How to read Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club books in order
Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series is the perfect thing to cosy up with during the colder months— here's how you can read them all in order.
Have you heard the news? Murder mystery movies like Knives Out, Glass Onion, See How They Run and the aptly titled Murder Mystery have taken over the streaming world, while 2022 saw the revival of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution on London's West End. And when it comes to the literary world, Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club Series has reigned supreme since 2020.
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.
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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.
With a Thursday Murder Club movie well in the works (more on that later), there's no better time to read or reread the series than right now. We're here to help you do that with everything you need to know about reading The Thursday Murder Club series in order.
Buy The Thursday Murder Club: Four Book Bundle for £51 £26 (save £25 or 49%) at The Works
Listen up bookworms! We've rounded up the best Harlan Coben books, as well a guide to how to read the Percy Jackson books in order, to make sure that your 2024 is full of reading.
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)
Buy The Thursday Murder Club: Four Book Bundle for £51 £26 (save £25 or 49%) at The Works
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 (save £3.99 or 44%) 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 £5 (save £4.99 or 50%) at The Works
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 £5 (save £4.99 or 50%) at The Works
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 £22 £11 (save £12 or 50%) at The Works
Will there be a Thursday Murder Club movie?
Yes, the rumours are true: Richard Osman has confirmed that there will be a film adaptation of The Thursday Murder Club.
In 2020, Osman announced that Amblin Entertainment, a film production company founded by the one and only Stephen Spielberg. Production was delayed in 2023 due to strikes across the film industry, but filming is expected to get underway in 2024.
As of yet, there's no further information on cast confirmations or release dates.
Buy The Thursday Murder Club: Four Book Bundle for £51 £26 (save £25 or 49%) at The Works
Is there a new Richard Osman book?
Good news for fans of our four favourite crime-solving pensioners – The Last Devil to Die may have been the title of the latest book, but Richard Osman has confirmed that it won't be the last book in the series.
Speaking in an interview on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show, Osman confirmed although he's taking a bit of a breather from Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim over the next year (they've been through a lot), we certainly haven't heard the last of them.
However, the former Pointless co-host won't be sitting idle in the meantime. Osman is already cracking on with writing his latest book, another crime-adventure series. This time, he follows a father and daughter-in-law detective duo with clashing lifestyles who are forced to work together once trouble arises.
At the time of writing, the book is yet untitled and is due to be released on 17th September 2024, with the option to pre-order it now.
Pre-order the new untitled Richard Osman book for £23.77 at Amazon
Buy The Thursday Murder Club: Four Book Bundle for £51 £26 (save £25 or 49%) at The Works
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.
