“Come for the murder, stay for the characters—The Impossible Fortune is Richard Osman at his absolute best. Hilarious and heartfelt, fans of the series will be thrilled, and newcomers will quickly understand why Osman’s club is the hottest ticket in crime fiction today.“ — Ryan Steck, The Real Book Spy and Author of Gone Dark
(Note: This is a condensed version of a review posted to The Real Book Spy’s Substack. To stay up to speed on all things mystery & thriller, and to see the longer version of this review, along with other additional exclusive content, please follow our Substack here.)
A vanished best man, a deadly code, and the Thursday Murder Club’s most explosive case yet—get ready for an unforgettable trip back to Coopers Chase retirement community.
Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club has always thrived on its charm—a mix of sharp wit, improbable adventures, and the kind of friendships that make readers, even the younger ones, want to move into Coopers Chase themselves. (Well, okay, maybe visit.) With The Impossible Fortune, the fifth entry in the series, Osman proves once again that his quirky band of amateur sleuths is not only still going strong but gearing up for their biggest case yet, along with a bunch of other milestones.
Picking up two years or so after the events of The Last Devil To Die (2023), readers first meet back up with a still-grieving ex-spy Elizabeth, who is reeling from the death of her husband, Stephen, last seen battling an aggressive form of dementia in Devil. Attempting to find her way through the pain, Elizabeth wants desperately to get back to her usual self, if for no other reason than to be for her best friend, Joyce, who is knee-deep in planning a wedding for her daughter, Joanna. Both Ron and Ibraham are back, too, each with their own issues, but for once, life appears to be moving at a slower, quieter pace for our beloved cast.
But in the world of the TMC—Thursday Murder Club—danger never stays dormant for long.
When Joanna’s wedding day arrives, the event that should be filled with champagne, laughter, and loved ones making memories, instead sets the stage for a chilling confession—Nick Silver, the best man, tells Elizabeth that someone tried to kill him earlier in the day. Soon after, Nick vanishes, his office is ransacked, and whispers of secret codes and bitcoin fortunes swirl. Suddenly, the Thursday Murder Club finds themselves thrown headfirst into their most complex, high-stakes case to date.
Expect plenty of red herrings, cryptic codes, dodgy ex-girlfriends, and gangsters lurking in the shadows. Osman layers his plot with clever misdirections and a satisfyingly intricate puzzle. But, more than ever, the true joy lies in spending time with Joyce, Ibrahim, Ron, and Elizabeth. All the characters are lovely, but Elizabeth, especially, shines here as she slowly, gradually emerges from grief in small but powerful moments, all the while reclaiming her typical spark.
Joyce remains the comic and emotional anchor, her diary entries as laugh-out-loud funny as they are honest. Ibrahim’s steady wisdom is again on display, while Ron continues to embody loyalty and bluster in relatively equal measure. Together, they remind us why this series has captured the hearts of people worldwide. Oh, and yes! The mystery. No spoilers, obviously, but best man Nick and his partner each hold one half of a key that unlocks a $150M+ fortune in crypto. There’s no shortage of people who would want to get their hands on the money, but first, the gang has to figure out whether he’s missing… or if he’s already dead.
Come for the murder, stay for the characters—The Impossible Fortune is Richard Osman at his absolute best. Hilarious and heartfelt, fans of the series will be thrilled, and newcomers will quickly understand why Osman’s club is the hottest ticket in crime fiction today.
(Note: This is a condensed version of a review posted to The Real Book Spy’s Substack. To stay up to speed on all things mystery & thriller, and to see the extended version of this review, along with other additional exclusive content, please follow our Substack here.)
Book Details
Author: Richard Osman
Series: The Thursday Murder Club #5
Pages: 368 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-0593653258
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Release Date: September 30, 2025
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