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Exclusive Extract: The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

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Quiz: which member of the Thursday Murder Club are you?

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Exclusive extract: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

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The best new paperbacks of 2025

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Must-read books of 2024: A look back at the year’s most exciting releases

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Addictive novels you can read in a weekend

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The easy reading hack that completely changed my day

The Thursday Murder Club is about a group of retired cold-case enthusiasts thrown headlong into a real-life murder investigation.

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“It was beautiful”: Richard Osman on the real-life retirement village that inspired The Thursday Murder Club

There are many books that depict the permutations of growing older

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The best books that celebrate old age

The Impossible Fortune

'An irresistible series' LEE CHILD 
 
‘Funny, clever, compelling’ HARLAN COBEN 
 
'Richard Osman seems incapable of missing' THE TIMES 
 
----- 
 
"A wedding. A code. A murder. Time is ticking . . . Your move." 
 
It’s been a quiet year for the Thursday Murder Club. Joyce is busy with table plans and first dances. Elizabeth is grieving. Ron is dealing with family troubles, and Ibrahim is still providing therapy to his favourite criminal. 
 
But when Elizabeth meets a wedding guest who fears for their life, the thrill of the chase is ignited once again. A villain wants access to an uncrackable code and will stop at nothing to get it. Plunged back into their most explosive investigation yet, can the gang solve the puzzle and a murder in time? 
 
The unmissable new mystery in the bestselling, record-breaking Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman 
 
----- 
 
 
Praise for Richard Osman and the Thursday Murder Club series 
 
‘Brilliantly suspenseful’ JEFFERY DEAVER 
 
‘Deplorably good’ IAN RANKIN 
 
‘I smiled a million times’ MARIAN KEYES 
 
‘Warm, wise and witty’ VAL MCDERMID 
 
‘Osman just gets better’ SHARI LAPENA 
 
'The thing that shines through in Osman’s writing is that he really likes people and revels in all their foibles and eccentricities . . . a delightful read' OBSERVER 
 
‘The rightful king of crime’ i PAPER 
 
‘The biggest new fiction author of the decade’ GUARDIAN 
 
'Underestimate him at your own peril' INDEPENDENT 
 
'Puts his finger on the deepest yearnings of our contemporary age' SUNDAY TIMES

Full of humour, this is our fave one yet!

This proves to be one of Osman’s more cleverly plotted whodunnits, with bonus brainteasers in the form of cunning codes to crack

A gently humorous read, peopled with characters who feel like old friends

A delight . . . if you really want to find out how families and friends react and interact and talk, then go to Richard Osman

Osman reaches audiences other authors do not because he truly shares their world

RICHARD OSMAN is an author, producer and television presenter. The Thursday Murder Club novels are a record-breaking, multi-million-copy, bestselling series around the world. The movie adaptation for The Thursday Murder Club, produced by Amblin Entertainment, is available to watch on Netflix. His new series, We Solve Murders, featuring a brand-new detective trio, is also an international bestseller. Richard promises there are more books to come in both series. He lives in London with his wife, Ingrid, and their cats, Liesl and Lottie.

"A wedding. A code. A murder. Time is ticking . . . Your move." 
 
It’s been a quiet year for the Thursday Murder Club. Joyce is busy with table plans and first dances. Elizabeth is grieving. Ron is dealing with family troubles, and Ibrahim is still providing therapy to his favourite criminal. 
 
But when Elizabeth meets a wedding guest who fears for their life, the thrill of the chase is ignited once again. A villain wants access to an uncrackable code and will stop at nothing to get it. Plunged back into their most explosive investigation yet, can the gang solve the puzzle and a murder in time?

(The Thursday Murder Club 1)

The Thursday Murder Club

THE FIRST NOVEL IN THE RECORD-BREAKING, MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING THURSDAY MURDER CLUB SERIES, NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX MOVIE! 
 
---------- 
 
'Smart, compassionate, warm, moving and so VERY funny' Marian Keyes 
'So smart and funny. Deplorably good' Ian Rankin 
'Thrilling, moving, laugh-out-loud funny' Mark Billingham 
 
In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders. 
 
But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. 
 
Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. 
 
Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late? 
 
