An enjoyable read despite a convoluted, locked room plot. I hadn't read the first book in the series which I don't think affected my enjoyment. A lot of the plot was obvious early on in the book so the story kept going round and round before it was fully explained. This would easily work very well as a TV series like Death in Paradise written by the same author as all would be explained within an hour.
Although it was not one of my favourite murder mysteries I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy the three amateur sleuths.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

Another great mystery from Robert Thorogood. Loved trying to notice all of the clues and put it all together. Classic locked room mystery.
4/5

I can never resist a book in this series, simply because I live near Marlow, my son goes to school there, so the whole area is very familiar to me. It is a fun, quick read, but I felt that the character traits of our main three ladies are being exaggerated this time round for comic effect. The murder mystery puzzle was ok, but the secondary characters were rather flat stereotypes.

The gang re back in this second instalment of the Marlow Murder Club. This time Sir Peter Bailey calls Judith to come to his pre wedding party the same day. Is this a coincidence? Seemingly not as Sir Peter ends up dead as his own party, killed by a falling cabinet. Was it an accident? Judith, Suzi and Becks think not and set out to prove it was murder.

This is an enjoyable enough story but a little fluffy for me. Thanks to the author, HQ and NetGalley for the arc copy for which I have provided my own honest review.

It’s the day before the Sir Peter and Jenny’s wedding when there’s a crash from inside the house and the groom-to-be is found crushed to death in his locked study. The police don’t consider his death to be suspicious. Judith however, disagrees so the Marlow Murder Club (Judith, Suzie and Becks) begin their own hunt for the killer before they kill again.

This was the first book I've read by Robert Thorogood, I love Death in Paradise so was thrilled to receive this witty arc!
I have to admit that I have not read the first book yet and although there are references to the first case throughout the book, I didn't feel I was at a disadvantage having not read them in order. I’ve already added The Marlow Murder Club to my tbr list and eagerly await the next instalment 📚

A really fun read for fans of the modern murder mystery genre, this was the first time I've read a book by Robert Thorogood, I found his writing and characters to be easy to get into, and I look forward to dipping into the first book in this series. I don't think anything was lost by not reading the first, but there are mentions across the book of the previous case, and obviously, you would get a slightly more developed understanding of the characters.

Overall I would highly recommend checking out Death Comes to Marlow!

Death Comes to Marlow is the second book in The Marlow Murder Club Mysteries. I reviewed the first book back in January 2021 and couldn’t wait to be back with the amateur sleuths Judith, Suzie, and Becks.

The book follows the case of Sir Peter Bailey who is killed when a heavy cabinet falls on him in a locked room the day before his wedding at his wedding party. Judith had received a phone call from Sir Peter asking her to attend the party and she seemed to think that he invited her knowing he was going to be killed.

However, given the cause of death seems to be blunt force trauma from the cabinet falling on him and that he was in a locked room only he had the key for the police are not convinced that his death is murder, whereas Judith certainly does.

Once again the three women are fast on the case to prove the police wrong and that Sir Peter was indeed killed and bring the killer to justice. The story moves along at a decent pace and just like in book one there are plenty of amusing moments, especially using the radio station Suzie works at to follow a potential subject – This I did laugh at.

However, whilst I enjoyed the book and will continue reading about the ladies and their detecting, this book felt more that Judith was in charge and the others just padded along behind her. I was also unsure what the returning officer brought to the table except to make it clear the police wouldn’t be looking into the case, I expect his return to have a greater impact later in the story.

The book is good fun and has an interesting plot you can perfectly visualise.. The characters and how they conducted their business kept me interested and entertained throughout. I now look forward to reading book three.

I enjoyed the first 'Marlow' book very much and was grateful to be given the chance to read the second.

Judith (after having been wild swimming and flashing a family!!) is surprised to be telephoned by Sir Peter Bailey and invited to celebrate his forthcoming nuptials at a drinks party. Judith questions him as to whether he thinks something murderous will happen, which he reacts to quite badly.

Judith arrives at the party with one of her partners in crime Suzie, Becks is already in attendance with her husband the vicar.

The usual family issues arise during the soiree, and tensions are high between Sir Peter's children and his fiancee who is their age and once was Sir Peter's nurse.

A loud crash is then heard and Sir Peter is found beneath a very large cabinet in a locked room, surely this was just a tragic accident........

