Wow I can totally see this as a very popular tv series. What a great book with heroine Judith Potts front and centre throughout. When’ll also eccentric Judith is certain she hears one of her neighbours being murdered she is determined to find him and find out what happened to him. Along the way she meets vicar’s wife Becks and dog Walker Suzie and between them after getting into a few scrapes along the way they solve the murder.

This is the first time I have read Robert Thorogood and definitely won’t be the last I don’t know why as I’m a massive Death in Paradise fan. Had me gripped from the first pages what a fantastic book I really hope there will be more

I don't often read Murder Mystery books, but I have visited Marlow often, and I like to read books set which are set in familiar locations to.me.
This is lighthearted and entertaining, with a dash of humour. There were enough twists to keep me guessing the identity of the Murderer and I was surprised by the outcome.
The unlikely trio of amateur sleuths made a good team. Judith in particular was very eccentric, but was a quirky and interesting character. I will definitely read the next installments.
The idea of a serial killer in a Quintessentially Home County Town like Marlow is unrealistic to some people, but it is a popular theme in this genre. In my opinion this is what makes the book more entertaining. It's a short and easy read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

I loved this book, great characters, although Judith could be a little annoying but part of her charm?

Judith Potts lives in an Arts and Crafts Mansion overlooking the Thames, she even skinny dips! She in the water one night when she hears shouts from her neighbours house and then a gunshot, by the time she gets herself over there by punting!) there is no sign of her neighbour, the police are not intersted without a body.

Really enjoyed the story, was twisty but not difficult to follow, real fun read.

Not only was it a great mystery but loved how the female characters became friends, and bounced off each other.

Highly recommended and look forward to the next one.

I’ve enjoyed several amateur sleuthing novels recently. There is something particularly endearing and often comical about ordinary folk taking the law into their hands, having deeper suspicions than the local police force and digging up clues faster than a terrier. I was therefore really excited to read the Marlow Murder Club which promised a new and all female sleuthing gang! Set against the beautiful backdrop of Marlow with its beautiful river, art gallery and boating clubs, Judith Potts lives beside the river in a large house, designing crosswords. A rather eccentric lady in her 70s she enjoys skinny dipping and wearing a cloak. One night she hears a gun shot and fears her neighbour has been shot. No body is found and the police force are rather disparaging, but Judith is sure she is right and sets out in pursuit of the truth. Along the way she will gather some other local citizens to assist her. This is a really wonderful read right from the first page. There’s a perfect mix of crime and comedy which has you screaming with laughter at points. I particularly liked the sensitive depiction of the female characters. These are women who are struggling to find their place, to shake off societal typecasting which places them into particular roles of wife and mother, working or not working. All of them feel a deep desire for usefulness in a world that doesn’t always recognise it. I also really enjoyed the unravelling of the crime – where I find the set ups over complicated and too hard to understand I have a habit of switching off! This was achieved expertly through Judith providing a running commentary for her companions in order to make sure they were following events as they happened! A hugely enjoyable read and I really look forward to meeting Judith again. With thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for a digital copy of this joyous read.

A quick, light and easy read about three women living in Marlow who unexpectantly ‘club’ together to solve a mysterious murder.

Seventy seven year old Judith, crossword maker for a large newspaper lives in a large house on the river. One hot summer evening, as she takes her routine swim, she hears a shout followed by what sounds like a gun shot as she passes the nearby house on the other side of the river. She swims back home and calls the police. After some wait, the police call her back saying that after a routine sweep of the garden and property they can not find anything of interest. Adamant that something bad has happen she decides to investigate herself.

Grouping together with two other women she meets along the way, this somewhat unlikely trio set about investigating and as another body turns up their escapades turn a little dangerous but there is always an element of humour to their antics. We also learn a little of each of the characters back stories, and there is clearly something in Judith’s past that she wishes to keep hidden. With their friendship and confidence growing and along with the sometime reluctant help they give and receive from DS Tanika Malik, who has now taken on the case the book concludes in a somewhat dramatic finish.

A nice mix of characters and a complicated enough plot kept this story moving along. More Agatha Raisin than Agatha Christie but the humour and personalities within the story kept me reading and the growing friendship of the three women was described in a warm and amusing way. I liked how the inexperience and age of the women were remarked upon but that they were also intelligent and savvy. Marlow worked well as it’s setting and altogether I found this a nice enough quick escapist read.

