| Order | Cover | Title | First published |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Thursday Murder Club series | |||
| 1 |  |
The Thursday Murder Club | 2020[4-5] |
| 2 |  |
The Man Who Died Twice | 2021[6-7] |
| 3 |  |
The Bullet That Missed | 2022[8-9] |
| 4 |  |
The Last Devil To Die | 2023[10] |
| 5 |  |
The Impossible Fortune | 2025[11] |
| We Solve Murders series | |||
| 1 |  |
We Solve Murders | 2024[12-13] |
| 2 |  |
We Chase Shadows | 2026[14] |
| Standalone books | |||
| 1 |  |
The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World | 2012[15-16] |
| 2 |  |
The 100 Most Pointless Arguments in the World | 2013[17-18] |
| 3 |  |
The Very Pointless Quiz Book | 2014[19-20] |
| 4 |  |
The A-Z of Pointless | 2015[21-22] |
| 5 |  |
A Pointless History of the World | 2016[23-24] |
| 6 |  |
The World Cup of Everything | 2017[25-26] |
| 7 |  |
Richard Osman’s House of Games | 2019[27-28] |
The Thursday Murder Club series
The Thursday Murder Club books may be read independently, though readers would get more context for the characters’ relationships and continuing personal stories by reading them in publication order,[1] which coincides with their chronological order. Readers should start with The Thursday Murder Club, which introduces the group through Joyce’s arrival at Coopers Chase.[29-33]
The series follows Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim, four residents of Coopers Chase who combine their professional experience and personal connections to investigate murders. Each novel introduces a new central case, while friendships, romances, health concerns, and encounters with recurring criminals continue across the books.[29-33]
No earlier volume is a prerequisite for following a later book’s central investigation, but skipping an installment means missing part of the characters’ shared history rather than bypassing supplementary material. Reading in publication order[1] is the preferred way to read the books because it establishes relationships and experiences before later titles reveal their consequences.[29-33]
Therefore, although The Thursday Murder Club books do not need to be read in order, readers will get more context and continuity by reading them in publication order,[4-11] which coincides with their chronological order,[29-33] by following this sequence:
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
The Thursday Murder Club | 2020[4-5] | Joyce’s arrival introduces the club, Coopers Chase, and the relationships that support later investigations. |
| 2 |
|
The Man Who Died Twice | 2021[6-7] | Elizabeth’s past expands the club’s criminal connections while Ibrahim faces a crisis. |
| 3 |
|
The Bullet That Missed | 2022[8-9] | A missing-reporter case develops new alliances and introduces investigative threads that later books revisit. |
| 4 |
|
The Last Devil To Die | 2023[10] | A friend’s murder draws on established loyalties while Elizabeth and Stephen’s continuing story becomes more prominent. |
| 5 |
|
The Impossible Fortune | 2025[11] | A mystery builds on personal changes while bringing family protection and mentorship into focus. |
Works in sequence
The Thursday Murder Club is the best default starting point because Joyce is also discovering the group, allowing readers to become familiar with Coopers Chase, the investigators’ different approaches, and their police connections before those relationships acquire a shared history.[29] The Man Who Died Twice offers an alternative for readers particularly interested in espionage and stolen diamonds, although entering there means meeting the club after its friendships and working arrangements have already formed.[30]
The central mystery in The Bullet That Missed can be understood independently, but the novel builds further on recurring relationships and earlier criminal connections.[31] The Last Devil To Die and The Impossible Fortune likewise present distinct central mysteries, but they rely more heavily on personal developments established across the preceding books.[32-33]
1. The Thursday Murder Club
The Thursday Murder Club (2020)[4-5] follows Joyce Meadowcroft as she joins three fellow retirement-village residents in examining unsolved murders and becomes involved in a current killing. A dispute over the expansion of Coopers Chase connects the investigation to financial interests, the village’s history, and residents with secrets.[29]
This novel establishes the investigators’ complementary skills and their cooperation with police officers Chris Hudson and Donna De Freitas, creating the foundation for later cases.[29]
2. The Man Who Died Twice
The Man Who Died Twice (2021)[6-7] brings Elizabeth’s former husband back into her life with a stolen-diamond crisis involving intelligence operatives and organized crime. An attack on Ibrahim gives the friends a second, personal reason to test the limits of their investigative methods.[30]
This book expands Elizabeth’s intelligence history and introduces Connie Johnson, whose dealings with the club become a recurring connection between its investigations and the criminal world.[30]
3. The Bullet That Missed
