As the star-studded adaptation of Richard Osman’s 10-million selling series, The Thursday Murder Club, opens in cinemas this weekend, fans can look forward to the fifth outing later in September when The Impossible Fortune arrives in bookshops. But if you can’t wait until then for your next fix, here are the ten best cosy crime books ever.
10. The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood (2021)
There was only one blot on the horizon when Death in Paradise creator Robert Thorogood published his brilliantly inventive debut cosy crime novel, The Marlow Murder Club. Richard Osman’s similarly-titled debut, The Thursday Murder Club, also featuring crime-solving pensioners, had come out three months earlier. “Richard’s a brilliant writer and I love his books,” says Robert. “Yes, they are a gang of older people solving crime but there are lots of differences. The one thing I felt a bit eggy about was the titles. Mine was homage to Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple story, The Tuesday Club Murders, and I’m sure Richard had the same idea. I did consider changing it, but I thought there was space in the world for two very similarly titled books.” And there is. Robert’s book’s now form the basis for the hit ITVX adaptation starring Samantha ‘Moneypenny’ Bond as Marlow’s crossword-setting sleuth Judith Potts.
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9. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan (2015)
Best-known for his post-Partition, Bombay-set Malabar House novels, featuring India’s first female detective Persis Wadia and Met Police criminologist Archie Blackfinch, Vaseem Khan’s earlier ‘Baby Ganesh’ series is equally enthralling. Set in modern day India, Inspector Ashwin Chopra is due to retire after a lifetime’s crime fighting in Mumbai. But on his last day, he inherits a strange new case – that of a drowned boy no one else seems to want to see solved – and also a baby elephant! As sidekicks go, Ganesha (named in a clever nod to the iconic Hindu god) is about as unique as you can imagine. But don’t worry, settle back and enjoy the ride. You’re in safe hands with Knah, who takes on James Bond later thjis year with a 007 spin-off featuring ‘Q’, Quantum of Menace.
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8. The Windsor Knot by S J Bennett (2020)
Another unique take on cosy crime comes via S J Bennett, whose 2020 novel The Windsor Knot kicked off a series featuring a one-of-a-kind sleuth: Her Majesty! That’s right, Queen Elizabeth II herself. Bennett’s slightly bonkers but highly entertaining take on the late monarch as a secret amateur detective, assisted by a fictional assistant private secretary of Nigerian heritage, Captain Rozie Oshodi, quickly captured hearts and minds of readers everywhere. The first book boasted the set up: “On a perfect Spring morning at Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth II will go for a ride, carry out all her royal duties… and solve a murder.” Cosy crime heaven! They’ve subsequently been published all around the world and some more than 250,000 copies. What Her Majesty made of it, who knows but Bennett’s latest book is deliciously called The Queen Who Came In From The Cold.
(Image: Zaffre)
7. A Quarter Past Dead by T P Fielden (2018)
The books of T P Fielden, alias long-time former Daily Express Diplomatic Editor Christopher Wilson, have been described – rightly so – as The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency meets The Durrells, in Devon! Temple Regis is a quaint seaside town whose tranquillity, more often than not, is shattered by the discovery of a body. And no one is better placed to catch the killer than the fabulous Miss Judy Dimont, a hotshot reporter for the local Riviera Express – with the help of her friend Captain Hastings. Yes, Wilson has cleverly brought Hercule Poirot’s quintessentially English companion back to life. Pure genius. A Quarter Past Dead, featuring the murder of a woman at the Buntorama holiday camp – is the third novel in the Miss Dimont Mystery series. But beware, you’ll be hooked within a few pages. A TV adaptation is long overdue.
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