In one word: Charming
Once again, the recommendations of the Cannonball Read community came in with a flawless pick that I absolutely adored. I believe it was at the last CBR Zoom meet-up that this book was mentioned. I know by now if more than two or more cannonballers chime in with YES YES THAT’S A GOOD ONE about a book that I should just go ahead and bump it up to the top of my list. (Three cheers for internet friends who though you haven’t ever met them in person are a big part of your life! High fives and hugs all around!!!)
Onto heaping praise upon this book! This book is a hoot and a half. Two hoots even! Fun, funny and will warm the heart. It boasts a rich cast of characters with twists and turns and surprises all throughout; this is a very thoughtful and interesting mystery novel. It has the bones of a more traditional mystery structure a la Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple or TVs Murder She Wrote’s Jessica Fletcher where a sassy older lady is situated at the center of the story as an amateur sleuth. But that’s only one layer of the tale with multiple mysteries to solve and multiple amateur detectives as part of the team. The Thursday Murder Club is a group of four friends at a retirement community who get together to try to solve unsolved mysteries, but when a murder occurs close to home, they delve into helping the police, much to the dismay of the detective leading the investigation as well as a young officer looking for her big break. This book is full of hijinks and shenanigans and I laughed out loud numerous throughout.
Though this book is funny, its heart is as big as its humor. There are many poignant moments and it tackles aging, grief, and heartbreak with grace and warmth. It’s a true testament to the frailty of the human condition, and the importance of maintaining deep friendships at every stage of life. This is British comedian Richard Osman’s first novel and it’s so good I’m a little mad about it. The second book is out already (and I have already checked it from the library) and it looks like at least a third is planned. If he keeps reading writing them, I’ll keep reading them.
