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,[7-14] which coincides with their chronological order,[2-6] by following this sequence:
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
The Thursday Murder Club | 2020[15][8] | Joyce’s arrival introduces the club, Coopers Chase, and the relationships that support later investigations. |
| 2 |
|
The Man Who Died Twice | 2021[9-10] | Elizabeth’s past expands the club’s criminal connections while Ibrahim faces a crisis. |
| 3 |
|
The Bullet That Missed | 2022[11-12] | A missing-reporter case develops new alliances and introduces investigative threads that later books revisit. |
| 4 |
|
The Last Devil To Die | 2023[13] | A friend’s murder draws on established loyalties while Elizabeth and Stephen’s continuing story becomes more prominent. |
| 5 |
|
The Impossible Fortune | 2025[14] | 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.[2] 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.[3]
The central mystery in The Bullet That Missed can be understood independently, but the novel builds further on recurring relationships and earlier criminal connections.[4] 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.[5-6]
1. The Thursday Murder Club
The Thursday Murder Club (2020)[15][8] 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.[2]
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.[2]
2. The Man Who Died Twice
The Man Who Died Twice (2021)[9-10] 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.[3]
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.[3]
3. The Bullet That Missed
The Bullet That Missed (2022)[11-12] 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.[4]
This installment broadens the recurring cast and begins a missing-money thread that remains relevant beyond the immediate investigation.[4]
4. The Last Devil To Die
The Last Devil To Die (2023)[13] 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.[5]
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.[5]
5. The Impossible Fortune
The Impossible Fortune (2025)[14] 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.[6]
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.[5-6]
References
- The Thursday Murder Club. Penguin Books.
- 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.
- 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.
- The Thursday Murder Club. Penguin Books UK.