The Thursday Murder Club author, whose first novel is becoming a Spielberg film, says he never knows whodunnit

Richard Osman has admitted he is “terrible at playing detective” and can almost never guess the killer when he watches crime dramas.

The best-selling author of the Thursday Murder Club detective novels, 53, said that while he thinks he is going to be “brilliant” at spotting the culprit, he is almost always wrong.

In an interview with the BBC, the TV presenter and writer said: “My grandfather solved crimes for a living and my mum would watch any Sunday night crime drama, and within five minutes know ‘whodunnit’.

“I think I’m brilliant but I’m always wrong. My wife and I think we know who did it and then at the end we both don’t get it right.”

Star-studded cast

The first of Osman’s Thursday Murder Club mysteries is being made into a feature film for Netflix by Steven Spielberg, the Academy Award-winning director, with a star-studded cast including Dame Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan.

Meanwhile, Osman is working on a Penguin crime series titled We Solve Murders, featuring an ex-policeman pulled out of retirement in the New Forest to sleuth with his adrenaline-junkie daughter-in-law.

“Steve’s an ex-cop who just wants a quiet life, but he’s reluctantly dragged into this adventure by Amy, who’s got this energy and drive that pulls him along,” the author explained.

Discussing the unconventional idea of a strong bond between in-laws, Osman said: “I wanted to bring together two people who wouldn’t naturally cross paths, like Steve and Amy. “They’re an unlikely pair, but their relationship is filled with love and respect.”

Cutting-edge touc hes

The novelist has used modern elements in his new series, including characters who rely on AI and murder victims who are social media influencers.

Osman explained that he had “finally found a good use for ChatGPT” – his latest murderer conceals his identity by asking the chatbot to write his emails in the style of a friendly English gentleman.

In reality, however, Osman does not worry about virtual assistants taking over his day job.

“It can certainly help you write a letter to your electricity company, but I’m sure it definitely can’t write a book – it’s so flat,” he said. “AI is not going to write Succession anytime soon, or a Kate Atkinson novel.

“There’s always going to be room for great culture that comes from the human heart rather than a machine’s head.”

Influencers

Osman said he was inspired to include influencers in his new series after reading that they were acting as mules for smugglers in places like Dubai and the Cayman Islands.

“They spend their lives travelling around the world but actually if you look behind the curtain, they don’t have any money. So they are the perfect people to abuse if you’re a criminal gang,” he said.

Osman is also writing the fifth book in the Thursday Murder Club series, which has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.

Speaking about his plans, the House of Games star said: “Every bit of success is gravy but I just always think: ‘I need to go and write the next thing now.’”