Recently I had the pleasure of watching The Thursday Murder Club movie on Netflix. The film stars Helen Mirren, Celia Imrie, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley in the four primary roles, directed by Chris Columbus.
Helen Mirren plays Elizabeth Best, the leader of the club and an ex spy. Celia Imrie is Joyce Meadowcroft, the newest member of the club and a former nurse. Ben Kingsley is Ibrahim Arif, an ex-psychiatrist and the soft spoken member of the gang. Rounding out the group is Ron Ritchie, a former union activist, played by Pierce Brosnan.
These amateur sleuth senior residents of Coopers Chase retirement village meet weekly in the jigsaw room where their murder club tries to solve cold case murders. When things become real, they not only rely on each other, but also enlist the help of family, friends, and even an officer from the local police department.
The film was based on the novel of the same name and written by English novelist (among other things), Richard Osman.
For those who love a great cozy murder/mystery whodunnit, quirky characters with unique personas, beautiful scenery, and a plot filled with twists and surprises, this movie definitely delivers.
I hadn’t had the pleasure of reading any works by this author, but I was curious to see if he had written any other Thursday Murder Club mysteries, and to my delight, he had. There are five books in the series so far:
Book One: The Thursday Murder Club (published in 2020)
In this first book of the series, the author establishes the club members and their obsession with trying to solve murders. Up until now though, all they have ever investigated were cold cases. But when a local developer turns up dead, the group becomes engulfed in their first ever live case. This book was the author’s debut novel and quickly became a bestseller in the UK.
Book Two: The Man Who Died Twice (published in 2021)
When an old acquaintance of Elizabeth’s arrives looking for her help, she and the gang get involved in the puzzle of the stolen diamonds. But who stole them? And who’s willing to kill to get them back? Will the Thursday Murder Club members be able to catch a killer before the killer catches them? With this second book, Osman’s murder mystery became a New York Time’s bestselling series.
Book Three: The Bullet That Missed (published in 2022)
Back to working on another cold case leads the club members to a local news legend and another murder. The stakes become very high for Elizabeth in this third installment and her friends must try to figure out the mystery and save Elizabeth.
Book Four: The Last Devil to Die (published in 2023)
It seems that the next mystery is always right around the corner for the group. This time they receive news that an old friend has been killed and the dangerous package he had been protecting has gone missing. The gang struggles with who to trust as the number of bodies rises. Could their luck be running out?
Book Five: The Impossible Fortune (published in 2025)
This next book finds the group enjoying a quieter year, until Nick, a wedding guest, approaches Elizabeth looking for help. But before she can oblige, Nick disappears. Joanna, Joyce’s daughter gets involved as she tries to help them figure out what has happened to Nick and what is the uncrackable code they’ve heard about?
I bought book two right after I watched the movie and devoured it and I plan on purchasing the other three books left in the series.
What type of mysteries do you like to read? Let me know in the comments.