A lovely cosy mystery to read, highly recommended

Ahhh it was so good being back with the gang for the second installation of the Marlow Murder Club series. There's a few of these types knocking about now but Judith & Co are the only ones I like. Book two didn't disappoint I'm happy to say! Full of Mystery, Humour and a right good twisty tale, what's not to love!?

I love Thorogood's writing style and how he doesn't over complicate matters. There's not a zillion characters added to confuse the reader and although a complex plot, he has a fab way of easing you in and explaining through Judith (mostly) so you don't lose your way.

A really great cosy thriller, perfect for snuggling up with under a blanket! This was my Christmas read this year (well, last year now!) and it was the best choice!

Another very good outing for the ladies of The Marlow Murder Club sees a case involving a murder that may have been anticipated by the victim who is found dead in a locked room with the only key in his pocket.

Well written, enjoyable characters and a good amount of puzzlement from not only the plot but also from the clues that Judith gives us to the crosswords that she so enjoys.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

An entertaining murder romp with a slight niggle. A repeated motive through the book was that the ex-wife would lose her title on ex-husband's remarriage. As far as I am aware, regardless of whether you are a duchess or plain 'Mrs', on divorce you can keep your married name if you so wish. The ex Mrs Smith remains Mrs Smith, even if Mr Smith remarries. Anyway, I will climb down from my mountain now and say I did enjoy the company of the three Marlow ladies again. Thanks to Netgalley.

My thanks to HQ for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Death Comes to Marlow’ by Robert Thorogood.

This is Book 2 in the Marlow Murder Club (MMC) series of semi-cosy murder mysteries. In the opening chapters Thorogood reintroduces his protagonists, which serves as background for new readers as well as a reminder for those like myself who are returning to Marlow.

These are the three members of the MMC: 77-year-old crossword enthusiast Judith Potts, local radio presenter/dog-sitter, Suzie Harris, and vicar’s wife, Becks Starling, as well as their police contact DS Tanika Malik.

During her usual morning ‘wild swim’ in the River Thames Judith encounters an upside-down dead duck (as depicted on the cover) and gets into a fight with a mother swan. Coming home earlier than usual she receives a phone call from Sir Peter Bailey inviting her to a drinks party that afternoon in advance of his wedding the next day to his nurse, Jenny Page.

While Judith isn’t particularly interested in attending the party, her curiosity is piqued by the invitation. She attends with Suzie as her plus-one. Suzie amuses by demonstrating her technique to secure sufficient numbers of canapés at the posh event. We have all been there. As Becks’ husband is officiating the wedding, she is also in attendance and meets up with her friends.

What happens during the party is a classic locked room mystery in that a loud crash is heard by the guests and Sir Peter is found in his locked study squished under a fallen cabinet. The only key to the room is found in his pocket. Was it an accident or something more sinister?

Robert Thorogood has reassembled his delightful group of eccentric amateur sleuths and, of course,
DS Malik. While after the events of ‘The Marlow Murder Club’ Malik is pro-MMC, her boss, DI Gareth Hoskins, who has just returned from sick leave is completely dismissive and fulfils the cosy mystery trope of the incompetent police officer refusing to give any time to our intrepid sleuths.

‘Death Comes to Marlow’ was a lot of fun. A quick, easy read. Thorogood clearly understands how to construct an engaging whodunnit laced with plenty of gentle humour. It is bound to be another best seller.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This is the second book in the series and features the same trio of friends as the first book. I enjoyed reading this book, I am familiar with Marlow and the surrounding areas and it was great to read about places that I know.
This is not the type of book that I often read, but I found it engaging and entertaining.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

‘Death comes to Marlow’ is the 2nd book in the ‘Marlow Murder Club’ series. The Marlow Murder Club comprises Judith Potts, a formidable septuagenarian crossword setter and wild swimmer, Becks Starling, the young but very proper vicars wife and Susie Harris, a chaotic dog walker and now radio presenter. They came together in the first book from which they have a bit of a local reputation.

In ‘Death comes to Marlow’ the three women attend the pre wedding party of Sir Peter Bailey and his former nurse Jenny Page. During the afternoon, Sir Peter is found dead in a locked room seemingly crushed by a falling cabinet. At first sight, it appears to have been a tragic accident and the family and police are happy to treat it that way.

However Judith isn’t sure. There were things that didn’t fit. But particularly she had been a late and unexpected invitation by Sir Peter whom she didn’t know, but who referred to her previous murder solving adventure. Did he suspect he was in danger? Was Judith invited because she was a woman with a reputation for not accepting the official line of ‘it isn’t murder’.

