Book Series Guide
Richard Osman

Author guide

Richard Osman Books in Order

Richard Osman is an English author, television presenter, producer, and comedian. He co-created and co-presented the BBC quiz show Pointless and later hosted Richard Osman's House of Games. His bestselling fiction includes the Thursday Murder Club and We Solve Murders mystery series, alongside co-authored quiz and trivia books.

mysterycrime fictionhumorquiz booksnonfiction

Catalog record updated .

Richard Osman's Newest Book

Cover of We Chase Shadows

We Chase Shadows

novel · First published 2026

At sunrise, high in the Italian hills, a body is found on the steps of a beautiful private villa. On the body is a threatening note, signed by a mystery man. Back at We Solve Murders HQ, Amy, Rosie, and Steve leap at the chance to take on their first proper case. So what if their new client seems to have his own reasons for avoiding the police? All they need to do is uncover who left the note, and then find them. Simple. But once they start digging, the suspects keep piling up: there’s Sweden’s most-wanted criminal, a canny ex-wife and a fierce business rival – yet the murderer keeps evading them. And as the trio chase a villain through the shadows, danger travels closer to home . . . Between Italy and Palm Springs, via Barcelona and Steve’s village pub, can the team catch an elusive killer who knows EXACTLY where to hide?

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of The Thursday Murder Club

The Thursday Murder Club

The first and defining novel in the Thursday Murder Club series.

Cover of We Solve Murders

We Solve Murders

The first novel in the We Solve Murders series.

Cover of The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World

The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World

The earliest Pointless book and the best entry point to Osman's quiz-book nonfiction.

Read in order

Books by series

nonfiction-series · complete

Pointless Books

A series of quiz, trivia, and humorous nonfiction books associated with the television quiz show Pointless, chiefly co-authored by Richard Osman and Alexander Armstrong.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    The 100 Most Pointless Things in the World

    Book 1 · nonfiction · 2012

    The world is full of pointless things. From rail replacement bus services to chip forks. From war to windchimes. From people who put cushions on beds to people who read the bit they write about the book on amazon. Look around you right…

  2. 2
    The 100 Most Pointless Arguments in the World

    Book 2 · nonfiction · 2013

    We've all had them, those pointless arguments that are seemingly impossible to solve. We've been round in circles trying to work out what came first, the chicken or the egg? Don't get us started on the debate of what we are all here for?…

  3. 3
    The Very Pointless Quiz Book

    Book 3 · nonfiction · 2014

    Let hosts Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman guide you through the quiz rounds with their trademark warmth and humour and battle it out against your friends and family for Pointless glory. Perfect for playing along alone or with family…

  4. 4
    The A-Z of Pointless: A Brain-Teasing Bumper Book of Questions and Trivia

    Book 4 · nonfiction · 2015

    Journey from A-Z, playing 26 rounds of Pointless with family and friends and enjoy facts, banter and musings from Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman. Inside you'll find hundreds of questions for all the family from TV's most popular…

  5. 5
    A Pointless History of the World

    Book 5 · nonfiction · 2016

novel-series · ongoing

The Thursday Murder Club

Mystery novels about four friends at a retirement village who investigate murders and other crimes.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    The Thursday Murder Club

    Book 1 · novel · 2020

    Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves A female cop with her first big case A brutal murder Welcome to... THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body,…

  2. 2
    The Man Who Died Twice

    Book 2 · novel · 2021

    Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim—the Thursday Murder Club—are still riding high off their recent real-life murder case and are looking forward to a bit of peace and quiet at Cooper’s Chase, their posh retirement village. But they are out…

  3. 3
    The Bullet That Missed

    Book 3 · novel · 2022

    It is an ordinary Thursday, and things should finally be returning to normal. Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club are concerned. A decade-old cold case—their favorite kind–leads them to a local news legend and…

  4. 4
    The Last Devil to Die

    Book 4 · novel · 2023

    It’s rarely a quiet day for the Thursday Murder Club. Shocking news reaches them—an old friend has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing. The gang’s search leads them into the antiques business, where the…

  5. 5
    The Impossible Fortune

    Book 5 · novel · 2025

    It’s been a quiet year for the Thursday Murder Club. Joyce is busy with table plans and first dances. Elizabeth is grieving. Ron is dealing with family troubles, and Ibrahim is still providing therapy to his favorite criminal. But when…

novel-series · ongoing

We Solve Murders

A mystery series following a family-linked detective trio as they pursue dangerous cases around the world.

Series guide →
  1. 1
    We Solve Murders

    Book 1 · novel · 2024

    Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He still does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar routines: the pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him at home. His days of adventure are over. Adrenaline…

  2. 2
    We Chase Shadows

    Book 2 · novel · 2026

    At sunrise, high in the Italian hills, a body is found on the steps of a beautiful private villa. On the body is a threatening note, signed by a mystery man. Back at We Solve Murders HQ, Amy, Rosie, and Steve leap at the chance to take on…

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (2)
  1. The World Cup of Everything: Bringing the Fun Home

    nonfiction · 2017

    Richard Osman has been trying to settle the most important issues society faces today. Who would win in a head-to-head between Quavers and Cheesy Wotsits? And What's the ultimate Christmas film (Home Alone, obviously). The World Cup of…

  2. Richard Osman's House of Games: 101 New & Classic Games from the Hit BBC Series

    nonfiction · 2019

    Do you know how many post boxes there are in the UK? Could you guess how many times the word 'goat' appear in the King James Version of the bible? Fancy playing a game of charades where all of the books, films and plays are entirely made…

Frequently asked questions about Richard Osman

Who is Richard Osman?

Richard Osman is an English author, television presenter, and producer. He became widely known through British quiz television before achieving international success as a novelist.

Sources: penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)feeds.bbci.co.uk (opens in a new tab)

What did Richard Osman do before becoming a novelist?

Osman worked behind the scenes in television, including as a producer at Endemol on programmes such as Deal or No Deal and The Million Pound Drop. He later moved in front of the camera as co-presenter of Pointless and host of House of Games.

Sources: feeds.bbci.co.uk (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)

What inspired Richard Osman's crime writing?

Osman has said he writes crime because he enjoys reading it, with Agatha Christie and other crime writers among his influences. The idea for The Thursday Murder Club came from visiting a lively retirement community and imagining it as the setting for a murder mystery.

Sources: theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)penguin.co.uk (opens in a new tab)

Which awards has Richard Osman won?

Osman was named Author of the Year at the 2021 British Book Awards. His debut novel also won the reader-voted Reader’s Choice award at the 2021 Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, and its audiobook won CrimeFest’s 2021 Sounds of Crime Award.

Sources: kirkusreviews.com (opens in a new tab)booksellers.org.uk (opens in a new tab)crimefest.com (opens in a new tab)

Why is Richard Osman notable in popular fiction?

Osman is notable for successfully carrying a television audience into crime fiction: his novels became number-one international bestsellers and New York Times bestsellers. The Thursday Murder Club’s 2025 film adaptation further extended his reach across popular media.

Source: penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)