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.

Another cosy installment of the Marlow Murder Club but one which felt just a little bit flat. The plot itself was good with a locked room mystery but we usually follow the main characters lives more. I felt that there were parts of the book that could have been expanded on which would have made it more enjoyable.

These books just keep getting better and better and we get more excited about the arrival of the next new book. Completely addictive, read by all of the family from the teens upwards. Love them, more please.

I was so excited to be given the chance to read this instalment! Love this series so much… it wouldn’t be a spoiler to tell you the gang reunite due to murder in Marlow. This book has the humour I loved from the other books along with the charm and love for the characters. I did however feel it was a little slower in places but I think that was just because it’s part of a series. It’s can be read as a stand alone which I thought was a strong positive! This did not stop me from reading it! Would of course recommend this book!!!

I was so excited to get this latest instalment of the Marlowe series and it really didn’t disappoint. It was great to get back with Judith, Susie and Becks on the trip of a murderer. I loved the plot and was banking on a very different solution than the one given but once it was revealed it still seemed plausible and realistic. The actual end is somewhat of a cliffhanger paving the way for the next book in the series and I can’t wait.

Another enjoyable book in the series, following the adventures of our investigating threesome. The mystery was interesting, but did go very slow and dull in parts, which is why I can’t in all good conscience give it full marks, however when it got to the last hour of the book, it suddenly ramped up and became very interesting.

I really love this series and was thrilled to get my hands on this instalment at the start of my holiday - perfect timing!!!

In this, the fourth book in The Marlow Murder Club series, Oliver Beresford, the director of the local amateur dramatics group, is found murdered after a cruise on the Marlow Belle. Once again, it’s up to the fabulous trio Judith, Suzie, and Becks to solve the case!

As always, there’s plenty of twists, humour, and red herrings throughout and whilst this can be read as a stand-alone, I would recommend starting from the first book in the series to get the full Marlow experience.

I didn't mind this instalment in the series, but I wouldn't say I was fully engaged. The murder and the set up was lovely, complex, and interwoven plots and characters, but the three leading ladies felt a bit flat, and I didn't like the subplots at all.

I didn't understand the timeline. It threw me, like a flamboyant director off a boat. On one hand, this felt like it had been done over a few days with the three Marlow-teers moving from suspect to suspect to question them. The play had to be sorted in about 2 weeks, which tied in with this timeline. But then there was this random and totally shoehorned in plot about Hugo, which seemed to take weeks from start to end. How did they raise so much money in two weeks? And Becks or Colin even said at one pont, 'you’ve missed a few weeks', suggesting the whole thing went over at least a month? Maybe it was just my perception, but this subplot was jarring, almost entirely irrelevant, and put me at odds with the main plot in terms of timeline.

Similarly, the DS Arsehole storyline featured quite heavily as a plot point but had no resolution or progression in this book.

So in all, I loved the main plot, and the Orient Express inspired multiple suspects on transport trope, but I felt that the characters and the subplots fell flat.

This is the first book in the series for me and as such I wish i had read the previous 3 although was able to read as a stand alone
I enjoyed the characters and the story but didn’t 100% gel with the writing style
I would recommend though for anyone who really enjoys this genre

4.5 stars. The 4th instalment of this very enjoyable series and just as enjoyable as the first.

This time, our three amateur sleuths - 79 year old Judith, Suzie, a middle aged dog walker and part time DJ, and Becks, the local vicar’s wife - are warned by the police to stay out of the investigation into the murder of Oliver, director of the local am dram society. As always, however, these three are way ahead of the police.

The action takes place in and around Marlow, a fairly wealthy town on the Thames, not far from London and most of the characters are in some way connected to the Marlow Amateur Dramatics Society. It is in many ways a formulaic cosy murder mystery - events and characters are all rather unlikely - but it’s very well done. There are plenty of red herrings throughout and I certainly didn’t guess who the murderer was before s/he (no spoilers here!) was revealed.

This is a better series than Richard Osman’s IMO although there are many similarities. I’ll definitely be watching out for the next in the series as this book finishes on a real cliffhanger and I want to know what happens.

With thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a review copy.

I absolutely adored this.

Disclaimer - I'm a huge fan of Robert Thorogood. I love Death in Paradise and I have loved the entirety of the Marlow Murder Club series.

Do you know why I love this? I love the crew; the crew that weren't even friends at the start of this series but have truly grown to love each other - and I love each of them dearly. This series truly warms my heart. It is just really good storytelling based on loveable characters and truly intriguing plots. I love visiting Marlow. I read this book in a day and honestly what a thrilling read. Also, kudos to Thorogood because I didn't actually work out the murderer this time.

