Fans of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club have finally been able to get their hands on the Pointless creator turned author’s latest book this week – the first in a new series about a father-in-law, daughter-in-law detective duo.
“The Thursday Murder Club gang can’t really jump out of planes, or run cars off the road,” Osman says, “so I wanted to do something faster paced with more action and international locations. Thinking about the classic airport blockbusters of the 1960s, 70s and 80s was a big inspiration,” he says. “Subconsciously I suppose I am always trying to find a mix between the classic crime and thriller books I love, and the deceptively gentle social comedy of a Barbara Pym or Michael Frayn. I find so much fun in the juxtaposition of those influences.”
But while the excitement is just beginning for readers, for Osman publication week simply means it’s time to get back to work. “I celebrate publication week in exactly the same way as all other authors: manically working on the next one,” he tells me. “I love it so much when readers finally get hold of the book, but the job is always the same: head upstairs, shut the door and start all over again!”
Osman is disciplined: “Habits are a useful thing. I make myself sit down in the morning and just write. I aim to do 1,000 words a day minimum, which is about the length of one chapter. I could procrastinate all day if I let myself so I don’t have any distractions in my writing room. No TV or I’d get diverted by Bargain Hunt. I do have company though: my cat Liesl and new kitten Lottie who like lying on the keyboards, which is helpful.”
Like many aspiring crime fiction writers, Osman was a huge fan of Lee Child well before he decided to turn his hand to novels himself. Before they came together for their joint interview in yesterday’s Saturday magazine, the two authors had met just once before, at the Theakston Old Peculier crime writing festival in Harrogate. There, the pair bonded over their similar height. “He’s further proof of an over representation of tall people in the author community,” Osman says. “He’s 6ft 4in, Stephen King is 6ft 3in, Harlan Coben the same, Michael Crichton was 6ft 9in I believe. I wonder if there are so many tall writers because tall people often feel most comfortable when they’re sitting down?”
Osman told Child his character Bogdan in his Thursday Murder Club series is a kind of “tribute act” to Child’s Jack Reacher, although, on reflection, he says maybe it’s more accurate to say Bogdan “wishes he was Jack Reacher … though I suspect he would be better at grouting a bathroom”.
“They’d definitely get on though,” Osman says. “Interesting to note they are both tall too. There’s a theme developing here”
Lee Child and Richard Osman. Composite: Axel Dupeux and Jay Brooks
