Books
What to read next if you love Richard Osman
If you love Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club series, you’re in good company. Each year, the latest release dominates the charts, and we’re already counting down the days until the Netflix adaptation hits our screens on 28th August.
We can see why the series has been so popular, with its twisty plots, trademark wit, and beloved characters (even Osman relates to Joyce). But if you’ve finished the series, and are searching for a new book to tide you over until The Impossible Fortune is released on 25th September, look no further. We’ve done some digging to find more mystery novels that feature witty writing, unconventional detectives and addictive plots. The following is our list of books to read if you love Richard Osman.
10 books for The Thursday Murder Club fans
The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen
1. The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen
Don’t underestimate the Martini Club. Like the gang in Osman’s series, there’s more to this group of retirees than meets the eye. On the surface, they’re a book club, led by Maggie Bird, who meet in a quiet seaside town. But they’re also a group of former spies. And when a dead body is left on Maggie’s doorstep, they know it’s a calling card from old times… We can see why this sharp, riveting mystery has been described as “The Thursday Murder Club on steroids”.
Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
2. Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron are true-crime obsessives in The Thursday Murder Club, who put their skills to use when they solve a real-life murder in their retirement village. Similarly, in Benjamin Stevenson’s novel, a train full of crime writers turn detective when one of them is killed on the way to a literary festival. Ernest Cunningham is on the case – but how can you find a killer when all your suspects are experts in getting away with murder?
This Is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen
3. This Is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen
In this cosy mystery, Addie and her grandmother Mimi attend an auction at a mansion where, following drinks and canapes, their host is murdered. The pair become an unlikely detective duo, both using their skills – Mimi’s knowledge of the guests, Addie’s background as a game designer – to solve the murder. If you’re looking for underdogs you can’t help but root for, and a story full of warmth, This Is Not a Game is the perfect follow-up to an Osman novel.
1st to Die by James Patterson
4. 1st to Die by James Patterson
The Women’s Murder Club series is tonally very different to The Thursday Murder Club (you can expect more grisly murders than wit and warmth). But both series revolve around an unlikely group working together to solve a murder. In 1st to Die, the first in Patterson’s series, we meet homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer, as she investigates a serial killer targeting newlyweds. But she can’t do it alone: she calls on Claire, a leading coroner, Cindy, a top journalist, and Jill, an influential attorney, to help her solve the case.
A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
5. A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie
Quiet village life is rocked by a violent crime this Miss Marple mystery. The residents of Chipping Cleghorn are bewildered when an advert in the local paper announces a murder will take place that Friday, at 6.30pm, at Little Paddocks. A curious crowd gathers at the appointed time when, without warning, the lights go out and a gunshot resounds. This multi-layered mystery combines shocking plot twists with a captivating small-town atmosphere, making it perfect for Osman fans.
Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall
6. Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall
Like Christie’s novel, this debut novel by Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall sees a murder take place in the most unexpected of locations: a small, picturesque village in Dorset. Detective Nicola Bridge has just moved back to the area, expecting a slower pace of life, when the pub landlord is found dead on an isolated country road. As she investigates, she realises everyone in the village – from the local hairdresser to the child in the playground – has something to hide. But only one of them is a killer…
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
7. The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
If you’re looking for a novel where an unlikely group of sleuths solve a mystery against all odds, The Dante Club is one for you. Set in Boston in 1865, a group of insular academics realises that a serial killer is taking inspiration from the pages of Dante’s Inferno. The police are baffled, and the body count is rising, so the group leave the safety of their university’s walls to investigate themselves.
Miss Austen Investigates by Jessica Bull
8. Miss Austen Investigates by Jessica Bull
Jane Austen might sound like an unlikely detective but, like the gang in The Thursday Murder Club, she has a unique set of skills that shouldn’t be underestimated. At least, that’s the premise of Jessica Bull’s novel, which sees a fictional Jane Austen turn detective when a dead body is found at a local ball – and her brother is the main suspect. This is an inventive, fun and funny whodunnit that is surprising and heartwarming in equal measure.
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
9. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
This intricate, cosy mystery is full of humour and heart while also being a complex whodunnit that will test your sleuthing skills. Literary editor Susan Ryeland has long worked with crime writer Alan Conway on his murder mysteries set in 1950s English villages. But Conway’s latest manuscript is different: within its pages are clues to a real-life murder. This smart mystery-within-a-mystery is the first in Horowitz’s popular series.
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Sutanto
10. Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Sutanto
Introducing amateur sleuth Vera Wong: a 60-year-old tea expert who usually spends her days investigating whether her son is dating anyone yet. But when someone is murdered in her tea shop, Vera finds herself in the middle of a real-life investigation and, as someone who loves snooping, is determined to solve the murder herself… This well-plotted mystery revolves around a character you can’t help but root for – we reckon Vera would fit right in with the residents of Coopers Chase.
Don’t miss Richard Osman’s latest book
We Solve Murders, the first in Richard Osman’s new series, is out now in paperback. It introduces retired police officer Steve Wheeler and his daughter-in-law Amy, who works as a private security guard. When Amy’s latest job ends in murder, she and Steve are in a race against time to solve the crime – and stay alive. Intrigued? Read an exclusive extract of We Solve Murders.
What is your favourite Richard Osman novel? Let us know in the comments below…
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