Richard Osman Pauses Murder Club for New Thriller

Richard Osman, the acclaimed author of the Thursday Murder Club series, recently expressed his mixed feelings about stepping away from his beloved characters to write a new standalone thriller titled *We Solve Murders*. The series, which features a group of retirees solving cold cases in a luxury retirement village, has achieved global bestseller status and is being adapted into a Netflix film produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Christopher Columbus. Osman revealed his internal conflict at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, stating that writing the new book felt akin to "cheating" on his established characters. The Thursday Murder Club series includes four novels centered around former spy Elizabeth, ex-union activist Ron, former nurse Joyce, and retired psychiatrist Ibrahim. Osman, 53, took a year-long hiatus from this successful series to focus on his new project, which introduces a father-daughter detective duo. He candidly shared that he had to reconcile his feelings about leaving the Thursday Murder Club behind, assuring himself that those characters would still be there for future stories. The upcoming film adaptation features a star-studded cast, including Dame Helen Mirren as Elizabeth, Pierce Brosnan as Ron, Celia Imrie as Joyce, and Sir Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim. Osman acknowledged that while the film differs from his original vision, he is excited to see how Columbus and the talented actors bring the story to life. The film is set to be released next year, promising to captivate audiences with its unique blend of mystery and humor.