I really enjoyed the first few chapters but felt that it went downhill from there. I do enjoy slight bit of ridiculousness with cozy mysteries but this felt a bit too over the top for me.

Judith Potts at seventy-seven loves her life and her routines such as setting crosswords for The Times newspaper, swimming nude in the Thames, the odd glass of whisky, playing her grand piano when tipsy and riding her bike in town where everyone knows her. When she's swimming in the Thames one hot summer night, she hears yelling and a gunshot from her neighbour, Stefan Dunwoody's pad. The police make a token search but find nothing so Judith takes matters into her own hands and has a hunt around Stefan's property herself, finding his body. She knows he's been murdered but the police aren't taking the death of her neighbour seriously enough. The Marlow Murder Club is formed after Judith recruits Suzie Harris, a dog walker, and Becks Starling, the wife of the local vicar. Each woman brings their own special talents to the forefront and they start uncovering the dirt on the murder victim, then there is another death. Judith is a do-er with a logical mind so with the help of Suzie and Becks, they are going to crack the case.

Jammed with twists, there are so many plausible suspects with strong alibis. Red herrings are ripe and the club press on with their snooping despite the police, in particular DS Tanika Malik, warning them off the investigation, though she later requires their input. A fun read full of great hijinks and humour, I am already looking forward to book #2.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Intricate puzzles with many fair clues highlight this charming Christie-esque traditional mystery set in a small English village. Judith, our 70 something protagonist, is quite happy in her life and village with her routines and construction of crossword puzzles. When her neighbor dies, she begins to using her mental acuity to solve his murder, even though it was first declared an accident. Interesting characters populate the village and book.

I enjoyed this book way more than I anticipated. These characters are so different yet they mesh so well together.

Very entertaining and a cozy mystery. Yes I figured out most of the whodunnit but it didn’t matter one single bit. Usually it’s disappointing to figure it out but I didn’t care with this story because the characters were more important.

One thing that cracked me up was the because Judith mentioned travel sweets so often, I had to go and order a tin to see what they are!

Really liked the idea of this book - smart sassy older woman solving crimes with an eclectic group of sleuths but I felt the pacing was off and I just did not connect with story or characters. Others might really enjoy this - especially if you like the The Thursday Murder Club series - but not feeling this one personally. Thank you to NetGalley!

I thought this had a super cute premise. A cute old lady solving crime? sign me up.

Sadly, it felt super unrealistic to me. The ending was bonkers.

If you don’t mind that, you may like this. But it wasn’t for me.

Thanks to netgalley for a review copy!

The Marlow Murder Club is the first in a new series by Robert Thorogood, best known for A Death in Paradise produced by the BBC. This series is going to be a charming cozy mystery series set in England and features, first and foremost, a 77 year-old author of crossword puzzles. She was unique in many ways: she kept to herself in the huge old house she'd inherited from her great-aunt. Every evening she stripped out of all of her clothing, donned her multi-use, floor-length cape, and made her way to the river for an evening swim. One evening as she swam she heard a shot from the other side of the river at the home of her neighbor, Stefan Dunwoody. She tried to climb ashore but unable to and so returned home to call the police. After waiting 20 minutes someone arrived, gave the place a cursory walk-around, and left. That wouldn't do so the next day she thrust her punt across the water and checked herself. There, in a very unlikely spot, she found the body of Stefan, in the water, with a hole in his forehead. She called the police again. During the course of her investigation, Judith Potts was joined by two others: Becks Starling, the middle-aged, dissatisfied wife of the vicar, and Suzie Harris, a middle-aged dog walker who was all alone in life. Life was changing for the three of them and they bonded over that and the murders; yes, there were several now.

What a fabulous example of the genre as well as the traditional English mystery. Eventually the police asked for their help as they were making more progress than the inspectors. Only three inexperienced amateurs could solve this one. They each had their own, very divergent personalities but, whether they knew if or not, were each very much in need of a friend. Judith had a very logical, mathematical mind, so she thought everything through; Becks was more emotional and more conservative but was a quick thinker; Suzie knew everyone in Marlow and so had a never-ending stream of resources. They were a fabulous team that succeeded in solving these difficult murders. The police DS, Tanika Malik brought her own sets of talents and issues to the table. This was a terrific book. Well-written with insightful characterizations and a lovely setting. I look forward to more.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Marlow Murder Club by the Poisoned Pen Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #poisonedpenpress #robertthorogood #themarlowmurderclub

The Marlow Murder Club follows 77-year old Judith Potts, a crossword setter, who lives in a slightly fading mansion on the banks of the river Thames. Judith's mansion lies on the outskirts of the little town of Marlow and one thing her prestigious property offers is plenty of privacy. Therefore, Judith skinny dipping on a hot summer night generally goes unnoticed.

