The Thursday Murder Club is now on Netflix – here’s how to read the books in order

Published in September 2020, the first book introduces the four mystery solvers – Elizabeth (a former spy), Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron. They meet in a luxury retirement village in Kent every week to discuss (and attempt to solve) cold cases. But when the body of one of the co-owners of the retirement home is found, they’re plunged into an active murder case, working with the police while bringing their own sets of skills to the table.

The book landed a spot in our 2021 review of the best book club reads, with our critic praising it for being “heartwarming” and “ingenious”. They added that the “opening chapter is so joyfully funny you’ll feel as though you’ve never read a book before this one”. Sign us up.

The title didn’t just impress our critics. It became the UK’s best-selling fiction in 2020, and in 2021, Osman was awarded author of the year at the British Book Awards.

In the second book of the series, published in May 2022, Elizabeth is contacted by an old colleague – who has found himself in a spot of bother (think stolen diamonds and angry mobsters). She calls on Ibrahim, Joyce and Ron, but this time, the stakes are even higher when the foursome find themselves in real danger. Expect a twisty, red-herring-packed read.

Book three, The Bullet That Missed, sees the four delve into a decade-old cold case involving the suspicious disappearance of a TV journalist. With a murderer on the loose, there’s also money laundering, powerful figures at play, and more to the mystery than meets the eye. And, when Elizabeth finds herself in danger, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim, with help from new characters, go looking for the clues that could save her.

Published in May 2024, The Last Devil To Die is the fourth book. When the crime-solving four find out that an old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package has subsequently vanished, they grapple with art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers. Chaos, misadventures and more death ensue, while the narrative also explores the difficulty of loss.

Yet to be published, there's not long to wait until you can get your hands on a copy of The Impossible Fortune, which is available to pre-order ahead of its 25 September release. The club is dealing with their own personal struggles, including grief and family troubles, when Elizabeth meets an endangered guest at Joyce’s wedding, and the four undertake “their most explosive investigation yet”.