So the trio set out to ask questions and uncover a family at odds with each other and, everyone but Jenny, has a reason to want Sir Peter dead.

The story is great fun with some laugh out loud moments and lots of red herrings. The outcome is ingeniously plotted and kept this reader guessing to the very end.

‘Death comes to Marlow’ is an engaging whodunnit in the cosy village murder genre and with some nice emotional layers as the 3 main characters develop. Judith is involved in a lovely subplot involving crossword setting that reveals more about her background.

‘Death Comes to Marlow’ is a crackiing page turner and good read.

Thanks to HQ stories, Harpers Collins and NetGalley Uk for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

The crossword and the classic murder mystery, as two types of puzzles that exploded in popularity following World War One, share a reliance on clues that has inextricably bound them together over the years. While a cryptic crossword clue must comprise two elements—a definition of the answer and a piece of wordplay that suggests the same answer—for the prospective solver to puzzle out, the clues to solving a golden age murder mystery must comply with Ronald Knox’s Commandments—ten rules that set ‘proper’ crime fiction apart from so-called ‘shockers’.

Given this close association, it’s no surprise that, just as detectives and detective fiction have provided the answers to many crossword clues, crosswords have featured prominently in many notable murder mysteries. It’s arguable here that the most famous crossword in crime fiction appears in Agatha Christie’s Curtain, where Captain Hastings’ attempt to solve a cryptic clue inadvertently causes him to intervene in a murder attempt, although other examples are available.

With Judith Potts (or ‘Pepper’ as she’s known to crossword buffs), the principal sleuth among the Marlow Murder Club, Robert Thorogood, golden age mystery fan and creator of Death in Paradise, adds to the fine tradition of crosswords and crossword solvers lying at the heart of murder mysteries. It’s fitting, then, that Death Comes to Marlow begins with Judith puzzling over the purpose of a secret assignation that seems to have been arranged through the corner clues of the latest Marlow Free Press crossword.

As she tends to do when there’s a mystery nagging away at her to be solved, Judith decides to put it out of her mind by indulging in a spot of wild swimming in the Thames, which is conveniently accessible from her back garden. Now, wild swimming in the Thames in January sounds alarming enough, but Judith typically ups the ante by deciding against wearing a bathing suit for her swim. It’s all going, well, swimmingly until she has an unfortunate encounter with a swan and has to decide whether to tackle the beast or give up on her dip.

“But, like nearly everyone raised in the UK, she knew that a swan ‘can break your arm’, and she also guessed there’d be something unedifying about a completely naked 78-year-old woman wrestling with a swan.”

It proves fortuitous, however, that Judith has to return home earlier than expected, as it means she is available to answer a phone call from Sir Peter Bailey, a local bigwig with whom she has never previously had dealings. Sir Peter is calling to invite Judith to his pre-wedding party that afternoon, ostensibly so that he can thank her for solving a series of local murders the year before, although Judith immediately discerns that there is far more to the invitation than meets the eye. Putting aside all thoughts of crossword puzzles for the moment, Judith ropes her best friend Suzie Harris, a part-time dogwalker and local radio celeb, into attending the party with her.

Once at White Lodge, Sir Peter’s ancestral pile, Judith and Suzie link up with Becks Starling, wife of the local vicar and somewhat reluctant third member of the Marlow Murder Club, who has been invited to the party as her husband’s plus one. Judith barely has chance to explain Sir Peter’s surprise invitation to Becks before the genteel peace of the garden party is shattered by a loud argument among Sir Peter, his fiancée/former nurse Jenny Page, and his son Tristram.

After the argument breaks up and both Sir Peter and Jenny head into the house, Judith, Suzie and Becks speak to Tristram and attempt to uncover the reasoning behind Sir Peter’s desire for Judith to attend the party. Yet, they again have little time for investigative pursuits before the peace is shattered once more, this time by an almighty crash and the sound of glass smashing from inside the house. When the Marlow Murder Club and assorted partygoers follow Tristram inside to identify the source of the disturbance, they’re unable to find Sir Peter, although his study is suspiciously locked.

Upon breaking down the study door, the group is shocked to discover that Sir Peter is dead, seemingly crushed by a large mahogany cabinet that has fallen away from the wall. Given that the study was locked from the inside and the key is found in Sir Peter’s pocket, the local police are quick to label his death an unfortunate accident, although former Marlow Murder Club collaborator Detective Sergeant Tanika Malik is not quite convinced. For her part, Judith is certain that Sir Peter was murdered and so determines that they must catch the killer before there’s yet more murder in Marlow.

