NEW Richard Osman, The Impossible Fortune – Review. Thursday Murder Club #5

COMING SOON! - For sale on September 25th 2025

Thank you to Richard Osman, Magdalena Deniz, and Penguin Random House for the early access copy of The Impossible Fortune. I wrote this review for The Strand Magazine!

Well, this book made me laugh, cry, consider life and death!

I can't decide if I am more like Joyce or Kendrick, or a bit of both. But, I think I'll happily take either option.

The novel begins with Joanna, Joyce's daughter, getting married. This leads to the introduction of the anxious best man, Nick Silver. He finds Elizabeth at the wedding reception to confess that he fears for his life. From there, we learn of secret codes, suspicious ex-girlfriends, and problem-solving teenagers! Very quickly, the Thursday Murder Club (TMC) has its next mystery to solve!

Joanna's new husband (or should I say, Joyce's new son-in-law?), Paul, is worried for his friend. However, Joanna is just worried Paul may be involved. This doubt has her questioning everything, especially the speed with which they rushed towards the wedding.

While there's a central mystery, I’d argue that solving the crime isn’t really the point. The heart of the story lies in the characters, their quirks, their relationships, and their reflections on ageing. Osman doesn’t lean on tired tropes about the elderly; instead, he offers nuanced, tender, and often funny glimpses into growing older. Yes, there are references to failing eyesight and dodgy hips, but those are balanced with deep emotional intelligence, a reverence for chosen family, and a sense of joy in staying curious.

Osman strikes to perfect balance of plot and drama, with character development and emotion. This creates a sense of familiarity and proximity to the goings on at Coopers Chase and in the TMC! (Really, we're sat watching Mastermind, University Challenge, and Only Connect with Joyce, and being rubbish at all of them!)

I won't be giving away any spoilers, but I do want to mention a few plot points and sentiments I highlighted in the book, not necessarily with any context.

• Gentrified towns boast more vegan cafes than non-vegan cafes, but the demand for cocaine remains high.

• On that topic, you can find some of the best dealers on LinkedIn.

• We're all the same, we love to use estate agent websites to nose in people's houses.

• Anyone can be lonely. Any age, any gender, no matter how many people you have around you.

• I'm not the only one who doesn't really understand Bitcoin.

• Everyone suffers at the hands of Spotify adverts.

• Underpaying staff is cheating AND stealing, by definition.

• All of our passwords are our pet's name with an exclamation mark...

• Never forget to tell someone you love them.

• 'Cahoots' is a lovely word.

This novel was well-paced, sharply funny, and surprisingly touching. I also want to give specific credit for the inclusion of quite technical forensic linguistics, a technical but fascinating crime-solving method that rarely gets space in fiction.

We know the characters are all lovely, but I think Kendrick is especially given time to shine in this fifth instalment in the series. He likes (and needs) to know how and why things work. He enjoys being involved in 'boring' conversations with the right person. He listens, observes, and thinks so deeply. And he's very honest, because why not? Kendrick might just be my favourite character.

As for the mystery itself, it wasn’t quite as mysterious as I’d hoped, and at times I found that a bit frustrating. But to be fair, that may have been intentional. As I’ve said, the true focus is on our delightful group of characters, and in that regard, the book absolutely delivers.

Sometimes all you need is some family drama and a near-death experience to remind you to tell your friends you love them.

If you're a fan of cosy mysteries, definitely give this a read! You will certainly benefit from, and enjoy, reading the previous books also!

Which TMC character do you most relate to?

Book Details:

• ISBN: 9781405975629

• Price: £22.00

• Hardback

• Buy here

  
  

If you want to find out more about Richard Osman, check out his Goodreads.