Yay! Another installment in the Marlow Murder Club series. Or should I say 'Oh no! Another murder in Marlow?!' sleepy little Marlow-on-Thames is very unfortunate in its share of violent murderous goings on, but very fortunate to have Judith, Suzie and Becks within it's throws.

This time poor Suzie is in the wrong place at the right time, when the mayor is poisoned and killed whilst at a planning committee meeting she herself is attending. The suspects are as finite as the people around the table, with the poison being in the victim's coffee, but who could have done it without being seen? And why? It turns out everyone around the table has secrets, and everyone has a motive rather than noone! The 3 manage to wrangle their way into the investigation as 'civilian advisors to the police' once again and bam, the game is afoot!

With each book, the trio's friendship thickens; their audacity (sorry - read "confidence") grows; their intuition develops and their ability to irk the local police dept heightens. Judith brings the witty, clever, sly sleuthing that rivals Marple. Suzie brings humour, brazeness and willingness to overstep the boundaries in the hunt for clues and Becks brings emotional stability, sensibility and practical advice in this whirlwind of crime solving.

I'm not used to other crime series having three slueths and I feel this is almost unique to this series. Usually a duo - a Sherlock and Watson or a Poirot and Hastings, one lead and one support - but here all 3 women hold their own in their own right.

Compared to the other 2 books, this one spends less time delving into the character's back stories or development and more on the actual solving of the crime. We know our leading ladies by now and so this is just true crime detecting. In the very twee Robert Thorogood way of course! I did feel we went round and round the suspects in turn a little too much towards the end with a fair bit of tooing and froing but I didn't guess the ending and it still took me by surprise!

I have now watched all the episodes of the TV adaption and look forward to anything more Marlow!

This is the third book in the Marlow Mystery series and I think it has really hit its stride. The characters and the dynamics between them are fully established so it felt like there was more focus on the mystery.

This starts fast! Suzie is attending a local council meeting and before you know it, the mayor is dead. Poisoned coffee seems to be the culprit but how and why remain a mystery.

The mayor, Geoffrey Lushington, seems to be an upstanding citizen and well-loved, so finding a motive could be a stumbling block.

Becks, Judith and Suzie are soon uncovering more of Marlow’s secrets and solving different elements of an increasingly complex puzzle.

There are lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, and good humour along the way. The characters continue to grow and I especially enjoyed Becks as she has grown in so much confidence since the first book.

The TV series hits the UK screens in March, and I will definitely be watching.

Thank you to HQ for my gifted proof copy of the book which is out now.

Robert Thorogood has done it again! A brilliant storyline, just as good as richard osman. I can't wait for the next one!

This the third book in the Marlow Murder Mystery series but the first I've read in the series, yet it worked well as a standalone book.

The plot is well paced and kept me wanting to turn the pages. I particularly like the way the three protagonists work well together despite having very differing personalities. The book is full of rich detail and I always enjoy a book where there are plenty of twists and turns to keep me interested throughout and I don't guess who dun it!

I will definitely be reading the whole series as this book is so entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

The brilliant Marlow Murder Club trio make their return in The Queen of Poisons, where they’re determined to find the mayor’s killer after Susie witnesses his death at the town council meeting.

This series is one of my absolute favourites and I am so glad to be back with Judith, Becks and Susie in another incredible instalment. I love different they all are to each other but how well they compliment one another - we truly get to see them in all of their glory, flaws included. I also love all of the descriptions of the town of Marlow, I could picture it all in my head.

I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to devour this book. I tried to savour it as I didn’t want it to be over so fast but I really enjoyed the murder mystery, twists and the conclusion where everything was wrapped up. I felt like a detective trying to piece together everything that happened, which ultimately lead up to the reveal of who the killer was, their means and motive.

Also thanks to the acknowledgements, I now know that this series has been turned into a TV series and I am so excited to watch the adaptation and see the wonderful town of Marlow and the characters brought to life.

⚠️ CWs: murder, alcohol use, animal cruelty/death, fire, Hitler reference, fatphobia; mentions grief and controlling behaviour ⚠️

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

This the third book in the Marlow Murder Mystery series and it did not disappoint. the character growth of Judith, Suzie and Becks continued throughout this book, and they have really gelled as Marlow’s civilian advisors and best friends.

Unlike the first 2 books, I had no clue who the murderer was. The layers of misdirection and misinformation resulted in a thrilling and clever who-dunnit. The author kept the killer close to him, only revealing them in the final chapters.

The length of the book was just right. The story was well paced and flowed naturally. There were no lull periods. The author brings us on a journey into the lives of the different potential murderers, and gives us the perfect amount of background information and alibis to throw us off the scent.

Well done 👏🏻

It is easy to see while reading this, why Mr Thorogood has had such success with “Death in Paradise”. His writing is rich with detail, the book has huge amounts of dialogue, and the character’s ‘voices’ are all distinct and recognisable. I also know Marlow fairly well and I enjoyed the local detail and the understanding of people.

The three main characters are funny, sincere, and dogged in their search for truth. But I particularly like Judith and her cryptic crossword mind. I’m looking forward to the television series to see if they do justice to our crime fighters.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.

