Read It & Watch It: The Thursday Murder Club

This month on Read It & Watch It, I’m comparing The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman with the 2025 Netflix adaptation.

Set in the retirement community of Cooper’s Chase, this story follows four retirees who meet weekly to discuss unsolved crimes. But when a real murder lands on their doorstep, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim find themselves investigating a mystery that becomes far more complicated than any of them expected.

This was actually a reread for me, and while I enjoyed spending time with these characters again, I had a very different experience the second time around. The book felt much more complex than I remembered, while the movie streamlined many of the storylines and ultimately became my preferred version.

Spoiler Note

This episode contains full spoilers for both The Thursday Murder Club book and movie adaptation.

We also discuss murder, suicide, dementia, grief, hospice care, and other mature themes that appear throughout the story.

In This Episode

* Why this reread didn’t work as well for me as it did in 2022

* Meeting Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim, and Penny at Cooper’s Chase

* How retirees are constantly underestimated throughout the story

* Why the mystery felt overwhelming with so many characters and connections

* Bernard’s heartbreaking storyline and the bench reveal

* Penny’s cold case and the vigilante justice twist

* John’s devotion to Penny and the tragedy behind his choices

* Why I never felt like I had a real chance of solving the mystery

* Whether this actually felt like a cozy mystery to me

* First impressions of the Netflix adaptation

* The beautiful setting of Cooper’s Chase and why it felt cozier on screen

* Helen Mirren as Elizabeth and why I thought the casting was perfect

* Pierce Brosnan’s performance as Red Ron

* Why Ibrahim remains one of my favorite characters

* The adaptation changes involving Bogdan

* Bobby Tanner’s identity and why the movie version was easier to follow

* Donna De Freitas and her partnership with the Thursday Murder Club

* Father Mackie’s reduced role in the adaptation

* Why simplifying the mystery made the movie stronger for me

* Book vs. movie: which version I ultimately preferred

* Announcing June’s Read It & Watch It selection: The Case of the Missing Marquess and Enola Holmes

Cozy Check

* English countryside retirement community atmosphere

* Cozy gathering rooms and community spaces

* Friendship-focused storytelling

* Tea, conversations, and amateur sleuthing

* Beautiful gardens and village charm

* Found family dynamics

* Cozy visuals in the film adaptation

* Warm community-centered setting

Overall Cozy Vibe: More cozy-adjacent than cozy for me, with the movie feeling significantly cozier than the book.

Tropes

* Amateur Sleuths

* Retirement Community Mystery

* Found Family

* Cold Case Investigation

* Unlikely Detectives

* Ensemble Cast

* Hidden Secrets

* Vigilante Justice

* Small Community Connections

* Book vs. Adaptation

Ratings

The Thursday Murder Club (Book)

Cozy Rating: ☕☕☕ (3/5)

Book Rating: ☕☕☕✨ (3.5/5)

The Thursday Murder Club (Movie)

Cozy Rating: ☕☕☕☕ (4/5)

Movie Rating: ☕☕☕☕✨ (4.25/5)

Final Thoughts

While I appreciated the complexity and ambition of Richard Osman’s novel, I found the mystery much harder to follow on this reread than I remembered. There were so many characters, connections, and moving parts that I often felt like I needed my own detective board just to keep everything straight.

The movie, however, made several smart changes. By simplifying the mystery, trimming some of the side plots, and focusing more on the relationships between the members of the Thursday Murder Club, the adaptation gave me a more enjoyable experience overall.

Sometimes more details make a story richer. Other times, less really is more.

For me, this was one of those rare cases where I preferred the adaptation.

Watch/Read If:

* You enjoy mysteries featuring older protagonists

* You love ensemble casts and found-family stories

* You like amateur sleuth mysteries

* You enjoy mysteries with humor mixed into the investigation

* You don’t mind heavier themes alongside cozy elements

* You like comparing books and adaptations

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Stay Cozy

Until next time, keep finding something cozy to watch... and maybe a mystery or two to solve along the way.

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