Finished the Thursday Murder Club books and feeling bereft? You're not alone — and you're in luck. These ten mysteries share the Osman formula: unlikely detectives, proper puzzles, real wit and a body count that never spoils the cosiness.
Editor's Picks
- The Windsor Knot — the Queen turns detective
- Death and Croissants — gleefully silly French fun
- The Twyford Code — her cleverest puzzle yet
01The Marlow Murder Club
A retired crossword-setter, a dog-walker and a vicar's wife turn detective on the Thames. The closest thing to more Osman that isn't Osman — bright, funny and fair-play plotted.
02The Appeal
A murder told entirely through emails and texts — you play detective with the evidence. Ingenious, gossipy and completely addictive.
03The Man Who Died Twice
The obvious answer: book two is even better than the first — sharper plot, bigger laughs, and Elizabeth's past comes calling. Then there are two more waiting.
04The Windsor Knot
The Queen quietly solves a murder at Windsor Castle between engagements. A delicious premise executed with wit and surprising warmth.
05Death and Croissants
A British B&B owner in the Loire gets dragged into a mystery involving a missing guest and a hen called Ava Gardner. Gleefully silly, genuinely funny.
06The Twyford Code
An ex-con unravels a code hidden in a children's book, told through transcribed voice notes. Hallett's cleverest puzzle — and her most moving.
07Still Life
Inspector Gamache investigates a death in a Québec village you'll want to move to. Seventeen more books follow — the deepest well on this list.
08The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Precious Ramotswe solves Botswana's mysteries with tea and shrewd kindness. Less murder, more warmth — perfect between heavier reads.
09The Body in the Library
Where the formula began: a corpse, a country house and a sharp old lady the police underestimate. Marple is the Thursday Murder Club's great-grandmother.
10A Murder Is Announced
An advert invites a village to a murder at 6.30pm — and one duly occurs. The most ingenious Marple of all.
11The Maid
Molly the hotel maid, who reads rooms better than people, finds a guest dead in a suite. Warm, clever and quietly moving — a word-of-mouth favourite.
12Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
A snowbound family reunion narrated by the one Cunningham who hasn't killed anyone. Yet. Golden Age rules, modern jokes — huge fun.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I read first after Thursday Murder Club?
The Marlow Murder Club is the closest match in tone. If you haven't read Osman's own sequels, start with The Man Who Died Twice — the series gets better as it goes.
Is there a next Richard Osman book?
Osman alternates between the Thursday Murder Club series and his We Solve Murders books — there's a healthy backlist if you're new, and roughly a book a year.
I want the puzzle, not the cosiness — what then?
Janice Hallett is your author: The Appeal and The Twyford Code are fiendish fair-play puzzles told in wildly inventive formats.
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