The Thursday Murder Club

Author: Richard Osman

Publisher: Penguin Books

Platform: Paperback (purchased from bookshop.org)

Length: 384 pages

Completed on: 2/24/2024

Recommendation: Each chapter is significant, especially if it's short and sweet. Study them closely!

It's a good, fun book you guys. It relies heavily on dialogue to get things moving, and it does so excellently. Descriptive moments are poetic. It really did feel like sitting with a bunch of elderly folks and watching them use every tool at their disposal to solve crimes.

It had some themes it hit very often, but more than anything, it's just a really delightful romp. Highly recommend if you need a light mystery to read.

This book had a section in the back with questions and topics for discussion, so I'll just answer some of them here too because why not.

Question 1

Though the book follows the four friends (Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim, and Ron) solving the murder, the only first-person POV is Joyce's via her diary. Why do you think the author chose to show her perspective in such a way?

Personally I think this is because Joyce's role in the book is understated. She herself says that she oftens fades into the background and is "easily overlooked." Having her diary entries allows us to understand her as a character, because by all other respects, other characters view her as "nice" and "chatty" and "compassionate" and... not much else.

Her diary shows that while she is a deeply empathetic woman, she too has her flaws. I really enjoyed reading about her relationship with Joanna, specifically how she views it. It's not the best relationship, and throughout the course of the book, she realizes that not a small reason for that is her fault. It's fascinating to get that perspective from her when most other times she appears she is offering niceties, chitchatting, or encouraging others.

Question 4

Joyce says, "I am very happy to be overlooked and always have been. And I do think perhaps that will be helpful in this investigation." Do you agree? What insights and advantages does she gain by not calling attention to herself, and staying under the radar?

She's just so... unassuming. People just kind of tell her things. Also, at one point she spiked her cakes with vodka to loosen everyone up and DCI Hudson had no idea until she told him.

Question 5

Society often writes off the abilities of the elderly, assuming both body and mind are deteriorating. At the heart of The Thursday Murder Club is a lesson to never underestimate this population. Who misjudges the residents of Coopers Chase the most? What are the consequences of underestimating the four friends?

IAN VENTHAM! I got so excited to answer that so I wrote it in all caps. But yes, Ian misjudges the population the most, especially since one of them killed him.