Due to the locked-room aspect of Sir Peter’s demise, Death Comes to Marlow presents a particularly fiendish case for Judith and friends to solve. Not only do they have to convince the police that a murder was actually committed, they also have to prove how it could possibly have been accomplished. And that’s before factoring in that the small closed-circle of suspects all seem to have unbreakable alibis. It will take a mind as sharp as Judith’s, an eye for detail as acute as Becks’ and an imagination as brazen as Suzie’s to get to the heart of the matter and ensure justice is done.

Despite its difficulty, the mystery is still a cosy one, however, meaning that there is very little blood and gore to wade through, although there are a few shocking moments. Rather than focusing on the undeniably gritty nature of murder, Thorogood centres the story on the characters’ reactions and motivations, including the Marlow Murder Club’s collective fascination with crime and the solving thereof. There are several people who have reason to wish Sir People dead, but none of them seem to have had the opportunity to do the deed, which means Judith and Co have to bring all their bonkers interview techniques and leaps of logic to play to uncover the truth.

Death Comes to Marlow is a warm and humorous murder mystery that challenges even the eccentric members of the Marlow Murder Club, although they of course have no intention of being beaten by even an impossible crime. And don’t worry, they also find time to unravel the crossword puzzle.

A great follow-up to The Marlow Murder Club. The Marlow mysteries are a bit like a modern day Agatha Christie or Dorothy L. Sayers. A body is found in an apparently locked room. There is an eclectic mix of suspects, from the woman about to marry the heir to the big manor house to the local gardener. Judith, Suzie and Becks have helped the police solve a murder before and decide to assist them again. Will the three friends solve the mystery?

Judith Potts, in her late seventies, loves her life and her routines such as setting crosswords for The Times newspaper, swimming nude in the Thames, playing clock patience, the odd glass of whisky, playing her grand piano when tipsy and riding her bike in town where everyone knows her.

Sir Peter Bailey is marrying his his nurse, Jenny Page. Before the wedding he invites Judith to a small drinks party to take place that day so Judith goes even though she had already made plans involving home-made sloe gin, crumpets and blackberry jam.

At Peter's three-storey Georgian mansion Judith learns that Peter's son, Tristram doesn't approve of his father remarrying. She hears glass smashing and along with a large group of others attending the party, goes to investigate. On finding Peter's body crushed under a large cabinet, the police are called.

The Marlow Murder Club was previously formed after Judith recruited Suzie Harris, a dog walker, and Becks Starling, the wife of the local vicar. Each woman brings their own special talents to the forefront and they start uncovering the dirt on the murder victim. Judith is a do-er with a logical mind so with the help of Suzie and Becks, they are going to crack the case.

Jammed with twists, there many plausible suspects. Red herrings are ripe and the club press on with their snooping to the chagrin of the police, in particular DS Tanika Malik. A clever, fun read full of great hijinks and humour, I am already looking forward to book #3.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from HQ via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Death Comes to Marlow is the follow up to the delightful The Marlow Murder Club - and it was joy to be back in Marlow and revisit friends and amateur sleuths Judith, Suzie and Becks. Once again they made me smile in this entertaining locked room mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

When local resident Sir Peter Bailey dies in an apparently tragic accident the day before his wedding, Judith is convinced that there is more to his death than might initially appear - and she won’t stop until she gets to the bottom of it.

With plenty of twists and turns, and a generous helping of red herrings, this is a book that kept me guessing. Add to that some entertaining side plots and it all adds up to a fun and entertaining read and a great addition to the series. I look forward to what comes next!

This book reminded me of a Sherlock locked room mystery but the three main women in this story make it a much more fun and exciting read. Judith is a brilliant main character who always knows when something isn't right and her clever detective skills make these books much more intriguing than a typical detective murder mystery. There are plenty of red herrings and false turns but as more information is revealed, Judith keeps getting closer to the answer. This is another cosy murder mystery book and is an excellent sequel.

Another great read from Robert Thorogood. Judith, Suze and Becks get themselves involved in another suspicious death and with the help of Tanika the women are unstoppable. With everyone else doubting a murder has been committed they have to dig very deep into all the suspects lives to find the murderer. A gripping read which I couldn’t put down