Richard Osman Books in Order: Thursday Murder Club and We Solve Murders

Fact-checked September 23, 2026. Spoiler-light guide to the novels.

Richard Osman has written two mystery series, and their similar titles make one question especially common: does We Solve Murders come after The Thursday Murder Club? It does not. The books follow different investigators, and you can begin with either series.

If you want every Richard Osman novel in publication order, there are seven published books as of September 2026: five Thursday Murder Club mysteries and two We Solve Murders mysteries. The newest, We Chase Shadows, arrived in September 2026. Here is the complete order, followed by a guide to choosing your starting point.

Richard Osman novels in publication order

The easiest reading plan: Pick one series, read its numbered books in order, and move to the other whenever you like. Publication order above is useful if you want to follow Osman’s career, but there is no story reason to switch series after The Last Devil to Die and switch back after We Solve Murders. The publisher maintains separate listings for the Thursday Murder Club and We Solve Murders.

The Thursday Murder Club books in order

At Cooper’s Chase, a retirement village in England, four friends meet to investigate unsolved crimes. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim have different skills and temperaments; their friendship grows alongside each new case. The individual puzzles are important, but so are the relationships that carry into later books. These five novels belong in the following order.

1. The Thursday Murder Club (2020)

The club’s regular look at cold cases takes a sharp turn when a local developer is murdered. Suddenly, the amateur detectives have a live case and a chance to put their unlikely partnership to work. This opening novel introduces Cooper’s Chase and shows why the four friends make such a resourceful team.

Start here even if you have seen the Netflix film. The adaptation draws on this first novel, while the books continue the characters’ stories beyond it.

2. The Man Who Died Twice (2021)

Someone from Elizabeth’s past arrives seeking help with a dangerous problem involving stolen diamonds. The friends’ investigation quickly becomes more urgent when a body turns up. The second book lets readers spend more time with the club while revealing another side of Elizabeth’s earlier life.

3. The Bullet That Missed (2022)

A decade-old case involving a local news figure gives the club another mystery to untangle. At the same time, Elizabeth faces a threat in the present. Osman balances the familiar pleasure of watching the friends compare clues with more immediate danger for one of their own.

4. The Last Devil to Die (2023)

After a friend is killed, the club looks into the dangerous package he had been protecting. Their search takes them through the antiques trade and a network of people with reasons to hide the truth. This book also carries some of the series’ most significant emotional developments, so reading it fourth matters.

5. The Impossible Fortune (2025)

The club has had a quieter period when a request for help from a wedding guest leads to a disappearance. A puzzling code and the possibility of something valuable draw the friends back into an investigation. The mystery begins here, but the characters’ lives continue from book four; jumping straight to the newest Thursday Murder Club novel would diminish that continuity.

For a deeper, book-by-book guide to this series, see [Thursday Murder Club Books in Order: Richard Osman’s Series Explained] (editor: insert the published Books of Brilliance URL; the separate guide was drafted September 22, 2026).

The We Solve Murders books in order

Osman’s second series brings together Steve Wheeler, a retired police officer who prefers familiar routines, and his daughter-in-law Amy Wheeler, who works in private security. Author Rosie D’Antonio becomes central to their adventures. The settings range farther afield than Cooper’s Chase, but the warmth and humor will feel recognizable to readers of the earlier series.

1. We Solve Murders (2024)

Amy is protecting Rosie when a death and a bag of money turn her assignment into something far more dangerous. She asks Steve for help, pulling him away from a settled life and into an international chase. This is a new beginning with new characters: you need no knowledge of the Thursday Murder Club to follow it.

2. We Chase Shadows (2026)

A body discovered at an Italian villa, a threatening note and a client reluctant to approach the police present Amy, Steve and Rosie with another case. The investigation takes them across countries as they pursue someone who knows how to stay hidden. Read We Solve Murders first to see how this team came together.

We Chase Shadows was published September 10, 2026, in the UK and September 15, 2026, in the US. The different dates reflect regional editions, not different books. Publisher listings identify it as We Solve Murders #2. See Penguin UK’s edition details and the US publisher’s book page.

Should you read the two Richard Osman series together?

You do not have to. There is no shared sequence to untangle: the Thursday Murder Club books follow Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim, while the We Solve Murders books follow Amy, Steve and Rosie. You can finish all five Cooper’s Chase novels before opening We Solve Murders, or begin with Amy and Steve and return to the club later.

Choose The Thursday Murder Club first if you want a village setting, a group of older amateur detectives and friendships that deepen over five books. Choose We Solve Murders first if a smaller central team and a mystery that travels around the world sound more appealing. Readers who love a puzzle with characters they can keep visiting will find that either opening book gives them plenty to go on.

My suggestion for a first-time Osman reader is The Thursday Murder Club. Its modest starting premise lets the four personalities emerge through the investigation, and you get the pleasure of watching the friendships change across a longer series. If you’ve just finished The Impossible Fortune and want another Osman mystery immediately, We Solve Murders is the natural next stop.

Are there other Richard Osman books?

Yes. Osman also has television and quiz-related books, including The World Cup of Everything and Richard Osman’s House of Games. They are separate from his mystery fiction and are not required reading for either novel series. This guide covers his seven published novels rather than treating quiz books, different formats or film tie-in editions as extra mysteries. If you are searching for the order of every printed item credited to Osman, check the author and publisher records for those nonfiction and coauthored titles separately.

Frequently asked questions

How many Richard Osman mystery novels are there?

Seven as of September 23, 2026: five Thursday Murder Club novels and two We Solve Murders novels. The two publisher series pages list each installment by number.

What is Richard Osman’s newest book?

We Chase Shadows, the second We Solve Murders novel, published in September 2026. The Impossible Fortune, published in 2025, remains the newest Thursday Murder Club novel.

Is We Solve Murders book five of the Thursday Murder Club?

No. It starts a separate series. The Impossible Fortune is Thursday Murder Club book five.

Can I read We Chase Shadows before We Solve Murders?

The central case is new, but starting with We Solve Murders introduces Amy, Steve and Rosie and establishes how they began working together.

Is there a sixth Thursday Murder Club novel?

The publisher’s current numbered series page ends at The Impossible Fortune, book five. Check that page for any future announcement before adding a sixth title or release date.

The simplest rule is to follow the numbers within each series. Osman has built two distinct groups of investigators, and either group’s first case makes a welcoming place to start.

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