The Thursday Murder Club is a murder mystery book series by television presenter and author Richard Osman.
| |
| Author | Richard Osman |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Crime fiction, detective fiction, murder mystery, cozy mystery |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
| Published | 3 September 2020-present |
| No. of books | 4 |
Background
editThe first instalment, entitled The Thursday Murder Club, was Osman's fiction writing debut, and was published in September 2020. The book received great critical and public acclaim, and was a great financial success, becoming the No. 1 bestselling Christmas title in the UK, a first for a debut novelist.[1] The subsequent entries in the series have been similarly well received, with the The Last Devil To Die ending up as No.1 on the New York Times Best Seller list on 8 October 2023.[2]
Character overview
editThe titular club consists of four elderly pensioners who reside in Cooper's Chase, a retirement village located in the fictional Kent village of Fairhaven. The club was initially formed to merely discuss unsolved cases, but the four invariably come to be involved in investigating actual local murders.
The group consists of former spy Elizabeth Best, union leader Ron Ritchie, nurse Joyce Meadowcroft and psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif.[3]
Books in the series
edit- The Thursday Murder Club (2020)
- The Man Who Died Twice (2021)
- The Bullet That Missed (2022)
- The Last Devil To Die (2023)
In August 2024, Osman announced he had started work on the fifth book in the series, which is planned for a 2025 release.[4]
Adaptations
editFilm
editA film adaptation of the first book is in production for Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, with a script from Katy Brand, and Chris Columbus on board as director. The film features an ensemble cast led by Helen Mirren as Elizabeth, Pierce Brosnan as Ron, Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim and Celia Imrie as Joyce. The film will be released on Netflix.
Theatre
editOn 24 May 2024, Osman announced on the podcast The Rest Is Entertainment that he was working on a Thursday Murder Club stage play with co-writer Tom Basden. Like with the film, Steven Spielberg and Amblin will produce. Instead of adapting one of the books, the play will feature an original story.[5]
References
edit
- ^ Flood, Alison (22 December 2020). "Richard Osman becomes first debut author to land Christmas No 1". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
UK Top 10 bestsellers, week ending 19 December 2020 / 1. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman 134,514
- ^ "Combined Print & E-Book Fiction". The New York Times. 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ "Meet the characters from The Thursday Murder Club". Penguin Books Australia. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Cormack, Morgan (5 August 2024). "Richard Osman shares exciting update for Thursday Murder Club franchise". Radio Times.
- ^ Sayce, Rebecca (23 May 2024). "Richard Osman confirms a Thursday Murder Club theatre production is in the works". Digital Spy.