Spoilers Ahead. You have been warned.

My only experience with Richard Osman comes from watching him compete in Taskmaster Season 2, where I thought he was quite funny. So when my wife pulled The Thursday Murder Club out of a Little Free Library in our neighbourhood, I was intrigued to see just what the tall funny man wanted to write about.

The Thursday Murder Club takes place at a retirement facility named Coopers Chase, and consists of 4 retirees who meet every Thursday to review cold cases to see if they can solve murders by noticing details that the police of the day overlooked. Much of the story is told from Joyce’s diary, as she is the newest member of the Thursday Murder Club, now that Penny (who was a former police detective) has had to quit due to dementia.

What follows is a story about a new development being planned at Coopers Chase (the retirement community), and the sudden murder of the lead builder (Tony), and shortly after, the landowner (Ian). The Thursday Murder Club is excited at the idea of a fresh case that just landed in their laps, and take it upon themselves to solve the crime before the police do.

The characters in The Thursday Murder Club are delightful. From the mysterious Elizabeth, who seems to have been everywhere and still holds a valid tank operator’s license, to surly and argumentative Ron, to tech-savvy and meticulous Ibrahim. Each character has lived a long life, and they use their experiences and connections to uncover mysteries. That said, there are a LOT of characters. Outside of the 4 main characters, there’s another 70 characters to juggle in your brain as they all pop in and out of the story.

The Thursday Murder Club is a stellar book from first time author Richard Osman. It should come as no surprise that he can write well, considering he’s been writing and entertaining on TV for decades. But still, I wasn’t quite ready for just how much I enjoyed this book.

At least part of my enjoyment comes from the protagonists being septuagenarians. They’re immediately disarming and overlooked, which kind of makes them the best people to manipulate the cops and follow-up leads with potential murderers. There are a couple of twists in the book, right from the start, as Tony is planning to kill Ian after Ian cuts him out of a deal, but then gets wacked off instead. Then a couple of days later, Ian is murdered regardless, snuffing the prime suspect in the Tony murder case. And in between all this, a 3rd body is discovered. These murders all seem obviously related, but watching each thread unravel is a delightful journey.

A criticism, I do have, is the idea of a few of the older characters so quickly committing suicide after a brief conversation with the authorities. Sure, they could have been living with their guilt for decades, but it felt a little icky when multiple characters had their past sins revealed, only for them to immediately off themselves, even if only to alleviate them from suspicion of the main murders.

I do think I would characterize The Thursday Murder Club as a comedy book with a mystery, rather than a mystery book with humour. It may seem like an odd distinction, but armchair Sherlocks will probably find themselves at least a little disappointed by the conclusion. The Thursday Murder Club is not for diehards of the murder mystery genre or for the true crime aficionados, but instead more for fans of Only Murders in the Building, and those who want a delightfully dramatic journey with some quirky old people.

Oh, it’s also very English. A bunch of old English people prattling on, using their specific slang and terms, such as using stones as measurement for a person’s weight. Personally, I found it charming, but I can see others taking umbrage with the distinctly English voice.

While the mystery itself didn’t fully grip me, the characters absolutely did. I fell in love with each of them, and I’m already itching to dive into book two. If you’re looking for a cozy, character-driven whodunit with heart and humour, this one is worth the read.