I look forward to the Marlow Murder Club #5 and of course the TV adaptation of this fantastic novel.

***advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***
Robert Thorogood knows murder - or, how to write it at least. The fourth instalment in the Marlowe murder series, and it’s a banger from start to finish. As ever, the plot is tight and moves along at a pace - there’s nothing here that’s filler, or not important in some way to the plot - exactly how a good murder mystery should be. I look forward to more from Marlowe in the future.

I am delighted that Judith, Becks and Susie are back to solve a fourth mystery. When Verity’s husband, Oliver, goes missing, she turns to Judith to help her find her missing husband. Soon, however, the missing person case turns into a murder when Oliver turns up dead in the river, with two bullet holes in him! As our three amateur detectives set out to help Tanika solve the murder (unofficially of course….) they stumble across so many suspects that each have a reason to want Oliver dead……. And all of them were on The Marlow Belle when Oliver was shot.
A fabulous, quick to read cosy murder mystery full of twists and turns, and more suspects than you can shake a stick at. Robert Thorogood does not disappoint and I am keeping my fingers crossed for a fifth book in the series.

Cosy crime at its most far fetched best. Great edition to the series these novels are light heated with a deadly dark humour I love the fact the three main characters are women of various ages and backgrounds but somehow come together to make a formidable team. The books follow a fairly formulaic plot but they still mange to feel fresh and unique. While not as clever as similar novels they stand strong among the genre. Thank you for the ARK it was great fun to catch up with the three Marples.

Murder On The Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood is a fabulous contemporary cosy crime novel that gripped me from the start. It is the fourth book in The Marlow Murder Club series but can be read as a stand-alone.
I enjoyed meeting up with familiar faces – the trio of women who are amateur super sleuths. On the surface they look quite ordinary but underneath – the seventy-nine-year-old, middle-aged lady and the vicar’s wife – have the extraordinary capacity to sniff out and solve murders!
Like the fictional Miss Marple, the three are relentless in their pursuit of the solution to the crime. They are the thorns in the side of local police woman Tanika – although she secretly approves and appreciates their puzzle solving abilities.
We follow some amateur dramatic actors following the murder of one of their own. No one seems to have been able to commit the crime but everyone has a motive – who could it be? Is the truth stranger than fiction?
The three leading ladies are a formidable team. They all have unique qualities and work well together. Their friendship proves that together they are stronger.
Murder On The Marlow Belle is a marvellous cosy crime novel. It is an entertaining read that engaged me from the start. The characters are wholesome and likable as the reader follows them throughout.
Knowing that The Marlow Murder Club is soon to be a television series brings joy to my heart and I cannot wait!
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

A very welcomed 4th instalment of Judith, Becks and Suzies story. The trio are faced with news to keep away from the crime solving but what happens when you get dragged in? Judith is an iconic bad bitch of a lady in her 70s, as we know and this book proves that again.

However, Thorogood, you had me panicking here and I did not like the worry from around 1/4 of the way through! (No spoilers)

Citizen advisors to the police are still citizens right? Either way there is no stopping Judith, talking to people and finding answers. This was a chaotic, for all the right reasons, journey to find the answers to the case and ends in a true Robert Thorogood reveal.

An absolute honour to receive this ARC, from my favourite author. Thank you HQ and NetGalley ♡

Another cosy mystery by the talented Mr Thorogood! If you are a fan of the tv series “Death in Paradise” you’ll love this series of books featuring three friends, Judith, Suzie and Becks. As ever the end where all is revealed including an ingenious murder is excellent when Judith recounts how the death occurred. This is the same format as the “ Death in Paradise” endings- very Agatha Christie.
In this case the death is that of a bombastic amateur dramatics director, Oliver, who is murdered on a pleasure boat on the Thames. Other Dramatic committee members on the boat, including his wife, Verity, are all suspects. There is also a famous film star on board who is visiting Marlow. They all claim innocence but who is telling the truth? All have reason to dislike him but is this enough to commit murder?
I really liked the characters of the three sleuths, particularly the extremely clever Judith who manages to work out a very complicated murder. She is definitely the star of the show.
Bex is having trouble with her daughter’s new boyfriend from uni, pleasant on the surface but she feels there is something not quite right about him. This forms the basis of a subplot and helps Judith to solve the main mystery.
The book ended with a fantastic cliff hanger, obviously setting the scene for the next book and I am now awaiting its arrival, seriously hoping it won’t be too long.
I’ve read the previous books and although this one can be read as a stand alone I would suggest reading the previous books as they really set the scene.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.