Death Comes to Marlow is a fun, light read for those who love quirky characters and cleverly constructed puzzles. The three members of the Marlow Murder Club are sure to keep readers smiling. Septuagenarian Judith Potts is a skinny-dipping, whiskey-loving crossword author who loves solving a good puzzle and being in charge. Her two companions-- Becks the vicar's wife and Suzie the dogwalker-- sometimes chafe at Judith's take-charge attitude. Still, after what happened in The Marlow Murder Club, they've come to realize that they've got a talent for solving mysteries, too, so they're willing to put up with a bit of bossiness.

Their contact in the local police department, DS Tanika Malik, has had a bit of a demotion. Her boss is back from sick leave and doesn't approve of how she stole the spotlight from him while he was gone. He declares Sir Peter Bailey's death a suicide and tells Tanika to catalog the evidence and keep her nose out of the investigation (not that there really is one). How she and the Marlow Murder Club find ways to work together to solve the mystery is one of the best parts of the book.

Death Comes to Marlow has a very cleverly constructed mystery containing a locked room murder in a country house and a missing will, but that's not all. There's also the mystery surrounding secret messages contained in the local newspaper's weekly crossword puzzles as well as Becks' strange behavior that has Judith and Suzie worried.

If there was any drawback to this second book in the series, it was the time it took for the Christie-esque get-all-the-suspects-in-the-same-room reveal. It took way too long, and I kept wanting to tell Judith to cut to the chase and stop showing off. How long did it seem? The reveal alone seemed to take up three hundred pages in a two hundred eighty-eight-page book. That's how long. I remember feeling a bit the same way when I read The Marlow Murder Club, but this second book went to all new heights. As delightful as the characters are in this series, the glacial reveal may put me off reading any future books, more's the pity.

What a lovely book. Another Judith Potts mystery with her friends Susie and Becks. This happens to be a locked room mystery which happens to be one of my favorites. If you like Agatha Christie with a modern twist, these might fit the bill. This is the second book in the series and I would recommend starting with the first one, but that’s just my way with series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
Publishing June 6
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The team is back and they're quirkier, funnier and the story hooked me from the start!

I'm so glad I asked for a copy of the second book in the series because while I wasn't too excited about the first one, this one was definitely a winner for me.

This reminded me of the better Agatha Christie books where there are many suspicious characters and a perfectly eccentric protagonist at the center investigating the infamous locked room mystery.

Like any good mystery, this book is also about the journey we go into while solving the mystery. I'd recommend it to any fan of mystery/cozy crime books!

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced e-copy!

DNF. Two stars, for if you like very slow, cozy British mysteries with quirky middle-aged and elderly female sleuths, this is for you, and probably a four star read. It’s a well-written locked-room whodunnit in the spirit of Midsomer Murders.

For me, however, this was much too twee and slow. I found the protagonists annoying and the whole setup incredible and boring. I didn’t care about finding out who murdered sir Peter, so I decided to leave the book at that point. Probably I am being unfair - since I love Golden Age crime, I’ve become accustomed to snappy dialogue and sparse writing. Many new novels seem to be over-long compared to what actually happens on the pages, and in need of an editor.

I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Judith Potts and her murder club pals are back in the 2nd Marlow Murder Club series. When a wealthy, well known man calls Judith to invite her to his engagement party, she knows something is awry. Before the end of the night, someone will be dead, and The Marlow Murder Club will be on the case.

Similar to the first book, it's got murder, humor, and lots of 'that is completely unbelievable but I'm buying into it'moments. you like Agatha Christie or Joanne Fluke style cozy mysteries, this one is for you. It's a simple, easy read with ridiculous plot clues and such. I enjoyed it and I'd read a 3rd one. Easy summer beach read.

This is a review for the second book in a series that I am really enjoying. If you are a mystery fan I strongly suggest you add these books to your TBR list!