The Times Crime Book of the Month 
Guardian Best Crime and Thrillers 
 
---------- 
 
'A warm, wise and witty warning never to underestimate the elderly' Val McDermid 
 
'I completely fell in love with it' Shari Lapena 
 
'This is properly brilliant. The pages fly and I can't stop smiling' Steve Cavanagh 
 
'Steeped in Agatha Christie joy' Araminta Hall 
 
'Pure escapism' Guardian 
 
'As gripping as it is funny' Evening Standard 
 
'An exciting new talent in crime fiction' Daily Mail 
 
'A witty and poignant tale' Daily Telegraph 
 
'Funny and original' Sun 
 
 
Richard Osman, Sunday Times bestseller, March 2024 
The Bullet that Missed broke the record for the fastest-selling adult fiction hardback ever, September 2022

'So smart and funny. Deplorably good'

'Smart, compassionate, warm, moving and so VERY funny. I smiled a million times. This book will make a lot of people very, very happy'

'A gripping read and rather moving'

'A superb debut. Thrilling, moving, laugh-out-loud funny and packed with characters you will want to see a LOT more of'

'By turns hilarious and poignant, The Thursday Murder Club offers up a brilliant concept that's flawlessly executed and told in a unique, captivating voice. These are rare qualities in any novel, let alone a debut. I read the first page, then put all else on hold to devour this pitch-perfect book in one sitting. Bravo!'

'So smart, so funny, so warm, and such a wonderful mystery. If we're lucky Richard Osman will keep these characters alive forever'

'A properly funny and totally charming murder mystery steeped in Agatha Christie joy. Also the best crime solving foursome and full of a type of Britishness that makes you smile'

'What a great read this book is. Brimming with fascinating characters, humour, intrigue and warmth. And of course a brilliant whodunnit'

'Diabolically clever, very funny, highly entertaining - utterly delightful. I completely fell in love with it'

'A warm, wise and witty warning never to underestimate the elderly'

'Utterly charming and very, very clever. Exactly what you'd expect from Richard Osman writing a crime novel'

'Robert Galbraith meets Tom Sharpe. Plot driven with great characters, I'm doing actual lols on every page. I don't ever want to finish this book!'

'What a joy! Full of brilliantly observed humour, spot-on dialogue and twists and turns aplenty. Joyce and the gang are now my favourite crime-solving team'

'A bundle of joy... Absolutely loved it'

'I knew The Thursday Murder Club would be funny, and suspected it would be whip-smart, but I didn't expect to fall so hard for the wonderful cast of characters. Bravo'

'Clever, clever plot, great gags, Ealing comedy set-ups'

'A brilliant debut - The Thursday Murder Club is a rare combination of mystery, intrigue, wisdom and humour. I loved it!'

'What a tonic! A scrumptious mixture of wry humour, poignancy, OAP rebellion and the unexpected. I've never read a murder mystery like this one before. Should be on prescription'

'Such a pleasurable read. I laughed my arse off, and think that any fan of Richard Osman's (which I am) would love his sly wit and wry observations'

'This is properly brilliant. A stunning crime debut. The pages fly and I can't stop smiling'

'Written with a sharp satirical pen that gives it a cool, funny Pascal Garnier vibe'

'A wonderfully engaging cast of characters and a brilliantly woven plot... I often found myself staying up way after lights out for just one more chapter'

'Osman mixes mirth and murder in his exceptional debut. Osman's witty prose is a highlight. Fans of Lynne Truss's Constable Twitten mysteries will be tickled'

'Wickedly clever and charmingly ingenious. MURDER CLUB is exactly the right combination of brilliant plot twists and engaging characters. You race through the pages, only to be sorry for the book to end'

'I could go on all day and half the night about this book. Buy it and save me the trouble. As one would expect from Richard Osman, a rich, textured, twisted, and fabulously funny tale of murder and mayhem'

'This novel (an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery set in a retirement village) is a tonic - it's compelling and warm and clever but most of all it's HILARIOUS. Gentle and ingenious. LOVED IT'

'I completely loved this book! It's so warmly written and so funny, the characters and setting both wonderfully depicted'

'Will delight crime and general fiction fans alike with its mix of British humour and small village life'

Simon Johnson, director for books at Amazon EU

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders. 
 
But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. 
 
Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. 
 
Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late?

We Solve Murders

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He still does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers the pub quiz and afternoons at home with his cat Trouble. His days of adventure are over – that’s his daughter-in-law Amy’s business now. 
 
Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul, which makes being a private security officer to billionaires the perfect job. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending Steve an SOS . . . 
 
As a breakneck race around the world begins, can they stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy?

Abridged Edition

Penguin Readers Level 6: The Thursday Murder Club (ELT Graded Reader)

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online. 
 
Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. 
 
The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers&rsquo; story comprehension and develop vocabulary. 
 
The Thursday Murder Club, a Level 6 Reader, is B1+ in the CEFR framework. The longer text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing future continuous, reported questions, third conditional, was going to and ellipsis. A small number of illustrations support the text. 
 
Meet Richard Osman&rsquo;s famous group of pensioner-detectives: Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Joyce and Ron. In The Thursday Murder Club, the group must try to connect the murders of two men they know and an extra body discovered in an old grave! 
 
Visit the Penguin Readers website 
Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys.

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
The Thursday Murder Club, a Level 6 Reader, is B1+ in the CEFR framework. The longer text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing future continuous, reported questions, third conditional, was going to and ellipsis. A small number of illustrations support the text. 
 