I hadn’t read any of Robert Thorogood’s books, but I thought I’d enjoy The Marlow Murder Club based on the blurb. It begins well. Seventy-seven year old Judith Potts is happy with her life, living in an Arts and Crafts mansion on the River Thames, although there are hints that there is something in her past she wants to forget. It’s the height of summer, in the grip of a heatwave, and Judith decides to take all her clothes off and go for swim in the Thames. She was enjoying herself when she hears a shout from her neighbour’s house on the opposite riverbank, followed by a gunshot. Later, when she goes to investigate, she finds him, dead in the river, with a bullet hole in the centre of his forehead.

It’s set in Marlow, which is what attracted me to the book as it’s a place I know quite well. The main characters are Judith, Suzie and Becks, who together discover who killed Stefan. They’re all quirky personalities with secrets they’re keeping hidden. Detective Sergeant Tanika Malika leads the police team and eventually when more bodies turn up she agrees that the three woman can help with the official investigation.

The Marlow Club Murder is a ‘cosy’ murder mystery, easy to read and fast paced. Judith is a crossword compiler, who writes cryptic clues so I really enjoyed that aspect of the book, and the relationship between her, Suzie and Becks is well-drawn. But there is quite a lot of repetition as Judith and her friends go over the evidence that they’ve gathered several times and the solution to the murder mystery is easy to predict. The ending is very rushed and let down by convenient coincidences. Overall, I think it’s light, easy reading that is quite entertaining, and the relationship between the three women is what kept me reading to the end of the book.

Probably 3 ½ stars really. This is infinitely better than the current run of 'Death in Paradise'. Don't know if Robert Thorogood is still involved in the tv series. I did enjoy this caper very much, especially the growing friendship between the main characters, although the plot sort of dissolved into a 'women good, men bad' type of thing. It is a bit unfortunate maybe, that this book has followed so closely behind 'The Thursday Murder Club'. Also the recent 'The Postscript Murders'. All three have some rather similar elements. Will be keeping a watch for more Marlow adventures. Thanks to Netgalley.

I’m a big fan of Death In Paradise so when I learnt its creator had written a murder mystery I was determined to read it. Suffice it to say I was not disappointed!
Judith Potts is a septuagenarian loner who lives in the genteel riverside town of Marlow. She writes crosswords for a national newspaper and goes nude swimming in the Thames in the evenings. On one of these jaunts she hears the sound of a shot and subsequently discovers her neighbour has been murdered.
After reporting this to the police who seem a bit tardy in trying to discover the killer, she decides to go it alone and with the help of Becks, the vicar’s wife and Suzie, a local dog walker , both of whom she encounters in the course of her investigation, Judith starts to make some progress.
These female characters are excellent, very well drawn. I loved Judith who is fiercely independent but who starts to become friends with the other two women during the course of the investigations. Their escapades, although dangerous at times are mostly humorous and highlight the importance of female friendships. Judith also has a mysterious past which gradually comes to light as the novel progresses.
Like Death In Paradise, all is revealed in the last section when Judith solves the mystery and there is a very exciting climax too.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I’ve just discovered there’s a book two on the way so I’m happy that I haven’t seen the last of Judith, Becks and Suzie.
This is a five star read which I highly recommend. If you like murder mysteries, you will definitely like The Marlow Murder Club. By the way I also loved the delightful Marlow setting and would love to visit the scene one day as it sounds a delightful place to explore.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Seventy-seven-year-old Judith Potts isn’t one for staying out of other people’s business and when she hears shouting and a gunshot coming from her neighbour’s garden whilst she is out swimming she is certain that there has been a murder but the police don’t seem to think so. That is until Judith does a bit more digging and finds her neighbour’s body.

Thorogood seems to have the knack for creating really endearing and interesting characters. Here we have a septuagenarian full of spunk, who loves swimming in the Thames nude (!), and who creates crosswords for a living. Just that was enough to get hooked but the author adds a reluctant vicar’s wife and a no-nonsense dog-walker, all set in a quaint English town. Yep - I couldn’t stop reading.

A good mystery book with plenty of murder and twists along the way to keep me guessing until the very end. I found this book was quite similar to The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, what with the older lady and her friends trying to solve the murder and getting under the feet of the detective and with just the right amount of humour to make it worth reading. The main characters were likable, especially Judith and I was really intrigued with how the story would unfold.
Overall a worthy read that might keep you up so you can get the answers!

