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The Thursday Murder Club
The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman | 2020 | Crime, Mystery
6
8.2 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and Penguin Books for review purposes

I love Richard Osman so I so wanted to love this book but truthfully, I struggled! I'm going to chock it up to the fact that I'm just not a mystery reader so that aspect didn't even keep me hooked. I guess this cosy mystery was just too cosy that I ended up drifting off to sleep more than once and if this wasn't an arc I would have seriously considered DNF-ing which I really didn't want to say! It picked up pace a lot by the halfway mark though and I actually found myself actually invested in the story and I did enjoy all the twists and turns that occurred and finding out just why everyone did what they did but I just didn't love it unfortunately!
  
The Thursday Murder Club
The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman | 2020 | Crime, Mystery
8
8.2 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, that was a nice surprise! I usually stay clear of celebrity writers as, in my experience, they tend to be over rated and over hyped but I have to say that this book by Richard Osman was pretty good and had me engaged from start to finish.

The plot is multi-faceted with several murders both recent and historic but rather than this causing confusion, it all seems to flow smoothly and logically despite its complexity although you do have to keep your wits about you to keep up at times. The writing style is easy to read and flows well and although the main subject matter is murder, there are snippets of humour and more tender moments too.

The setting of a rather upscale retirement village is unique as are the main characters who are engaging, appealing and, at times, amusing. I really would like to get to know Elizabeth better - she is a very intriguing character and there are teasing morsels of her previous working life which are very interesting and I want to know more.

This book is what I would call a cosy-read that could be enjoyed by anyone and I would recommend it to those who enjoy a classic murder-mystery without the violence and graphic detail.

Thank you to Penguin General UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.
  
The Man Who Died Twice
The Man Who Died Twice
Richard Osman | 2021 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
10
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another fantastic book by Richard Osman, sometimes sequels fall a bit flat and have lost the magic of the first book, but not this one.
We start not long after the last book finished, the following Thursday in fact. Elizabeth has been invited round to a flat in the retirement village, but the letter inviting her has been signed off by a dead man. All becomes clear as soon as Elizabeth goes to meet him, and it her ex-husband, Douglas. He tells her he is in trouble and needs her help. Elizabeth being Elizabeth agrees to help, but only if she can enlist the help of The Thursday Murder Club.
Elsewhere, Ibrahim is happily going about his business when he is violently mugged. This leads to the book touching on agoraphobia and how people deal with things after a violent attack, whilst pretending to everyone around them that they are perfectly fine.
Donna and Chris are back, with Chris dating Donna’s mum and making Donna a little uncomfortable. She also begins to question her own loneliness and it is interesting to watch how she tries to combat it, without succeeding.
As the book goes on, the situations get more and more ridiculous (but this never had me questioning if it could really happen, as I just enjoyed the ride) and once one mystery is solved, two or three more crop up! I definitely didn’t guess the ending, and 70 pages from the end I was sure that I knew how it ended, but I was extremely wrong.
I also didn’t guess where the money would end up either, but I’m extremely pleased with the ending and I feel that it changed the ending from something a little obvious to something no one would guess.
I have been enjoying this series so much, that the next release cannot come soon enough for me! I very rarely understand the hype around books, especially ones written by celebrity authors, but this one has lived up to the hype and more in my eyes.
  
The Thursday Murder Club
The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman | 2020 | Crime, Mystery
10
8.2 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
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I am so happy I am able to be part of the instagram tour for The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Thank you to the amazing team at Penguin Random House and Viking, for sending me an ARC copy of this book.

<b><i>Synopsis:</i></b>

We follow Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim, who all meet up on Thursdays and solve mysteries. But when a murder happens in their environment, they cannot stay idle. Having their own tricks up their sleeves, they uncover evidence and keep getting closer to solving the mystery. But one mystery leads to another, and another, and before they know it, they are tangled in a mystery where everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted. 

<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>

Their personalities, especially the ability to be brutally honest and not care what they say or do is what kept me giggling throughout. Their resilience and perseverance, and the ability to trick people as well as be a nuisance was so refreshing to read, because it was so real, and I have seen it before. 

I used to work in a care home with people that were suffering from dementia, and I am glad that there is a book like this one, that realistically describes how the elderly spend their free time and how mischievous they can be. 

Sometimes they help the police, and sometimes they hide things and manipulate so much that I just couldn’t believe the audacity (which was funny on its own). But I think what I loved the most was how much fun they have while they are doing what they want to do - solve mysteries. And they are very good at it! 

<b><i>“In life, you have to count the good days. You have to tuck them in your pocket and carry them around with you.”</i></b>

As a foreigner, I thought I wouldn’t understand the British humor.

But I suppose living with a British partner and working in the UK does help a lot. Damn, I’ve been here too long :D Although, there was one part that I did not get, and my partner had to assist me with. 

I didn’t understand the meaning of “What forty-six kilos was in real money". And when explained, let me tell you, I was not impressed. :D

<b><i>“People without a sense of humour will never forgive you for being funny.”</i></b>

On the subject of mystery, because in the end, this is a mystery novel, it does deliver. There are multiple mysteries, shall I say multi-layered, and some of the mysteries did keep me wondering until the end. Some of them, I did guess quite early in the book. I kept thinking that all the mysteries would somehow end up connected, and they do, but not in the way I expect - that’s all I will say, without revealing too much.

<b><i>I loved the The Thursday Murder Club.</i></b>

It made me giggle, it made me wonder and try to solve the multi-layer mystery, it made me sad and surprised. It got all the emotions out of me, and I loved it! I would definitely recommend this book! 

<b><i>“Tony is not a believer in luck, he’s a believer in hard work. If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.”</i></b>