At some stage during the past two years, I read about "The Thursday Murder Club" by Richard Osman - was it on someone's (Monica's?) blog? Anyway, a fellow volunteer and almost neighbour recently lent me her copy, and I am glad she did!
The Thursday Murder Club are mainly four friends living in a retirement village for the rather affluent. They regularly go over old case files and try to solve them more for the intellectual stimulation and satisfaction than anything else. But then, a property developer is killed right under their noses (literally), and of course they set off to solve the case.
Needless to say, they do indeed solve it (and some other, more or less related cases along the way), and faster than the police, too. Speaking of the police, mainly present in the shape of a young police woman who desperately wants to escape the tedious beat work, and her middle-aged boss who is struggling with his weight as much as with his loneliness.
I enjoyed each and every line of this. There is a lot of wit and humour in the book, but also plenty to make you think about family, friendship, love, death, loyalty and getting older (a topic very close to home for me these days).
The book has its own entry on wikipedia, which also links to the entry about the author. Wikipedia says that Steven Spielberg has bought the film rights. Throughout the book, my inner cinema was at work. I wonder whether other readers have the same idea about who should play Elizabeth? For me, Helen Mirren is the obvious choice.
Yesterday, my volunteer colleague lent me her copy of the sequel. It is next on my to-be-read pile.
I enjoyed it too. Richard Osman is well known here on quiz programmes together with his wit and it came through on each page of the book. The old people's village where the story was set was based on the place where his mother lives and the characters were based on Richard's observations when he visited his mother.
ReplyDeleteYes, wikipedia mentioned that. I love having some background information about the work of an author, filmmaker or any artist.
DeleteApart from reading this book, I have never come across Richard Osman before; when I am in the UK, I watch little TV and then it's mostly cosy stuff in the evening such as Midsomer Murders.
I enjoyed it also. Now I am reading Elly Griffith's The Locked Room as I have enjoyed her series with Ruth Galloway.
ReplyDeleteStrangely, I remember distinctly having read at least one Ruth Galloway mystery, but can't find a review here on my blog. It must have been before 2009 then.
DeleteI think I have read all of the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffith! I have really enjoyed them!
DeleteI still can't remember which one I have read and when that was, but I do know I HAVE read at least one.
DeleteDefinitely Helen Mirren. I've had that discussion with another friend! I'm liking Alun Armstrong as Ron (or Roger Allam or Ciaran Hinds!) and puzzling on Joyce. Penelope Wilton, perhaps? Imelda Staunton? I adored it! It's possible I liked the second book in the series even more. I just finished an Elly Griffiths and now looking at diving into another Donna Leon or the next Susan Hill Serrailler. By the way, I really loved your posts about Yorkshire. I didn't have time to comment (I barely had time to read!) but was delighted with them!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, Roger Allam would make a perfect Ron! As for casting for Joyce's role, it needs to be a smallish and slender lady, I think. Who is smaller, I wonder - Imelda Staunton or Penelope Wilton?
DeleteAny ideas as to who could play Ibrahim, or Chris and Donna?
I too enjoyed Richard Osman's book, which I think was his first novel. It was laugh out loud humorous in parts and too near to home in others. I think he has written a couple more sequels but I shan't search them out as sequels are never as good ..... Did I hear they were making a film/TV version of it? Again, his descriptions brought the characters to life sufficiently for me.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed his first novel, and one sequel is already out, while another one is in the making, as far as I know. Wikipedia says Steven Spielberg has bought the film rights; I don't know any more about that. For me, too, the characters are brought to life wonderfully in the book - but if there will be a film, I still want to see it.
DeleteIt is now on my list too.
ReplyDeleteI hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
DeleteI sent this to Peter, my father in law when it first came out!! He loved it! I was very pleased when it became such a best seller. He loved people discussing it on TV. "I had already read it!", was what he told me by phone. I sure do miss my father in law.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I know about Peter through your blog, I am not surprised he loved it. I am currently reading the 2nd book and, once again, loving every word.
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