Jason Ritchie

Ron’s son, with a public life of his own

Jason Ritchie is Ron’s son and a former boxer. He first appears in The Thursday Murder Club, where his family connection brings a recognisable public figure into the Coopers Chase community. Jason’s fame is quite different from Ron’s forceful personality, even though both can attract attention. For a new reader, the most useful introduction is straightforward: remember the father-and-son relationship, then watch how an ordinary visit becomes less ordinary when people recognise Jason.

Celebrity at the village table

The authorised opening sample includes a scene in which fans recognise Jason while he is talking with Ron and Joyce. He remains polite. The interruption is a good example of Osman introducing a character through social behaviour rather than a formal biography. Jason cannot entirely leave his public identity outside the room, even when he is spending time with family. Joyce’s interest and Ron’s position beside him make the encounter feel personal as well as comic. Notice how the scene changes when fame becomes part of a conversation that might otherwise have been completely private.

Family ties before plot revelations

Ron and Jason’s relationship gives the first novel a family connection outside the central quartet. A parent can be proud of a famous child and still have an ordinary conversation with them; a public figure can be familiar at home and a spectacle to somebody else. Jason’s scenes make that difference easy to see. He also has a connection with Tony Curran that matters to the investigation. The details belong in the protected plot section rather than in an introductory label. If you have not finished the novel, keep your attention on the relationships being established and let the case explain their significance in its own time.

Start with the first Thursday Murder Club novel

The Thursday Murder Club is Jason’s first appearance and the right place to meet him. Read it before turning to ending explanations, which can reveal how the investigation uses family and earlier connections. Our book page gives a spoiler-light premise, while Ron’s profile helps you follow the father-and-son link. For rereaders, Jason is worth watching in the opening social scenes as well as during the case: the interruptions and responses to recognition establish him before any solution is available. That makes a second visit enjoyable without needing to turn every sentence into a clue hunt.

Tom Ellis plays Jason on screen

Tom Ellis plays Jason in the 2025 Netflix adaptation. Netflix’s cast guide describes the film character as having retired after an injury and visiting Ron regularly; those are screen-character details and should not automatically be applied to every part of the novel’s background. The actor-to-character table links the film role back to this page. A useful spoiler-free comparison is how each version introduces Jason’s celebrity and relationship with Ron. Save comparisons about his involvement in the investigation for a discussion after reading and watching. That lets newcomers enjoy the character first and keeps the adaptation’s specific choices in their proper context.

On screen

Tom Ellis plays Jason Ritchie in the 2025 Netflix film. See the full actor-to-character cast guide and the film guide.

Read the books and extracts

Start with The Thursday Murder Club. Our reading order follows the novels’ publication sequence. The publisher’s extracts below let you meet the characters in Osman’s own prose; review and cast links offer further background.

• The Thursday Murder Club: opening chapter
• Penguin’s guide to the four club members
• Penguin: Jason’s first-book introduction
• Netflix: cast guide (screen character details)
• Mentor Public Library: first-book discussion guide (spoilers)