The Thursday Murder Club: Netflix Film, Books & Sequel Guide

Four septuagenarians in a quiet retirement village, a hidden room filled with jigsaw puzzles, and a real murder to solve — it sounds like the setup for a cozy British mystery, and that’s exactly what makes Richard Osman’s debut novel so irresistible. The Thursday Murder Club became the UK’s best-selling fiction title in 2020 after shifting 134,415 copies in its opening week on its way to becoming a global phenomenon. Now the story that started it all has made the leap to Netflix, and the franchise spans five books and a 2025 crime comedy film.

Books in series: 5 · Film director: Chris Columbus · Film release year: 2025 · Streaming platform: Netflix · Author: Richard Osman

The table below consolidates the essential facts about the franchise’s current state.

Is The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix a movie or a series?

The Netflix adaptation is a feature film, not a television series. The Thursday Murder Club premiered on Netflix in 2025 as a full-length crime comedy film directed by Chris Columbus, the filmmaker behind the first two Harry Potter movies. The adaptation stars Helen Mirren as Elizabeth and Pierce Brosnan in a key role, bringing Osman’s quartet of retirement village sleuths to the screen with a stacked ensemble cast.

Release details

Netflix secured the film as an exclusive title, placing it alongside the platform’s growing library of literary adaptations. The announcement positioned the project as a major acquisition for the streaming service, with Helen Mirren’s involvement drawing significant attention from both book fans and general audiences.

Runtime and format

As a single feature film, the Netflix release follows the traditional theatrical-to-streaming model rather than the episodic format some readers expected. This means viewers get one condensed adaptation experience rather than a multi-episode season that could cover more of the first book’s plot.

The implication: fans hoping for a multi-episode deep dive into Coopers Chase will need to wait — or cross their fingers for a sequel series if the film performs well enough to warrant continuation.

How many books are in The Thursday Murder Club series?

The Thursday Murder Club series consists of five books as of late 2025, with Richard Osman maintaining a near-annual release schedule since his debut in September 2020. The series follows Elizabeth Best, Ron Ritchie, Joyce Meadowcroft, and Ibrahim Arif — four septuagenarians who meet in the Jigsaw Room of their retirement village to investigate cold cases before stumbling into actual murders.

Series overview

Penguin Random House acquired the rights following an intense 10-publisher bidding war in 2019, betting heavily on Osman’s crossover appeal after his success as a TV presenter for House of Games and Pointless Celebrities. That bet paid off spectacularly: the first book sold 45,000 copies within three days and became the UK’s best-selling fiction title for 2020.

Kindle edition info

All five books are available in multiple formats including hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook. The series has been published in the UK and US with slightly staggered release dates — the fifth book, The Impossible Fortune, hit UK shelves on September 29, 2025, followed by the US release on September 30, 2025.

In what order should I read Thursday Murder Club books?

Richard Osman recommends reading the Thursday Murder Club books in publication order, starting with the 2020 debut. Each book continues the characters’ ongoing storylines, so beginning with book one ensures readers understand the relationships and running threads that develop across the series.

Publication sequence

Use this chronological list to read the series as intended by the author.

Reading recommendations

The Thursday Murder Club novels have become worldwide bestsellers thanks to their blend of humor, quirky characters, and what critics describe as quintessential Britishness. The series is set in Coopers Chase, a retirement village in the fictional Kent village of Fairhaven, where the four protagonists’ Wednesday meetings to analyze cold cases repeatedly draw them into live investigations.

Will there be a second Thursday Murder Club film?

Discussions about a sequel are reportedly ongoing, though Netflix and the production team have not announced a confirmed follow-up or release timeline. The 2025 film’s performance on the platform will likely determine whether studio executives greenlight a continuation.

Sequel announcements

No official sequel announcement had been made as of early 2026, despite the source material offering four additional novels to adapt. The first film’s ending — and how closely it follows the debut novel’s plot — will shape whether subsequent films need to catch audiences up or can assume familiarity with the source.

Production status

What this means: if you’re waiting for confirmation of a second film, patience is required. Franchise development timelines at Netflix typically depend on completion of viewership analytics, which can take months after a title’s debut.

The pattern: streaming platforms often gauge audience appetite before committing to sequel development, making the 2025 release’s performance the pivotal factor.

The Thursday Murder Club ending explained: Who is the killer?

Spoiler alert: This section discusses the first book’s killer reveal.

In the debut novel, a local developer is found dead, drawing the Thursday Murder Club into their first live investigation. The killer is revealed to be a character introduced earlier in the narrative, with a motive rooted in the victim’s business dealings and personal history. The resolution involves Elizabeth’s particular blend of former-spy instincts and the club’s collective detective work. The resolution involves Elizabeth’s particular blend of former-spy instincts and the club’s collective detective work, and for more information on the cast of Waterloo Road, please visit Waterloo Road cast.

Book spoilers

The first Thursday Murder Club book follows a traditional mystery structure: a body is discovered, the club investigates using their unique perspective on criminal psychology, and the solution ties together clues seeded throughout the narrative. Osman’s humor and character work elevate what could be a standard whodunit into something with genuine emotional resonance.

Film differences if any

Film adaptations typically condense or rearrange plot elements for pacing, meaning the Netflix version may not follow the book’s mystery beat-for-beat. Whether the adaptation keeps the same killer, changes the motive, or invents entirely new story beats remains a point of curiosity for readers approaching the film fresh.

The Thursday Murder Club franchise has traveled a remarkable path from debut novel to Netflix film in just five years. Richard Osman’s ability to blend cozy mystery mechanics with sharp character comedy and genuine emotional stakes created a formula that resonated with millions of readers worldwide. The four main characters — Elizabeth, Ron, Joyce, and Ibrahim — represent a refreshing take on the detective genre: retirees who happen to be brilliant investigators rather than the usual hardened professionals.

The parallel We Solve Murders series, which began in September 2024, suggests Osman isn’t slowing down. With a new book planned for 2026 or 2027 and the Thursday Murder Club film now reaching Netflix’s global audience, the franchise shows no signs of fading. Whether viewers who discover the story on screen will convert to readers — and whether those readers will push for a second film — remains to be seen.