Nearly everywhere you turn in the book world, people are talking about Richard Osman’s debut, The Thursday Murder Club. The Bookseller reports that it has been the fastest selling adult crime debut since records began. This is a murder mystery that feels fresh and different while hovering on the very edge of being cosy. The observations sparkle with wit, and the plot itself has a definite bite (so perhaps not so cosy after all). The four main septuagenarian protagonists are an absolute delight to get to know, and there are enough trips and traps to please the most sleuthy of armchair detectives. Pointed and sharp, yet warm and charming, this is a novel that we think would make a perfect book club pick. Will everyone love it, will there be a few surprises, will it give your brain a bit of a workout, we would love to know your thoughts. 

Here are a few questions to start you off, without of course any spoilers to mar your reading pleasure: 

  • This is a book that readers are taking to their hearts in droves, what it is about this novel that is speaking to so many people?
  • What did you think about a retirement village as the setting for a murder mystery?
  • The four main characters are in their seventies, did their age make any difference to the investigation, or was it about their individual knowledge and experience? 
  • How did the inclusion of Joyce’s personal thoughts affect the tone of the novel, did they make you feel any differently about her, would you have liked to have heard from anyone else?
  • What did you think about Elizabeth and her very particular set of skills, what did they bring to the murder club, would the club exist without her?
  • The chapters are short, moving quickly, changing focus, did this keep your own thoughts on the move too?
  • There are several moments particularly towards the end, that prevent this novel from being too cosy, how do you think these subjects were handled by the author?
  • It feels as though there is much more on offer than a murder to solve, what else did you feel as though you were exploring as you read this novel?
  • How did the book encourage you to think about honesty, integrity, and justice?
  • This is the first in a series, would you like to see the membership of the murder club expand?

In case you missed them, our September Book Club Recommendation was Sarah Crossan's Here is the Beehive, August's Suggestion was A Room Made of Leaves by Kate Grenville and our July Book Club Recommendation, debut book Something To Live For by Richard Roper was also a gem.

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If you're looking for more Book Club Recommendations, you can find our selections here.

If you're looking for more ideas for your book club, have a read through our Book Club of the Month features.