends her time enjoying a glass of wine and honing her baking skills, but Joyce longs for something more stimulating to occupy her days. 

Enter Elizabeth, perhaps the most determined person Joyce has ever met. Not much is known about Elizabeth's secretive past. Suffice it to say that whatever work the woman did, she is well-connected and has a seemingly endless chain of contacts to achieve whatever she desires. One day Elizabeth recruits Joyce's medical expertise by showing her a set of crime scene photos. At first, Joyce is a bit taken aback by the images shes seeing. As she begins to study the pictures and apply her knowledge to form medical conclusions about the crime, however, she begins to feel the same thrill she has been lacking since moving into the retirement community. Joyce is hooked, and Elizabeth is pleased. 

Elizabeth reveals to Joyce The Thursday Murder Club, a group comprised of herself and two other men. The friends meet weekly in the jigsaw puzzle room and hash out their theories around various crimes. Elizabeth's connections to the police department help to keep a fresh supply of cases for their weekly gatherings. Joyce is excited to join in all the fun. When one of the owners of Coopers Chase is suddenly killed, the murder club shifts its focus from decades-old cold cases to the one that has occurred in their own back yard. If they can help solve this killing, they'll legitimize their club beyond the current perception of four friends meeting to reminisce about times gone by. 

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman might be the most charming book I've read all year. Osman combines elements of a more traditional cozy mystery with the strong character work and plot points of a more hardened crime novel to form a genre-bending novel that gripped me for the entire duration. I'm not sure what inspired him to write a book about a group of crime-fighting octogenarians, but I'm really happy that he did. Osman cleverly uses the age of his main characters to build a deep history into each one of them, imbuing them wisdom and struggles that can only come from time and experience. The retirement community where the majority of the novel is set is a fully-realized world, full of detailed settings and well-drawn supporting characters. I truly felt like I was there with the characters. As for the mystery, Osman layered in enough red herrings and twists to keep me guessing all the way to the big reveal at the end. With a unique premise, alluring characters, and a captivating mystery, The Thursday Murder Club is a nearly perfect debut novel. 

For more information visit Amazon and Goodreads.

(2020, 42)