The Thursday Murder Club

The Thursday Murder Club is the debut novel by Pointless and House of Games presenter Richard Osman. It was published on 3 September 2020 by Viking Press, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House.

The Thursday Murder Club
AuthorRichard Osman
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
GenreCrime
PublisherViking Press
Publication date
3 September 2020
Pages400
ISBN978-0241425442

Plot

A group of pensioners (Elizabeth, a former intelligence agent; Ron, a former trade unionist; Joyce, a former nurse; and Ibrahim, a former psychiatrist)[1] set about solving the mystery of the murder of a property developer[2] in the luxury Cooper's Chase retirement village in Kent.[1]

Publication

Osman's inspiration for the book came from a visit he made to an upmarket retirement village.[1] He wrote the book over 18 months in secret.[2]

After a 10-way publishing auction,[1] Penguin Random House acquired the rights to The Thursday Murder Club and its sequel for a seven-figure sum[3] in 2019.[4]

The book was published on 3 September 2020. It sold 45,000 copies in its first three days on sale[4] and became a Sunday Times number one bestseller.[5] As of 8 September it had been sold in 16 different countries.[4] In the week leading up to 19 December it sold 134,514 copies, making it the first debut novel ever to be Christmas number one.[6]

Reception

In The Times, Christina Hardyment said the book has an "ingenious plot".[7]

The Guardian hailed it as the "fastest selling adult crime debut" in recorded history.[1]

Adaptations

The book was adapted for BBC Radio 4 and broadcast in early 2021, read by Haydn Gwynne.[8]

Steven Spielberg's production company Amblin Entertainment bought the book's global film rights.[2] The film will be written and directed by Ol Parker.[9]

Sequels

Two sequels of the book will be published by Viking Press, the first in September 2021.[4]

References
  1. Hickling, Alfred (3 October 2020). "The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman review – cosy crime caper". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  2. "Meet the Author: Richard Osman on debut novel The Thursday Murder Club". The Sunday Post. 19 September 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  3. Adams, Tim (22 September 2020). "The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman; The Diver and the Lover by Jeremy Vine – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  4. Chandler, Mark (8 September 2020). "Richard Osman to write two more Thursday Murder Club books for Viking". The Bookseller. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  5. Lovejoy, Hannah (20 November 2020). "Pointless host Richard Osman opens up about Steven Spielberg making a movie of his debut novel". Digital Spy. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  6. Flood, Alison (22 December 2020). "Richard Osman becomes first debut author to land Christmas No 1". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  7. Hardyment, Christina (2 October 2020). "The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman audiobook review — a feelgood crime caper that reflects society as it is". The Times. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  8. Abridged: Sara Davies; Reader: Haydn Gwynne; Producer: Mary Ward-Lowery; Music: Tom Constantine (25 January 2021). "The Thursday Murder Club: Episode 1". The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. BBC. BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  9. "Richard Osman: "We are obsessed with young people"". RTÉ. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
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