The Bullet That Missed (2022)[8-9] centers on the disappearance of television reporter Bethany Waites, whose investigation into financial fraud ended with her car being found below a cliff. The search draws the club into television journalism while Elizabeth faces a separate threat connected to her intelligence past.[31]
This installment broadens the recurring cast and begins a missing-money thread that remains relevant beyond the immediate investigation.[31]
4. The Last Devil To Die
The Last Devil To Die (2023)[10] follows the club’s investigation into the murder of antiques dealer Kuldesh Sharma and the disappearance of a drug shipment. Competing criminal interests complicate the case as Stephen’s worsening dementia places growing demands on Elizabeth.[32]
By returning to an established friend and giving Elizabeth and Stephen’s relationship greater weight, this novel develops personal consequences that carry into the next book.[32]
5. The Impossible Fortune
The Impossible Fortune (2025)[11] begins when a guest at Joanna’s wedding asks Elizabeth for protection, drawing the club into a mystery involving a secure storage facility and an apparent Bitcoin fortune. Alongside the investigation, Ron faces a family crisis, and Ibrahim’s dealings with Connie become intertwined with questions about a young thief’s future.[33]
This novel explores how the friends respond to family obligations and new responsibilities following the personal developments in The Last Devil To Die, extending their lives beyond the resolution of any single case.[32-33]
We Solve Murders series
The We Solve Murders books may be read independently, though readers would get more context for the central partnership by reading them in publication order,[12-14] which coincides with their chronological order.[34] Readers should start with We Solve Murders, which shows how the three investigators begin working together.[35]
Amy Wheeler is a bodyguard, Steve Wheeler is her retired detective father-in-law, and Rosie D’Antonio is a crime novelist. The books follow different murder investigations, while the trio’s shared history carries over into their work together as an investigative agency.[34-35] The publication order follows that progression from their initial collaboration to taking on cases together.[12-14]
Although the We Solve Murders books do not need to be read in order, readers will get more context and continuity by reading them in publication order,[12-14] which coincides with their chronological order,[34-35] by following this sequence:
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
We Solve Murders | 2024[12-13] | Introduces Amy, Steve, and Rosie through an investigation. |
| 2 | |
We Chase Shadows | 2026[14] | Gives the team a new case. |
1. We Solve Murders
We Solve Murders (2024)[12-13] follows Amy Wheeler as murders connected to her bodyguard work put her in danger and draw Steve into an international investigation. Amy’s client Rosie D’Antonio joins the search for answers, while Steve finds himself far from the quiet life he led in the village of Axley.[35]
This novel establishes the personal ties and working partnership that underpin the trio’s later investigations.[35]
2. We Chase Shadows
We Chase Shadows (2026)[14] sends Amy, Rosie, and Steve to investigate a body accompanied by a threatening note outside an Italian villa. Their client wants to avoid the police, and the search takes them through Italy, Barcelona, and Palm Springs as suspects multiply.[34]
The case moves the series from the trio’s initial collaboration to an assignment undertaken through their established agency.[34]
Standalone books
Richard Osman’s standalone books do not need to be read in order,[36-41] though the publication order provides a route from comic countdowns to themed quizzes and other home-play formats. Readers may start with The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World, which introduces the combination of everyday observations, presenter banter, and quiz questions found across the Pointless books.[42]
These books are independent collections of humor, trivia, and activities rather than installments in a continuing story. The five Pointless titles share Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman’s commentary, recurring jokes, and connections to the television quiz, but their questions and discussions work independently.[36-39][42] The later books introduce head-to-head competitions and the separate House of Games format.[40-41]
Although it’s unnecessary to read Richard Osman’s standalone books in order,[36-42] they may be read in publication order by following this sequence:[15-28]
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World | 2012[15-16] | Combines a countdown of everyday irritations with quizzes and presenter commentary. |
| 2 |
|
The 100 Most Pointless Arguments in the World | 2013[17-18] | Reworks the countdown format around everyday disputes and reader questions. |
| 3 |
|
The Very Pointless Quiz Book | 2014[19-20] | Concentrates on playing four-round Pointless games alone or with others. |
| 4 |
|
The A-Z of Pointless | 2015[21-22] | Organizes quizzes, trivia, and comic pieces into 26 alphabetical rounds. |
| 5 |
|