On one particular evening, as Judith is quietly swimming and enjoying the beauty of nature surrounding her, she hears a gunshot and sounds of distress come from her neighbor's property across the river. She's stunned and has no idea how to react. Did someone just murder Stefan Dunwoody? Judith alerts the police and watches their hasty search of the property. Rolling her eyes, Judith knows they'll find nothing.

So, she decides she needs to take matters into her own hands. As you do. Along the way she teams up with the vicar's wife, Becks Starling, as well as a free-wheeling local dog walker, Suzie Harris. Together the trio digs into not just Stefan's murder, but others that pop up along the way. Does Marlow have a real life serial killer on their hands?

The Marlow Murder Club gave me all the Cozy Mystery vibes I cherish, with a charming group of main characters to follow. I had so much fun reading this. This group of characters, Judith, Becks and Suzie, were well fleshed out, relatable and likable as heck. They're the type of people you can root for no matter how crazy their hijinks get. I am so looking forward to more in this series!!

There's not much more I can say about this. It's a ton of fun. It's a book that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a breath of fresh air. Seriously, when can I expect more?

Thank you so much to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I had an absolute blast. Judith Potts is definitely a new favorite heroine for me. I basically want to be her when I grow up; whiskey, skinny dipping, a mansion to herself and amateur murder investigation...sign me up!!!

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book because it was slow for me. I wish it was a bit more fast paced

I received an ARC of The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood, published by Poisoned Pen Press, via Netgalley in exchange for this honest review.

Judith Potts wants for nothing in her independent lifestyle. At seventy-seven years old, Judith loves her job as a crossword setter, busies herself with jigsaw puzzles and swimming in the Thames River, and keeps certain memories in her past well-buried. She’s perfectly happy. That is, until she discovers her neighbor with a bullet in his head. And this is only the beginning.

I absolutely adore this dream team of amateur sleuths made up of a crossword setter, a dog walker, and the vicar’s wife. And D.S. Tanika Malik as an honorary fourth member. These characters are well-developed, diverse in their motivations and backgrounds, and brilliantly supportive of each other. None of this surprises me because the book’s author, Robert Thorogood, is the creator of Death in Paradise, one of my favorite detective TV series. The storylines and characters in this TV series are rich in their complexity, so naturally The Marlow Murder Club would be no different.

The dialogue is sprinkled with clever theories and epiphanies. And the characters are wicked funny throughout. I loved the many positive examples of women supporting women, and their growing friendships feel extremely believable. This is a book to read for the characters as much as it is for the murder mystery.

Speaking of the mystery, Thorogood is certainly no amateur! Each time yet another person is found murdered, the plot thickens and our protagonists are forced to dig a little deeper. Admittedly, I predicted the solution quite early on, but I had no problem reading until the end to be sure I was correct. In 2022, I have read way more mysteries than I have in past years, so I am beginning to wonder if I am simply growing accustomed to the genre’s twists and turns. (1) I already bought my physical copy, (2) I will 100% be recommending this book to fellow mystery lovers, especially those who loved The Thursday Murder Club, and (3) I fully intend to return to Marlow if/when Thorogood invites us with a sequel!

A fantastic feel good thriller, with characters that just warm your heart. It was fast paced, and a relatively easy read. Reminded me very much of The Thursday Murder Club, which I loved.

love old fashioned murder mysteries, murder mysteries along the lines of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot or Ms Marple.
The Maslow Murder Club is one such novel. Our protagonist is a charming septarian, Judith, Who loves to skinny dip in the river behind her old mansion. On one such excursion, Judith witnesses the murder of her neighbour. So when the police doubt her story, she takes it upon herself to find out who committed the crime. Not because she was especially close to the victim, but because she loves a good puzzle. In fact, she creates cryptic crosswords for the newspaper. Judith has a way of finding the tiniest details and piecing them together to form a solution. Judith is joined by a free-spirited dog walker named Suzie and a prim and proper vicar’s wife named Becks. These three ladies find themselves in all sorts of predicaments on their way to solve the crime some of them deathly dangerous.
Thorogood’s novel is a sophisticated “whodunnit” that is charming and funny and thoroughly engaging. A great read to put on your summer reading list!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Within these pages, The Marlow Murder Club is born.

Judith Potts, a crossword puzzle creator is now 77 years old and enjoys skinny dipping in the Thames and a good glass of whiskey.

Suzie Harris, a single mother to children who are now adults, a grandmother, a dog walker, and a breath of fresh in Judith’s world,

Rebecca (Becks) Starling, the vicar’s wife, a little OCD, trying to be a good wife and mother to her 2 children, who meets Judith in an unusual way.

