The Thursday Murder Club

Celebrity authors have a very mixed track record. However, I am pleased to report that Richard Osman's first novel is very much on the positive side of this experience. The Thursday Murder Club reads like a classic genteel British light comedy film - think Best Western Marigold Hotel and its ilk. The setting in a retirement village immediately gives it a relaxed and charming sense. It plays upon classic murder mysteries in a fun and easy going way.

You can definitely hear Osman's voice in the writing style, with its gentle wit and very ‘English' feel. It makes for pleasant easy reading with a cosy familiarity to its style. The characters are charming in their Britishness and well enough developed to engage the reader. The murder mystery plot is well enough realised and keeps you guessing effectively till the end.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one - a lovely easy read.