If you are looking for the best Richard Osman books to read, the good news is that the reading order is straightforward. Osman has two major crime-fiction series: The Thursday Murder Club and We Solve Murders.
The two series feature different central characters and can be started independently. However, once you begin either series, reading the books in publication order is the best way to follow the characters, relationships and recurring storylines.
As of September 2026, Osman has seven published novels across the two series. His latest novel, We Chase Shadows, is the second book in the We Solve Murders series and was released in the UK on 10 September 2026.
For most new readers, however, the best place to start remains The Thursday Murder Club, Osman’s hugely successful debut novel.
Richard Osman books in order at a glance
| Order | Book | Series | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Thursday Murder Club | Thursday Murder Club | 2020 |
| 2 | The Man Who Died Twice | Thursday Murder Club | 2021 |
| 3 | The Bullet That Missed | Thursday Murder Club | 2022 |
| 4 | The Last Devil to Die | Thursday Murder Club | 2023 |
| 5 | We Solve Murders | We Solve Murders | 2024 |
| 6 | The Impossible Fortune | Thursday Murder Club | 2025 |
| 7 | We Chase Shadows | We Solve Murders | 2026 |
The table above gives the overall publication order of Richard Osman’s novels. If you prefer to complete one series before starting another, simply follow the individual series orders below.
The Thursday Murder Club books in order
The Thursday Murder Club is Osman’s first and most recognisable crime-fiction series. It centres on four friends at the fictional Coopers Chase retirement community: Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron.
The books combine murder mysteries with humour, friendship, ageing, grief and the complications of ordinary life. That mixture is a large part of their appeal.
1. The Thursday Murder Club — 2020
The series begins with The Thursday Murder Club, which introduces Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron.
The four friends regularly meet to investigate old unsolved murder cases. Their hobby takes a much more serious turn when a real murder occurs close to home.
Rather than behaving like conventional detectives, the group relies on a combination of life experience, contacts, curiosity and sheer persistence.
This first novel establishes the characters and the tone that define the series: cosy surroundings, genuinely intriguing mysteries, dry British humour and surprisingly emotional moments.
Start here if: you have never read Richard Osman before and want to experience the series from the beginning.
2. The Man Who Died Twice — 2021
The Man Who Died Twice brings the Thursday Murder Club back for another investigation, while giving readers more insight into Elizabeth’s mysterious past.
Stolen diamonds, dangerous criminals and an old connection draw the group into a considerably more complicated case.
The second book benefits from the groundwork established in the first. The friendships feel more developed, and the characters are no longer simply being introduced to the reader.
Best read: after The Thursday Murder Club.
3. The Bullet That Missed — 2022
In The Bullet That Missed, the Thursday Murder Club tackles another case, this time involving a television personality and a long-unsolved mystery.
The novel continues the series’ balance between traditional crime fiction and character-driven storytelling. Each member of the group brings a different skill set and personality to the investigation.
By this point, the series is as much about the relationships between the four friends as it is about solving the murder.
4. The Last Devil to Die — 2023
The Last Devil to Die takes the emotional side of the series further.
An old friend in the antiques business is murdered, and a mysterious package disappears. The investigation leads the group into a world involving art forgery, online fraud and criminals.
The book also gives considerably more space to the personal lives of the four protagonists. For readers invested in Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron, this makes reading the earlier books first particularly worthwhile.
5. The Impossible Fortune — 2025
The Impossible Fortune is the fifth Thursday Murder Club novel.
The story returns readers to Coopers Chase, where Joyce is occupied with wedding plans while the club becomes involved in another dangerous mystery.
Elizabeth encounters a wedding guest who believes their life is in danger, setting the group on a new investigation involving a highly valuable code.
The fifth book continues the series’ familiar combination of humour, mystery and emotional character development while introducing a modern technological element to the case.
If you have finished the first four books, this is the next book to read.
We Solve Murders books in order
Richard Osman began his second crime series with We Solve Murders in 2024.
Although the series shares Osman’s characteristic humour and accessible mystery storytelling, it is not a continuation of the Thursday Murder Club storyline.
The central characters are different, making it perfectly possible to start this series without reading the earlier novels.
1. We Solve Murders — 2024
We Solve Murders introduces Steve Wheeler, a retired police officer, and his daughter-in-law Amy Wheeler, a private security professional.
