I think I've missed something by coming new to this series with the second novel.

Judith, Suzie and Becks - also known as The Marlow Murder Club - have found life peaceful since solving their first case. They are looking forward to the wedding of a local dignitary, Sir Peter Bailey, as they have all been invited - albeit at the last minute - to the wedding eve party at his grand mansion. However, a crash during the party has them rushing into the house where they find their host dead in his study. As the door was locked from the inside, the police consider it is not suspicious, but Judith suspects murder. The ladies investigate once more ...

I love a murder mystery, but I never quite 'clicked' with this one. I spotted a few errors along the way but I assume, as I was reading an arc, that they would be picked up before publication. I felt wrong-footed throughout; I'm no stranger to coming to a series later but I felt as if the characters never really gelled - presumably if I had read the first in series, I would have felt more comfortable, and I may well do that. For me, this is a four star read.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I loved the first book so this was highly anticipated. While it didn’t quite have as much humour as the previous book (murder being a serious matter after all) this time around the crime was more complex and harder to solve.

I was scratching my head trying to solve the puzzles contained within the pages, not only the locked room mystery but the crossword clues too. So thank heavens for Judith, Becks and Suzie aka The Marlow Murder Club and acting senior investigating officer Tanika. A missing Will and bottle of cyanide being the only real clues that it wasn’t an accident that killed Sir Peter.

The development of the characters and their friendships is really taking shape and they are starting to feel like old friends that you look forward to seeing again and hoping it’s not too long in between visits.

A nice cosy crime full of hijinks and shenanigans that is just perfect for armchair detectives to try and solve over a pot of tea.

This is the 2nd book in the Marlow Murder Club series. They can be read as standalones. But obviously I always say its best to read chronological so that you can get to know the characters better.

Our MC in this series is Judith Potts. She's nearly 80 years old. A crossword setter who lives alone in a sleepy town called Marlow. Well not very sleepy considering this is book 2 about a murder club in Marlow 😊

Judith is a super character. Her puzzling brain helps her work out the mysteries that are happening. This time Peter Bailey on the eve of his wedding is found crushed to death by a cabinet, in his study which was locked from the inside. 🕵‍♀️ The police don't think its suspicious. But Judith and the gang believe differently. And so the investigation begins.

I'd put the Marlow Murder Series in the cosy crime genre. You know as soon as Judith gets out her travel sweets that some kind of revelation is to come. The other members of the gang are Becky, the vicars wife. Who in this story has a secret she's hiding 😯 then there's Suzie, a dog walker/radio presenter. Her use of the radio show to chase a suspect is classic 👌🏼

The writing flows so easy. There is a clever plot line and mystery to unravel. The characters are people you can't help but love.
Sit back, relax, suck on a travel sweet and let The Marlow Murder Club entertain you 😊

This is Robert Thorogood's second outing for the four friends living in the home-counties town of Marlow. You'll know the author as the creator of the monumentally successful Television series Death in Paradise. As well as his writing job on the show, he's also written four extra novelisations for the original Detective who featured in it, each with a cracking mystery to solve. Last year though he started a new series featuring four ladies living in Marlow, and so far with no connection to the Caribbean island of St Marie! They first came together trying to solve the mystery at the heart of The Marlow Murder Club and now they've been fleshed-out and are more comfortable in each other's company, when a man dies in mysterious circumstances.

A member of the landed Gentry is found dead in his study, a locked-room any murderer couldn't possibly escape from without being seen or leaving traces. The senior DCI for the local Police force is not willing to accept that it might be suspicious in any way, believing it just an unfortunate accident. Only DS Tanika Malik who was briefly promoted to DCI in the first case a year previously, believes her friends when they are adamant the man has been murdered. The key question remains, who could have done such a thing and left the locked room unseen? Well there's the victim's bickering children, an ex-wife, a new wife-to-be and a disgruntled employee to consider, Frustratingly they all seems to have unbreakable alibis.

The many characters and locations involved here are described clearly and easy to visualise. Robert Thorogood is a master at this. He's also an expert at leaving the clues you need to pick up on if you have a hope at all of guessing whodunnit before the final reveal. And, lest you doubt it, the clues are indeed there, as someone famous once used to say. His writing is fluid and easy-going, never condescending or overly flush with technical jargon. For the reader every page is a pleasure flowing one to the next taking you along for a thoroughly enjoyable ride before the finale when ...

But I should stop there. this is a superbly crafted and accessible story that doesn't accentuate violence, nor trivialise the effects of it. It's a mystery for entertainment that has been written by someone who knows their craft and delivers on every page.

