Richard Osman is a British celebrity, known for being a ‘clever clogs’ to use the technical term, he also seems witty and charming - and whilst we know that with many celebrities this can be just a carefully cultivated persona until they are found, pants on their head in a skip raging at the sky, it seemed that Osman probably is likely who he appears to be and so expectations were high and  I was looking forward to his first book: 'the Thursday Murder Club.'

The Thursday Murder Club (TTMC) did not disappoint, and whilst I shall try not to give too many spoilers away for those of you who haven’t read it, it definitely deserves some discussion.

For our Cosy Corner rating it has to have certain comforting elements to it and what could be more comforting than a group of retirees eating cake solving murders, and finding a whole new lease of life. The story does also address some issues in a gentle way, people being able to be open about who they are and who they love. People who feel ignored. It’s an uplifting read. In fact, I couldn't put TTMC down and read it in two days straight.

If you’ve only seen the film then I would say definitely read the book, as the film is a nice watch but the book wraps you up like a warm blanket. The first book firmly establishes our characters, each with unexpected depths and their own unique contributions and skills. Without banging on about this, although I suspect I already am - it’s a reminder that we all do have something that makes us unique and not to write ourselves off. The book is gently life-affirming and as the characters develop we will of course have our favourites yet we want to learn more about them. It’s a solid base for a long series and the good news is that Osman is a prolific writer and so there are five Thursday Murder Club Mysteries at the time of writing.

All the ingredients are there, an odd group of lonely people who had perhaps been written off by society, maybe even their own families finding each other and gaining a new lease of life, and well - putting things into order by conducting their own investigations where other investigations were found wanting. There is of course, and always, some kind of existential threat that binds the story together. 

It’s a great book, although not my favourite in the series now I've read all of them. That's not to say you shouldn't read this as you definitely should. With TTMC it is well worth starting at the beginning of the series as the characters are established and the scene is set.

This is a definite 9/10 Cosy Crime Rating.