The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice

 

Richard Osman is best known in the UK as the host of the quiz show Pointless; he is more familiar to me as a contestant on an early series of Taskmaster. But his TV career is rapidly being overtaken by his success as a novelist, with three volumes of The Thursday Murder Club already under his belt and hopefully many more to follow.

I've now devoured The Thursday Murder Club and its sequel, The Man Who Died Twice, and I'm impatiently 11th of 17 reservations for the next one, The Bullet That Missed. What can I say: these books are absolutely delightful. The mysteries are clever and neat, but the real joy is in the cast of characters. I'm not sure if this was deliberate (though Osman is clearly a very smart man) but his main four sleuths, all residents of a retirement village, are perfectly balanced. There's psychiatrist Ibrahim, intellectual and melancholic; Ron, former union activist, choleric and blunt; former nurse Joyce, sanguine and flirtatious (we are also blessed with extracts from Joyce's private diary); and the formidable Elizabeth, former spy, who is phlegmatic and utterly ruthless. (When Ibrahim is beaten up, someone asks what will happen to his assailant. 'Elizabeth will happen, I expect.' And she does!)

Best of all, the novels are hugely funny, warm and poignant. We are never allowed to forget that our four friends are in the autumn -- let's face it, probably the winter -- of their lives. They have nothing to lose, don't care what people think of them, and lifetimes of experience to draw on, all of which makes them terrifying opponents. Luckily for the more physical jobs they can also draw on friendly police officers Chris and Donna, as well as handsome Bogdan, who is equally capable of unblocking a sink, matching Elizabeth's husband at chess or quietly murdering someone if required. (Elizabeth sees him as the son she never had.)

Apparently The Thursday Murder Club was the most borrowed book from UK libraries in 2020-21 -- the perfect book to ease you through lockdowns and misery. May Elizabeth, Ron, Joyce and Ibrahim enjoy many more adventures.