Judith hears a gunshot ring out during one of her nightly swims coming from her neighbor’s yard after she heard a shout. She calls the police but they do a cursory search and leave. So she goes to have a look of her own and finds her neighbor shot and dead. When the police return they would not even acknowledge the man had been murdered. Because “nothing ever happens in Marlow” Judith assumes the police are ill-equipped to handle a murder so she starts investigating on her own.

Then another man is killed and she realizes she is looking for a serial killer and with the clues found on the bodies there is going to be another murder soon. While doing her search Judith meets Suzie and Becks and together they set out to do what the police have failed to do – catch a killer before he turns the table on them.

I really enjoyed this group of female amateur sleuths. They are all different as night and day, have their own strengths and weaknesses, and appear to be willing to put their lives on the line to find the truth. They are some truly funny moments and some very scary ones too as these women refuse to give up.

Not all the women are strong in this story though. I was really disappointed in Detective Sergeant Tankia Malik. She was clearly over her head investigating these murders. So much so that she does an unusual thing even in the world of cozy mysteries. She turns all the reports and evidence over to Judith, Becks, and Suzie and basically becomes their lackey.

The mystery Mr. Thorogood put forth draws from a classic theme but was quite a puzzler, perfect for Judith, who has her own unique way of composing and solving clues. All the suspects have firm alibis but all three women felt they were on the right track. There were some nice twists and turns but I started to put things together a bit before they did and couldn’t wait to see how the story would play out. Well, let me tell you the ending was quite exciting. I am sure my blood pressure was on the rise as the story reached its climax. I do wish more of the solution had taken place on the page instead of Judith just telling us how all the clues came together but I am sure the author had a reason for wrapping up the mystery the way he did.

I was captivated by the setting of the story. Especially Judith’s mansion on the banks of the Thames, where she could slip out quietly for a bit of skinny dipping. But truly every scene in the story was described in a way to take readers right there. He made it very easy to escape into the town of Marlow and all it had to offer.

The Marlow Murder Club took me on quite a journey that now has me invested in the members of this unique club. There are some over-the-top sections and a good dose of humor but all in all the book was an entertaining and enjoyable read. Judith, Suzie, and Becks all evolved nicely. They became friends, overcame some personal obstacles, and became better people than we met at the start. That being said I think we have much more to learn about them. I am so happy to see there is another book featuring them in the works. Death Comes to Marlow is set to be released in November.

"On the left of the trio was the perfect housewife with he flicky hair, jeggings, and gilet; on the right, a solidly built oak of a woman who walked and dresses as if she were about to set sail with Long John Silver; and in-between them, the eccentric artisto who wasn't much taller than she was wide and who was wearing, as ever, her dark gray cape"

The Marlow Murder Club is at once an (extremely) over the top cozy mystery that keeps you guessing with every new murder (yes, there's more than one) and every piece of evidence coming to the fore, and a story of three unlikely heroines, forging an even more unlikely friendship as they try (willingly or somewhat reluctantly) to solve the case in front of them. One cannot help but fall in love with feisty and super-nosey Judith, supportive, yet suspicious Suzie, and hoping for something better in life, wife of the vicar Becks.

Half of the happenings in this book are less than likely to occur in real life, but somehow, I didn't really care about that, and was trying to puzzle along with Judith and her friends. I was engaged with the case, and was continuously looking forward to the mischief Judith, Suzie, and Becks would get up to in their hope to solve the murder of Judith's neighbor. The Marlow Murder Club makes for an enticing cozy mystery which has you both laughing out loud and crying a silent tear as each of the women finds something they were unknowingly looking for, be it more independence, or friendship.

Copaganda: Incredibly low for a cozy mystery, top-tier bumbling happening in this book.

Mystery factor: Middling. There are suspects! Red herrings! It's copied from a semi-famous murder mystery (Strangers on a Train), which is fine, honestly? It's a cozy mystery.

Sleuths: Old ladies doing incredibly, including a crossword constructor!

Coziness: Not as 'busy' as a lot of other cozy mystery books, which I was kind of into? It's been a really rough week for me and I really needed this.

The Marlow Murder Club has an engagingly different pair of amateur sleuths. Becks is a middle-aged vicar’s wife in the small rural English town of Marlow. She is frustrated with how her life is so structured and rule based. Judith Potts is a free-spirited crossword creator who doesn’t let her seventy-seven years on Earth stop her from doing anything.