Meet Richard Osman&rsquo;s famous group of pensioner-detectives: Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Joyce and Ron. In The Thursday Murder Club, the group must try to connect the murders of two men they know and an extra body discovered in an old grave!

The Thursday Murder Club 4

The Last Devil To Die

THE FOURTH NOVEL IN THE RECORD-BREAKING, MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING THURSDAY MURDER CLUB SERIES BY RICHARD OSMAN 
 
---------- 
 
‘The rightful king of crime’ i News 
'Deeply moving... some of his best writing yet' Telegraph 
 
Shocking news reaches the Thursday Murder Club. 
 
An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing. 
 
As the gang springs into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home. 
 
With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out? And who will be the last devil to die? 
 
---------- 
 
'As charming and funny as always but SO MOVING' Marian Keyes 
 
 
Richard Osman, Sunday Times bestseller, March 2024 
The Bullet that Missed broke the record for the fastest-selling adult fiction hardback ever, September 2022

I cried in public (well, on a plane). It&rsquo;s beautiful - 12/10

The essence of June Whitfield, Joanna Lumley, Celia Imrie, Olivia Colman and Penelope Wilton

This moving, tightly plotted caper is [his] best book yet; moving and beautiful

An essential refuge from the cares of real life

Another witty, charming and hugely entertaining read ... his best yet

Expect intrigue, red herrings and loads of charm

Delivered with the sharp wit that we associate with Osman

Intricate plots, humour and the most endearing cast of characters

Shocking news reaches the Thursday Murder Club. 
 
An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing. 
 
As the gang springs into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home. 
 
With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out? And who will be the last devil to die?

(The Thursday Murder Club 3)

The Bullet That Missed

THE THIRD NOVEL IN THE RECORD-BREAKING, MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING THURSDAY MURDER CLUB SERIES. 
 
YOU KNOW WHO WILL LOVE READING THIS? EVERYONE! 
 
---------- 
 
'Full of Osman's trademark charm, insight and intelligence' Lee Child 
'Tender, hopeful and funny' Marian Keyes 
'I adored this thrilling adventure. His best yet!' Claire Douglas 
'Infectious, charming and full of heart' Gillian McAllister 
 
It is an ordinary Thursday and things should finally be returning to normal. 
 
Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club is concerned. A decade-old cold case leads them to a local news legend and a murder with no body and no answers. 
 
Then a new foe pays Elizabeth a visit. Her mission? Kill...or be killed. 
 
As the cold case turns white hot, Elizabeth wrestles with her conscience (and a gun), while Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim chase down clues with help from old friends and new. But can the gang solve the mystery and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again? 
 
---------- 
 
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB SERIES 
 
'Infectious, charming and full of heart' GILLIAN MCALLISTER 
 
'I adored this thrilling adventure. His best yet!' CLAIRE DOUGLAS 
 
'Another witty, charming and hugely entertaining read ... his best yet' SUNDAY EXPRESS 
 
'A joy to be back...intrigue, red herrings and loads of charm' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 
 
'I snickered so much reading this one' THE OBSERVER 
 
'Opening the new Osman is like sitting down to dinner with treasured friends you know are going to kill you - deliciously!' PETER JAMES 
 
'Full of humour and heart, Osman delivers another must-read. I loved it' HARLAN COBEN 
 
'A warm, wise and witty warning never to underestimate the elderly' VAL MCDERMID 
 
'So smart and funny. Deplorably good' IAN RANKIN 
 
'Thrilling, moving, laugh-out-loud funny' MARK BILLINGHAM 
 
 
Richard Osman, Sunday Times bestseller, March 2024 
The Bullet that Missed broke the record for the fastest-selling adult fiction hardback ever, September 2022

Humour is gently threaded through every element

Unlike the bullet, Richard Osman seems incapable of missing

Delivered with the sharp wit that we associate with Osman

It is an ordinary Thursday, and things should finally be returning to normal. 
 
Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club are concerned. A decade-old cold case leads them to a local news legend and a murder with no body and no answers. 
 
Then a new foe pays Elizabeth a visit. Her mission? Kill...or be killed. 
 
As the cold case turns white hot, Elizabeth wrestles with her conscience (and a gun), while Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim chase down clues with help from old friends and new. But can the gang solve the mystery and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again?

(The Thursday Murder Club 2)

The Man Who Died Twice

THE SECOND NOVEL IN THE RECORD-BREAKING, MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING THURSDAY MURDER CLUB SERIES. 
 
---------- 
 
'Moving, hilarious, brilliantly suspenseful' Jeffery Deaver 
'A thing of joy' Kate Atkinson 
'The tonic we all need' Shari Lapena 
 
It's the following Thursday. 
 
Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He's made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life. 
 
As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn't that be a bonus? 
 
But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn't bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. 
 
