2020
WISE Score
Amazon
Four retirees in a posh village solve murders between tea and jigsaw puzzles—think 'The Golden Girls' but with more cold cases and less cheesecake.
4.3
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Richard Osman has created a rare beast: a murder mystery that feels like a warm hug. It’s the opposite of brain rot.
While the 2025 Netflix movie got mixed reviews for being a bit 'slight,' the original 2020 book is a masterclass in character writing. It’s funny, smart, and doesn't treat the reader like an idiot. If your kid is moving past YA fiction and wants something 'grown-up' that isn't full of gratuitous edge, this is the one.
Technically adult fiction, but it's a perfect 'crossover' book for precocious 12-year-olds and up. There's nothing here that would scandalize a teenager, though the themes of mortality might be heavy for younger kids.
It centers on deep, supportive friendships in old age. While it deals with murder, the core is about looking out for one another and finding purpose in the 'waiting room' of life.
Subverts the 'helpless senior' trope by giving the protagonists complex, hidden histories as spies and nurses. It’s a clever, fresh take on the classic whodunit.
As a 'cozy mystery,' it avoids graphic gore, explicit sex, and extreme profanity. It deals with death and grief, but in a way that is thoughtful rather than shocking.
Offers rare, high-quality perspective on aging, dementia, and mortality. It builds empathy for the elderly and features sharp, sophisticated British wit.
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