Book

Darkly funny, sharply observed, and surprisingly moving, this book really caught me off guard. What starts as a quirky setup about a tontine between old friends turns into a layered story about aging, loyalty, and how people cope when life throws everything at them. Bailey balances humor and heartbreak so well, and the mix of golf club banter with real emotional depth makes it a unique read.
It’s blunt, witty, and very human! Definitely one that sticks with you after the last page.

5 stars
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I didn’t expect to get so drawn into a story about a bunch of amateur golfers, but this book won me over. It has vibes of The Full Monty, Last of the Summer Wine, Still Game, and even some moments that reminded me of The Gentlemen: chaotic older men, questionable decisions, heartfelt moments, and lots of British humour.

And even though I’m definitely not the target age group, I found myself rooting for the main characters

I’m passing this on to my dad next because it is 100% his kind of book, but I’m really glad I read it too.

A smart, sharply drawn novel about male friendship, ageing and the shifting dynamics of long-term relationships. Bailey shows how men communicate (and avoid communicating), how they cope with life changes, and how they cling to camaraderie as life becomes more complex.

Will be a compelling, relatable read for you and the men in your life.

” […] The only man a woman can change is a baby… […]”

David G. Bailey created a unique and strange story with dark humour and, of course, golf in the background. At first, I couldn’t get into the story, but as the pages turned, it got much better. The group of older male friends began to open up, and I was able to learn about their stories. I liked the moral themes. They were very well-developed. I’m glad the author included them.

Do you know what the titular Tontine means? As one player explains, “A Tontine is a shared financial arrangement whereby participants usually contribute equally to a prize awarded in full to the participant who outlives all the others. Who will make it to the finish line? Is it worth waiting for your friends to die to gain money?”

The characters use sharp language, literally taken from real life. It bothered me from time to time, but I realized that sometimes older men are just like that. Especially when they reflect on their lives, doing what’s called an examination of conscience. I forgive the author for that. His characters simply started living their own lives and took charge. Their confessions were, at times, shocking and very emotional. Thanks to them, the author addresses many important issues, including abortion, dementia, suicide, and even murder.

I was captivated by the cover of this book. It’s eye-catching and makes you want to look inside. The well-thought-out plot and good action did their job. I enjoyed the dark humour I found here. An additional strength are the characters you’ll meet here, including Harry, George, and Drew. Of course, there are plenty of women as well. But you’ll get to know them as you read.

I don’t regret discovering this story. I’ll happily read more books by David G. Bailey. It’s clear the author has great creative potential.
“The Tuesday-Thursday Tontine” is a good book, not only for golf fans. It’s worth reading.
My rating: 9/10

This was a story of friendships mainly and had a lot of characters to keep track of. Most of the characters weren’t particularly likeable, however the situations experienced were definitely relatable and real.. especially a fiction book covering the covid pandemic issues!

This last man standing story had a lot going on and a lot to keep track of. Plus.. there wasn’t too much actually about the golf which was definitely a plus!!! ⛳️

This novel surprised me with how touching and thoughtful it is beneath the humour. While it begins as a story about three men bonded by golf, drink and routine, it soon becomes a deeper exploration of friendship, mortality, loyalty and the unexpected moments that shape us.

A heartfelt, wise and very human story.

ADULT READ
The Tuesday-Thursday Tontine was not really my kinda thing, but I can recommend it those that like sports/golf and like to get involved with the life dramatics of it all. It is told in a very frank way and does have a good amount of drama to it. It covers an awful lot of life problems tough issues that they have to face. If you have also reached retirement, these are the kinds of characters that you would connect with. (Not sure if I was the target audience!). I think my dad would really enjoy this one – so I shall pass this onto him!

The Tuesday–Thursday Tontine by David G. Bailey is full of grit, humour and heart. On the surface it’s about three older men navigating golf, drinking, the pandemic, friendships and a tontine-style bet, but underneath it becomes a sharply observed story about ageing, masculinity, regret, loyalty, friendship, and the emotional terrain men often keep hidden.

Bailey writes these characters with compassion and unflinching realism. Their banter is realistic, their decisions sometimes disastrous, but their bond is undeniably touching. The Covid-era sections are particularly vivid, relatable, and painfully human.

This is a contemporary novel with men as the lead characters, but that doesn’t make it a book only for male readers. It feels both entertaining and fascinating: a portrait of male friendship rarely depicted with such reality. It reminded me of Sally Wainwright’s writing when it came to the friendships.

Am I the only one who had no idea what a tontine was? A quick Google search later and I’ve found out they’re actually an illegality in the UK.

It’s written with dark humour, is full of golfing repostes and has quite the cast of colourful characters. I found them to be very Marmite-like and couldn’t engage with them on any emotional level.

For me it was a fair to middling read.

🌟🌟🌟/5

I enjoyed this story, reminds me of an old film with a Tontine, and like this book there are adventures, and misadventures mixed in with some really emotional elements, a good read

This story has it all, dark humour, adventures, misadventures, and raw emotions. It starts with a tontine being set up amongst old friends and then turns into a multi layered story about aging, and how true friends stand side by side through adversities of life…and of course some golfing banter.

I liked that the characters felt real from the offset, and loved the banter between the friends, reminded me of the TV series, Still Game. An emotional read at times. A fun, unique and quirky read.

An excellent read (five-star Amazon review)

Golf is just a backdrop to the boozy and amorous adventures of 3 old boys – legends in their own lunchtime.

Their journey may be a a bit “red meat” for some but serious life experiences are covered along the way. Not always with happy endings for our roguish band of brothers.

Includes a meticulous account of the COVID period evoking vivid memories of those extraordinary times.