Books: Thursday murder club (R Osman)

I'm now re- reading the books and find them incredibly kind, compassionate, and sad.

The first reading round was mostly for the delight of getting to know the characters and with a slight interest for the plot but mostly for entertainment and a chuckle- he is funny .

Have you folks read the books and what do you think of them?

I nearly recommended the books to my Dad but am glad I didn't. The books talk a lot about the quite difficult sides of getting old. But gently and kindly, and with respect.

 

I read them as they came out and found them very good. Being old and quite often bored myself I didn’t find them sad but rather cheering. What old, bored people can achieve, that kind of thing. I must dig them out and have another read.

 

I quite liked the first one, enough to read the second one, but they became rather formulaic - fair enough - and stopped engaging my interest. I don't remember finding them especially 'sad'. Daft, perhaps, but not sad.

 

I enjoyed them. A pleasant, easy read and entertaining characters

 

I generally like murder mystery books to read but I found the last book of The Thursday Murder Club rather disturbing. Haven’t read the latest book.

 

I liked them too but didn't feel drawn to re-read them.

 

Which one was that @Songbird. I’m not sure I’ve read them all, tend to pick them up in charity shops or as a cheap offer on Kindle

 

@Butterfly6 ,I think it was The Last Devil to Die if memory serves me right. I tend to pass my books on to Tesco when I’ve read them as, since moving, we don’t have a lot of spare room here for storing books and don’t want to be overrun with them.( much as I love a book). I also don’t tend to re-read them.

 

Same here @Songbird . I’m also hopeless at remembering titles (and authors) so usually have to look at the blurb or the first few pages to remind me if I’ve read something

 

I think I have read a couple of them but some time ago. Currently serialised on the radio .

 

Ooh thank you @Philippa I had forgotten it was being serialised. Just the thing to listen to whilst doing some decluttering this afternoon

 

I liked the first one best. It was inspired to make Joyce an ex-nurse, as she is not fazed by gore, death, etc, and Bogdan is a great creation. Enjoyable reads … and should make an excellent film.


I have just got Richard’s latest out of the library (We Solve Murders). There was a queue of about 500, so I waited till that had whittled its way down to a dozen or so and then put my reservation in. I will read it over Easter.

 

I loved them! It’s rare to read a book with genuinely laugh out loud moments, and the characters and their behaviour felt so real to me. I found ‘We Solve Murders’ was very entertaining, and I did enjoy it, but I didn’t take to the characters quite as easily and quickly as I did to Joyce, Elizabeth and co.
I’ve cancelled my Netflix subscription, so won’t be able to watch the tv series when it comes out, but that’s probably not a bad thing. I can see Helen Mirren as Elizabeth, ( but not in the outfits in the publicity photos, dressed like the late Queen in a headscarf! I’m sure Elizabeth is far more stylish!) Not at all sure about Celia Imrie as Joyce though.
I’ve rarely enjoyed a film or tv adaptation of a favourite book. If possible, I’d prefer to watch the film first, to put faces to characters, and then find out how much better they are in the book, if that makes sense. I’m a big fan of Jack Reacher ( the ones written by Lee Child) and was looking forward to the series on Prime. However, the actor certainly looked the part, until he opened his mouth, then it all went wrong.

 

I wonder if we all have a preconceived idea of what the characters may look like. I know I do. Helen Mirren wouldn’t do it for me nor Celia Imrie….they don’t fit in with my idea of what Margaret and Joyce would look like.

 

I suppose that’s why the best pictures are on the radio