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The Thursday Murder Club Series 5-Book Box Set by Richard Osman Review: A Cozy Crime Phenomenon Worth Collecting
Richard Osman's five-novel Thursday Murder Club series — collected here in a single paperback box set — brings together the complete adventures of four sharp-minded retirees who turn a quiet Kent retirement village into the unlikely epicentre of Britain's most entertaining amateur detective operation, cementing Osman's place as one of the defining crime writers of the 2020s.
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Best for
Readers who enjoy character-led British cozy crime fiction with dry humour, an ensemble of older protagonists, and brisk pacing — and who want to experience the full five-book Thursday Murder Club arc in a single purchase rather than tracking down individual volumes.
Worth it if
You want the complete, continuous run of Osman's series in one place and are happy to commit to a substantial paperback collection read in sequence to get the full benefit of the character development across all five novels.
Skip if
Skip it if you prefer e-book or audiobook formats, favour hard-boiled or graphic crime writing over cozy mysteries, or want the assurance of the original Viking/Penguin Random House production quality — this edition is published by Mind Quest Inc. and its physical presentation cannot be assessed firsthand.
What readers & critics say
Kirkus Reviews awarded the debut a starred review, calling it "a top-class cozy infused with dry wit and charming characters who draw you in and leave you wanting more," while bookshop.org's aggregated critical pull-quotes also surface starred praise from critical coverage ("witty") and critical coverage ("delightful, spirited characters… deserve a return engagement"), reflecting broad critical enthusiasm for the series opener.
“A top-class cozy infused with dry wit and charming characters who draw you in and leave you wanting more, please.”
— Kirkus ReviewsPreview the book
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- Is it worth reading?
- For fans of character-led cozy crime fiction with a British sensibility, the series has an exceptional track record: the debut became the first debut novel ever to reach Christmas number one in the UK, sold 45,000 copies in its first three days, and was described as the fastest-selling adult crime debut in recorded history. Critics including Christina Hardyment in The Times praised its ingenious plotting, and the series subsequently topped both the Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller lists. The box set format makes particular sense for readers who want to follow the full arc of the Thursday Murder Club's investigations from start to finish without hunting down individual volumes. Readers who prefer hard-boiled procedural fiction or graphic crime writing will find the series operates in a notably different, lighter register.
- Similar books
- Readers drawn to the Thursday Murder Club's blend of character warmth, quiet community setting, and crime at its centre will find several strong companions. William Kent Krueger's Ordinary Grace shares the same emphasis on character depth and an intimate community backdrop with a crime at its heart. Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine offers a similarly distinctive and loveable British protagonist navigating life on her own terms with dry wit. Evie Woods' The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris brings a comparable cozy, character-led sensibility with a European setting. Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a natural parallel — an ensemble of warm, unconventional investigators solving mysteries with humanity and humour — as is Elizabeth George's A Great Deliverance for readers who want to stay within British crime fiction, though George's tone is considerably darker.
- Who should read this?
- This series is squarely designed for readers who enjoy character-led cozy crime fiction with a British sensibility, dry humour, and an ensemble of older protagonists — a group rarely placed at the centre of the genre. Its crossover appeal is demonstrated by simultaneous success on both the UK Sunday Times and US New York Times bestseller lists. The box set format suits readers who want to commit to the full arc in one purchase, whether they are discovering the Thursday Murder Club for the first time or completing a collection they started with individual volumes. Readers who prefer hard-boiled procedural fiction, graphic crime writing, or e-book and audiobook formats will find other editions or other series a better fit.
- About Richard Osman
- Richard Thomas Osman is an English television presenter, producer, and novelist.
- Tell me about the adaptation
- A Netflix film adaptation of The Thursday Murder Club was released on 27 August 2025, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment and directed by Chris Columbus. The cast is led by Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie. The film brings the Cooper's Chase ensemble to the screen for the first time and represents a significant moment for the series, which had already built a substantial transatlantic readership through its bestseller list performance in both the UK and the US.
- What's the reading experience like?
- Each of the five novels follows a brisk short-chapter structure — the debut has 115 chapters across roughly 400 pages — making the series highly readable and easy to pick up and put down. Osman rotates perspectives across the four club members, with Joyce Meadowcroft's diary entries a particularly noted device that adds variety and warmth. The tone throughout is characterised by dry British humour and genuine poignancy around themes of ageing, with Elizabeth's husband Stephen's dementia handled as both a character element and an emotional thread. The combined 2,162 pages of the complete box set reward sequential reading, as character relationships and development accumulate meaningfully across all five books.
Summarize this book
The Bullet That Missed: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery by Richard Osman
4.6
/ 5
The Bullet That Missed is the third entry in Richard Osman's beloved Thursday Murder Club series, delivering the sharp wit, warmly drawn characters, and cleverly constructed plotting that have made the series a commercial and critical phenomenon. The audiobook edition, narrated by Fiona Shaw, Richard Osman, and Steph McGovern for Penguin Audio, brings the ensemble to vivid life across just over eleven hours of unabridged listening.
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The Man Who Died Twice: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery by Richard Osman
4.6
/ 5
The Man Who Died Twice, the second entry in Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series, reunites the beloved quartet of amateur sleuths — Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim, and Joyce — in another witty, warmhearted murder mystery set in a Kent retirement village. Published by Viking Press (Penguin Random House) in September 2021 and released as an Audible audiobook narrated by Lesley Manville on September 28, 2021, the book has drawn praise from major crime writers and general readers alike for balancing sharp plotting with genuine emotional depth. This review draws on its content, structure, and published critical reception — not hands-on use or listening.
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Follow up
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Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Ages 17+
Reading level
Adult
2 content notes · who it suits
Content to know about
Best for: Ages 17+ — the review identifies this as aimed at readers aged seventeen and up; the series' themes of ageing, dementia, and mortality suit a mature teen readership and above.
Skip if you prefer hard-boiled procedural fiction, graphic crime writing, or e-book and audiobook formats over a bulky paperback box set.
Our Review
What the Series Is and What It Contains
Record-Breaking Reception and Cultural Footprint
Strengths: Wit, Structure, and a Distinctive Premise
Significance as a Box Set
Who This Is For — and One Genuine Limitation
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
- 1
readingmattersblog.com
- 2
en.wikipedia.org
- 3
greatbritishbookclub.com
- Further reading
- 4
Richard Osman, Wikipedia
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
elnadesbookchat.com
- 9
deadgoodbooks.co.uk
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