The Impossible Fortune - A Thursday Murder Club Mystery by Richard Osman Hardcover

About the Book

"Who's got time to think about murder when there's a wedding to plan? It s been a quiet year for the Thursday Murder Club. Joyce is busy with table plans and first dances. Elizabeth is grieving. Ron is dealing with family troubles, and Ibrahim is still providing therapy to his favorite criminal. But when Elizabeth meets Nick, a wedding guest asking for her help, she finds the thrill of the chase is ignited once again. And when Nick disappears without a trace, his cagey business partner becomes the gang's next stop. It seems the duo have something valuable--something worth killing for"--

Book Synopsis

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The unmissable new mystery in the Thursday Murder Club series from bestselling author Richard Osman, now streaming on Netflix

Who's got time to think about murder when there's a wedding to plan?

It's been a quiet year for the Thursday Murder Club. Joyce is busy with table plans and first dances. Elizabeth is grieving. Ron is dealing with family troubles, and Ibrahim is still providing therapy to his favorite criminal.

But when Elizabeth meets Nick, a wedding guest asking for her help, she finds the thrill of the chase is ignited once again. And when Nick disappears without a trace, his cagey business partner becomes the gang's next stop. It seems the duo have something valuable--something worth killing for.

Joyce's daughter, Joanna, jumps into the fray to help the gang as they seek answers: Has someone kidnapped Nick? And what's this uncrackable code they keep hearing about? Plunged back into action once more, can the four friends solve the puzzle and a murder in time?

Review Quotes

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

"Witty and openhearted. . . [The Impossible Fortune] features the same sort of sly humor and thrillerish components that make the other novels hum along: a car bomb, a missing person, a possibly unopenable safe, an unscrupulous aristocrat, some excellent sleuthing by octogenarians whose ages cause others to underestimate them. But Osman's fans know that there's more to it than that. . . . Tucked inside the crowd-pleasing plots are themes of grief, loss, friendship, the renegotiated relationships between parents and their adult children, and the indignities and sorrows of old age."
--Sarah Lyall, The New York Times

"The Impossible Fortune, like its series predecessors, is an exhilarating work. Mr. Osman's irresistible characters are resolute in old age, even in the face of mortal danger. 'There may be trouble ahead, ' Ron reflects. 'Bring it on.'"
--The Wall Street Journal

"The senior sleuths of the Thursday Murder Club--Elizabeth Best, Joyce Meadowcroft, Ibrahim Arif and Ron Ritchie--are in top form in Osman's latest caper."
--The Washinton Post

"Always endearing."
--The Los Angeles Times

"The central mystery is entertaining, of course . . . but the main event will always be Osman's characters. . . who are as funny and warm as ever. One of the things I love about [the Thursday Murder Club series] is that with every book the world expands more and more."
--NPR

"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)

About the Author

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 released in 2025, produced by Amblin Entertainment.