I recommend this book to crime and mystery fans, In fact anyone who enjoys a well-crafted, escapist read.

I always love being placed back into the setting of a book that I’ve enjoyed so much, and this is so the case. I enjoyed the first in this series a lot and this second instalment lived up to the first, I’d even say I enjoyed it even more. Maybe it’s knowing the characters already so looking forward to reading their thoughts and points of view, but I highly recommend taking a dive into this world if you haven’t already!
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC!!

Marlow is a wonderful read with hints of Morse, Marple and Midsummer woven into style. The second of Robert Thorogood's new series may be set a long way from his bright and breezy Death in Paradise series but he proves that a rainy day in Marlow can be just as interesting as a warm Caribbean day and that a swim in the Thames can be as refreshing and stimulating as one in the ocean, almost. The three stars of this show are amateur female sleuths with an eye for detail and a fervent imagination that leads them ahead of the police. This is a perfect, easy-to-read, murder mystery that you'll want to keep reading - thoroughly recommended!

A welcome return to the Marlow Murder Club amateur sleuths, who have a classic locked-room murder to solve where the clues are few, and the suspects many. I enjoyed reacquainting with Judith, Suzie and Becks. While Judith is the undoubted primary investigator, the other two women provide a breadth of experience, knowledge, and a different way of viewing life that broadens the investigative team's perspectives. Vibrant characters, steady pacing and vivid sensory imagery make this an easy and intriguing cosy-style mystery. It's an enjoyable and interactive read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

ARC, thank you very much to @poisionedpenpress via @netgalley for sending me an early copy
We’re back with our favourite (loves to swim in the freezing cold river completely naked in the middle of winter) Judith Potts and her friends Becks and Suzie in the town of Marlow.

Judith receives a phone call personally from Sir Peter inviting her to his party the day before he is due to get married as he fears his life is in danger and someone is trying to murder him. So when he turns up dead, crushed by a cabinet in his study with the door locked on the inside, it’s up to the 3 women to investigate.

This is such a cosy book to curl up with. I loved the character development of the 3 women, not sure why I have a real soft spot for older people solving mysteries (so yes I am the ideal audience for this) and also with some returning characters such as DS Tanika Malik.
One thing I do love is the extra mystery element of Judith and her crossword puzzles, its a mystery within a mystery
However I just felt the story was a little bit dragged out and parts weren’t really needed but overall still managed to enjoy.

Thankyou again NetGalley, this book comes out on the 6th January 2023.

If you enjoyed The Marlow Murder Club, you’ll love this follow up murder mystery Death Comes to Marlow. The old gang of amateur sleuths are all here and there’s even a fun crossword-related subplot for puzzle fans.

A recommended read for all cosy mystery lovers, but read the first novel before this one to get the full character information.

I loved the Marlow Murder Club and loved Death Comes to Marlow. This is an highly entertaining series that plays homage to the puzzles of the Golden Age making them fresh and challenging you to find a solution.
This is a real locked-room mystery that means that there's a body in a locked room and no open door or windows.
I was happy to catch up with the women who are at the core of this story: Judith the eccentric and very clever old lady who creates crosswords and is able to put together the clues, Stephanie the dog walker who can be like a bull in a china store but is always able to add her bit to the solution, Beck the overworked stay-at-home vicar wife with an eidetic memory and a sort of Sherlock Holmes way of connecting the dots.
They're a groups of friends from different social background but they work well together and are able to solve the puzzles because they join forces.
There's another woman in this stories: Tanika, the DS who must juggle with works-a father with memory problems-a DI who's back and can't help to patronize her-investigation.
Each woman is a indispensable to make this story work and each of them is well developed and intriguing.
The mystery is solid and kept me turning pages and guessing.
This is an excellent series and, even if the title reminds Thursday Murder Club, they're completely different and both high level series.
I hope a lot of people will read it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I really enjoy this series. It's fun, it's fresh and it's the kind of stereotypically English tale that you can't help but read it with a smile on your face. The three central characters, crossword puzzle setter Judith, dog walker and newly created radio personality, Suzie, and Vicar's wife Becks, couldn't be a more unconventional team, but for some reason they really do just work. Judith loves a good mystery and always manages to pull the other two in, although it has to be said that Suzie really doesn't need a lot of persuading. In this latest mystery, Judith finds herself invited to attend the pre-wedding party of Sir Peter Bailey. it comes as somewhat of a surprise as she has had no dealing with the man before, but it's certainly less of a surprise than what comes to pass, as the groom to be soon becomes victim, and the Marlow Murder Club are on hand as witnesses, with a new wonderful, if tragic, mystery to solve.

