Verity Beresford is worried about her husband. Oliver didn’t come home last night so of course Verity goes straight to Judith Potts, Marlow’s resident amateur sleuth, for help. Oliver, founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society or MADS for short had hired The Marlow Belle, a private pleasure cruiser, for an exclusive party with the MADS committee but no one remembers seeing him disembark. And then Oliver’s body washes up on the Thames with two bullet holes in him. Judith, Suzie & Becks want to get involved but are warned by DI Tanika Malik to stay out of the investigation as a complaint has been made about her.
The fourth book in the series & another engrossing cosy mystery. I love the intrepid trio who can’t help but become involved. The pace is good & the characters have depth. There are only a handful of suspects who were on the boat when Oliver was killed but each one is seemingly being framed for the murder. Also they all have secrets which are gradually revealed. I loved that Brendan who made the complaint about Tanika is so smug that every time he meets the trio he gives clues left, right & centre! I loved where & when Judith revealed the villain, it was certainly different. There was a surprise ending so I hope there’s not a long wait for book five
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

Dear Cosy Mystery Writer

Are you planning on writing your next cosy mystery and feel that it’s leaning too heavily on the cosy and not the mystery? Obviously you’ve already read the Puzzle Doc-ologue but if you want to see the near-perfect cosy mystery in action, then I strongly recommend Murder On The Marlow Belle. It’s the fourth book in the series written by the Death In Paradise chap, Robert Thorogood. Actually, we might have to start referring to Death In Paradise as being created by the Marlow Murder Club chap. I’ll have to check.

So why is this so on point? Well, we have three central characters sufficiently free of past trauma who are investigating the murder for a reason. There is also an active police investigation too – I know it’s very easy to ignore that if you’ve got everyone trapped together in a snowed-in stately home, but if you’re investigating in civilisation, don’t forget there is a police force and that they will be competent.

The murder itself is suitably distinctive – in this case every suspect was in their cabin at the time of the murder having received a note asking for a meeting and evidence seems to incriminate every passenger – but there is a reason for the murderer choosing such a method for murder beyond “the killer was a nutter”. Even better, the sleuths factor this into their investigation – they see that this isn’t a normal killing and look for that reason.

Each character on the boat must have valid reasons for the murder and yet there must be a clear indication in the story as to why only one of them could have been the killer. So any clues – sorry, I misspoke. So THE clues should lead, via misdirection of course, to the identity of the killer, but hide them well enough for the reader not to spot the relevance of them but remember them when the sleuth reveals all, preferably in a dramatic finale. Literally in this case.

So include some red herrings – have a couple of characters around who almost certainly could not have committed the crime, so that readers (like that Puzzle Doctor chap) will be convinced that one of them did it, even if he didn’t have a clue why. I gather he was last seen shaking his fist at the heavens shouting “You win this one, Thorogood!” but he had a smile on his face so he clearly enjoyed getting well and truly beaten.

Because this should be a game, a game that you are playing against the reader, while they enjoy themselves with the plot and characters along the way. And this is a fantastic example of such a game. So do take notes…

It’s so much fun to be back in the company of Judith, Suzie and Becks with another murder in Marlow. This one gets straight into the action with our amateur sleuths approached by a fraught wife about the mysterious disappearance of her husband. A cast of amateur dramatics actors, each with their own backstories, find their leader mysteriously shot dead whilst on a pleasure cruise together. But with all seemingly having alibis, can Judith and her friends solve the mystery? Lots of twists and turns, intrigue and drama had me turning the pages at all ours of the day and night. And what a cliffhanger we’re left with! I can’t wait for the next instalment.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, HQ for a copy in exchange for a review.

A nice cosy mystery set in Marlow, three friends Judith, Becks and Suzie have a habit of getting involved in solving murders and this is no exception, even though their friend DI Tanika Malik specifically asked them not to get involved, they just can’t help themselves.
The director of the local amateur dramatics society is murdered and it seems that all the people who were with him aboard the Marlow Belle, whilst cruising the river, had the opportunity and motive to kill him.
The trio investigate and, naturally, there is the reveal all at the end. A very enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Another enjoyable read in this series. I love how we find out a little bit more about each of the four main female characters in each book.

