Judith Potts’ daily swim in the Thames is cut short after an encounter with a dead duck and an angry swan. That is why she was home to receive a call from Sir Peter Bailey inviting her to a party celebrating his impending wedding. Judith had recently solved a murder with her friends Becks and Suzie. She jokingly asks if he expects someone to be murdered. Before the party is over, Sir Peter is found dead in his study. Pinned under a cabinet, the room was locked and he had the only key in his pocket. Olive oil on the door hinges, a container from the oil wiped clean of fingerprints and Judith’s natural suspicions having her declare that this is a murder. Her suspicions are reinforced when Sir Peter’s will is missing from his safe. DS Tanika Malik is unsure, but when her superior takes over he declares it an accident. Judith once again gathers Becks and Suzie to investigate.

Judith first befriended Suzie, a dog sitter, and Becks, the vicar’s wife, in The Marlow Murder Club. She is a crossword setter, submitting her work to periodicals and spending her time solving puzzles. There is no better group to solve a locked room mystery than these three friends. Robert Thorogood is the creator of Death in Paradise, which has charmed viewers for years. He presents that same pattern of quirky characters, murder and a conclusion that explains all of the clues found in the story in Death Comes to Marlow. If you are a fan of the show you will fall in love with the women of Marlow. I would like to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing this book for my review.

The Marlow Murder Club is back, and this time, they're investigating a literal locked room mystery.

When Judith, Becks, and Suzie find themselves at a Thames-side mansion celebrating the forthcoming nuptials of Sir Peter Bailey, they are expecting champagne and canapés and the chance to hobnob with Marlow's elite. What they aren't expecting is a resounding crash to come from the locked study, or to discover Sir Peter Bailey crushed to death beneath a heavy cabinet inside. The police are calling it an accident, but Judith and her friends are convinced it was murder.

I'm selective about my cozy mysteries; it's not a genre I often read, but Judith stole my heart in the first few pages of The Marlow Murder Club, and I couldn't wait to read more of her misadventures in this second entry of the series. I think I enjoyed Death Comes to Marlow even more than the first book.

The mystery is clever, with lots of well-placed clues and red herrings, but it's the characters that really make these books special for me. Judith, the septuagenarian crossword setter with a penchant for scotch; Suzie, the brusque dog-walker-turned-radio-host whose unconventional investigative methods are surprisingly effective; and Becks, the vicar's wife who has a very specific, useful middle-class skill set. Together, they are an unstoppable force that kept me laughing and on my toes for the entire book.

Recommended for fans of Agatha Christie and cozy mystery aficionados, the Marlow Murder Club books are clever, character-driven mysteries with an endearing trio of amateur sleuths at their heart. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the advance reading opportunity.

Judith, Suzie, and Becks, our trio of unlikely crime solvers, are back at it again in Death Comes to Marlow, the second installment in the Marlow Murder Club series. Judith is a crossword word setter in her seventies, Suzie is a laidback dog walker, and Becks is the proper housewife of the village vicar. After helping the local police solve a triple homicide last year, they find themselves caught up in another round of suspicious deaths.

The characters of Marlow, and this series, continue to grow on me. While I had an inkling as to what was really going on in the case at the heart of Death Comes to Marlow pretty early on, I enjoyed the banter of the ladies and their deepening friendship with each other and Tanika, one of the local detectives, as they worked to solve the mysterious death of Sir Peter. The locked room murder was an interesting premise as well!

A lighter mystery with a nod to crossword puzzles, I'd recommend this to readers who enjoy lighter mysteries, cozy mysteries, or British mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read for review. All opinions are my own.

Oh, my word! Let me tell you, folks, the second installment of the Marlow Murder Club series had me on the edge of my seat, grinning like a Cheshire cat! I'm giving it a sparkling 4 out of 5 stars, complete with a confetti shower!✨ This book is pure magic, with a sprinkle of quirkiness that'll make your heart dance a jig.

Now, let's talk about Judith, Becks, and Susie. These three gals are an absolute riot! Picture this: a skinny-dipping, whiskey-sipping crossword puzzle author, a vicar's wife who knows how to bring the party, and a dogwalker who's got the sniffer skills of a Sherlock Holmes. Talk about an unlikely trio that'll steal your heart faster than you can say "murder mystery!"

