How we chose this order
A good ranking should help you choose rather than pretend everyone reads for the same reward. Our criteria are the appeal of the central puzzle, the way the quartet works together, the use of humour and the space given to friendship. Emotional weight counts positively here, but it can also be a reason to choose another book on a particular evening. We have ranked the novels within their own series; the separate We Solve Murders stories are not competing for these five places. Publication order still matters more than this list for a first-time reader. Start at the beginning, then use the ranking to choose a reread or a book-club discussion.
1. The Last Devil to Die (2023)
Our number one for emotional depth
The Last Devil to Die takes first place because, in our view, the friendship is the strongest reason to keep returning to this series, and this is the book that gives that friendship the greatest weight. Penguin’s spoiler-light synopsis starts with the death of an antiques dealer and a missing package; it also flags heartache close to home. That combination makes a useful promise to the reader: the mystery is present, but it is not the only thing that matters. We prefer the way the book invites attention to care and companionship over a ranking based only on how difficult its puzzle is to solve.
Strengths
Its strongest appeal is the feeling that familiar people are worth staying with when life becomes difficult. The comic voice still belongs in that world, yet our preference is for the moments when warmth carries more than a joke. This makes the fourth novel our pick for a thoughtful reread and for discussions about what readers want from crime fiction beyond the investigation.
Who it suits
Best for readers who welcome emotional depth and already know the quartet. Choose another instalment if you currently want the lightest possible evening’s reading. First-time readers should earn the relationships through books one to three before arriving here; being ranked first does not make it the first book to read.
Read our The Last Devil to Die book guide →
Premise and publication records: Penguin: The Last Devil to Die. Rank and recommendations: The Clue & Teacup’s editorial opinion.
2. The Man Who Died Twice (2021)
Our pick for the strongest thriller pull
The Man Who Died Twice takes second place for the attraction of a familiar group confronting danger with a sharper edge. Penguin’s premise brings an old colleague from Elizabeth’s past, stolen diamonds and a threat to his life into the quartet’s orbit. Those are the opening ingredients rather than revelations about how the case ends. We like this as a way of showing what a sequel can offer: it keeps the established company while changing the pressure around them. For our tastes, that balance of recognition and fresh jeopardy is an especially persuasive reason to move straight on after the debut.
Strengths
Our main reasons to recommend it are the espionage flavour, the opportunity to see Elizabeth’s experience matter and the contrast between dangerous circumstances and ordinary friendship. Readers who prioritise forward momentum may reasonably put this above our number one. Its second-place position reflects our preference for emotional weight, rather than a complaint that the thriller approach is somehow less worthwhile.
Who it suits
Best for someone who enjoyed meeting the group but now wants the danger turned up. It is a natural choice for readers drawn to stolen valuables, old loyalties and an experienced character facing a difficult problem. Read the debut first so the returning friendships feel like returning friendships.
Read our The Man Who Died Twice book guide →
Premise and publication records: Penguin: The Man Who Died Twice. Rank and recommendations: The Clue & Teacup’s editorial opinion.
3. The Bullet That Missed (2022)
The most tempting pick for a cold-case reader
The Bullet That Missed sits third, with a premise we find especially inviting for readers who like to revisit an apparently stalled investigation. Penguin describes a decade-old case involving local television, a missing body and unanswered questions, alongside a threat directed at Elizabeth. The appeal is in that mixture of an old uncertainty and a new pressure. Our ranking gives it credit for offering a different kind of mystery to the diamonds-and-danger setup of book two. If your favourite part of crime fiction is wondering how a past event has been misunderstood, this may be the most immediately appealing description on the shelf.
Strengths
We value the television-world setting and the chance to follow the group asking fresh questions about something old. The setup also creates an interesting contrast between a public story and what an investigation can establish. That is our spoiler-free reading lens, not a hint about the solution. It earns third place because the cold-case hook is a strong fit for a puzzle-led reading mood.
Who it suits
Best for readers who enjoy cold cases, media settings and watching a familiar team combine different kinds of experience. Those priorities could easily make it your personal number one. It is also a useful book-club choice when the discussion wants to focus on how a mystery introduces uncertainty without rushing to explain it.
Read our The Bullet That Missed book guide →
Premise and publication records: Penguin: The Bullet That Missed. Rank and recommendations: The Clue & Teacup’s editorial opinion.
4. The Thursday Murder Club (2020)
The best starting point, whatever its ranking
The Thursday Murder Club takes fourth place in this preference list, but first place in the reading order. That distinction is essential. Penguin’s premise introduces four retirement-village friends who investigate old cases before a killing nearby turns their interest into a live investigation. For a newcomer, meeting that group is the point, and no sequel can supply the same first introduction. We place later instalments above it because we prefer the possibilities that come with already knowing the people. Someone who most enjoys discovering a new voice and community may reverse that judgement completely. Fourth here means a different reward, not a reason to skip it.
Strengths
Its distinctive appeal is the invitation to spend time with a group whose experience matters. Our recommendation rests on that welcoming combination of conversation, curiosity and a village setting. It establishes the reading relationship that makes the later entries attractive, which is why a ranking based on accessibility would put it at the top.
Who it suits
Best for first-time Osman readers, people returning after the film and anyone choosing a gift for someone who has never met the quartet. It is also our simplest recommendation for a reader who wants the village atmosphere without needing a refresher on earlier books. Begin here before consulting the rest of this list as a reading route.
Read our The Thursday Murder Club book guide →
Premise and publication records: Penguin: The Thursday Murder Club. Rank and recommendations: The Clue & Teacup’s editorial opinion.
5. The Impossible Fortune (2025)
A good fit for code-and-conspiracy appetites
The Impossible Fortune comes fifth in our editorial order, though it remains an appealing choice for a reader already invested in all four friends. Penguin’s opening description brings a wedding, a guest fearing for their life and an uncrackable code into the story. Those ingredients suit a reading mood that wants celebration and danger close together. Our preference list puts the earlier cold-case and espionage hooks above this particular setup. That is a taste judgement about the invitation each book makes, rather than an assertion that the fifth novel lacks a mystery or that every established reader will feel the same way.
Strengths
Its strengths for this guide are the prospect of another case with the full group and the puzzle appeal of a secret code. Readers who particularly enjoy a high-stakes premise may prefer it to the quieter reasons behind our top choice. A fair fifth-place entry should explain that possible fit rather than turn the bottom slot into a dismissal.
Who it suits
Best for readers who have finished the first four books and want to continue the friendships while trying a fresh puzzle. It is the latest published club novel, so it belongs at the end of a first read, not at the beginning of a ranking-led experiment. If codes are your favourite mystery ingredient, move it higher on your own list.
Read our The Impossible Fortune book guide →
Premise and publication records: Penguin: The Impossible Fortune. Rank and recommendations: The Clue & Teacup’s editorial opinion.
Make it your ranking
Your own order should reflect the things that stay with you after closing a book. Perhaps the first village visit matters more than an elaborate puzzle; perhaps you want the danger of book two or the cold case of book three above everything else. You do not need to agree with our priorities to use this guide. Try the existing personal ranking tool to put the novels in your preferred order. For a first read, return to the publication list: an editorial favourite and the right starting point answer different questions. The sources linked beside each entry establish its premise and series position; the placement and suitability judgments belong to this site.
Your ranking: open the personal ranking tool →
The five-book inventory and publication-order recommendation are checked against Penguin’s Thursday Murder Club series guide. We do not represent this list as a consensus ranking or claim that it predicts which book every reader will enjoy most.