#TheMarlowMurderClub #NetGalley
Not a good read.
Mrs Judith Potts, a 77 years old woman who works for Observer of making crossword puzzles heard a gunshot in the house next to hers while she was swimming in a river. The police didn't believe her so she took it on herself to find what had happened there.
Actually the book was so long that in midway I lost the interest who the killer is.
Although the characters were ok, plot is ok but I didn't feel connect with the Judith character. Who's she? A superman? She's interested more than the police in the investigation.
Sorry it didn't work for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me an advanced copy of this psychological thriller.

A great enjoyable read ! Highly recommended!

The main protagonist Judith is a lively pensioner who sets crossword puzzles for newspapers. She lives in a large impressive house by the river in Marlow. She likes to swim in the river , and one evening whilst taking a swim she hears raised voices and a gun shot from her neighbours house.
Judith then embarks on her own investigation to find the murderer gaining two intrepid helpers on the way , Suzi the dog Walker and Becks the vicars wife..
This is a great cozy mystery read, the description of Judith and her manner had me imagining her to be similar to Miss Marple played by the actress Margaret Rutherford years ago.
The characters gel well together and the writing is easy to read and left me reading chapter after chapter to find out who the murderer was. I found the conclusion a clever concept and look forward to reading the next in the series and following more of the trios escapades.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for this arc copy.

I really enjoyed this book. Judith is an excellent main amateur investigator, with her sidekicks Becks and Suzie. The plot does get quite convoluted towards the end, but obviously all is explained. Set in Marlow, the river descriptions are delightful. I’m eagerly anticipating the next volume in this series.

The Marlow Murder Club by Robort Thorogood was an absolute joy and a delight to spend time with! Yes, it is about murder but it’s the cosy crime sort of murder that you find in a Poirot, Miss Marple, or on Midsomer Murders.

I adored Judith Potts, our sprightly and young at heart septuagenarian lead character, who lives in a lovely mansion beside the river in Marlow and sets crosswords for national newspapers. Judith was like Miss Marple for me.

One evening, Judith goes for an outdoor swim in the river. As she is swimming past the bottom of her opposite neighbour’s garden, she hears him shout and the sound of a gunshot. Judith calls the police and DS Tanika Malik comes to investigate. Not satisfied with the conclusion of suicide, Judith starts her own investigations using her crossword strategies and age to her advantage. She soon picks up a couple of sidekicks along the way: Suzie, a local dog walker, and Becks, the vicar’s wife.

This story was brilliant. It’s cleverly plotted and has real depth to it, with several red herrings thrown in along the way to keep us readers and Judith, Suzie, and Becks on their toes. I did not guess the intricacies of the murders and it was exciting when the big reveal happened. Robot Thorogood's easy-to-read writing style made me feel relaxed and comfortable and let me escape reality for a while.

Robert Thorogood is the creator of BBC One’s Death in Paradise, one of my favourite detective shows. I haven’t read any of his Death in Paradise novels but I certainly will now, if The Marlow Murder Club is anything to go by.

I highly recommend this book and I can’t wait for more. This is the first in a series and I am already anticipating the next story!

One evening, while swimming in the Thames near her mansion, which was inherited from her great aunt, 77-year-old Judith Potts is horrified to hear the noise of a gunshot coming from the garden opposite, where her neighbour, Stefan Dunwoody, lives. She’s not sure what’s going on so swims home quickly and phones the police.

When a police officer arrives half an hour later, takes a cursory glance around and drives off, Judith is annoyed and, after speaking to Detective Sergeant Tanika Malik, who rather dismisses her fears that art gallery owner Stefan has come to harm, Judith stews on things and decides to punt across the river and investigate for herself.

Even after Judith makes the shocking discovery of Stefan’s body in the river, the police still don’t take her seriously and claim it could be a terrible accident or suicide. She’s determined and has a clever mind – she compiles cryptic crosswords for national newspapers – and she begins to carry out her own investigations about the circumstances surrounding Mr Dunwoody’s death, carefully piecing together clues and snippets of information that she discovers.