Great mystery about who shot the victim - lots of red herrings and misdirection.

Also a great cliffhanger at the end of the book!

Another great book to add to the Marlow Murder Club series!

I really enjoyed the fourth instalment, as always there was a great twist solving the murder! I loved returning to Marlow with Judith, Becks and Susie.

Without spoiling anything, I hope Tanika’s work issue is resolved in the next book, I dislike the dude she works with whose name I can’t remember but I don’t like.

Also that ending?!? I need the next book now!!!

Massive thank you to NetGalley and HQStories for this ARC

Judith , Becks and Suzie are back with another case which needs their sleuthing skills .
Oliver Beresford the founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society is missing and his wife asks Judith Potts to investigate .
The unique trio make great detectives and all bring their own individual skills to make a great team led by the indomitable Judith .
Oliver is found murdered but who can be the perpetrator?All of the suspects aboard the Marlow Belle with Oliver were in their cabins weren’t they?
The case is a definite mystery but the ladies soon get to work and it’s not long before they have a suspect in their sight , but has it all been too easy?
Love the characters in this book they make a great team and have depth and vulnerabilities and flaws as all people do .
The writing is of an excellent calibre as is the plot it’s very clever .
Can’t wait to read the next in the series especially after the cliffhanger !
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ.

I love the way Robert Thorogood writes, his plots and characters are always enthralling. The lovely ladies in this series are fabulous characters, fully rounded and realistic, although I suspect I’d be slightly intimidated by Judith if she was real. After watching the tv adaptation of the first in the series, I now picture these characters as the actresses who portrayed them, which adds to my enjoyment of the books. Another great read.

Once again Judith, Becks and Suzy get involved in solving a murder in Marlow. This time the victim is Oliver Beresford, the director of the local amateur dramatic society who seems to be very unpopular with everyone. The murder takes place during a party on the paddle steamer Marlow Belle. So many motives but who could possibly have committed the crime?
I love this series and this, the fourth one, does not disappoint. The characters are so familiar now and the story is full of the usual twists and turns, dead ends and red herrings. The characterizations are excellent and the setting is perfect. I love the theatrical side of the story and I cannot wait for the next installment.

Another wonderful murder mystery with Judith, Becks and Suzie, all aboard the Marlow Belle and the complicated murder of Oliver Beresford, a thoroughly enjoyable read, already looking forward to the next one, bravo!

Oliver Beresford, founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, is murdered while on board the pleasure cruiser The Marlow Belle. Judith, Becks and Suzie can't help but get involved with the murder investigation.

Murder On The Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood is the fourth book in the Marlow Murder Club series. This series just keeps getting better and better, probably because I now know the characters so well that I feel as if I'm part of the investigation.

Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society has been a village institution since it was founded by Oliver Beresford early in the 1980s. Oliver organises a trip on the Marlow Belle for a select group of members, including a very special guest. At some point during the trip Oliver is murdered but with everyone else onboard having alibis the identity of the murderer is a complete mystery.

The story has all the hallmarks of a modern-day Agatha Christie mystery with its small group of suspects, all of who have motive, and an isolated location. As Judith, Becks and Suzie question each suspect it seems obvious they have found their killer until a new alibi surfaces or a secret involving another character is revealed. The trio seems to go round and round in circles with their accusations, becoming a running joke with Suzie's certainty that they've found the killer each time.

There are a host of wonderful characters but my favourite has to be Mary Eddingham, a stalwart of the amateur dramatic society who steals every scene she's in. Flamboyant and narcissistic, she insists on being the centre of attention and constantly harks back to her days as a professional actress; since she's in her seventies this was a long time ago and her career was fleeting. I can just hear her as she proclaims "You may have heard of me...." when she meets anyone new.

The trio are constantly one step ahead of the police. Where the trio acted as police advisors in the previous book, this time around they have to keep their distance as DI Tanika Malik is under review for her unorthodox practice of involving the amateur sleuths. Needless to say, it doesn't stop the women from getting involved.

