To a casual observer, the members of the Thursday Murder Club look harmless: senior citizens who pass the time at their retirement village researching police cold cases. However, after a local builder is murdered, the Club contrives to be part of the investigation, straining the patience of the lead detective. After all, what could an elderly psychiatrist, a retired nurse, an erstwhile labor organizer, and a woman who hints she is a former spy uncover that the police cannot? Plenty! An absorbing whodunit that is by turns wryly amusing and unexpectedly tender, this contemporary mystery kept me up late into the night. You'll want to continue the thrilling fun with the just-released sequel, The Man Who Died Twice! (KG)