Name: The Impossible Fortune
Author: Richard Osman
ISBN: 9781405975735

The case file

A wedding guest, an uncrackable code and a disappearance interrupt a quiet year at Coopers Chase.

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Series position · Book 5

Can I start here?

No. This is the fifth stage of several long-running friendships and family stories.

Who will enjoy it

For readers already fond of the cast

The Impossible Fortune suits readers who enjoy warm ensemble mysteries, dry humour and character-led investigations.

Tone & themes

Warm, wry and quietly moving

Friendship, ageing and community sit alongside the puzzle. Expect emotional weight without losing the comic touch.

Listening note

Fiona Shaw

The English recording listed below is unabridged.

Our opinion · 30-second verdict

For readers ready to reunite with the quartet after the emotional fourth case.

A wedding guest fears for their life, and an uncrackable code turns a celebration into the club’s next investigation.

Spoiler-free companion

Inside this case

A celebratory return with puzzles, danger and personal change.

Key locations: Coopers Chase · A wedding · Kent
Characters in the story: The club · Wedding guests · Old friends
Themes: Codes · Family · Change · Friendship

Meet the characters →

Our opinion · reader profile

What kind of case is it?

Pace3 out of 53/5

Puzzle5 out of 55/5

Humour4 out of 54/5

Emotional weight4 out of 54/5

Content notes

Murder, disappearance and threat
Grief and family difficulties
Criminal coercion

Formats & languages

How else can I read or listen?

Penguin lists print, ebook and audio editions. For The Impossible Fortune, the details below cover 4 audio recordings, including Deutsch, Español (Castellano), Italiano. Exact formats, covers and availability vary by country.

While you read

Three things to notice

How celebration and grief occupy the same social space
The different meanings of fortune
Ways the group has changed since their first case

Reading-group file

Three spoiler-free questions

What does the wedding setting add to the puzzle?
Who adapts best to change?
Which clue would you most like to have spotted first?

Quick answers

Frequently asked

Does this book solve its central mystery?

Yes. The Impossible Fortune has its own central case, while the character stories continue across the series.

Should I read the series in order?

No. This is the fifth stage of several long-running friendships and family stories.

Are translated audiobooks available?

This guide includes Deutsch, Español (Castellano), Italiano recordings. Check the audiobook section below for marketplace details.

Edition details

Series: The Thursday Murder Club
Series position: 5
First published: 25 September 2025
UK edition: 448 pages · ISBN 9781405975735

UK edition history

Formats on the publisher record

Edition described above

Format: Paperback
Published: 7 May 2026
Imprint: Penguin
Dimensions: 198 × 29 × 128 mm
Weight: 304 g

2025
HardbackFirst UK publication
First publication
2025
Ebook
2025
Audio download and CD
2026
Paperback

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Reception

Awards, milestones and critical pattern

Celebrate the books’ awards and bestseller milestones, and discover what readers and critics enjoy about them.

Review consensus

Friendship and an uncrackable code

Penguin’s year-end selection framed the fifth outing as the club’s most explosive case yet, while keeping grief, family troubles and a wedding at its centre.