The Thursday Murder Club (Netflix Tie-In)

by Richard Osman
The Thursday Murder Club (Netflix Tie-In) cover
Good Books rating 2.5
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  • ID: 1754
  • Added: 2025-10-09
  • Updated: 2025-10-19
  • Formats: 3
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
barnesandnoble.com · Unknown · 2025-10-18
intriguing 3.50

The book is a memoir by Damian McBride, detailing his time as Gordon Brown's chief press adviser. It reveals a culture of heavy drinking and unprofessional behavior in Westminster, with McBride's actions often bordering on the criminal. The book raises questions about why Brown tolerated such behavior, given its potential to damage his reputation.

The Thursday Murder Club (Netflix Tie-In) is a memoir by Damian McBride, offering a candid look into his time as Gordon Brown's chief press adviser. The book is filled with accounts of heavy drinking, erratic behavior, and personal vendettas, painting a picture of a man fueled by aggression and anxiety. McBride's lifestyle was not uncommon in Westminster, where many politicians, special advisers, and journalists shared similar habits. The book raises intriguing questions about why Gordon Brown, known for his political discipline, tolerated McBride's behavior. Despite his unprofessional actions, McBride claims he was good at his job, comparing himself to Andy Coulson. The memoir hints at dark secrets and a pact of Mutually Assured Destruction between Brown and Blair, adding layers of intrigue to the narrative.

Quick quotes

    McBride’s story is full of hair-raising escapades and exhausting binges.

    He seems fuelled by a mix of aggression and anxiety.

    The strong impression this book conveys is that Brown was forever running scared.

penguinrandomhouse.ca · Unknown · 2025-10-18
critical 1.00

The book is criticized for its self-serving and insincere tone, with the author attempting to justify his unethical actions in politics. The reviewer finds the author's confessions unconvincing and his attempts to shift blame to the political environment unpersuasive.

The book is a self-abasing account by Damian McBride, detailing his involvement in political spin and character assassinations. The reviewer finds the author's confessions insincere and his attempts to justify his actions unconvincing. McBride's book is seen as another example of his dirty spins, with the reviewer criticizing his attempt to shift blame to the political environment. The reviewer also notes that McBride's bragging about his past actions undermines his claimed regrets. Overall, the book is seen as shocking but not surprising, given McBride's well-established reputation.

Quick quotes

    Power trip says all that is warped about the author and his conception of politics.

    McBride isn't an idiot and, when sober, he has a sophisticated mind and can turn a phrase.

    It is just another of his dirty spins to try to tar everyone else in politics with his shitty brush.

penguinrandomhouse.com · Unknown · 2025-10-18
fascinating 3.00

The book is a candid and often shocking account of Damian McBride's time as Gordon Brown's spin doctor, revealing his ruthless tactics and the corrosive nature of political spin. While McBride attempts to seek redemption, the book often feels more like a calculated construction than a genuine unburdening.

Damian McBride's memoir, Power Trip, is a raw and unflinching look at his career as a political spin doctor. The book is filled with shocking anecdotes about his ruthless tactics, including bullying, lying, and manipulating the media to serve his boss, Gordon Brown. McBride's transformation from a somewhat innocent civil servant to a political monster is stark, and his attempts at redemption through his Catholic faith and charity work feel somewhat hollow. The book is as much about what it doesn't say as what it does, with McBride carefully omitting certain details and presenting a sanitized version of events. The portrayal of the political lobby as gullible and complicit in the spin culture is interesting, but McBride's own role in manipulating them is not fully acknowledged. Overall, the book is a fascinating but unsettling read, leaving the reader questioning the authenticity of McBride's repentance.

Quick quotes

    Damian McBride is a bastard. And, unusually for a memoirist, he’s very keen to let you know that from the start.

    So what exactly did McBride do that made him so bad? He was Gordon Brown’s spin doctor during Brown’s time at the Treasury and his first two years at No 10, in which capacity he schmoozed, bullied, berated, lied and not-quite-lied relentlessly in the service of his “brilliant” boss.

    The only trouble is that the book seems a careful construction rather than a warts-and-all unburdening.

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