The Thursday Murder Club
Author | Richard Osman |
---|---|
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Genre | Crime |
Publisher | Viking Press |
Publication date | 3 September 2020 |
Pages | 400 |
ISBN | 978-0241425442 |
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.
Plot[]
A group of pensioners (Elizabeth Best, a former intelligence agent; Ron Ritchie, a former trade unionist; Joyce Meadowcroft, a former nurse; and Ibrahim Arif, a former psychiatrist)[1] set about solving the mystery of the murder of a property developer[2] in the luxurious 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 The Man Who Died Twice 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[]
Book number two of the series, The Man Who Died Twice, was released on 16 September 2021, and a third book is being worked on.[4]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e Hickling, Alfred (3 October 2020). "The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman review – cosy crime caper". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- ^ a b c "Meet the Author: Richard Osman on debut novel The Thursday Murder Club". The Sunday Post. 19 September 2020. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- ^ Adams, Tim (22 September 2020). "The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman; The Diver and the Lover by Jeremy Vine – review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- ^ a b c d Chandler, Mark (8 September 2020). "Richard Osman to write two more Thursday Murder Club books for Viking". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- ^ Lovejoy, Hannah (20 November 2020). "Pointless host Richard Osman opens up about Steven Spielberg making a movie of his debut novel". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- ^ 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 22 December 2020.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- ^ "Richard Osman: "We are obsessed with young people"". RTÉ. 8 September 2020. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- 2020 British novels
- British crime novels
- Viking Press books
- Novels set in Kent
- 2020 debut novels