Queen of Poisons is the third installment of the Marlow Murder Club series. It's another whacky venture into police investigations that would never happen in real life. Sometimes, that is okay, but it's starting to feel contrived in this series. The author lets the three club members get coopted into a murder investigation by the reigning investigator. That allows the Murder Clubmates access to potential suspects. But it has become too over the top this time.

This installment's plot, escapades, and ultimate conclusion were too unbelievable. I found my eyes rolling way too much. Everyone is a suspect, and Suzie jumps to conclusions in every other paragraph. I could do without this character altogether. I enjoy Judith and Becks much better.

Reading this book, I had a delightful 'ah ha' moment. The narrative seemed oddly familiar, reminiscent of a British TV mystery I adore, Death in Paradise. It turns out the author is the creator of that very series. How did I miss this connection? Regardless, my preference still leans towards Death in Paradise.

I'll keep reading this series—or at least number 4 if it is published. The concept is good, the writing is fine, and I hope for a better plot next time.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for a review.

"The Marlow Murder Club is on the hunt for a killer...

Geoffrey Lushington, Mayor of Marlow, dies suddenly during a town council meeting. When traces of aconite - also known as the queen of poisons - are found in his coffee cup, the police realize he was murdered. But who did it? And why?

The police bring Judith, Suzie, and Becks in to investigate the murder as civilian advisors right from the start, so they have free rein to interview suspects and follow the evidence to their heart's content...which is perfect because Judith has no time for rules and standard procedure. But this case has the Marlow Murder Club stumped. Who would want to kill the affable mayor of Marlow? How did they even get the poison into his coffee? And is anyone else in danger? The Marlow Murder Club is about to face their most difficult case yet..."

Time to get to know the Marlow Murder Club before their television debut!

Robert Thorogood is quickly becoming one of my must-buy authors. This is a book for fans of the Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman. The three sharp and humorous females of a certain age protagonists are just right in this cozy mystery, which is third in a series, but a fine stand alone. His writing keeps getting better and better.

Judith, Suzie and Becks are back at it after Suzie attends a town council meeting and witnesses a murder. From there, the three concoct ways to become involved and the fun ensues as they interview witnesses, add up the facts and finally find the killer. Quite a fun and fast-paced romp.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley & HQ Publishing for an eARC ♥️


First off, I love a good whodunit, and this one definitely delivers. The story starts with a bang - or should I say, a poisoned cup of coffee? The Mayor of Marlow, Geoffrey Lushington, meets his untimely demise during a Town Council meeting, and it's up to Judith, Suzie, and Becks to figure out who did it.

These three ladies are the Marlow Murder Club, and they're not your average detectives. They're civilian advisors, which means they get to bend the rules and follow their instincts. I loved their quirky personalities and how they worked together to solve the case.

The plot is full of twists and turns, and I was kept guessing until the very end. I mean, who wouldn't want to kill the mayor? But seriously, the suspects are many, and the motives are complex.

What I liked most about this book is its lighthearted tone. It's a cozy mystery that's perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. The writing is engaging, and the characters are relatable and fun.

It's a fun and easy read that'll keep you entertained until the very end. So grab a cup of coffee (make sure it's not poisoned!) and dive in!

I love love love this series. I’m not sure how many more murders can happen in Marlow but I hope there are many more instalments. Judith, Beck and Suzie are such likeable characters! Every time I think I know the twist Judith just shows me I have no idea

2.5 rounded up

I recently learned that The Marlow Murder Club was originally pitched as a TV series. Upon rejection, Thorogood published it as a novel, and now due to the book's success, it is a TV series. Now knowing this, it explains why this last book felt so completely like it was written for TV. There is a lot of telling as opposed to showing, and moments that feel as if they would work better when seen as opposed to when described.

Whereas I still enjoyed spending time with Judith, Suzie, and Becks, I felt like they were given way too much free reign. When the mayor of Marlow is murdered, they are taken on as citizen's advisors to the police, and from there they can do pretty much whatever they want. I am fine with stretching belief if I feel like it makes the story more enjoyable, but there were too many over-the-top moments in this book for it to work for me.

Unlike the first two books in this series which I enjoyed far more, this one felt more phoned in. It was definitely the weakest of the bunch. Not totally sure I'll be continuing with this series.

I'd like to thank Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third in a series that I really enjoy. As someone who grew up on Murder, She Wrote, the Marlow Murder Club series feels like it falls in the same vein. We once again follow our 3 main protagonists as they try to solve the murder of the well-liked Mayor. Motive is hard to find for murdering him, but this time around they have been granted special police-access in order to aid in the investigation.

