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 were all hooked when the Netflix adaptation hit our screens.
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 after devouring The Impossible Fortune, 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’s The Thursday Murder Club.
10 books to read if you love The Thursday Murder Club
The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen
1. The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen
We can see why this sharp, riveting mystery has been described as “The Thursday Murder Club on steroids”. Like the gang in Osman’s series, there’s more to The Spy Coast’s group of retired characters 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…
You’ll love this if you enjoy: underestimated detectives, loveable characters, a fast-paced plot.
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 the test when they solve a real-life murder in their retirement village. Similarly, Benjamin Stevenson’s novel features amateur crime enthusiasts who turn detective. In Everyone on This Train is a Suspect, a train full of crime writers must solve a real-life mystery when one of them is killed on the way to a literary festival. But how can you find a killer when all your suspects are experts in getting away with murder?
You’ll love this if you enjoy: amateur sleuths, cosy crime, witty storytelling.
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.
You’ll love this if you enjoy: heartwarming characters, unlikely detectives, locked-room murder mysteries.
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.
You’ll love this if you enjoy: fast-paced plots, short chapters, investigations based on teamwork.
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.
You’ll love this if you enjoy: unexpected plot twists, clever mysteries, cosy crime.
Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall
6. Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall
Like The Thursday Murder Club, this debut novel by Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall sees a murder take place in an unexpected of locations – this time, 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…
You’ll love this if you enjoy: small-town murder mysteries, rural settings, surprising whodunnits.
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.
You’ll love this if you enjoy: underestimated amateur sleuths, intricate plots, clever storytelling.
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.
You’ll love this if you enjoy: unlikely detectives, cosy crime, witty storytelling.
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.
You’ll love this if you enjoy: clever mysteries, stories with heart and humour.
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 centres a character you can’t help but root for – we reckon Vera would fit right in with the residents of Coopers Chase.
You’ll love this if you enjoy: older sleuths defying the odds, cosy crime, murder mysteries.
Don’t miss Richard Osman’s latest book
We Chase Shadows, the second in Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders series, is out in September 2026. In the Italian hills, a body is found on the steps of a private villa at sunrise. Our mis-matched detective trio, Amy, Rose and Steve, return in pursuit of an elusive and ruthless killer. Between Italy and Palm Springs, via Barcelona and Steve’s sleepy village pub, they uncover an impossible case where it seems that everyone is hiding something . . .
Read our guide to the We Solve Murders reading order.
What is your favourite Richard Osman novel? Let us know in the comments below…
They should have made a TV series not a film. Also less known actors, like Game of Thrones. Different genre, I know but both stories are strong enough to stand on their own and the focus would be more on the narrative than the ‘box office faces’
I have finished all of Richard Osmans books and looking forward to seeing the Netflix show to see the characters come to life.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the Marlow Murder Club books in this list.