Richard Osman: Who is He and Why are His Books so Popular?

As a company that trades in second-hand books, we see a lot of reading material from thousands of different authors, but there is one name that keeps popping up, Richard Osman. So, we decided to do a little digging to see if we could find out why he has become so darn popular! Here’s what we found…

From TV presenter to best-selling author, this is the story of TV sensation Richard Osman. In this blog, we are going to take a deep dive into his professional life looking at where his career began and how he eventually became one of the most popular authors in the world right now. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at where he came from and what it is about his writing that is driving millions of people to buy his books.

The Producer

So, who is Richard Osman? Born in Essex in 1970 Osman has since had an illustrious career in TV. After studying at Trinity College Cambridge, he had a brief stint working at Hat Trick Productions, after which he moved on to Endemol UK. Here he worked as an executive producer on several well-known TV series including the Channel 4 comedy panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats and Deal or No Deal.

The TV Host

It turns out that a life behind the scenes just wasn’t enough for Richard Osman, so in 2009 he began co-presenting the BBC One teatime quiz show Pointless with host Alexander Armstrong. He continued to host pointless all the way up until 2023. He also went on to present and host various other television shows like BBC Two’s Two Tribes, The One Show, and Channel 4’s Child Genius. Osman has also been featured as a team captain in the comedy panel shows Insert Name Here and The Fake News Show.

In 2017, he started hosting his own comedy quiz show Richard Osman’s House of Games on BBC. The show ran for a total of seven seasons plus several extras and spinoffs.

The Best-Selling Author

Back in September of 2020, Richard Osman published his first book – The Thursday Murder Club. It was initially met with an astounding reception with one review from the Times stating that it has an “ingenious plot” and the Guardian describing it as the “fastest-selling adult crime debut” in history. In its first three days of sale alone, it sold a whopping 45,000 copies AND it became the Sunday Times number one bestseller!

So, what is this prodigy book about? To summarise the plot, it is set at an upmarket retirement home in Kent and follows a group of 4 pensioners as they strive to get to the bottom of a murder. The victim? is a local property developer. The book is a captivating experience from start to finish with plenty of laughs, sadness, and thrilling mystery!

To date, there have been a total of 4 books released in Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club Series, each following the escapades of the club as they crack new cases and solve ever-more elaborate mysteries. Let’s take a quick look at the subsequent titles:

The Man Who Died Twice

Published in 2021, Osman’s second book – The Man Who Died Twice, depicts Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim, and Ron from the original murder club in a whole new investigation. The story unfolds when Elizabeth is approached by her former husband sealing her help. He then reveals that he is involved in the disappearance of some extremely valuable diamonds that belong to a very wealthy and dangerous owner. It’s full of laugh-out-loud moments, tear-jerking turns, and a juicy mystery to keep you hooked!

The Bullet That Missed

This time the gang faces a kill or be killed situation. Elizabeth is thrown into turmoil after she is paid a visit by a new foe, and she needs the Thursday Murder Club to do what they do best track down as many clues as they can and get to the bottom of this new threat. This is just another example of a masterfully woven plot delivered in a well-polished and supremely entertaining book.

The Last Devil to Die

The final book in the series so far is The Last Devil to Die. In this latest instalment, the gang must jump into action when an old friend is found dead under mysterious circumstances. In this investigation, the murder club encounters a plethora of new criminals including art forgers, online fraudsters, and drug dealers. Can they add another solved mystery to their belts, or will their luck run out?

Future Plans

As for the future of The Thursday Murder Club, the future is clouded in mystery, according to an article on Booksellers.com, there will be future mysteries for the gang to solve, but when? We don’t know. There is word however that Osman is planning on taking his writing in a new direction. In an interview with BBC News, he talks about how his new series will be “a sort of Thursday Murder Club meets The Da Vinci Code”. However, this is not confirmed yet and no deals have been announced yet.

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