It’s best to start with the first book in the series, The Thursday Murder Club. While you can technically jump in anywhere in the series, as each book has a self-contained plot and mystery to solve, the characters develop throughout the books. It’s much more satisfying to see Ron, Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Joyce’s characters evolve if you start reading from the beginning – plus, you’ll be better able to understand their in-jokes.
The Thursday Murder Club
by5 books in this series
The Impossible Fortune
"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?
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 Last Devil To Die
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?
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 Bullet That Missed
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?
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 Man Who Died Twice
THE SECOND NOVEL IN THE RECORD-BREAKING, MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING THURSDAY MURDER CLUB SERIES.
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'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?
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'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
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'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
The Thursday Murder Club
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?
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?
In what order should I read The Thursday Murder Club books?
What is Richard Osman’s latest book called?
Richard Osman’s most recent book is We Chase Shadows, which was released on 10th September 2026. This is the second in his separate series, We Solve Murders, and sees the return of detective duo Steve and Amy Wheeler as they jet set around the world, trying to track down a ruthless killer.
The Impossible Fortune is the fifth in the Thursday Murder Club series. It came out in September 2025, and it sees the gang pull together to find a cutthroat villain who wants an uncrackable code.
Which Richard Osman book is best?
Each of Osman’s warm and witty mysteries is brilliant but, if we had to pick our favourite, we’d choose The Last Devil to Die. This is the fourth book in Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series and while, like the other books in the series, the plot is exciting and the writing is witty, The Last Devil to Die has an additional emotional depth that makes it stand out. By the fourth book, you’re properly invested in the characters, meaning you empathise even more with Elizabeth’s situation with her husband (we won’t give spoilers here).
However, others will argue that the best book in the series is the first: The Thursday Murder Club. After all, this is where we first meet our lovable gang of unlikely detectives as they solve their first murder. It also introduces Osman’s funny storytelling style, which continues throughout the rest of the series.