Mystery · Free kit
The Thursday Murder Club
At Coopers Chase, a luxury retirement village in the Kentish Weald, four residents meet every Thursday in the Jigsaw Room to pick apart old murder files. Elizabeth will not say what she used to do. Joyce has a diary, a nurse's eye, and cake. Ibrahim brings the psychiatrist's notebook. Ron brings the union-hall volume. When a killing happens on their doorstep — and then another — the club gets the live case they have been practicing for. Funny, twisty, and sneakily sad about memory, friendship, and who still gets taken seriously after seventy.
“We have forgotten our manners, Detective Chief Inspector. We haven't offered you any cake.”
Complete free book club kit
BookClubee may earn a commission from Bookshop.org purchases, which supports independent bookshops.
Plan your meeting
The Thursday Murder Club Hosting Guide
A free, printable-minded plan for hosting The Thursday Murder Club.
Invite hook
“Four friends. One Jigsaw Room. A live case on the lawn. Bring cake — and do not underestimate anyone over seventy.”
The question you’re arguing about: If your neighbours started investigating a murder on a Thursday, would you join, or pretend you had not heard?
Shopping list
- □Lemon drizzle cake, already sliced (Joyce's move — manners and a talking point)
- □Strong tea and a pot of coffee for a long discussion
- □Lemonade, juice, and sparkling water
- □Scones or shortbread, plus grapes and cheese for the "Jigsaw Room" table
- □A half-finished jigsaw on a side table (do not complete it)
- □Manila folders or yellow sticky notes labeled as case files at each seat
- □A cheap chess set mid-game, as if Stephen and Bogdan just stepped away
- □Printed bingo cards, extra pens, and a spare tin for cake
Day-of timeline
- 0–10 minWelcome, tea, and icebreakers
- 10–20 minTrivia warm-up in the "Jigsaw Room"
- 20–55 minMain discussion — Elizabeth's methods, Penny's choice, the Thursday note
- 55–70 minSpeed debate: turn John in, or hand over Bogdan
- 70–80 minBingo, rate the book, pick next month
Surprise touch
Before anyone arrives, slip a folded Thursday note under each plate — one line, unsigned, in the spirit of Elizabeth's last move to Joyce. Serve the lemon drizzle already sliced. It is cheap, specific, and gets quiet people talking before the files come out.
Wrap-up
- □Group photo — bonus prop: a cake tin, a manila folder, or a jigsaw piece
- □Quick rating round: 1–5 stars and one word each
- □Vote on next month's book together