I love the characters of Judith, Suzie and Becks. Robert Thorogood has created such an unusual, and yet believable, mix of women, all as different and unique as can be and completely compelling to spend time with. Judith is inquisitive, strong, determined and as pushy as can be but can manage subtly and discretion when required. When there is any hint of a mystery, be it a murder or a cryptic set of clues in her local newspaper, she just has to solve it. She defies expectation - naked open air swimming in the Thames being a clear example - and she has the knack of getting under people's skin so in the end, finding out what she wants to know is inevitable. She has that Jessica Fletcher-esque way of getting into everything, helped by her innate ability to work out even the most cryptic of clues. Suzie, by contrast, is far more of a bull in a china shop in her approach, and yet she is fun, determined and inventive as some of her dog walking antiques attest to. As for Becks, she is the reluctant investigator, someone who would rather be living the quiet life, but whose own skills of observation and perfect recall prove invaluable on more than one occasion. She's also nursing her own secrets that catch both of her friends unawares. They are absolutely the kind of characters who would make for great TV and the author's experience in this field really make their personalities pop from the page.

What I enjoy about these books is that it is golden age mystery with a modern twist. Cosy crime that has a brilliant vein of humour threaded throughout it, all twisted around some cracking puzzles and mysteries. In this case it is very much a locked room mystery, the victim, Sir Peter, being found dead in a room where the only key for the very sturdy and very locked door was in his pocket. With new fiancés, disgruntled children and an ex-wife all in the picture, there are any number of suspects but seemingly no opportunities. The characters lead us through the investigation - much to the chagrin of the Police - helping us to discount suspects one by one until there is no-one left. But it has to be one of them ... right? With another murder uncovered and the waters getting murkier than Judith's beloved Thames, the author keeps the reveals until the perfect moment, drip feeding clues and keeping readers, and our protagonists, on their toes.

The author provides a great sense of place, creating that small town vibe that manages to be both upper-middle class but also very everyday. That sense of a community where everyone knows each other and yet it is still possible to keep secrets. From the OTT grandeur of the Bailey residence, to Judith's cluttered home on the banks of the Thames, or even the dilapidated mid renovation state of Suzie's house, I could picture everywhere so clearly which really helped in pulling me into the story. With a final reveal worthy of a Marple or Poirot mystery, and a twist that left me very satisfied, this is another fabulous story and one I'm very happy to recommend. Not entirely convinced I'll be adding Marlow to my must visit list for 2023 mind, but then you can't have everything.

I absolutely loved book one of this, so ofcourse I jumped on the chance to read book two. Same town, same three old ladies and friends who love to investigate a good murder or mystery and are very clever. The story follows Suzie, Becks & and Judith, who are investigating a death the day before the man's wedding, but with everyone having an albi, what really happened? Was it all just an accident? This was such a quick and easy read for me. I loved the three ladies they haven't changed at all. A mystery until the final few chapters and a twist I never saw coming. Again I would highly recommend and I hope to see a book three in the future. A well deserved five stars. A great book to end the year on.

Death Comes To Marlow is a brilliant locked room mystery full of the little clues and cryptic crosswords that I loved in the first Marlow Murder Club Mystery from Robert Thorogood.
Judith and the ladies are such fun main characters and i love how they are able to hunt down the evidence and work through the clues.
The mystery of Sir Peter’s death makes a great story and kept me guessing til the very end. Twists and turns follow as we work with Judith to understand what had happened. With so much humour, this is one clever read.

After reading and very much enjoying the first of the ‘Marlow Murder Club’ series, I was much looking forward to the second book - it did not disappoint!. How can you not love Judith Potts. She is a 78 year old who lives in an inherited mansion along the Thames where she swims nude everyday. Judith along with her friends, Suzie and Becks begin to investigate the murder of Sir Peter, a groom-to-be the day before his wedding, before the killer strikes again.

Having not read the first book in this series, I’m pleased to say that I really enjoyed this book.
I’m sure it would be better to read the first book before this one but I still managed to follow the story.
Judith, Becks and Suzie are a group of friends who seem to get drawn into murder investigations.
In this book someone invites Judith to a party out of the blue and then while she’s there, someone at the party dies.
Judith is initially told not to get involved but ignores this advice and the group of women start their investigation.
DS Tanika tries to rein them in but soon she’s taken off the case so tells them to carry on as she’s convinced it was murder whilst her superiors have put it down as an accident.
This is a great cosy crime mystery and if you liked Thursday Murder Club, then you’ll like this book.
Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Absolutely adored this and will write a review of it on the blog in January. Fun and quirky and definitely a must read series now.