Judith meets the vicar’s wife, Rebecca (Becks) Starling, in slightly strange circumstances at the church, and then, after a second person is murdered, she tracks down a woman who was filmed leaving the house of the victim. This woman is Suzie Harris, a local dog walker, and after some persuasion from Judith, the trio eventually join forces to try and solve the murders, which are causing a big stir in Marlow.

Judith is feisty, unflappable, nosy and not afraid to get involved in police matters. She cleverly gathers information from DS Malik every time she asks her how the case is going! In her dark grey, woollen cape, Judith is rather eccentric and a big hoarder but she’s also intelligent, methodical and likable, with a wry sense of humour.

The other characters are well rounded and also have hidden depths, which we discovered as they got to know each other better. I liked the vicar’s wife, Becks, who isn’t as meek as she seems and Suzie is an unusual character who’s difficult to get the measure of. There are some very funny moments as the women try to gather evidence to solve the crimes. Acting senior investigating officer, DS Malik, seems well and truly out of her depth but ends up making some bold decisions too!

Overall, I really enjoyed The Marlow Murder Club and I raced through it in a few hours, desperate to find out whodunnit! It’s an entertaining and engaging murder mystery story, well written and cleverly plotted. I didn’t have a clue who the murderer was and there were some clever twists and turns, which had me totally flummoxed!

Judith, especially, is intriguing with a curious past and back story. She reminds me of Jessica Fletcher from the TV series, Murder She Wrote, or Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple! I’m looking forward to finding out more about her in the next book in this cosy crime series. I’ll have to check out books from the author’s Death in Paradise series too.

I seem to be on a kick of reading about senior characters who end up solving or being embroiled in a crime and I am SO obsessed with the premise and here for it to continue!

The first book in this series, this book is a wonderful story with complex characters who are very like people you have probably met. A good read for someone who enjoys nestling down with a coffee and an Agatha Christie... so if you’re looking for a modern day kick of that, look no further!! A very enjoyable read told in a light hearted manner, really is the perfect little escapism in this lockdown!

Thank you to Netgalley HQStories for the ARC!!

What do you get if you cross a septuagenarian, a dog walker and a vicars wife?
The best mystery solving trio in the whole of Marlow!!

When the town is rocked by a murder, 77 year old Judith Potts decides to devote her time to solving it. We follow her on her investigation through the town meeting the residents and suspects and picking up a couple of new friends to help her on the way...

I won't say any more than that as I don't want to spoil the twists and turns in this brilliant book, but I highly recommend it. Its so easy to read with a gripping storyline and such realistic characters that I genuinely felt like I was there alongside Judith and the rest of the Marlow Murder Club. The genuine humour and warmth of the story coupled with the drama and clever plot made the book an absolute joy to read. Here's to the next one!!
Thanks to HQ, Netgalley and Robert Thorogood for the arc.

Seventy-seven-year-old Judith Potts isn’t one for staying out of other people’s business and when she hears shouting and a gunshot coming from her neighbour’s garden whilst she is out swimming she is certain that there has been a murder but the police don’t seem to think so. That is until Judith does a bit more digging and finds her neighbour’s body.

Given that Marlow is a sleepy village the police think that it is more likely her neighbour killed himself rather than was murdered but Judith is having none of it. As more bodies start stacking up Judith decides to get hands-on with the help of dog walker Suzie and a reluctant helper Vicar’s wife Becks.

As the list of suspects increases, Judith soon realises that her life may be in danger, but she isn’t a woman to be reckoned with.

The Marlow Murder Club is probably my favourite book of the year so far (I know we are only 20 days in). It is so refreshing to have a cast of older protagonists and a sleepy village having its name ruined by a string of murders and a local copper out of her depth.

The characters are charming, humorous, and clever as well as deceiving and happy to put their lives literally on the line to find a killer and to help the police officer, DS Tanika Malik, who has been put in charge of finding the killer or a team will be sent to the village to do her job.

The writing is superb. There are enough hints, twists, and turns to keep the pages turning and the setting is so perfectly written that you can visualise the whole book. I’d love to see this on the screen as it is definitely TV material, even if I do know the ending.

I would also love to see the women again, amateur sleuthing and helping out the police as they have a real knack for it. This is a book I didn’t want to put down and I finished it in the early hours of the morning as I just couldn’t stop reading and wanted to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.

This is not my kind of book at all but I appreciate it was very well written. Great characters and writing