How to read Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club books in order
Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series is now a Netflix movie, here's how you can go back and read the series from the beginning.
Perhaps best known for hosting the endlessly entertaining Richard Osman's House of Games, as well as formerly hosting quiz show Pointless, Richard Osman is a household name – dare we say a national treasure?
Now, the multi-hyphenate is a well-known name in the world of literature. To say that the Thursday Murder Club, Osman's first foray into writing fiction, is successful would be an understatement.
Penguin Random House acquired the rights to the Thursday Murder Club and its sequel after a 10-way publishing auction in 2019. The first book was published on 3rd September 2020, and sold a whopping 45,000 copies in its first three days.
In the week leading up to 19th September 2020 it smashed records, becoming the first ever debut novel to reach Christmas number 1 with 134,415 sales just that week.
Today the series is popular with fans of all ages and backgrounds (including this RadioTimes.com writer, who asks for the newest book in the series each Christmas without fail). It's hard not to fall in love with each character, from chatty Joyce to headstrong Ron, and the twists and turns of each plot are enough to give Agatha Christie a run for her money.
The Thursday Murder Club movie is now officially out on Netflix, with high-profile stars Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Celia Imrie, headlining the call sheet, so there's no better time to read or reread the series than right now.
Buy The Thursday Murder Club: Four Book Bundle
Richard Osman books: The Thursday Murder Club books in order at a glance
- The Thursday Murder Club (September 2020)
- The Man Who Died Twice (September 2021)
- The Bullet That Missed (September 2022)
- The Last Devil to Die (September 2023)
- The Impossible Fortune (23rd September 2025)
Richard Osman books: The Thursday Murder Club books in order
The Thursday Murder Club
Meet Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Ron, a plucky group of pensioners living in Cooper's Chase, a luxury retirement village. Every Thursday, the group meet to try their hand at solving some cold cases, but when a brutal murder takes place right on their doorstep, the gang decides to bring things a little closer to home.
Buy The Thursday Murder Club for £8.99 £5.50 (save £3.49 or 39%) at The Works
The Man Who Died Twice
It's the following Thursday and the fabulous four gear up for another adventure. An old colleague of Elizabeth's resurfaces, and he's in a heap of trouble, involving a stack of diamonds and a violent mobster. Can the gang help him out while keeping themselves out of harm's way?
Buy The Man Who Died Twice for £9.99 at Waterstones
The Bullet That Missed
Another Thursday and another cold case is heating up for Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim. A decade-old case points to a local news giant and a murder with no body, before Elizabeth is visited by a brand new foe. And this is just the beginning; Elizabeth must confront her conscience and the dilemma of kill or be killed.
Buy The Bullet That Missed for £9.99 at Waterstones
The Last Devil To Die
It's bad news for The Thursday Murder Club – an old friend in the antiques business has been killed and an important package he was guarding is nowhere to be found.
Thus begins a tale of art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers. Who will be the last devil to die?
Buy The Last Devil To Die for £9.99 at Waterstones
The Impossible Fortune
Osman is here to provide! The next Thursday Murder Club book: The Impossible Fortune is available for pre-order now, and will be arriving on 25th September. Here's the synopsis:
"Who's got time to think about murder when there's a wedding to plan?
"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’s in trouble, kidnap and death are hot on their heels once more. A villain wants access to an uncrackable code, and will stop at nothing to get it. Plunged back into action once more, can the gang solve the puzzle and a murder in time?"
Pre-order The Impossible Fortune for £22 at Waterstones
Where can I listen to the Thursday Murder Club audiobook?
You can find all four of the current Thursday Murder Club audiobooks on Audible, Amazon's own audiobook streaming service.
When you sign up to Audible you can get the first 30 days for free, which means if you're speedy you could listen to all four books in that time, after that your subscription automatically renews at £8.99 a month.
Who narrates the Thursday Murder Club audiobook?
The first two Thursday Murder Club books are narrated by actress Leslie Manville, best known for her roles in The Crown and Mrs Harris Goes to Paris.
However, the second two (The Last Devil to Die and The Impossible Fortune) are narrated by Fiona Shaw, who starred as Aunt Petunia in the Harry Potter franchise.
What is Richard Osman's other book series?
Richard Osman's other novel, We Solve Murders, is the first of a new book series the author is working on.
The book follows Steve Wheeler, a retiree who gets caught up in a deadly plot surrounding his daughter-in-law Amy.
The book was released in September 2024 and Osman plans to write a second instalment to be published in 2026 or 2027. Apparently his intention is to release this series in tandem with the Thursday Murder Club chronicles each year.
Buy We Solve Murders for £7.49 at Waterstones
If it's more murder mystery you're after, then take a look at the RadioTimes.com review of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution. And for more theatre tips, check out our guide to the best West End shows, plays and musicals.
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