They’re back! The affable quartet of senior crime solving sleuths living in the upscale British retirement community of Cooper’s Chase have returned. “The Imposs!ble Fortune” is the fifth installment of the Thursday Murder Club (TMC) series by bestselling author Richard Osman.
Fans of the hugely popular series will not be disappointed. This latest tale involves a hidden Bitcoin fortune, an uncrackable code, and the sudden disappearance of a man seeking help from Elizabeth Best, the club’s leader and a former spy.
Generally, the central focus in most mysteries is the “whodunit” factor. With the TMC series, it’s Osman’s brilliantly drawn characters—the mystery-solving residents Elizabeth Best, Ibrahim Arif, Ron Ritchie, and Joyce Meadowcroft—that entices readers to read what outrageous thing the gang will say and do next.
For instance, Joyce’s cautious friend Ibrahim warns her not to use her dog Alan’s real name when walking him in the park because criminals can use that information to steal her password. If anyone asks, she says her dog’s name is Joyce. If they ask her name, she bids them a polite goodbye.
A Wedding
It’s been a relatively quiet year for the TMC quartet since their last adventure, but that changes at the wedding of Joyce’s daughter. The groom’s best man Nick Silver has received a death threat and seeks Elizabeth’s help. The groom informed Silver of Elizabeth’s “reputation” as a retired spy.
The two agree to meet the following day. But when Elizabeth arrives at Silver’s office, she discovers that it has been trashed and there is no sign of Silver. Was this a burglary or kidnapping? Is Silver hiding or is he even alive?
Shortly after the TMC gang begins their investigation, a car bombing at Cooper’s Chase eliminates one of the possible perpetrators, literally and figuratively. Regardless, the gang has plenty of other suspects to consider. There is the down-on-his-luck aristocrat, a wealthy drug dealer, and a British solicitor entrusted with specific instructions pertinent to the investigation. The gang also considers a mystery man with a criminal past who the car bomb victim called moments before the detonation.
This latest TMC installment catches readers up with what’s been going on with the pithy pensioners since their last adventure. Joyce Meadowcroft has been busy planning her daughter Joanna’s wedding; retired labor leader Ron Richie is dealing with family troubles involving his adult kids; Elizabeth is slowly emerging from her grieving cocoon after the death of her husband Stephen. Retired psychologist Ibrahim Arif remains humorously naïve. He mentors a gang member he helped put in prison; that gang member has now pledged to kill his friend, Ron Richie.
As millions of readers have come to expect from Osman, his character portrayals leave readers laughing out loud at parts of his story and wiping away tears at others. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim are gamely grappling with the physical and mental challenges of growing older, the loss of loved ones, and the complexity of family relationships.
As previously noted in The Epoch Times, the former British game show host-turned-author thrives on writing short chapters brimming with witty banter, oddball situations, and clever plot twists. One example of the dry British humor occurs when Elizabeth and Joyce are en route to visit Nick Silver. Elizabeth says, “An awful lot of murders start at weddings, Joyce. “I did think you perked up a bit during the reception,” Joyce says. “I should have known killing was involved.”
Fresh Faces and Subplots
Fans of the series may be surprised that Osman’s primary four characters and their two police contacts appearing in the earlier books have smaller roles in this latest work to make room for new characters. Tia is a young woman being mentored by Connie Johnson, a female drug kingpin who in turn is being mentored by Ibrahim. Ibrahim has encouraged Connie to mentor others, but Connie’s mentoring of Tia in criminal activity isn’t the type of self-help therapy Ibrahim had in mind.
Another subplot involves Danny Lloyd, who is married to Ron Richie’s daughter, Suzie. Danny is an abusive husband and when Suzie kicks him out of the house, Danny plots revenge on Suzie and Ron’s son, Jason. This eventually prompts Ron’s involvement and some unplanned but welcome time with his precocious grandson, Kendrick. Kendrick isn’t a new series character but he has a bigger role this time and is always delightful.
Joanna’s new husband Paul Brett is a college professor and a welcome addition to the TMC family. Osman uses him as a genial buffer between mother and daughter; the newlywed conversations between him and Joanna are funny and endearing.
Davey Noakes is another interesting character who may resurface in future books. Noakes is a wealthy drug dealer who knows about the Bitcoin fortune because he helped Nick and his business partner Holly Lewis invest years ago. Noakes also has a stunning Bitcoin secret of his own in a surprising plot twist.
Like his previous TMC books, ‘The Imposs!ble Fortune’ is engaging, humorous and irresistible. The five-book series is like eating a Lay’s potato chip. It’s hard to stop at just one.
‘The Imposs!ble Fortune’
By Richard Osman
Pamela Dorman Books: Sept. 30, 2025
Hardcover, 368 pages
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