The Queen of Poisons
Robert Thorogood

No synopsis as book 3 in The Marlow Murder Club series

Review
I really enjoyed it, storyline was good and I like the characters. I didnt guess the ending which was a bit far fetched but worked. Ive seen a tv show is coming to the drama channel on 6th March so am interested to see how the books are adapted.

Rated 4/5

Another great mystery featuring some of my favourite ladies who investigates. Well plotted, witty, it kept me hooked and surprising.
Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is the third part of The Murder Club series and is just as good as the first two books.
The book is well written and enjoyable. There are lots of twists and turns which kept me guessing right to the end of the book. This is an excellent read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

This is the third book on the series and is still just as good!

I love the characters and how they look out for each other.

The plot was fun, with plenty of red herrings. Similar vibe to Richard Osmond's series.

Thank you for the arc.

Marlow Murder Club is a great series of books to get stuck into, more so as I understand the first is to be televised too. This is the third novel to feature three very different quirky women who do love to investigate.

When the mayor dies suddenly in a town council meeting, it happens that Suzie was there to witness it. Poison was the choice of weapon, but who exactly administered it and more importantly how, right in front of everyone. Along with Judith, the crossword setter and Becks the local vicar’s wife they are seconded to the police to add to the investigations.

It was aconite – the Queen of Poison and as for the victim, no one has had a bad word to say about him. Then who would want him dead? Where is the sugar bowl? And what secrets are the rest of the Town Council hiding?

As ever the three women, work well together to come to the truth. I love the acerbic wit of Judith, the almost downtrodden of Becks who doesn’t want to be involved, but somehow always is. And of course Suzie, always trying to make more money and lurches from accusing one person and within a page having a change of mind once she listens to the evidence and most importantly her friends!

Great series and long may it continue.

Throughly enjoyed this book. I have read the first two in the series and they are all a great read. Kept me guessing right till the end.

The Marlow Murder Club makes a triumphant return and so do our beloved Police Civilian Advisors – Judith, Suzie, and Becks. In The Queen of Poisons the third instalment in the series, Suzie attends a Town Council meeting, but it isn’t long before the Mayor of Marlow, Geoffrey Lushington, keels over and dies at the table.

Was it a heart attack, etc? No, it is a meticulously executed act of murder. His coffee has been laced with poison but who would want to do such a thing to an apparent well-respected man, and who has seen the sugar bowl? These are answers the Marlow Murder Club friends need to find out if they want to locate the murderer and bring them to justice.

I love this series. The dynamic trio, Judith, Suzie, and Becks have such contrasting personalities and yet work well together. Their energy and vibrancy bounce off the pages, along with their sarcasm, sneakiness, and boldness. It was also lovely to see Becks having a backbone and her family supporting her (well most of them!).

The thrills and twists of a fine murder mystery novel were weaved throughout and the pages were turned with ease having me flying through the book in no time. I also always love playing along trying to see if I can work out who the killer is before the big reveal.

The Queen of Poisons is a stellar addition to an already outstanding series. It is entertaining and I love how the author manages to captivate his audience the whole way through with a blend of mystery and intrigue alongside fabulous characters. I now look forward to more books in the future and the TV series which is due out soon.

Love the characters, and the character growth is really fun to see from the first book up until here. Solid mystery too. I was left guessing until the very end.

A fabulously written gripping story that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book, it was brilliant

The well-respected Mayor of Marlow is poisoned at the start of a council planning committee meeting. there are only four people in the room at the time so finding the murderer should be easy, shouldn't it. For the members of the Marlow Murder Club this is a mystery to solve, especially as one of them saw the murder happen. The police decide to let them act as civilian assistants and the three are on the case.
I haven't read the previous three books in the series but this is crime writing that is so gently it doesn't really require much thinking! I think the story is clever, the characters suitably eccentric and the humour writ large. It is actually more sophisticated than it appears.

Love this book and author! Definitely one to add to collection! Loved the twists and turns of the cosy mystery.

Just what the doctor ordered, a perfect cosy mystery to snuggle up with. Which is highly entertaining and will have you laughing out loud, an absolute joy. This is the 3rd in The Marlow Murder Club books and if you haven’t already read any of them, why not? You must, you won’t regret it. I always feel sad after reading one of the series knowing I have to wait another year for the next instalment but so excited as the countdown begins when the time is getting near.

Local council procedures have a tendency to suck the joy from most stories and it turns out even Robert Thorogood’s Marlow Murder Club is not immune to this phenomenon.

However, Judith Potts and her friends are not women who can be kept down by dull process, and when Suze witnesses the death of the Mayor of Marlow, they soon find themselves at the centre of another murder investigation.

The solution to the puzzle of who killed the mayor turns out to hinge on disguise and the motive is a little far-fetched for my liking, but Judith’s strength of personality won me over and I loved this book. She’s still someone I’d love to be in thirty years’ time (minus the nude swimming and the newspaper hoarding).

Huge thanks to @netgalley and the publisher (@hqstories) for the eARC.

#ThreeWordReview: all about disguise 🥸