Richard Osman is an author and television presenter. His novels, The Thursday Murder Club, The Man Who Died Twice, The Bullet That Missed, The Last Devil to Die, and We Solve Murders were number one international bestsellers as well as New York Times bestsellers. He lives in London with his wife, Ingrid, and their cats Liesl and Lottie. The movie adaptation for The Thursday Murder Club will release in 2025, produced by Amblin Entertainment. The Impossible Fortune, the fifth book in the Thursday Murder Club series, is forthcoming.

Praise for The Impossible Fortune

"Osman's septuagenarian sleuths are having a busy fall, making their film debut (on Netflix Aug. 28) and returning for another literary adventure. The latest addition to the Thursday Murder Club series promises plenty more satisfying twists and English charm as Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim investigate the disappearance of a guest at a wedding."
--The New York Times Book Review

"Pensioners Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are up to their old tricks again in Osman's Thursday Murder Club series, inserting themselves into a missing-persons case that will no doubt ensnare their expanding roster of buddies, from their favorite local police detectives to an imprisoned drug kingpin."
--The Washington Post

"First rate entertainment--Osman just keeps upping his game."
--Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

"The Thursday Murder Club is back and better than ever. . . . There are satisfying red herrings and a well-constructed answer to the puzzle. . . And you'll be happy just to have spent some time in Osman's delightful world. If you're coming to the series from the Netflix movie, start at the top. If you've read the others, this is a high point."
--Kirkus (starred review)

"Osman excels at tying all the disparate stories together in a satisfying way that allows a lot of love to be shared. A worthy fifth addition to a popular series."
--Booklist (starred review)

"The crime, though ingeniously plotted, with many red herrings, is not the main attraction. It's the growing love and respect among the Thursdays and their kith and kin, including a few criminals and cops, that is the biggest draw. All is done with warmth and humor that will satisfy fans of Osman's fantastic foursome and their sidekicks."
--Library Journal (starred review)

"As delightful as ever--if you loved the first four [Thursday Murder Club books], you will definitely want to read this one."
--Town & Country

"Expect madcap fun."
--AARP

Praise for Richard Osman and the Thursday Murder Club:

"Joyous fun. . . No wonder readers, myself included, have surrendered to [the Thursday Murder Club members'] abundant charms."
--The New York Times Book Review

"Skulduggery and laughs abound as our favorite gaggle of amateur-detective retirees tackle drug runners, dodgy antique dealers, art forgers and Battenberg cake recipes."
--People

"By now, Osman's 'Thursday Murder Club' books are the flagship of cozy mysteries. . . What makes the series so delightful is Osman's wicked sense of humor, and the empathy suffused throughout."
--The New Yorker

"So what is it about the Thursday Murder Club books that make them so broadly appealing? The simple answer is that they are really good. The writing is pithy and fresh, so much so that I kept writing down lines from The Last Devil To Die. . . But there's more than just quotable sentences at work here. Osman's plots play fair with the reader, carefully placing 'red herrings' to fool the reader into picking the wrong possible murder suspect--a gambit that has improved with each successive book. The endings feel both inevitable and earned: the exact combination one wants in a good mystery. . . Osman's greatest strength is fusing the puzzle-mastery of Christie and her Golden Age peers with emotional earnestness and wry humor."
--Esquire

"There may be other aged detectives in print and on television, but for wit, intelligence and humanity, the Thursday Murder Club outranks them all."
--Wall Street Journal

"Richard Osman's books are a slyly sophisticated bunch, boasting emotional development equal to the memorable mysteries. . . Thursday Murder Club mystery stands up well on its own, but given the richness of character and relationships, as a set, they're bloody brilliant."
--NPR

"A thing of joy."
--Kate Atkinson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Jackson Brodie series

"Osman doesn't disappoint. . . . We all need a regular injection of the Thursday Murder Club to keep our spirits up."
--The Guardian

"The Thursday Murder Club is back, and that should make everyone happy -- except, of course, murderers. Richard Osman's engaging series about a group of crime-solving retirees has delighted readers since the first book. The Thursday Murder Club, an international bestseller, was funny, original, baffling, poignant and thoroughly engaging. That's a high bar to set from the get-go, but Osman has easily achieved it in subsequent books. . . A remarkable achievement, Osman up there effortlessly balancing on that very high bar."
--Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"Not to be missed."
--Parade

"The mysteries are complex, the characters vivid, and the whole thing is laced with warm humor and--remarkably, considering the body count--good feeling. Your next must-read mystery series."
--Kirkus, starred review

"It's balm for the soul."
--Daily Express (London)

"It's an unalloyed pleasure to spend time with Osman's sparkling, well-observed characters who are also wittily perceptive about our foibles and the quirks of modern life."
--Sunday Express (London)

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Pub date: 2025-09-30

Length: 368 pages