In this latest escapade, our fearless gang finds themselves smack dab in the middle of a mind-boggling country house whodunit. It's like Clue, but with a twist of lemon and a dash of cleverness! The holiday cheer turns into January doldrums when Sir Peter Bailey, the bigwig of Marlovians, invites the crème de la crème to his mansion for a pre-wedding shindig. And of course, our beloved Judith can't resist the lure of free champagne and adventure, just a hop, skip, and a jump up the Thames.

But hold on to your teacups, because things take a wild turn! Mid-celebration, a crash echoes through the house, bringing the merriment to a screeching halt. And what do you know? The poor groom-to-be meets an untimely demise in his locked study. The police reckon it's a cut-and-dry suicide, but our trio isn't convinced so easily!

Prepare for a rollercoaster ride of wit, charm, and laugh-out-loud moments as Judith, Becks, and Susie put their heads together to unravel this baffling puzzle. With each turn of the page, you'll be itching to play detective alongside these fabulous ladies. Believe me, darlings, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good ol' whodunit spiced up with delightful female camaraderie.

So, grab your magnifying glass, your favorite cozy blanket, and settle in for a merry murder mystery that'll have you giggling and gasping in equal measure. The Marlow Murder Club is back, and they're ready to solve crimes and steal hearts, one puzzle piece at a time!

EXCERPT: Ian had grown up in Marlow, had moved away some years ago, but had wanted to bring his wife Mandie and their two young children back to show them some of the favourite haunts from his childhood. This included the delightful spot on the river where he'd spent so many happy days bird watching.
It was just as Ian was pointing out the exact tree stump where he'd once seen not one but two kingfishers that a naked seventy-eight year old woman climbed out of the river right in front of him and his family, ran a few paces along the bank - her entire body oscillating wondrously - before she threw off a flamboyant salute as she jumped back into the river, her legs tucked up under her so she could bomb back into the water with a massive splash.

ABOUT 'DEATH COMES TO MARLOW': It’s been an enjoyable and murder-free time for Judith, Suzie and Becks – AKA the Marlow Murder Club – since the events of last year. The most exciting thing on the horizon is the upcoming wedding of Marlow grandee, Sir Peter Bailey, to his nurse, Jenny Page. Sir Peter is having a party at his grand mansion on the river Thames the day before the wedding, and Judith and Co. are looking forward to a bit of free champagne.

But during the soiree, there’s a crash from inside the house, and when the Marlow Murder Club rush to investigate, they are shocked to find the groom-to-be crushed to death in his study.

The study was locked from the inside, so the police don’t consider the death suspicious. But Judith disagrees. As far as she's concerned, Peter was murdered! And it’s up to the Marlow Murder Club to find the killer before he or she strikes again…

MY THOUGHTS: Judith is so much more adventurous than I. I won't swim in anything other than a heated pool, let alone naked in the Thames in the depths of winter!

I was so pleased to see this trio of ladies back, along with acting DI Tanika Malik. Three women of varying ages and different social backgrounds have been brought together by their sense of social justice and a certain amount of noseyness. Although Tanika repeatedly keeps telling the indefatigable trio to stay out of police business, they repeatedly inveigle their way into the investigation, and then after a change in circumstances Tanika finds herself asking for their help.

Very soon after Sir Peter's death, an idea occurred to me - 'What if . . .?' which eventually turned out to be correct. I had the who right, but had no idea about the how.

Judith is my favourite character. She can be quite overbearing and autocratic, but she has an amazingly sharp and inventive mind honed by both solving and compiling cryptic crosswords.

This mystery is evenly paced and cleverly plotted, with scattered pockets of humour. The characters are every bit as fresh as they were the first time around and there are two subplots interwoven with the main one involving Suzie's career, and Beck, the vicar's wife, keeping a secret.

Death Comes to Marlow is an entertaining and absorbing read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.4

#DeathComestoMarlow #NetGalley

I: @robertthorogoodwriter @poisonedpenpress

T: @PPPress

#contemporaryfiction #cosymystery #crime #familydrama
#mystery

THE AUTHOR: Robert Thorogood is an English screenwriter. He is best known as the creator of the BBC 1 Murder Mystery Series, Death in Paradise.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood, for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

My first book by this author and how intriguing to find that he also writes one of my favourite TV shows, Death in Paradise. I loved the way this book started with septuagenarian Judith wild swimming in the nude in the River Thames. Amazing.