A Pointless History of the World | 2016[23-24] | Pairs 50 historical topics with Pointless questions and score breakdowns. |
| 6 |
|
The World Cup of Everything | 2017[25-26] | Turns popular preferences into head-to-head competitions, with commentary about the contenders. |
| 7 |
|
Richard Osman’s House of Games | 2019[27-28] | Provides home-play activities involving wordplay, estimation, geography, memory, and performance. |
Works in sequence
The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World is the default starting point because it combines comic observations, presenter exchanges, trivia, and quizzes in one volume.[42] The 100 Most Pointless Arguments in the World is the closest alternative for readers who prefer everyday disputes and comic verdicts to a countdown of pointless things.[36]
Readers primarily interested in the television quiz format can choose The Very Pointless Quiz Book for four-round Pointless play,[37] while The A-Z of Pointless mixes more than 120 questions with trivia and longer comic pieces.[38] A Pointless History of the World is the history-focused option, combining fifty historical topics with Pointless questions and score breakdowns.[39]
Outside the main Pointless format, The World Cup of Everything suits readers interested in head-to-head contests over favorites such as food, entertainment, and music.[40] Richard Osman’s House of Games is the strongest fit for groups seeking a wider variety of home-play activities involving wordplay, estimation, geography, memory, and performance.[41]
1. The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World
The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World (2012)[15-16] counts down everyday objects, habits, and experiences that the presenters treat as unnecessary, irritating, or absurd. Short essays sit alongside quizzes, wordplay, fictional exchanges, and recurring references to the television show.[42]
It establishes the mixture of comic commentary and reader participation that recurs in the Pointless titles, making it a representative introduction rather than required preparation.[42]
2. The 100 Most Pointless Arguments in the World
The 100 Most Pointless Arguments in the World (2013)[17-18] offers comic verdicts on disputes about household habits, entertainment, relationships, and personal preferences. Viewer questions, quizzes, staged conversations, and production anecdotes extend its argument-settling premise beyond straightforward questions and answers.[36]
It revisits the earlier countdown approach through disagreements rather than irritations, with references to the first book that do not make reading it necessary.[36]
3. The Very Pointless Quiz Book
The Very Pointless Quiz Book (2014)[19-20] collects 100 questions from the television show for readers to tackle alone or with friends and family. Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman guide players through the program’s four-round format, with categories ranging from regional railways to types of lettuce.[37]
It shifts the emphasis from comic essays to quiz play modeled on the television competition, providing a quiz-focused entry point without requiring either countdown book.[37]
4. The A-Z of Pointless
The A-Z of Pointless (2015)[21-22] organizes more than 120 quiz questions into twenty-six rounds built around the alphabet. Trivia and longer comic pieces range from aardvarks to zeppelins, accompanied by illustrations by Moose Allain.[38]
It offers an alternative to a game-focused quiz collection by interspersing rounds with reading material, without depending on the earlier Pointless volumes.[38]
5. A Pointless History of the World
A Pointless History of the World (2016)[23-24] pairs fifty historical topics, from the origins of the universe to modern life, with Pointless quizzes. Historical discussion alternates with comic inventions, while answers and survey scores allow readers to organize their own tournaments.[39]
It supplies a history-focused variation on the other Pointless books, with a timeline that organizes this volume rather than determining its placement among them.[39]
6. The World Cup of Everything
The World Cup of Everything (2017)[25-26] stages head-to-head competitions about favorites such as chocolate, potato chips, sitcoms, bands, and Christmas movies. Osman supplies commentary and trivia about the contenders, drawing on the format of his Twitter polls.[40]
Its contests offer a change from knowledge-based quizzing to debating preferences, making it a separate option rather than a continuation of the Pointless books.[40]
7. Richard Osman’s House of Games
Richard Osman’s House of Games (2019)[27-28] collects television-style quiz rounds and other activities for home players. Across twenty-five sets and a closing challenge, this book mixes wordplay, estimation, geography, memory, and performance with rules, scoring, and editorial exchanges between Osman and Alan Connor.[41]
It brings a separate television format into the bibliography, allowing readers to choose activities suited to their group and the materials they have available without first completing the Pointless books.[41]
References
- The Thursday Murder Club. Penguin Books.
