The Thursday Murder Club | Richard Osman #CosyCrime

This is how it happens.

Barely a week into 20 Books of Summer Winter, with only two books from the list half started, my lovely Penguin rep hands over a September new release and says, "I defy you to read the first chapter and not want to read the rest."

Challenge accepted!

Given my predilection for cosy crime, it was only natural that I took the book to lunch with me that day, to see if the rep was right. She was. And one June long weekend later, I'm adding my first ring-in to my 20 Books of Winter list.

I'm still reading the first two original books from my list, so this ring-in also gets the honour of being the first book reviewed for 20 Books 2020.

That's how it happens...every single year!

So why did I put down my other two books (which I'm thoroughly enjoying by the way) to binge The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman?

The long weekend was a factor. The Sunday in particular was rainy, cold and miserable. The perfect day to snuggle down with a cosy crime.

But the main factor was the book itself.

It was so much fun - laugh out loud fun, in fact. The characters were so charming and delightful and the whole premise was so enticing, I simply didn't want to stop.

The premise - four elderly residents in a fairly well-heeled retirement home set out to solve the murder of the local property developer who built their very own retirement complex. These are not just your regular old folks pottering away their final days though. These people had some serious jobs prior to retirement. Elizabeth was some kind of secretive government operative who knows all kinds of tricks of the trade. Ron was a former union boss, and Ibrahim a psychiatrist. While Joyce's special skill is being overlooked and underappreciated, which allows her time to notice things that everyone else misses. 

They run rings around the local police force as they all try to work out who killed the property developer. 

The whole time I'm reading it, in between all the chuckles, chortles, smirks and snickers, I'm running through my list of older British actors who could play the various roles - Judy Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson...it's a pity Omar Sharif is no longer with us, he would have been a lovely Ibrahim. As well as hoping all the way through, that Osman would finish the book with a teaser leading into a possible book two.

He did!

Facts:

• Osman is a British TV producer and presenter (think quiz show Pointless).
• September release with Penguin Random House Australia.

Favourite Quotes:

You always know when it's your first time, don't you? But you rarely know when it's your final time. 

In life you have to learn to count the good days. You have to tuck them in your pocket and carry them around with you.

Book 1/20 Books of Summer Winter