Judith and her friends Suzie and Becks make up the Marlow Murder Club and pretty soon they come up against a murder to investigate when the bridegroom at a pre wedding party is found dead under a large piece of furniture. It is a locked room mystery but this does not put Judith off at all and they set to work on finding out who did it and how.

I loved the characters and enjoyed the story and the way the author kept the book going at a smart pace so that the pages practically turned themselves. I will now have to go back and read the first book!

Good follow up to book 1! I enjoyed the antics of our trio and it’ll be interesting to see how things play out with the police return. As always, Suzie annoyed me a tad, but I like that the Reverend is always so supportive even if he has no clue.

Judith has been enjoying her post-murder mystery life to the best of her ability. However, fate seems to have other plans for her. First she gets into a fight with a swan while on her morning swim, then she gets invited to Sir Peter Bailey’s pre-wedding party. Judith has never actually met Sir Peter, so it’s certainly a random invite, but she attends the party only to be one of the many guests out and about when he’s crushed by a cabinet. One thing leads to another and Judith finds herself on the hunt for the killer when she and her two friends, Suzie and Becks, are the only ones who think Sir Peter was murdered.

After reading the first book in the series, I was very excited when I saw that a second installment was on the way. We continue to follow Judith, a 77-year-old crossword setter and now amateur sleuth. Through her, we also follow her two new friends, Suzie and Becks. I really enjoyed Judith, Becks, and Tanika. The three are very different characters at a range of different ages who are extremely interesting in their own ways. I really hope to learn more about Tanika as the series goes on since she’s not in Judith’s friend group… yet! Though, I think that she is in a way and I love how Judith, Becks, and Suzie have grown protective over her.

However, I found that Suzie was pretty annoying this time around. I hope that Suzie finds her footing because it seemed that she rarely held even half of the shared brain cell, and not in a fun way. I thought she was funny in the first book, but she was grating on my nerves this time around. However, she was pretty cool on the radio show she volunteers at, so I hope that we see a little more of the Suzie that we got to know back in the first book as the series continues.

The mystery itself is a pretty interesting one. I wasn’t sure who the killer was for a while, and then once I had come to my own conclusions, I later learned I was half right. I was so sure the other party was a red herring, but all the signs were there all book long, so it all makes sense. I also loved seeing Judith and her friends run their investigation with Tanika’s support. There is one major detail in the murder mystery that makes absolutely no sense to me, but I don’t want to spoil the story, so I’m not going to go into details. However, it is the only detail that doesn’t make sense while everything else sounds plausible.

There is another mystery plot that was interesting, and that’s the secret messages in the crossword puzzles that Judith has noticed while solving. I think it was a fun storyline, but it was out of place in the book. I think it might’ve made more sense in a different book or if the details had something to do with the main mystery that Judith is working to solve. While I do think that the crossword puzzle mystery was ultimately pretty cute, it was sadly out of place and made me feel like I changed the channel mid-movie.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and had a lot of fun reading it. The story gets rolling right away and we get to know a little more about each of the core characters while learning a lot about the new characters that entered the picture. Suzie was getting on my last nerve at times and the crossword puzzle side plot was out of place, but otherwise, I enjoyed reading this and look forward to where the series goes next.

The trio of unlikely friends return in Death Comes To Marlow, the sequel to The Murder Marlow Club, to solve another murder. It has been a year since a chain of grisly murders occurred in the sleepy town of Marlow, but surprise surprise, a murderer strikes again!

Judith Potts is invited by Sir Peter to his pre-wedding soirée the day before he is due to marry his nurse and fiancée, Jenny. However, he is found deceased in his study with the door locked from the inside and the only key to the room found inside his pocket. How ever could this be?

I think it is fair to say that Death Comes To Marlow shares many similarities with its predecessor, so if you liked or loved The Marlow Murder Club, you will more than likely share the same view for its sequel. Judith, Becks and Suzie remain as joyous as ever to read where I found myself, on a couple of occasions, laughing out loud imagining the situations they find humour in. But equally, my complaints from The Marlow Murder Club remained as Judith’s monologue of how the murder was staged lacked freshness in how it was presented to the reader and how certain plot points completely jumped the proverbial gun. Though, this time, I was having too much fun to care about my latter point.

While I didn’t necessarily enjoy the storyline as much as The Marlow Murder Club, it is a testament to the pacing of the novel that, as ever, kept me on my toes as it dispensed clues and red herrings freely. Subsequently, I finished this book in 2 days. Throughout May I have been in a reading slump, but Death Comes To Marlow was the perfect remedy to pull me out of this. I will certainly be eager to read the third novel in the series in 2024.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
7/10

Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood is Book #2 in the Marlow Murder Club Cozy Mystery Series!