Judith is swimming naked in the Thames outside her house when she hears a shout and a gunshot from her neighbor Stefan’s house. She calls the police, but they insist it was a suicide. Judith takes matters into her own hands. As Judith investigates, she befriends Becks. The police begin to investigate Stefan’s death only after a unique medallion is found on a second corpse matching the one found on Stefan. Will Judith and Becks solve the crime before the police? Or will the murderer kill them first?

I loved The Marlow Murder Club! It is such a fun read. All the clues are there though the numerous red herrings may trip up some readers. Best of all I love the characters. I wish I lived in Marlow so I could join their club. 5 stars and a favorite!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Robert Thorogood’s The Marlowe Murder club. All opinions are my own.

I have recently read several lovely and enjoyable murder mysteries featuring a cast of elderly detectives. I knew as soon as I read the description that I had to read The Marlowe Murder Club next. Judith is a seventy seven year old woman, living in a mansion on the Thames. She does not fit into the stereotypical expectation of an elderly person. She skinny dips, she drinks, she wears a cape (!), and she takes flack from no one. She is also sharp as a tack. During her nightly swim, she believes she overhears her neighbor’s murder. Of course she reports it, but the police department brushes her off. Well, Judith is not going to sit by and do nothing about the local police’s failure to take it seriously. She sets out to investigate herself, and soon forms a ragtag group dedicated to solving the murder.

I appreciated Thorogood’s characterization of our cast of characters. Judith was well drawn, she was fierce, and I admired her grit and determination. I also really enjoyed the setting, which was instantly intriguing. I did have some issues with the book; the police department’s bumbling and complete departure from normal protocol made it a bit hard to suspend disbelief. Also, the mystery was not much of a mystery, which means there was a decided lack of tension and suspense.

Ultimately, I felt the book held a lot of promise based on the premise, but it didn’t pan out to be as enjoyable as I’d hoped. More mystery, less cozy would be my hope for the next book.

A cozy mystery with a quirky cast of characters. This story lets us get to know three ladies from Marlow we happen upon a murder mystery in their sweet little town. We follow their hijinks as they disregard the local police who tells them not to get involved.

This was my first “Cozy” mystery story and it was a nice read. Easy to read and follow along although a little unrealistic in how things just seem to work out. It gave me very Scooby Doo “I would have got away with it if it wasn’t for you meddling kids” vibes. I thoroughly enjoyed that the book had kind of a wrap up at the end. I was very invested in the mystery unraveling and learning who-dun- it.

I think this book would be great for someone looking for a light, easy read.

Thanks Poisoned Pen Press & NetGalley giving me the opportunity to read this one early.

So this was my very first cozy mystery and I THOROUGHLY enjoyed it. The characters were fascinating, over the top and absolutely hilarious. And I loved going on this adventure with them!

I loved that the main three were all eccentric older women. They were an absolute delight and I’m so glad this will be a series! I can’t wait to follow them on many more adventures.

Because this is a cozy mystery, you definitely have to ~suspend some disbelief throughout (especially when it came to the police involvement). Plus the writing was more on the simple side but I’m guessing that’s part of the cozy mystery atmosphere? Normally that would’ve distracted me but I was having too much fun with this story to care.

Anyway. My only real problem with this book was the ending. The big ~twist is very similar to a famous twist from a classic mystery novel/film (it's literally Strangers on a Train) and if you’re at all familiar with that story, you’ll see this one coming from a mile away (as I did). So I was a bit disappointed by the unoriginality there.

But other than that, I really enjoyed this one and I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Judith is a 77-year old…a septuagenarian (please don’t ever ask me to pronounce that) who likes to relax in the evening by drinking scotch and swimming naked in the Thames River. On top of that, she also creates crossword puzzles for the newspaper. On top of THAT, it turns out she also may be good at solving crimes.

When Judith’s neighbor is shot dead, the police don’t immediately jump to action. So she decides to start digging around to find out what happened. Soon after, she questions Suzie, a dog walker, and Becks, the wife of a Vicar. Before you know it, they join her on the quest for truth as more murders occur.

With a cop named Tanika who reluctantly asks the women to assist in the case, can these ladies solve it before one of them dies?

If you’re like me, you’re instantly thinking that this is a rip-off of The Thursday Murder Club. I can’t help but think that’s where part of the author’s inspiration came from. However, whether I’m right or wrong, this one is enjoyable on its own merits and so much fun! The similarities end after the basics.

I loved getting to know all of these fun characters, and chuckled throughout. It’s on the cozy side, but there is definitely a worthy mystery filled with plenty of suspects and red herrings.

The charm doesn’t come from the mystery itself, but from the spunky and smart ladies who are trying to solve it.

Even if the denouement is a bit contrived and OTT, the book is a hoot, and I can’t wait to read the sequel…which will be out towards the end of the year.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a widget through Early Reads. Available now.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com