Why Everyone's Reading Murder Club Mysteries (And Where to Begin)
From The Thursday Murder Club to Only Murders in the Building, amateur sleuths banding together is the mystery trend of the decade. Here's your essential guide to murder club fiction—and exactly where to start.
From Richard Osman's runaway bestseller to the hit Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, amateur sleuths banding together to solve crimes has become the defining mystery trend of the decade. If you're looking to join a fictional murder club of your own, here's your essential guide to the genre—and exactly where to start.
What Makes Murder Club Fiction So Appealing?
The premise is irresistible: ordinary people—often retirees, neighbors, or unlikely friends—form an informal group to investigate crimes the police have overlooked or mishandled. It's Agatha Christie's Miss Marple meets the true-crime podcast era, with a heavy dose of found-family warmth.
These books tap into something deeply satisfying. They suggest that curiosity, life experience, and community matter more than badges and forensic labs. The amateur sleuths in murder club fiction bring expertise from their former careers—detectives, journalists, medical examiners, prosecutors—pooling knowledge to crack cases that stump the professionals.
The genre also offers something increasingly rare in crime fiction: lightness. Murder club mysteries balance genuine whodunit puzzles with humor, friendship, and heart. The stakes are real, but the tone is cozy. You can root for the heroes without losing sleep.
The Book That Started It All
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
In a peaceful English retirement village, four septuagenarians meet weekly to discuss unsolved crimes—until a local developer turns up dead and their hobby becomes very real.
Richard Osman's 2020 debut didn't just launch a series; it launched a movement. The book spent years on bestseller lists, spawned a Netflix film starring Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan, and inspired countless readers to seek out similar stories. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron are now among the most beloved characters in modern mystery fiction.
Why it works: Osman nails the balance between clever plotting and genuine emotional depth. The four leads are sharp, funny, and fully realized—never reduced to "adorable old people" stereotypes. The mystery is genuinely puzzling, and the humor never undercuts the stakes.
Audiobook note: Narrated by Lesley Manville, whose warm delivery makes the audiobook experience exceptional. A perfect commute companion.
Where to Go Next
The Mudflats Murder Club by Brian Thiem
Former Oakland homicide detective Sean Tanner didn't plan to spend retirement solving murders. But when he's drawn into a group of retired detectives, prosecutors, and forensic experts investigating a 38-year-old cold case—and a neighbor turns up dead—he finds that old instincts die hard.
Booklist called it a "recommend to fans of Richard Osman and Robert Thorogood," and that comparison is apt. But what sets this series apart is the authenticity: author Brian Thiem spent 25 years with the Oakland Police Department and currently serves on a real cold case team. The procedural details ring true because they are true.
Why murder club fans will love it: It has everything that makes the genre work—a tight-knit group of amateur sleuths, a picturesque retirement community setting, and the satisfying collision of cold case and present-day murder. The hint of romance between Sean and local detective Charlie Nash adds an extra layer.
Audiobook note: Perfect for listeners who appreciate police procedural authenticity alongside cozy mystery warmth.
The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood
Seventy-seven-year-old Judith Potts is perfectly content: she lives alone in a faded mansion, sets crosswords for The Times, and swims in the Thames every evening. Then she witnesses a murder the police refuse to believe happened. Enter Suzie the dog-walker and Becks the vicar's wife, and suddenly Marlow has its own murder club.
Robert Thorogood created BBC's Death in Paradise, and that same blend of clever plotting and quirky characters infuses these books. The Marlow Murder Club has since become a PBS Masterpiece series, bringing the trio of unlikely detectives to an even wider audience.
Why murder club fans will love it: Judith is a magnificently eccentric protagonist—sharp-tongued, whiskey-drinking, and utterly uninterested in what anyone thinks of her. The English village setting delivers classic cozy mystery atmosphere, while the mysteries themselves are genuinely clever.
Audiobook note: The quintessentially British setting translates beautifully to audio.