Steve enjoys a quiet life, pub quizzes and spending time with his cat, Trouble. Amy, by contrast, works in a world of wealthy clients, international travel and considerably more danger.
When Amy’s assignment protecting a famous author goes badly wrong, Steve becomes involved in a murder investigation that quickly expands into an international chase.
The result is a faster-moving and more globe-trotting thriller than the retirement-village setting of The Thursday Murder Club.
Start here if: you want Richard Osman crime fiction but would rather begin with a completely new cast.
2. We Chase Shadows — 2026
We Chase Shadows is the second We Solve Murders novel and was released in the UK on 10 September 2026.
Amy, Steve and Rosie return for another international investigation. The mystery begins in the Italian hills, where a body is discovered outside a private villa.
The investigation takes the trio between locations including Italy, Barcelona and Palm Springs as they attempt to identify an elusive killer.
Because it continues the stories of the characters introduced in We Solve Murders, it is best read after the first book in the series.
Do you need to read Richard Osman books in order?
Yes within each series, but no between the two series.
You do not have to read The Thursday Murder Club before We Solve Murders. They have different protagonists and separate storylines.
However, reading each individual series from the beginning is strongly recommended.
For example, the best order for the Thursday Murder Club is:
- The Thursday Murder Club
- The Man Who Died Twice
- The Bullet That Missed
- The Last Devil to Die
- The Impossible Fortune
And the best order for We Solve Murders is:
- We Solve Murders
- We Chase Shadows
You could technically pick up a later book and understand its central murder mystery, but doing so means missing character development, references to earlier events and some of the emotional payoff.
What is the best Richard Osman book to start with?
For most readers, The Thursday Murder Club is the obvious starting point.
It introduces Osman’s distinctive approach to crime fiction: a seemingly peaceful British setting, unusual amateur detectives, clever mysteries and plenty of humour.
If you have already watched the screen adaptation of The Thursday Murder Club and want to explore Osman’s novels, starting with the book is still worthwhile. The novels provide much more room for the characters’ relationships and individual personalities to develop.
If you prefer a faster-paced international thriller, We Solve Murders is an excellent alternative starting point.
Choose based on your taste
Start with The Thursday Murder Club if you enjoy:
- British cosy crime
- Older protagonists
- Character-driven mysteries
- Friendship and humour
- Retirement-village settings
- Traditional murder investigations
Start with We Solve Murders if you prefer:
- International locations
- Faster-paced investigations
- Private security and professional crime-solving
- Action mixed with humour
- A younger, more energetic central partnership
- Globe-trotting mysteries
What is Richard Osman’s latest book?
As of September 2026, Richard Osman’s latest published novel is We Chase Shadows, the second book in the We Solve Murders series.
It was released in the UK on 10 September 2026.
The previous novel was The Impossible Fortune, published in 2025 as the fifth book in The Thursday Murder Club.
This means readers currently have two separate series to follow, with both continuing to offer potential for future books.
Richard Osman books by publication date
If you want the novels in the order Richard Osman released them, use this list:
- The Thursday Murder Club — 2020
- The Man Who Died Twice — 2021
- The Bullet That Missed — 2022
- The Last Devil to Die — 2023
- We Solve Murders — 2024
- The Impossible Fortune — 2025
- We Chase Shadows — 2026
This is slightly different from reading one series at a time because We Solve Murders was published between the fourth and fifth Thursday Murder Club novels.
There is no requirement to alternate between the two series. They are separate stories.
Are Richard Osman’s books connected?
The two crime series are separate, but they share Richard Osman’s writing style and some broad characteristics.
The Thursday Murder Club books focus on Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron, while We Solve Murders follows Steve, Amy and Rosie.
The biggest connection is therefore the author and his approach to crime fiction rather than one continuous storyline.
That distinction matters if you are searching for Richard Osman books in chronological order. There is no complicated shared-universe reading sequence that requires you to alternate between the series.
Richard Osman book recommendations
If you want to read more than one Richard Osman book, the best recommendation depends on what you enjoy.
Best overall starting point: The Thursday Murder Club
This is the natural introduction to Osman as a novelist and the starting point for his most famous characters.
Best for continuing the original series: The Impossible Fortune
If you have already read the first four Thursday Murder Club books, The Impossible Fortune is the obvious next choice.