Petty feuds, long-held resentments and deep, dark secrets all surface during the investigation. I loved the way in which accusation followed accusation during the investigation, only for each one to be baseless. This meant that by the conclusion my head was reeling, unable to fathom who the murderer was. The big reveal came as a complete surprise. Author Robert Thorogood then saves one even bigger surprise for the end - but you'll just have to read the book to discover what it is.

In 'Murder on the Marlow Belle' Robert Thorogood continues his series of cosy crime books, following Judith, Suzie and Becks. This time, one of the co-founders of an Amateur Dramatic Society is found dead, and the evidence points to just about everyone in the cast. To solve it, Judith ends up trying to embed herself in the theatrical world, but her and the gang's investigations have to be kept covert due to Detective Inspector Tanika Malik facing an investigation about her use of civilian investigators.

I love the way that Thorogood has an elderly female lead, who is not in anyway vulnerable or saddened by living alone. In fact, she revels in her freedom and regularly goes for naked swims (despite this often leading to problems). The books contain a huge amount of humour and heart, and this most recent one is no exception. I hugely enjoyed reading it, and found the conclusion satisfying. I'd highly recommend.

A gripping mystery yet again! Reminded me of The Appeal with the am dram angle but told in this authors fantastic narrative style.

I am a fan of Robert Thorogood's Marlow Murder Club series so was excited to read the latest. The main elements are all there - Judith, Suzie, and Becks poking their noses in while the long-suffering DS Tanika Malik tries to hold them in check. And, throughout, the River Thames is, as usual, as much an integral part of the plot as a character in its own right. After watching the TV adaptation, I can't remember the women I formed in my head and can only see the actresses, which is a shame, despite their excellent depiction.
The plot revolves around an am-dram society (MADS) after its bumptious director, Oliver Beresford is bumped off during a MADS party on a paddle steamer, the eponymous Marlow Belle. Everyone on board has a motive but no one could have done it.
The book has the signature impossible crime plot with enough red herrings to please. And the main characters' personalities develop nicely, with all the good humour and tenderness we expect from Thorogood.
There were a couple of points where I prepared myself to be disappointed as it seemed as though Thorogood was going to palm us off with an unsatisfactory reveal. But I underestimated his ability to pace and plot and play with the reader. I should not have doubted him. The twist is more than twisty enough.

Oh it is so lovely to be back in the company of Judith, Suzie and Becks. Obviously, it also means that we are back in the company of a killer as well, but the title of the book should have been a big enough give away for that one, and, well, that's what we're really here for isn't it? Marlow's greatest amateur sleuths are back and this time it's a case of murder at sea ... well, on the Thames, but it's close enough. The fact that the victim fell from a boat with a very exclusive guest list - the committee of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society and a former alumni and famous Hollywood star - means that the number of suspects is finite. But which of them would have a reason to have killed the MADS founder, and as they all have a seemingly perfect alibi, with no witnesses to boot, how will our favourite trio ever prove it?

This book made me smile for so many reasons. I've been involved in Am-Dram of varying sorts over the years and the variety of characters that Robert Thorogood has created for this latest romp through Marlow's dastardly doings may have been a trifle exaggerated in some ways, it was delightfully on the nose in others. From the pompous director turned victim, to the not quite as good as she thinks she is Diva, you have every kind of personality frequenting the stage and positioning themselves as prime suspect in turn. A mechanic, a high school dropout ... what a vast array of characters who, along with our series favourites and local Detective Tanika Malik, I was completely drawn into their world with a wonderful mixture of amusement and intrigue.

Now, Robert Thorogood has a very strong pedigree when it comes to creating a perplexing, but thoroughly entertaining mystery, and Murder on the Marlow Belle is no different. It should be virtually impossible for judith and co to insert themselves in the investigations they way they do, in fact Tanika expressly forbids it this time around, not that it makes any difference to Judith. But in the same way you wouldn't question Miss Marple quietly taking charge in an investigation in St Mary Mead, I find myself happily accepting the best intentions, and quiet, and also not so quiet, machinations of the Marlow Murder Club trio. In fact I love it. The author has played a canny game drawing them into this mystery, they very reason the police want them to stay away, being the one thing that has the victim's family turning to them for help.