If you've ready the previous 2 in the series, this will surely not disappoint.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is the third book in screenwriter/novelist Thorogood’s Marlow Murder series, and the trio of unlikely ‘senior’ sleuths—the opportunistic 50-something dog-walker and would-be entrepreneur Suzie, the legalistic crossword puzzle designer Judith, and the unprepossessing but astute vicar’s wife Becks, are once again inadvertently involved in a highly unusual murder case. The long-time village mayor Geoffrey Lushington, described as ‘a jolly gnome,’ benevolent, civic minded, and seemingly without an enemy in Marlowe or anywhere else, has died suddenly. He fell unconscious at a routine town council meeting after taking one fateful sip of coffee. Moreover, Suzie had attended the meeting in hopes of identifying the councillor most likely to be pressured into authorizing her latest money-making scheme—building a Japanese-style pod hotel in her backyard. But she got nowhere near implementing even that plan, because the meeting was never called to order thanks to a councillor’s lateness.

The smart but sympathetic Marlow chief detective, Tanika Malik, also features in this series. This time around, clever Tanika preempts the trio’s propensity for getting in the police department’s way by immediately appointing them official Civilian Advisors, a non-existent but pragmatic category.

So begins an intriguing, engaging, and comical take on the classic ‘locked room’ mystery. Someone at that meeting did away with the mayor. In front of the entire council and Suzie. Yet it is by no means apparent how, much less why. Did they all love him as much as they professed? As the trio, led by the no-holds-barred Judith, quickly find out, every single member of the inner circle, and a few of his outer circle too, had had recent disagreements and disappointments that concerned him. Carefully, though rarely conventionally, they uncover a trail of disputes that belie his ‘hail fellow well met’ demeanour. But which of these might lead his friends and colleagues to kill him?
Although this is the third book in the series—and likely not the last—the novel stands well alone, but, as always, is a ‘fuller’ read when the characters and setting have been layered on by the earlier books. The characters are friendly, identifiable women, but each is different enough to make herself unique. Not much really happens, since the crime takes place in the first few pages in view of witnesses, but neither is the resolution a quick guess. The writing is crisp and clear, with the author’s screenwriting skills—he writes the British series ‘Death in Paradise’—coming through in brisk sentences and chapters. I just discovered that he has adapted the Marlowe mysteries for TV (PBS in North America) and this is very good news!

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC of the book.

Three friends Judith, Suzie and Becks are back with a new murder to investigate. This time Suzie was the one to witness the death of the Mayor of Marlow during a town council.

I love the Marlow Murder Club and their cases. Besides the main story line (murder) we get to know the trio better and their personal problems.

Suzie has a new hustle that she is hoping to get approved through the planning committee in Marlow and decided to attend a meeting prior to putting in her proposal. The meeting just gets started when one of the committee members, Marlow's mayor, Geoffrey Lushington, drops dead. Suzie first calls her friends Judith and Becks, then calls the police. DI Tanika bring the trio in once more as civilian advisors to try to figure out who would want to kill the kind and popular mayor.

Full of twists, turns, and dry humor, the newest Marlow Murder Club book did not disappoint.

3.75 stars

The unlikely crime-solving trio of Becks, Judith and Suzie have returned. They differ in life situations, attitudes and skill sets but their combined brains get them to the finish line.

These are fun and readable if you can overlook the preposterous idea that their local constabulary invites their help and provides them with police credentials to go snooping around.

When a local town official drops dead at a planning meeting, it turns out Suzie is on the scene so the curiosity of the three is definitely sparked. Given that there were only a few people in the room with opportunity, there is a finite list of suspects. They look for motives and past secrets and links and discover planty.

There is lots of character development from the previous books: Becks, once a shy and put-upon vicar's wife, has had her consciousness raised and become more assertive. Judith, while still her pushy and forthright self, has some moments of self-realization that force her to take stock of her life. And the indomitable Suzie takes a look at herself to see if she is happy with who she is. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Queen of Poisons picks right back up with septuagenarian Judith and her cohorts Suzie and Becks following yet another suspicious death in Marlow, in this third installment of the Marlow Murder Club Mystery series. I absolutely love this series, it’s so fun and cozy…. and deadly. This book revolves around a suspicious death at a town council meeting and the intricate investigation until we discover our whodunnit, told with the same quick wit and plucky resolve we’ve come to love from this series.

