Quiz The Thursday Murder Club Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club Quiz – 20 Questions to Test Your Detective Skills

Think you know the ins and outs of Richard Osman’s best-selling mystery? From Tony Curran’s bludgeoning to the secret buried in the Garden of Eternal Rest, this 20-question quiz spans the entire first Thursday Murder Club novel. You will find eight plot-and-sequence questions, five on character motivation, four on theme and symbol, and three synthesis questions that tie the story together. Mixing multiple-choice and short-answer formats, the quiz is designed for readers who have finished the book. After the questions, a full answer key explains each response using evidence from the novel. For a deeper dive, check our main book page, the questions and answers, or the ending explained.

Quiz Questions

Plot and Sequence

  1. In what order do the two main murders occur in the story? (Short answer)

  2. Who first glimpses the photograph left at Tony Curran’s murder scene?
    A. DCI Chris Hudson
    B. PC Donna De Freitas
    C. Elizabeth Best
    D. Ron Ritchie

  3. What is the cause of Ian Ventham’s death? (Short answer)

  4. Which character dies by suicide in the novel?
    A. Bernard Cottle
    B. Ian Ventham
    C. Tony Curran
    D. Father Matthew Mackie

  5. What does Joyce discover taped to Bernard’s door when she checks on him? (Short answer)

  6. Why do Elizabeth and Joyce visit the Fairhaven police station in Chapter 16?
    A. To report a handbag theft
    B. To meet PC Donna De Freitas
    C. To file a formal complaint
    D. To give a witness statement

  7. What is the name of the retirement village where the Thursday Murder Club lives? (Short answer)

  8. Which character was a Metropolitan Police officer and has transferred to Fairhaven?
    A. Chris Hudson
    B. Donna De Freitas
    C. Penny Gray
    D. Elizabeth

Character Motivation

  1. Why does Ron Ritchie confront developer Ian Ventham at the consultation meeting? (Short answer)

  2. What motivates Elizabeth to keep Bogdan’s discovery of a second skeleton secret from the police?
    A. She wants to blackmail Bogdan
    B. She wants to investigate further before the police
    C. She is afraid of Bogdan
    D. She wants to protect Stephen

  3. Why does John Gray kill Ian Ventham? (Short answer)

  4. What is Bernard Cottle’s secret that leads to his suicide?
    A. He murdered Tony Curran
    B. He substituted his wife’s ashes with sawdust and bonemeal
    C. He stole money from the community fund
    D. He was a spy for Ian Ventham

  5. Why does Bogdan kill Tony Curran? (Short answer)

Theme and Symbol

  1. What does the Garden of Eternal Rest symbolize in the novel? (Short answer)

  2. How does the novel explore the theme of aging and purpose through the Thursday Murder Club members? (Short answer)

  3. What does the “Japanese Opera” cover story for the club’s meetings represent?
    A. The club’s genuine interest in Japanese culture
    B. The need for secrecy and disguise
    C. The cultural diversity of Coopers Chase
    D. A deliberate red herring for the police

  4. What role does the motif of baking (especially Joyce’s cakes) play in the story? (Short answer)

Synthesis

  1. Compare the motivations of John Gray and Bogdan: how are they similar? (Short answer)

  2. How does the novel challenge common stereotypes about elderly people? (Short answer)

  3. What is the significance of the multiple photographs that appear in the story? (Short answer)

Answer Key

1. Tony Curran is murdered first (bludgeoned), then Ian Ventham is killed (fentanyl poisoning).
The novel opens with Tony Curran’s murder in Chapter 10, and later Ian Ventham collapses and dies from an overdose in Chapter 53.

2. B. PC Donna De Freitas.
In Chapter 12, Donna is in the incident room serving tea when she pretends to tie her laceless shoes and glimpses the photograph of three men with banknotes.

3. Fentanyl poisoning (a massive overdose injected into his upper arm).
The path lab confirmed this cause of death in Chapter 55.

4. A. Bernard Cottle.
Bernard takes pills and whisky after confessing to substituting his wife’s ashes. Joyce finds his farewell envelope in Chapter 87.

5. An envelope with “Joyce” written on it and a smiley face in the letter O.
Joyce describes this in Chapter 87 after Bernard fails to answer his “All’s Well” call.

6. B. To meet PC Donna De Freitas.
Elizabeth fakes a handbag theft and demands a female officer; Donna appears, surprised to see them (Chapter 16).

7. Coopers Chase.
The setting is established in Chapter 3 as a luxury retirement village built on a former convent.

8. B. Donna De Freitas.
Donna is introduced as PC De Freitas who has transferred from the Met to Fairhaven (Chapter 2).

9. Ron confronts Ventham to protest the Woodlands development that would chop down trees and uproot a graveyard.
He waves his lease and argues that the meeting is not genuine consultation but an ambush (Chapter 6).

10. B. She wants to investigate further before the police.
In Chapter 67, Elizabeth decides to keep Bogdan’s discovery from the police for now and plans to call Austin for advice.

11. John kills Ian Ventham to prevent the identification of the body he buried in the graveyard decades earlier—a murder he committed to protect his wife Penny.
John confesses in Chapter 108, and Elizabeth realizes his true motive was love for Penny.

12. B. He substituted his wife’s ashes with sawdust and bonemeal, keeping the real ashes in a tiger tea caddy.
Bernard’s suicide letter in Chapter 88 explains this betrayal of his daughter.

13. Bogdan kills Tony Curran for revenge because Tony ordered the murder of Bogdan’s friend Kazimir.
Bogdan confesses this to Stephen in Chapter 114.

14. The Garden symbolizes memory, mortality, and a contested past—it is a cemetery that holds secrets from the 1970s and becomes a focal point for the community’s resistance.
Father Mackie’s vigil and the discovery of an extra skeleton underscore these themes.

15. The club members find renewed purpose and identity by investigating real murders, showing that old age does not mean passivity.
As Ibrahim reflects in Chapter 11, he feels needed again; Joyce’s diary entries highlight her sense of completion.

16. B. The need for secrecy and disguise.
The club books the Jigsaw Room under “Japanese Opera – A Discussion” to ensure privacy while reviewing cold-case files (Chapter 4).

17. Baking symbolizes care, comfort, and manipulation.
Joyce bakes cakes to put people at ease (e.g., when interviewing DCI Hudson), and the cakes sometimes contain vodka, subtly influencing outcomes.

18. Both John and Bogdan kill to protect someone they love. John kills Ventham to shield Penny from legal consequences; Bogdan kills Curran to avenge his friend Kazimir.
Both acts are driven by loyalty rather than personal gain.

19. The novel shows elderly characters as clever, resourceful, and active—the four protagonists outsmart younger police officers, use their life skills to solve crimes, and defy expectations of frailty.
Donna is repeatedly surprised by their intelligence, and the club’s methods are often more effective than official police work.

20. Photographs serve multiple roles: clues (the Black Bridge picture), threats (the photo sent to Jason), and evidence of hidden pasts (the convent Christmas photo that helps identify the killer).
They are central to the investigation and reveal long-buried connections.