With the finger of suspicion firing off in many different directions (depending on whose finger it is pointing at any given time), there are so many questions and quite a lot of misdirection too, enough to keep the killer's identity under wraps until the perfect moment for a reveal. It's almost the perfect Christie-esque big reveal, not just the key suspects but the entire town on hand to hear whodunnit. I love the blend of humour, the contrasting characters of our three leads - Judith's tenacity and quick mindedness, Becks with her quiet contemplation and understanding of town, and Suzie who is quick to judgment - especially when it comes to one of the suspects - but no less determined and gung-ho than her friends. Add in an element of reticence on her part for a reason that I was not at all suspecting, and a bit of an Eastenders style drum beat ending, and this was such a fabulously entertaining read, I'm almost sad I've read it so quickly (gone in a day!) as I miss the team already.

If you love the series, this is another absolute cracker. Laden with witty narrative, brilliant characters, full of mystery, an element of underlying tension, and with an exclamation of 'oh-my-gosh' to round it off, I can't wait to see what comes next!

I really enjoy the Marlow Murder Club and the characters Judith, Becky and Suzie, this one though took me a while to read and I didn't get quite the same vibes as i normally do when reading.
The latest instalment follows the trio as they try to solve the murder of the AM Dram society director, but from first glances, everyone could be the culprit.
As always I liked the cosy feel of this murder mystery, the characters are lovely and I like spending time reading them. This one definitely kept me guessing throughout, but it was maybe a little too convoluted in places.

This is the fourth Marlow for the Marlow murder club and Judith, Suzie and Becks are solving a murder mystery the police cannot solve.

True to form, the victim was unlikable and he died within the first 5% so you're not waiting around for the mystery to start.
I enjoyed the sideline mystery of Beck’s daughter's new boyfriend and was he or wasn't he a bad guy, I had expected a little more development on that.

The suspects were well fleshed out and there was lots of twists and turns where my expectation of who done it changed from chapter to chapter.

My only bug bear was with the reference to the lighting and sound in the amateur dramatics performance wasn't well researched, (it never is - even though there are loads of really approachable , knowledgable people who would be able to tell you what you need to know) , I won't say why specifically because no spoilers but I do find it irritating. I won't drop it a star just for that.

Overall, another satisfying cosy mystery, thank you for the E-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review

Judith receives a visit from a woman named Verity explaining that her husband appears to be missing as she has not seen him since the previous evening when they were at a party being held on a boat for a famous actress.
When his body washes up not long after, Judith, Suzie and Becks cannot help but get involved.
With many red herrings and dead ends, everyone has a motive to kill Oliver Beresford.
With their unusual methods, will Judith and the ladies get their killer?
Great fun from start to finish.

I thoroughly enjoyed the fourth outing of The Marlow Murder club and was pleased to be able to follow more adventures of the ladies helping the local police solving crimes.

In this instalment the crime fighting trio are alone as they have been forced to back off as police official helpers and they try and stay away from the official investigation however a little of their own sleuthing couldn’t hurt, could it!!

I really love the characters in these books and in this one we meet the cast of the Marlow amateur dramatics and their associated friends and family. When a local play is due to debut and a Hollywood star makes a return to her hometown to help an up and coming actor the Marlow Belle is hired for a boat trip for a selected few. The death of one of them sets of the investigation.

Well written and complex with clues along they way, if you can pick them up, this is a great mystery and one I enjoyed reading and will be sharing with friends and family.

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

A new year brings many things and one of the things I look forward to is the next instalment of the Marlow Murder Club series.

This time the gang are investigating the murder of Oliver who was last seen on the Marlow Belle during its maiden voyage, but no one saw him leave. Throw in an Am Dram society, a mix of suspects with grudges against the victim, and some personal drama for the trio and you have a wonderfully delightful book.

The characters were interesting and well-fleshed out, with clear care taken with each suspect to give them a believable motive for murder. As ever the reveal had me surprised and was cleverly done.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.