Best alternative series starter: We Solve Murders
Choose this if you want a fresh cast and a more international crime thriller.
Best for the latest release: We Chase Shadows
This is the choice for readers who have already completed We Solve Murders and want the newest Richard Osman mystery.
Richard Osman book adaptations
Interest in Osman’s novels has grown beyond the books themselves.
The first Thursday Murder Club novel was adapted into a Netflix film, bringing characters including Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron to a much wider screen audience.
For readers who discover the story through the film, the novels offer an opportunity to explore the characters and mysteries in considerably greater depth.
The adaptation also makes The Thursday Murder Club an especially easy recommendation for readers who enjoy moving between books and screen adaptations.
Are the Richard Osman books worth reading?
For readers who like warm, character-led crime fiction, Richard Osman’s novels offer a distinctive combination of mystery and comedy.
His books are not simply traditional whodunits. The murders provide the central puzzles, but the characters’ friendships, family relationships, memories and personal problems are equally important.
That is particularly clear in The Thursday Murder Club, where the protagonists are older adults who bring decades of experience to investigations that professional detectives sometimes struggle to solve.
We Solve Murders takes a different approach, with more international action and a faster pace.
The two series therefore give readers two different versions of Osman’s crime-fiction formula without making either one dependent on the other.
Richard Osman books: which order should you read them?
If you want the simplest answer, follow one of these two paths.
Start with his most famous series
The Thursday Murder Club → The Man Who Died Twice → The Bullet That Missed → The Last Devil to Die → The Impossible Fortune
This is the best choice for readers who want the full story of Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron.
Start with the newer series
We Solve Murders → We Chase Shadows
Choose this route if you prefer a more international thriller featuring Steve, Amy and Rosie.
Read every novel in publication order
For readers who want to experience Richard Osman’s novels exactly as they arrived, use:
2020: The Thursday Murder Club
2021: The Man Who Died Twice
2022: The Bullet That Missed
2023: The Last Devil to Die
2024: We Solve Murders
2025: The Impossible Fortune
2026: We Chase Shadows
There is no wrong choice between the two series. The key is to keep each series in its own publication order.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Richard Osman novels are there?
As of September 2026, Richard Osman has published seven novels across two crime series: five Thursday Murder Club books and two We Solve Murders books.
What is Richard Osman’s first book?
His first novel was The Thursday Murder Club, published in 2020. Before becoming a novelist, Osman was already widely known in British television as a presenter, producer and writer.
What is Richard Osman’s newest book in 2026?
His newest novel is We Chase Shadows, the second We Solve Murders book, released in the UK on 10 September 2026.
Should I read The Impossible Fortune before We Chase Shadows?
No. The books belong to different series. The Impossible Fortune is the fifth Thursday Murder Club novel, while We Chase Shadows is the second We Solve Murders novel.
If you are following the Thursday Murder Club characters, read The Impossible Fortune. If you are following Steve, Amy and Rosie, read We Chase Shadows after We Solve Murders.
Can I read We Solve Murders without reading The Thursday Murder Club?
Yes. The series has a different cast and storyline, so We Solve Murders works as an independent starting point for Richard Osman readers.
Which Richard Osman book should I read first?
For most new readers, start with The Thursday Murder Club. It introduces the author’s most famous characters and establishes the style that made his crime novels so popular.
If you prefer a faster international mystery, start with We Solve Murders instead.
Do Richard Osman books have to be read in order?
The individual series are best read in order. You do not need to read the Thursday Murder Club series before We Solve Murders, because the two series have separate casts and storylines.
Is The Thursday Murder Club a standalone book?
The first novel has its own murder mystery, but it is also the beginning of a continuing series. Readers will get more from the later books if they start with the first novel and continue in publication order.
Final Richard Osman reading order
For anyone searching for Richard Osman books in order, the answer is pleasantly simple: choose your series and start at book one.
The complete current novel list is:
The Thursday Murder Club (2020)
The Man Who Died Twice (2021)
The Bullet That Missed (2022)
The Last Devil to Die (2023)
We Solve Murders (2024)
The Impossible Fortune (2025)
We Chase Shadows (2026)
For the classic Richard Osman experience, begin with The Thursday Murder Club. For the newer international mystery series, begin with We Solve Murders. Either way, reading each series from the beginning gives the characters—and the mysteries—the room to develop properly.
