The Impossible Fortune

The Impossible Fortune is the fifth murder mystery book in the Thursday [Murder Club (series)|Thursday Murder Club series], written by British author and television presenter, Richard Osman. The book and its audiobook edition, read by Fiona Shaw, were published by Viking Press in September 2025.

Characters

The main characters are four pensioners who reside at the fictional Coopers Chase retirement village in Kent, England:

Elizabeth Best, an ex-spy
Ron Ritchie, a former trade union leader
Ibrahim Arif, a psychiatrist
Joyce Meadowcroft, a retired nurse

Familiar supporting characters include:

Donna De Freitas, police constable
Chris Hudson, detective chief inspector
Bogdan Jankowski, handyman and Donna's partner
Jason Ritchie, Ron's son
Kendrick, Ron's grandson
Joanna, Joyce's daughter
Connie Johnson, drug dealer
Alan, Joyce's pet dog

Plot

When a guest approaches Elizabeth for help during Joyce’s daughter’s wedding, the Thursday Murder Club becomes involved in a case involving a disappearance, a murder, and a valuable code. Alongside the main investigation, Ron deals with family problems and Ibrahim continues his work with recent parolee Connie Johnson.

Reception

The book debuted at No. 1 on The [Sunday Times Bestseller List|The Sunday Times Bestseller list] and reached No. 1 on The [New York Times Best Seller list] for combined print and e-book fiction. Critics praised the storytelling as well as the relationships between the characters. In her Library Journal review, Liz French wrote, "The crime, though ingeniously plotted, with many red herrings, is not the main attraction. It’s the growing love and respect among the Thursdays and their kith and kin, including a few criminals and cops, that is the biggest draw."