In 2021, I was introduced to Death in Paradise, a comedy-crime drama, created by Robert Thorogood. Over the last year and a half, I’ve watched all and loved most of the episodes. However, I was late in discovering that the creator has also authored a few books: four novels with Richard Poole (the first detective introduced in DiP) as the central character and an original series called The Marlow Murder Club. I was immediately drawn to the latter, the cover of which was styled like a crossword puzzle. The parallels to Agatha Christie and by extension Richard Osman are undeniable. The Marlow Murder Club was an amazing read. The characters are beyond lovely. We have Judith Potts, a seventy-seven-year-old puzzle setter; Becks Starling, the local vicar’s wife (it actually is relevant to her story to introduce Becks this way); and Suzie Harris, a dog-walker.

I was exceedingly lucky that just after I finished The Marlow Murder Club, I found the sequel Death Comes to Marlow on NetGalley. Now, I know sequels can be quite dicey. It was not a problem with Agatha Christie. I can pick up any book of Miss Marple’s, and they are all equally good. The Thursday Murder Club’s sequel The Man Who Died Twice was … okay. Not the best but intriguing enough. So, I went into Death Comes to Marlow with low expectations.

The day before his wedding, Sir Phillip Bailey is found crushed to death in his study. The police assume it’s an accident since the room was locked from the inside. Of course, our trio knows better. It’s murder. Specifically, a locked room murder (which is always intriguing). And of all things, it’s the faint smell of olive oil that prompts them to investigate the death more closely!

There will definitely be some readers smart enough to figure out the puzzle before the solution is revealed. Not me though, unfortunately. I was stumped, which is a good thing for someone who reads far too many mysteries. I do intend on rereading this book someday so I can pick up all the clues the author has peppered in.
I was also excited to meet the characters again, despite it being less than a few days since I had met them for the first time. When characters are built well, you are always happy to revisit them and see how their lives are moving along after the end of the first book. While we primarily follow Judith around, there’s not really much she had got up to between the two cases. Becks and Suzie had a lot going on, and I loved seeing them navigate their new situations.

Robert Thorogood has created some amazing and engaging characters, and they help this book rise above what might have otherwise been an average, good mystery. Death Comes to Marlow is a solid sequel, and I recommend reading The Marlow Murder Club first so you can meet the characters properly and go on this journey with them.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Judith, Suzie and Becks are back , the trio of amateur sleuths find themselves investigating a locked room mystery.
Judith is taking her usual cold water swim but it’s cut short due to an altercation with a swan , on returning home she receives a phone call from Sir Peter inviting her to a drinks party which she feels compelled to accept.
Whilst at the party Sir Peter is found dead in a room which is locked and the key is in his pocket .
An accident or something more sinister?
Judith and her friends begin to investigate and what follows is an enjoyable story and we meet DS Tanika Malik again who joins forces with the trio.
I read the first in the series which was a great start ,but I feel this is even better than the first book.
The characters are unique and have all the faults and foibles human beings tend to have and blend together perfectly.
This is a great series and I look forward to the next in the series.
Highly recommended and a must read for lovers of cosy mysteries.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ.

The second book in the series is just as entertaining as the first. It is a real locked room mystery full of twists and turns.
I enjoyed the various characters and how they investigated the death of Sir Peter Bailey. Set in a sleepy village it is a quintessential English cosy mystery so don't expect gritty scenes of gore but snuggle down by a roaring fire and be transported to Marlow.
The ending was not a total surprise to me but all the details were explained which is a big plus for me.

For once I would say it was better to have read the first in the series before coming to this one. So much of the ground about the characters was laid in the previous book. The storyline is entertaining and there are some amusing plotlines that develop alongside the serious business of murder. There are the inevitable comparisons with Richard Osman made in reviews but the amateur detective has a long history in the crime genre that this is a little unfair. I have also read others comment on the implausibility of some features within the plot, I would remind them that this is fiction and that things can, and do, happen that are out of the ordinary. I get caught up enjoying the story that I don't care if some of it may not happen in real life, reading is intended to take me away from that.

A great setting in a Georgian mansion with a locked room mystery that will defy the claims of being able to work it out straight away. The twists and turns have you suspecting more than one character before the truth is finally revealed. There is plenty of scope to come back once more to find out where the characters go next in their lives and I will be ready to read that installment too.