Golden Years Investigators

Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (2020) – A quartet of retirees with a passion for unsolved murders face a murder on the grounds of their retirement home. Balancing their own lives and issues with the effects of the murder takes all the experience they gained over the decades of their lives.

Why I Liked It – A cozy mystery that is witty, funny and sometimes sad.

The mystery genre has mined every possible variation, it seems. Brilliant solo detectives, the hardworking grind-the-details police officer, oddballs and everyday folks. The idea in this book isn’t new either; I’ve read similar concepts elsewhere. A group of older folks with time on their hands in the waning years of life. Osman does a fabulous job of creating interesting characters that stand out even in a familiar setting.

Elizabeth is a former spy, although she remains taciturn about what kind of intelligence work she did back in the day. Joyce is a retired nurse whose journal provides a framework for some of the storytelling. Ibrahim is the cool, intellectual retired psychiatrist, and Ron is the fading remnant of a radical unionist from back in the day. There are others who play a role in these lives. Grown children, and dead or dying partners. However much their bodies may betray them, the four primary characters remain mentally sharp overall. That mental energy needs expression, and they find it in an informal club that looks into cold cases. Each of them brings something special that will allow them to make the transition to solving a hot case right on their own doorstep.

In his debut novel, Osman gives us a tasty blend of various mystery staples. The elderly detectives in the setting of the English countryside feels very Agatha Christie and provides a sure foundation for the dish presented. It would be easy to settle in with some stock characters here, but the author gives us something deeper in each person. He also ties in the bits of British history that were the important points on the timelines of each of the characters. It makes them real people with real issues, both past and present.

I loved this book for the mystery itself. Following them along, trying to figure out the “whodunit” was great fun. It sucked me right in. But it was the characters that pushed the book to the next level. This story is driven by the characters. Not only the four pensioners but also the two primary police characters. DCI Chris Hudson is a competent officer, but has kind of given up. He does his work because it’s the only place he has much control. Meanwhile, (rank) Donna de Freitas has accepted a transfer out of London to the country to escape an awkward episode in her personal life. There’s an interesting relationship between her and her new boss that hints at further developments.

This book is the basis of a series on Netflix with some major star power in the lead roles. Helen Mirren as Elizabeth, Celia Imrie as Joyce, Pierce Brosnan as Ron and Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim. It strikes me as perfect casting.

If you’re looking for a mystery that is both comfy and with a twist or three, plus brilliant characters throughout, this should be on your reading list. There are now five books in this series.

Rating – ****Recommended