The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman

⭐9/10

This is now the second novel I've read by Osman, and he's quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I don't think there is a funnier writer alive today. I feel like I laugh out loud every time I read a chapter and that's a rare quality. 

This book is about a group of seniors at a retirement home that get together every Thursday to review cold cases in hopes of solving old murders. Naturally, things amp up when there are a series of murders in close proximity that they take upon themselves to solve. And the mystery is fun! There are plenty of fun twists and turns that keep you engaged, and an outcome that I thought was both unexpected and pretty rewarding (I should mention that I'm never the type of reader that tries to solve a mystery as I read). 

But I think the mystery aspect is secondary to both the characters and the comedy value. I think Osman is a terrific writer and writes lots of unique, interesting, realistic characters. I love seniors, and I'm around seniors all day every day, and I think this captures them in a way that is both faithful but also celebratory. And the best thing about seniors is that they are funny both intentionally and not, and Osman recognizes and captures that wonderfully. 

If you want to get angry, read some of the Goodreads reviews. People talking about it being slow or not dramatic enough. It's funny because this book went mainstream, but mainstream readers don't enjoy witty, well-written books, not like the readers of Weveiw do! This is a very good book. It's not an artistic masterpiece, but it is clever, engaging, and you will read it with a constant smile. Looking forward to the Netflix adaptation later this year.