When Richard Osman published the first book in The Thursday Murder Club series in 2020, it gave us comfort and escapism at a time when we needed it most. The book’s unique storyline of a group of four true crime-loving septuagenarians solving a murder in their retirement village was funny, fresh and a great mystery, like a modern-day Agatha Christie novel.
Since then, the five books in the series have gained a legion of fans because of Osman’s uniquely warm and witty writing style, the pacing of the plots, and the loveable cast of characters: Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron.
If you’re new to the series and don’t know where to start, we recommend reading The Thursday Murder Club books in order because you get to see these characters develop from the first book until the last; you become invested in their personal storylines, and reading each book feels like reuniting with old friends.
To give you a clearer overview of the series, we’ve put together the following guide to The Thursday Murder Club books in order, up until the most recent book in the series, The Impossible Fortune, which was released in September 2025.
If you’re looking for Richard Osman’s latest release, the new book in the We Solve Murders series, We Chase Shadows, will be released this September 2026. Find out more about the We Solve Murders series.
Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club books in order:
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
1. The Thursday Murder Club (2020)
In a peaceful retirement village off the A21 in Kent, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders. But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case.
Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.
Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it’s too late?
Read an extract from The Thursday Murder Club here.
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
2. The Man Who Died Twice (2021)
It’s the following Thursday. Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He’s made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life.
As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn’t that be a bonus?
But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn’t bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can the Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them?
Read an extract from The Man Who Died Twice here.
The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
3. The Bullet That Missed (2022)
It’s an ordinary Thursday, and things should finally be returning to normal. Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club are concerned. A local news legend is on the hunt for a sensational headline, and soon the gang are hot on the trail of two murders, ten years apart.
To make matters worse, a new nemesis pays Elizabeth a visit, presenting her with a deadly mission: kill or be killed…
While Elizabeth grapples with her conscience (and a gun), the gang and their unlikely new friends (including TV stars, money launderers and ex-KGB colonels) unravel a new mystery. But can they catch the culprit and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again?
Read an extract from the Bullet That Missed here.
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
4.The Last Devil to Die (2023)
You’d think you would be allowed to relax over Christmas, but not in the world of the Thursday Murder Club.
On Boxing Day, a dangerous package is smuggled across the English coast. When it goes missing, chaos is unleashed. The body count starts to rise – including someone close to the Thursday Murder Club – as our gang face an impossible search and their most deadly opponents yet.
With the clock ticking down and a killer heading to Cooper’s Chase, has their luck finally run out? And who will be ‘The Last Devil To Die’?
Read an extract from The Last Devil to Die here.
The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
5. The Impossible Fortune (2025)
It’s been a quiet year for the Thursday Murder Club. Joyce is busy with table plans and first dances. Elizabeth is grieving. Ron is dealing with family troubles, and Ibrahim is still providing therapy to his favourite criminal.
But when Elizabeth meets a wedding guest who’s in trouble, kidnap and death are hot on their heels once more. A villain wants access to an uncrackable code, and will stop at nothing to get it. Plunged back into action once more, can the gang solve the puzzle and a murder in time?
In what order should I read Richard Osman’s books?
It’s best to start with the first book in the series, The Thursday Murder Club. While you can technically jump in anywhere in the series, as each book has a self-contained plot and mystery to solve, the characters develop throughout the books. It’s much more satisfying to see Ron, Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Joyce’s characters evolve if you start reading from the beginning – plus, you’ll be better able to understand their in-jokes.
What is Richard Osman’s latest book called?
Richard Osman’s most recent book is The Impossible Fortune, which is the fifth in the Thursday Murder Club series. It came out in September 2025, and it sees the gang pull together to find a cutthroat villain who wants an uncrackable code.
Richard Osman’s next book release will be We Chase Shadows on 10th September 2026. This is the second in his separate series, We Solve Murders, and will see the return of detective duo Steve and Amy Wheeler as they jet set around the world, trying to track down a ruthless killer.
Which Richard Osman book is best?
Each of Osman’s warm and witty mysteries is brilliant but, if we had to pick our favourite, we’d choose The Bullet That Missed. This is the third book in Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series and while, like the other books in the series, the plot is exciting and the writing is witty, The Bullet That Missed has an additional emotional depth that makes it stand out. By the third book, you’re properly invested in the characters, meaning you empathise even more with Elizabeth’s predicament with her husband (we won’t give spoilers here).
However, others will argue that the best book in the series is the first: The Thursday Murder Club. After all, this is where we first meet our lovable gang of unlikely detectives as they solve their first murder. It also introduces Osman’s funny storytelling style, which continues throughout the rest of the series.
Looking for Richard Osman’s latest release? Preorder We Chase Shadows now
There you have it – Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club books in order! Read them all? Let us know in the comments below
Loved all The Thursday Murder Club books but the audio versions were so funny. On many occasions I laughed out loud they were hilarious. The acting was perfection. Have recommended them to a friend. Can’t wait to read the latest book, but again I would prefer the audio version as all the characters were brilliant.