Every year, I find myself getting excited for a new story with the Marlow Murder Club and every year, I'm not disappointed.

I went into this story with so much excitement. I love these characters and their witty banter amongst each other. This book felt a little different. Not by much but it read a little different which didn't take me out of the story at all. It was a kind of a breath of fresh air with these characters. This time around, the murder was centered around someone being poisoned. And when I tell you the steady drip of clues that were being dropped as I was reading this kept me from never wanting to put the book down was an understatement. I loved this book so much. I hope we get plenty more stories from these ladies, it's such a delight every year!

This was a great book! Robert does a really good job writing female characters. One of my favorite new series. The only críquets is that the character of Marian felt unnecessary and forced.

3.5 stars, rounded down
The Queen of Poisons is the third in the Marlow Murder Club series. While I enjoyed this, I found it the weakest of the three books.
This time, Geoffrey Lushington, the mayor of Marlow, dies during the town council meeting. Suzie is attending the meeting as an observer. It’s apparent that Geoffrey died from poison in his coffee cup. DI Tanika Malik has given up trying to fight the murder club and asks the three ladies to work as civilian advisors. I felt it beggared belief that the ladies would be granted free reign to interview suspects on their own. The women focus on the individuals present at the time. As they investigate, they learn that everyone has a motive but no one appears to have had the means. The story was too convoluted, with the elimination of each of the possible suspects. It also meant there had to be a LONG explanation at the end as to why the murderer killed the mayor.
The ladies remain enjoyable main characters and we also continue to get glimpses into their personal lives. Of most interest is Beck’s insufferable mother-in-law coming to live with them. Beck's attempts to extract her from their life is the main source of humor in this book.
The book would work as a standalone but I still recommend reading the series in order.
Thorogood’s background as a tv writer (Death in Paradise) means his writing is crisp with easy to envision scenes.
My thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Books for an advance copy of this book.
As an aside, PBS is turning the first book into a tv series and I look forward to watching it.

cozy-crime, situational-humor, verbal-humor, local-law-enforcement, local-gossip, amateur-sleuth, small-town, sleuthing-seniors, friends, friendship, friction, whodunit, England, secrets, lies, mystery, murder-witness, murder-investigation, cooperation, local-politics, organize, unputdownable*****

Done in by Wolfsbane in plain sight.
The informal Marlow Murder Club reunites as Judith Potts (who still swims naked in the Thames at 78), dogwalker Suzie Harris (AKA The Witness) and the vicar’s wife Becks Starling with the help of now DI Tanika Malik are once again involved in a Death Investigation. This time it's the mayor, by poison, at the Town Council meeting. Their investigation turns up more clues and more suspects in this tongue-in-cheek delightful mystery. Well worth reading!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I don't typically consider "cosy" mysteries to be intelligent, clever, laugh out loud delightfully intelligent mysteries, but this book is exactly that, and it is 100% enjoyable.

This story is so SMART, and perfect for a lover of words and mysteries.

This group of clever friends make solving the most clever mystery easy; it is in the details we realize the many intricate details and working parts that are included, and this book is a delight, in so many aspects.

Robert Thorogood gets better with every book, and the Queens of Poisons" is truly outstanding...

This humble reader rates it an enthusiastic 5 stars.

A solid entry in a charming series. I really enjoy how very different our three sleuths are, and the clever puzzles this series always pulls out.

The gang is back with more murder, more witty asides and more quirky plots. This time the beloved city Mayor had been found dead, and while there are suspects, none seem especially likely, although all have a secret. The plots twists and turns as expected and the conclusion is nicely packaged.

I really like to spend time with Robert Thorogood’s characters. Judith, Suzie, and Becks are good friends and their adventures as well as their thought processes are what make this series so enjoyable. The Queen of Poisons is the third book featuring these three women and their ability to solve crimes. Specifically, murder. What starts out as a fairly straight-forward investigation morphs into something more involved, with a multitude of suspects who have secrets they’re trying to protect.

This book has the characteristics of a cozy mystery. No swearing or gory crime scenes. But, it’s much more complex than many cozies and the dialogue and descriptions are very well done. After getting to know these three amateur sleuths, I’ve decided I want to be their neighbor. They live in a charming English village and give each other the support they need, while having the best adventures. They’re definitely on my neighbor list.

Thank you, Mr Thorogood. The Queen of Poisons is an excellent entry in the Marlow Murder Club Mystery series and I’m already looking forward to your next book. NetGalley provided an advance copy.