> Skip to content

Article  •  21 August 2023

 

Meet the characters from The Thursday Murder Club

Get ready for more antics and adventures from the final book of the Thursday Murder Club series. Refresh your memory on the characters from The Thursday Murder Club before The Last Devil to Die comes out this September.

The Thursday Murder Club is a wildly entertaining series by Richard Osman following the investigations of four elderly – and mostly amateur – sleuths as they put their skills together to solve crimes and bring justice to the Cooper Chase Retirement Village and beyond.

Heartwarming, humorous and a whole lot of fun, The Thursday Murder Club strikes all the right chords, making The Last Devil to Die a must-read for fans of the previous books.

Before you dig in though, refresh your memory with this quick summary of the club’s members. We can’t wait to see what shenanigans they get up to in The Last Devil To Die.

The Thursday Murder Club characters

Elizabeth Best

Elizabeth Best is an ex-spy, resident at Cooper Chase Retirement Village and founder of the Thursday Murder Club. Elizabeth doesn’t play games, and if her experience in espionage has taught her anything, it’s how to get what she wants. The driving force of the Thursday Murder Club’s antics, Elizabeth spearheads their investigations. Even in her old age, Elizabeth is just as strong and fiery as ever, regularly employing tactics of intimidation and deception to get the info she wants. Despite her tough-as-nails exterior, however, Elizabeth’s vulnerable side comes out in her personal life as she deals with the reality of her husband’s dementia.

Joyce Meadowcroft

Joyce Meadowcroft is a former nurse and the newest member of the Thursday Murder Club. Befitting for her nursely duties, Joyce is a calm, kind elderly woman who seems to truly wants the best for others. Despite her warm personality, Joyce is a clever investigator who makes the perfect match to Elizabeth’s tougher tactics. Her entertaining reflections on everything from shopping on ASOS to figuring out Instagram make her one of the most relatable characters in the series.

Ibrahim Arif

Ibrahim is a lovely ex-psychiatrist who acts as the glue that binds the Thursday Murder club together. Like the other club members, he is a resident at the Cooper Chase Retirement Village, but unlike the others, he is much more soft-spoken. For much of The Man Who Died Twice, Ibrahim is quite reclusive, living in fear after being attacked by a thug. Nevertheless, he continues to play an important part in their investigations while they support his mental and physical recovery.

Ron Richie

Ron Ritchie is a headstrong former union activist who completes the Thursday Murder club. Though his rashness can be a bit off-putting, he’s a perfect fit for the club, as he trusts nobody but his three friends to tell the truth. In both The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice, Ron has his own motivations for participating in the investigations, trying to clear his son’s name in the first book and get revenge on Ibrahim’s attacker in the second book.

 

Want more? Get extracts, book club questions and more here. 

This article was originally published in August 2022 and has since been updated to include The Last Devil To Die. 

Featured Titles

The Thursday Murder Club
Four unlikely friends A shocking murder Welcome to THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB
Read more
The Man Who Died Twice
The second novel in the record-breaking number one bestselling Thursday Murder Club series, featuring the old (but far from past-it) team as they pursue a brand new mystery
Read more
The Bullet That Missed
The third book in the record-breaking Thursday Murder Club series from British national treasure Richard Osman.
Read more
The Last Devil To Die
THE FOURTH NOVEL IN THE RECORD-BREAKING, MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING THURSDAY MURDER CLUB SERIES BY RICHARD OSMAN
Read more

More features

See all
Article
Books to read with your book club in spring 2024

These are the Penguin Random House books that over 80,000 book clubs voted as the best group reads this month.

Article
Better Reading’s Top 100 books of 2024 announced

Penguin Random House is proud to have twenty-four titles on the list this year.

Article
The best books to read with your book club in autumn 2024

These are the Penguin Random House books that over 80,000 book clubs voted as the best group reads this month.

Article
The 10 bestselling fiction books of 2023

Check out our top-selling fiction books this year.

Article
Richard Osman’s whirlwind Australia tour was a smashing success

In just four and a half days, the international bestselling author won the hearts of Australian readers.

Article
The best books to read with your book club in spring 2023

These are the Penguin Random House books that over 48,000 book clubs voted as the best group reads this October.

Article
The best books to read with your book club in autumn 2023

These are the Penguin Random House books that over 48,000 book clubs voted as the best group reads this March.

Article
Books of the year 2022

From fantastically funny rom-coms to straightforward self-help, these are some of the best books of 2022.

Article
The Bullet That Missed Crossword

Put your sleuthing to the test with this crossword inspired by Richard Osman's record-breaking series.

Article
The best books to read with your book club in spring 2022

See the Penguin Random House books that over 800,000 book clubs voted as the best group reads during the month of September.

Article
What the most popular books of 2024 say about our year of reading

From cookbooks to thrillers, these are the books that dominated reading trends in 2024

Article
QUIZ: What kind of Christmas cookie are you?

Getting in the festive spirit? Take this fun quiz to find out what kind of Christmas cookie you are!

Looking for more articles?

See all articles
penguin pop image
penguin pop image