Where to Start with Richard Osman
Richard Osman is a British television presenter, producer, and author who became one of the most successful debut novelists of the twenty-first century. Born in 1970 in Haywards Heath, Sussex, he studied sociology and politics at Cambridge before building a career in television, most notably as co-presenter of the BBC quiz show Pointless. In 2020, at the age of forty-nine, he published The Thursday Murder Club, which became the fastest-selling debut novel in UK history and an international phenomenon, selling millions of copies in dozens of languages. The series now includes five novels, all bestsellers, and a Netflix film adaptation released in 2025. Osman writes cozy crime with a distinctive blend of warmth, wit, and genuine plotting intelligence, centered on four retirees who solve murders from their retirement village. His characters are sharp and his humor is generous, and his books have brought a new generation of readers to the mystery genre.
Start here
The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman · 369 pages · 2020 · Easy
Themes: friendship, aging, amateur sleuthing, humor, community
In a peaceful retirement village called Coopers Chase, four unlikely friends meet every Thursday to investigate cold cases. Elizabeth, a former intelligence agent. Joyce, a retired nurse. Ibrahim, a former psychiatrist. Ron, an ex-trade union leader. When a real body turns up, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves at the center of a live investigation, and they turn out to be rather good at it.
Why Start Here
The Thursday Murder Club is where Osman found his voice, and it remains the best introduction to everything he does well. The central quartet is immediately compelling: each character brings a different skill set and personality to the group, and their interplay is the engine that drives every book. Osman writes dialogue with the timing of a seasoned television professional, and the humor is consistent without undermining the plot.
The mystery itself is cleverly constructed, with multiple storylines that converge in a satisfying climax. But the real achievement is tonal. Osman manages to write about aging, loneliness, and mortality while keeping the book genuinely funny and uplifting. The retirement village setting, far from being a limitation, becomes a source of constant surprise and comedy.
What to Expect
A fast read despite its length, with very short chapters that keep the pace brisk. A large cast of characters, each clearly drawn. The tone is warm and witty, closer to a BBC drama than a gritty thriller. The plot has real twists, and the ending ties everything together with satisfying precision. This is the first of five novels in the series, and the Netflix adaptation arrived in 2025.
Alternatives
Richard Osman · 368 pages · 2021 · Easy
Elizabeth receives a letter from an old colleague. He is in trouble: stolen diamonds worth millions, a violent mobster on his trail, and a very real threat to his life. As bodies start piling up, the Thursday Murder Club are drawn into a case that stretches far beyond Coopers Chase.
Why This One
The second Thursday Murder Club novel raises the stakes while keeping everything that made the first book irresistible. Elizabeth’s spy past gets more page time, the plot is tighter and more ambitious, and the emotional beats hit harder. Many readers consider this the best book in the series because Osman had found his stride and was no longer proving the concept but deepening it.
The friendship between the four protagonists is richer here. Joyce’s diary entries, which serve as one of the narrative voices, are sharper and funnier. The mystery involves organized crime and espionage, giving the book a broader scope, but the heart of the story remains four elderly friends looking out for each other.
What to Expect
A slightly pacier read than the first book, with higher stakes and more action. The same short-chapter structure and multiple viewpoints. The humor remains warm and the violence stays firmly off-page. You should read The Thursday Murder Club first, as character relationships carry over.