The Marlow Murder Club is back and ready to investigate their first locked room murder!

After a mortifying an invigorating skinny-dip in the river Thames, Judith receives a phone call from Sir Peter Bailey inviting her to a party at his estate that afternoon to celebrate his wedding the following day to his much younger fiancée and nurse, Penny Page.

During the party there's a loud crash, for all to hear, coming from inside the house and Sir Peter seems to be missing.

When his locked study door is broken open, the groom-to-be is found crushed to death under a large mahogany wall cabinet.

The room was locked from the inside and the only key is found in Sir Peter's pocket.

Based on the lack of evidence of foul play, the police see no reason to investigate further.

Judith disagrees and is convinced Sir Peter has been murdered.

It looks like The Marlow Murder club has just taken on its second murder case...

I loved Book 1 in this series, The Marlow Murder Club and it's nice to see Septuagenarian Judith, dedicated dog walker Suzie Harris, and the local Vicar's wife Becks Starling come together determined once again to solve an "impossible-to-solve" murder.

Without causing too much drama distractions to the main storyline, each of the ladies has something happening that gives additional texture to this one overall:
* Judith solving, not creating, masterful crosswords...
* Suzie can't find time to 'walk-the-dogs...
* Becks is keeping secrets from her friends...

I hope you're curious!

With all the shenanigans, shifty characters, and a police force that continues to look the other way, who else can the folks in Marlow rely on to solve another murder in their community except this trio of female super-sleuths?

Another fun and entertaining read in this series that I highly recommend! I'm looking forward to Book #3.

4.25⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Robert Thorogood for an ARC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

My first book by the author and second in the series. Thanks to the writing style I picked up the thread quickly and became familiar with the leading ladies (Judith, Susie and Becks). Although I was able to guess whodunnit fairly early on, the how and why was an mystery until the end.

This was entertaining and easy read. I loved the small town Marlow vibes and quirky characters. It gave me the warm and fuzzies and reminded me of home.

Overall a 4* read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to review.

Judith, Suzie, and Becks return to solve a puzzling murder! Sir Peter Bailey is marrying his love and nurse Jenny but then is killed in this locked room mystery! There is a missing will and there are many suspects including Sir Peter's own children who stand to inherit the estate.

I absolutely love the quirky Judith Potts and really enjoy reading the relationship between her, Suzie and Becks. The mystery is a good one. I did feel like there was some repeated dialogue which threw the pacing off for me but I still loved this book and cannot wait to continue to read the rest of the series! The narrator is fantastic and I would prefer to listen to this book but I did read this one.
Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Judith and the Marlow Murder Club are back! This time, Judith gets a last minute invitation to attend the wedding of a local socialite. Obviously, Judith decides to go and the wedding is anything but what you'd except. The groom, the socialite, ends up dead in a totally locked room! How did he did- was it an accident or murder? If it was murder, how did the murderer get in and out of the locked room? This was another delightful read about the Marlow Murder Club back with their usual shenanigans.

Death Comes to Marlow is the second book in the Marlow Murder Club series, but the first I've read. The title caught my eye because I enjoyed reading one of the books in the author's Death in Paradise series. In this book, a pre-wedding party turns into a murder scene and the Marlow Murder club is on the case. Since I didn't read the first book in the series, I enjoyed getting to know the main characters Judith, Suzie, and Becks. The plot is complex and the locked room puzzle kept me guessing as to the identity of the killer. The pacing is a bit uneven but I enjoyed the setting and the humor throughout the book. I recommend this to fans of British cozy mysteries. (3.5/4 stars)

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Before I forget, I should mention that it’s not necessary to read the first Marlow Murder Club book before reading this second in the series. Also, that if you might suspect this series is too similar to the premise of the Thursday Murder Club mysteries, I don’t think it is. I would say it’s more of a Miss Marple-ish village mystery, and I’m always happy to read a mystery that follows the Golden Age of Mystery model.

