Genre: Mystery

What a delightful read! I’m not sure that’s exactly right for a book that features multiple murders and a mysterious set of bones in the cemetery, but gosh, it is! The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman and narrated by Lesley Manville is a great read! Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron residents of the upscale Cooper’s Chase retirement village meet on Thursdays to look over unsolved murder cases. Imagine their surprise (maybe not?) when their intellectual pursuit becomes very real with an unsolved murder (or two) in their very own community. While they “befriend” the local police, they fully intend to get to the bottom of things in their very own way.

This book was recommended to me as I was actively mourning my completion of the Louise Penny Three Pines Series. For a very long time, when I finished one, I had another to start. Catching up to publication was a bitter pill. As in the way of Three Pines, these folks in Cooper’s Chase took a chapter or six to lure me into their world. Once there, though, I sure did enjoy it. Elizabeth has a mysterious past, which opens up all sorts of resourceful avenues for their investigations. Joyce is a bit silly, but her narration of the events through her journal entries are insightful and a bit funny. Ron and Ibrahim are polar opposites who combine together to accomplish much. Ron’s son and Joyce’s daughter figure prominently in the book as well, and Osman develops those relationships in realistic and poignant ways. Chris and Donna, the police officers and a slightly younger crowd round out the main cast nicely. Osman develops each character major and minor with an ear for detail that creates distinctive personalities that I enjoy so much. The mystery is well crafted as well in such a way that I was intrigued and surprised by the twists and turns. Further, like in Three Pines we are asked to think about issues beyond the mystery at hand. What do we value in relationships? What does love require? Are some secrets all right to keep? Thought provoking stuff. Lesley Manville brings all of the characters alive with her expert narration. I definitely enjoyed the audio version very much.

As I explore what life means to me in these new steps as I’ve retired from full time work. I am not ready for the retirement village yet, but Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron make it feel a little inviting. This book is a lovely reminder of how much life remains to be lived - to find people and explore interests and passions. I am reading and trying to write and exploring many of the interests that I haven’t recently had time for. Dare I say even look for ways to help the people around me and I am. Simultaneously the obvious endings - Penny and John, Elizabeth’s husband - are daunting. If I focus there, I can certainly become unnerved. But I can also be reminded that life can change very, very quickly and to value time with the people I love. If you love a good murder mystery that is lively and thought provoking, please consider Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club. I am surely headed to book two! See my thoughts about Book Two and Three here!