Can the Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them? 
 
---------- 
 
'It's like reading ice cream... a pure pleasure' Linwood Barclay 
 
'A properly funny mystery steeped in Agatha Christie' Araminta Hall 
 
'Full of humour and heart. I loved it' Harlan Coben 
 
'He's not only done it again, but he's done it even better' Philippa Perry 
 
'They'll cradle you through any winter of discontent' Richard and Judy, Daily Express 
 
'Superbly entertaining' Guardian 
 
'As gripping as it is funny' Evening Standard 
 
'This slick sequel will leave you buzzing' The Times 
 
'Osman's world is a soothing place to be' Sunday Telegraph 
 
'Pure pleasure to read' Observer 
 
 
Richard Osman, Sunday Times bestseller, March 2024 
The Bullet that Missed broke the record for the fastest-selling adult fiction hardback ever, September 2022

'This slick sequel will leave you buzzing'

Thrilling, moving, laugh-out-loud funny and packed with characters you will want to see a LOT more of

Compelling. Mystery fans are going to be enthralled

Smart, compassionate, warm, moving and so VERY funny. I smiled a million times. This book will make a lot of people very, very happy

A warm, wise and witty warning never to underestimate the elderly

Funny, clever and achingly British - what else would you expect from a book by Richard Osman?

101 new & classic games from the hit BBC series

Richard Osman's House of Games

Host of Pointless and Child Genius, Richard Osman presents the first official quiz book to accompany his hit BBC Two Show, Richard Osman's House of Games.

Richard Osman (Author) Richard Osman is a creative director for Endemol UK. He has worked as an executive producer on numerous shows, including 8 Out of 10 Cats and 10 O'Clock Live. Richard rose to fame presenting Pointless with Alexander Armstrong. Richard's popularity and tremendous knowledge of trivia led to him presenting his own BBC quiz, Two Tribes, along with Insert Name Here, Child Genius and Richard Osman's House of Games. He is also a regular on panel shows such as Have I Got News For You and writes a column for the Radio Times. Alan Connor (Author) Alan Connor is the author of Two Girls, One on Each Knee: The Puzzling, Playful World of the Crossword ("witty, charming, encyclopaedic and highly readable" - Spectator) and The Joy of Quiz ("An absolute delight" - Mail on Sunday). He has made quizzes for various TV shows and newspapers and written comedy including BBC Film's The Rack Pack, A Young Doctor's Notebook (Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe) and Have I Got News For You.

Do you know how many post boxes there are in the UK? Could you guess how many times the word 'goat' appear in the King James Version of the bible? Fancy playing a game of charades where all of the books, films and plays are entirely made up? 
 
Now, look around the room. Is anyone there the kind of person who’ll say ‘I just don’t understand this’, when faced with something that’s not just perfectly easy to understand, but is ... well, fun? 
 
Ask them to leave. 
 
Have they gone? Good. 
 
Now welcome inside the House of Games ... 
 
Featuring questions based on some of the most loved rounds from the hit BBC2 show, including Roonerspisims, Venn Will I Be Famous?, Dim Sums and Answer Smash, Richard Osman’s House of Games Quiz Book is the ultimate test of wit, wisdom and imagination. 
 
Curated by Richard Osman and Alan Connor and featuring over 50 new and exclusive games to try out, this is your chance to step inside the House of Games and pitch your trivia skills against your family and friends. 
 
Quirky, unique and exactly the right amount of silly, House of Games contains hours of guaranteed fun!

We Chase Shadows

Richard Osman’s globe-trotting series ‘We Solve Murders’ returns this September with the thrilling new mystery, We Chase Shadows. 
 
 In the Italian hills, a body is found on the steps of a private villa at sunrise. Our mis-matched detective trio, Amy, Rosie 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 . . . 
Pre-order your copy now!

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. . .

Richard Osman

Books by Richard Osman

Series by Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club5 Books

We Solve Murders2 Books

Articles featuring Richard Osman

Exclusive Extract: The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

Quiz: which member of the Thursday Murder Club are you?

Exclusive extract: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

The best new paperbacks of 2025

Must-read books of 2024: A look back at the year’s most exciting releases

Addictive novels you can read in a weekend

The easy reading hack that completely changed my day

“It was beautiful”: Richard Osman on the real-life retirement village that inspired The Thursday Murder Club

The best books that celebrate old age

The Rest is Entertainment, with Richard Osman and Marina Hyde

Videos

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman | Book trailer

In the press

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Books by Richard Osman

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Series by Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club5 Books

We Solve Murders2 Books

Articles featuring Richard Osman

Exclusive Extract: The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

Quiz: which member of the Thursday Murder Club are you?

Exclusive extract: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

The best new paperbacks of 2025

The Rest is Entertainment, with Richard Osman and Marina Hyde

Videos

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman | Book trailer

In the press

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