- Richard Osman. Hodder & Stoughton.
- Richard Osman. Penguin Random House.
- The Thursday Murder Club. Penguin Books UK.
- The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Penguin Books Australia.
- The Man Who Died Twice. Penguin Books UK.
- The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman. Penguin Books Australia.
- The Bullet That Missed. Penguin Books UK.
- The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman. Penguin Books Australia.
- The Last Devil To Die by Richard Osman. Penguin Books Australia.
- The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman. Penguin Books Australia.
- We Solve Murders. Penguin Books UK.
- We Solve Murders by Richard Osman. Penguin Books Australia.
- We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman. Penguin Books Australia.
- The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World by Alexander Armstrong. Hachette UK.
- The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World: A Christmas gift for all quiz fans by presenters of the hit BBC 1 TV show by Alexander Armstrong, Richard Osman – Books. Hachette Australia.
- The 100 Most Pointless Arguments in the World by Alexander Armstrong. Hachette UK.
- The 100 Most Pointless Arguments in the World: A perfect Christmas gift from presenters of the hit BBC 1 TV show by Alexander Armstrong, Richard Osman – Books. Hachette Australia.
- The Very Pointless Quiz Book by Alexander Armstrong. Hachette UK.
- The Very Pointless Quiz Book: Prove your Pointless credentials this Christmas by Alexander Armstrong, Richard Osman – Books. Hachette Australia.
- The A-Z of Pointless by Alexander Armstrong. Hachette UK.
- The A-Z of Pointless: A brain-teasing bumper book of questions and trivia from the hosts of the hit BBC quiz show by Alexander Armstrong, Richard Osman. Hachette Australia.
- A Pointless History of the World by Richard Osman. Hachette UK.
- A Pointless History of the World: Could you be a Pointless champion this Christmas? by Richard Osman, Alexander Armstrong – Books. Hachette Australia.
- The World Cup Of Everything by Richard Osman. Hachette UK.
- The World Cup Of Everything: Bringing the fun home by Richard Osman – Books. Hachette Australia.
- Richard Osman’s House of Games. Penguin Books UK.
- Richard Osman’s House of Games by Richard Osman. Penguin Books Australia.
- The Thursday Murder Club. Penguin. ISBN: 9780241988275.
- The Man Who Died Twice. Penguin. ISBN: 9780241988251.
- The Bullet That Missed. Penguin. ISBN: 9780241992395.
- The Last Devil To Die by Richard Osman. Viking. ISBN: 9780241512456.
- The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman. Viking Fiction. ISBN: 9780241743997.
- We Chase Shadows. Viking. ISBN: 9780241745892.
- We Solve Murders. Penguin. ISBN: 9780241997482.
- The 100 Most Pointless Arguments in the World. Coronet. ISBN: 9781444762082.
- The Very Pointless Quiz Book. Coronet. ISBN: 9781444782745.
- The A-Z of Pointless. Coronet. ISBN: 9781444782776.
- A Pointless History of the World. Coronet. ISBN: 9781473623248.
- The World Cup Of Everything. Hodder. ISBN: 9781473667273.
- Richard Osman’s House of Games. BBC Books. ISBN: 9781785944635.
- The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World. Coronet. ISBN: 9781444762051.