Judith lives in a house on the Thames in the village of Marlow, where she enjoys nude swimming, a few glasses of whiskey, and devising cryptic crossword puzzles. In the first book in the series, she met professional dogwalker Suzie and vicar’s wife Becks. They all live such very different lives that it’s fair to wonder if they’d continue to be good friends once the first murder mystery is solved. Also to wonder if they’d ever have the chance to continue their friendly relationship with Detective Sergeant Tanika Malik. Not to worry, though. Almost no sooner has their prior case wrapped up than a new one lands on Judith’s doorstep.

Judith receives a call from Sir Peter Bailey, a local bigwig but one she hasn’t previously met. Bailey asks Judith to come to a party at his place that afternoon, a celebration in anticipation of his marriage to take place the next day, because he’s sure his life is in danger. When Sir Peter is found dead in his study during the party, a classic locked-room murder mystery presents itself.

I’ve been reading murder mysteries for about 50 years, so it’s not surprising that early on I guessed both the whodunit and at least a concept of the howdunit. It’s a testament to author Thorogood’s lively writing that I still enjoyed every bit of the book and look forward to the next in the series.

Death Comes to Marlow is a well plotted closed door mystery that will have you turning the pages to see if Judith and her friends Suzie and Becks can solve yet another mystery.

Sir Peter is killed the day before his wedding in a locked room that has only one key. He is crushed to death.

The police disagree that is foul play.

That leaves this bewildering mystery up to the ladies to solve and determinedly they set out to do just that.

I didn't read the first book The Marlow Murder Club but I definitely will now and am eager to see what the next book brings.

Thoroughly enjoyed and recommend Death Comes to Marlow.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an intriguing read.

If you adored The Marlow Murder Club, and have been dying to know what Judith and the girls have been up to, you won’t be disappointed.

A dead body is found in a locked room, during what’s arguably the party of the season. Judith and the Marlow Murder Club are on the scene and see the body minutes after it happens - and while it appears unlikely, it is clear a murderer is afoot. As they follow the clues and hunt down the killer, bodies pile up while their suspect list dwindles. The killer finds themselves cornered and has to take drastic measures to keep their identity hidden but one things for sure - the club is on the case and they will solve this puzzle.

This book felt like a game of Clue - and we the readers are tasked with figuring out who murdered Sir Peter in his study with a bookshelf. And the twists! I truly thought once or twice while reading I had figured out who did it, only to realize I missed a clue two chapters back that solidified their alibi and cast doubt on another. I love this series - the cast of characters is so quirky and the town of Marlow sounds so fun to live in. I can’t wait for their next adventure!

Death Comes to Marlow is the next in a series, following on The Marlow Murder Club. I enjoyed this title even more than that first book. The author knows how to tell a story; he is also known for TV’s Death in Paradise.

Anyone who enjoys Richard Osman’s series is sure to enjoy spending time with Judith, Becks and Susie. They help the police and specifically Tanika to solve another case in these pages.

Judith is in her 70s and deliberately eccentric. Susie finds it hard not to blurt and has a dog walking business, while Becks is married to the local vicar but…who is she seeing now?

One day, a man named Sir Peter invites Judith to his posh engagement party. He has had an intimation that he will be murdered and indeed he is. There are many suspects in the pages that follow, including his son and daughter, and his new fiancee, or is it someone else?

The plot just rattles along and I liked spending time with Judith and Co. I highly recommend this title to those who enjoy cozy mysteries and women of a certain age. I am eager for the next book by this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Judith, Suzie, and Becks are back along with Detective Sargent Tanika Malik with yet another mystery (or perhaps murder) to solve in Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood. How do a skinny-dipping crossword setter, a dog walker, and vicar’s wife keep getting mixed up in murder? It all begins when Sir Peter Bailey rings Judith and invites her to his party the day before his wedding. She doesn’t know why she’s been invited, but can’t resist his coded message and shows up along with the other members of the club. Peter’s upcoming nuptials to nurse Jenny are not approved by his adult children Tristram and Rosanna. Tristram arrives uninvited and causes a scene at the party. Shortly after, a loud crash is heard among the revelry and Sir Peter is dead. Crushed by a cabinet, locked in a room, with the key in his pocket. Was this an accident, or was something more sinister at play? Everyone has an alibi, so it seems. Using their unique talents, the ladies are on the case convinced it’s murder, even though it looks like an unfortunate accident. Accept a travel sweet and help the Marlow Murder Club find out what really happened. This series is perfect for cozy mystery readers. Another delightful addition to the Marlow Murder Club series and I can’t wait to read more! Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Can’t help but compare it to the first one. This one was a bit slow in my opinion and overall just not for me:(