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Vera Wong is a sixty-something widow who runs a forgotten tea shop in San Francisco's Chinatown. When she discovers a dead body in her shop one morning—with a flash drive clutched in his hand—she does what any sensible person would do: calls the police, pockets the flash drive, and decides to solve the murder herself.
This Edgar Award winner isn't a traditional murder club novel, but it evolves into one. Vera gathers an unlikely group of suspects-turned-allies, feeding them elaborate meals while extracting information. It's Knives Out meets cozy mystery, with dim sum.
Why murder club fans will love it: Jesse Q. Sutanto delivers the found-family warmth that defines the genre, but with a distinct voice. Vera is bossy, interfering, and utterly lovable—a Chinese auntie who will solve your murder and critique your life choices simultaneously.
Audiobook note: The narrator captures Vera's voice perfectly, making this an excellent listen.
1st to Die by James Patterson
The original murder club: homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer, medical examiner Claire Washburn, journalist Cindy Thomas, and attorney Jill Bernhardt team up to stop a serial killer targeting newlyweds in San Francisco.
James Patterson's Women's Murder Club series launched in 2001 and now spans over 25 books. It's grittier than the cozy end of the genre—more thriller than tea party—but it established the template that later authors would adapt: professional women from different fields pooling their expertise to solve crimes.
Why murder club fans will love it: If you want your murder club mysteries with higher stakes and faster pacing, this is your entry point. The friendship between the four women is the series' beating heart.
Audiobook note: Multiple narrators have handled the series over the years; the full-cast productions are particularly engaging.
An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten
This Swedish import inverts the formula entirely. Eighty-eight-year-old Maud isn't solving murders—she's committing them. Anyone who threatens her quiet existence tends to meet an unfortunate end, and Maud is very good at appearing harmless.
It's a deliciously dark counterpoint to the cozy murder club tradition. Where Osman's septuagenarians are heroes, Maud is something far more unsettling: a serial killer hiding in plain sight, protected by society's assumptions about elderly women.
Why murder club fans will love it: Sometimes you want to see the other side. Helene Tursten's short story collection is wickedly funny, grimly satisfying, and surprisingly thought-provoking about age and invisibility.
Audiobook note: The deadpan narration perfectly captures Maud's matter-of-fact approach to murder.
Where to Start
If you want the quintessential murder club experience: Start with The Thursday Murder Club. It's the genre-defining entry for a reason.
If you prefer American settings with procedural authenticity: Try The Mudflats Murder Club—the retired-detective protagonist and real cold case expertise give it a distinctive edge.
If you loved Only Murders in the Building: Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers captures that same blend of humor, heart, and found family.
If you want faster pacing and higher stakes: 1st to Die delivers thriller-level intensity with the murder club structure.
For audiobook listeners: The Thursday Murder Club narrated by Lesley Manville is the gold standard for the genre.
How to Find These Books
All titles in this guide are available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats. Most are available through your local library's digital collection via Libby or OverDrive—several have been popular enough that many library systems maintain multiple copies.
Support independent bookstores through Bookshop.org, or find them at your local indie.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the murder club genre become so popular? The trend started with The Thursday Murder Club in 2020, but deeper factors are at play: the true-crime podcast boom primed audiences for amateur sleuths, and readers are hungry for mysteries that deliver clever puzzles without relentless darkness. Murder club fiction scratches both itches.
Which of these is best on audiobook? The Thursday Murder Club narrated by Lesley Manville is exceptional—her voice work brings the four leads to vivid life. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is another standout, perfectly capturing Vera's distinctive personality.
Are these available at the library? Yes—all titles in this guide are widely available through library digital lending platforms like Libby and OverDrive. Given the genre's popularity, most library systems stock them.
Do I need to read these series in order? For The Thursday Murder Club, The Mudflats Murder Club, and The Marlow Murder Club series, starting with book one is recommended—the character relationships develop across entries. An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good works as a standalone short story collection.
What's next for the genre? With the Netflix Thursday Murder Club film bringing new readers to the genre and PBS Masterpiece adapting The Marlow Murder Club, expect murder club mysteries to keep growing. Keep an eye on debut authors putting their own spin on the formula.
