Richard Osman: Sussex Inspires Bestselling Crime Thriller

Richard Osman, the acclaimed author, found inspiration for his international bestseller, The Thursday Murder Club, in the community of his mother's retirement village located in Burgess Hill. This connection to Sussex is deep-seated, as Osman was raised in Haywards Heath. He noted a personal link between himself, the county, and the genre of crime.

Further enriching his affinity for the region, Osman learned on the BBC program 'Who Do You Think You Are?' in 2022 that a four-times great-grandfather was an amateur detective. This ancestor played a significant role as a key witness in a notable murder trial dating back to the 19th century in Brighton.

The Thursday Murder Club, released in 2020, rapidly achieved remarkable success, selling over one million copies in the UK within its initial year. Osman has since continued his prolific writing career, releasing several subsequent novels in the series, as well as his latest standalone mystery, 'We Chase Shadows'.