Judith, Susie and Becks met in the first book. Even though they are from completely different walks of life, they end up being good friends and extremely effective amateur sleuths.

In the second book in the series, they attend a celebration thrown by Marlow bigwig Sir Peter Bailey, to celebrate his upcoming nuptials. During the party, a loud crash is heard from inside the house and Sir Peter is found crushed to death in a locked room. The police think that Sir Peters death was accidental, but Judith is convinced it’s murder.

Things I enjoy about this series, and Robert Thorogoods writing:
1) great sense of humor
2) details of life in a small English villiage
3) Interesting cast fo characters with intriguing and well developed backstories
4) well plotted, twisty mystery plot
5) in the second book, I especially enjoyed the locked room mystery troupe

I would rate both books in this series ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Poisioned Pen Press and Netgalley for providing me with a eARC of this book to read and review.

3.75 stars

Judith, Becks, and Suzie are back for their second Marlow Murder Club outing. These three unlikely friends (an elderly crossword puzzle author, a vicar's wife and a dog walker) had success in solving a murder that baffled the police and they have remained close. Judith gets a very odd phone call inviting her to a pre-wedding event for someone she does not know, and the caller makes it clear he wants her there because of her previous success in solving a murder.

And it turns out, of course, that there IS a murder while she is at the party, and it's a classic locked room mystery. Soon the trio are off and running again. Their relationship with the local police is fairly implausible, but sometimes that must be overlooked in a cozy. The three women have very different skill sets and are actually pretty good investigators.

They have to navigate some old secrets, a missing will, and a lot of family animosity in addition to trying to figure out how in the world the murderer got out of the locked room. The complex and meaty ending harks back to a Golden Age mystery with a lot of fun along the way. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved the first in this series and the second was just as good! The trio of main characters are reminiscent of Mrs. Marple but yet, at the same time, so refreshing in today's murder mysteries. The way the trio goes about solving cases and how they interact is just so fun that reading the books are so enjoyable and quick. I can't wait for the next one.

You know that feeling when you are loving a book and just want to read it every possible moment... then you finish it and you are soo sad to be out of that world?!? That's what happened with Death Comes to Marlow for me. I loved the first in the series, The Marlow Murder Club, and this was such a solid and enjoyable follow up. I kept thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. As soon as I read the last page, I immediately wanted more time with Judith, Becks and Suzie. I just love their escapades as a trio and particularly love how this mystery unfolded. At the end of the book, I learned the author, Robert Thorogood, is the creator of the pbs series Death in Paradise. This totally makes sense because I love that show too!

Death Comes to Marlow comes out June 6th. Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for my e-arc! #marlowmurderclub #deathcomestomarlow #murdermystery #netgalley #poisonedpenpress

The second in the series and another cracking book. Judith, suzie and becky are a brilliant combo. I enjoyed this storyline more than the first one. Definitely can't wait for more

I’ve missed the crazy trio of Judith, Becks and Suzie, and this sequel did not disappoint! Personally I think Death Comes to Marlow is more cleverly done than the first book. I couldn’t guess who the killer was! Apart from the murder mystery, what I loved about this book was their comic antics, as always. The characters are hilarious and I love their friendship. I liked that it had a follow-up too of how their lives changed after The Marlow Murder Club, and I loved learning about Beck’s and Suzie’s other skills. Can’t wait for book three!

Robert Thorogood’s new book, Death Comes to Marlow, is a delight. septuagenarian Judith, the skinny-dipping, crossword puzzle creator, and her two friends, Beck and Susie, are back for another adventure. This time they are swept into a murder of a wealthy and prominent local citizen. There are plenty of suspects and plenty of alibis as well.

Death Comes to Marlowe is a lock-room mystery in its finest form. The author has created a whodunit that will keep you up past your bedtime and you’ll be glad that it did. I so enjoy the characters Mr Thorogood has developed. I love their relationships and the dialogue and setting is steller. The mystery itself is very well-plotted and the subtle humor he’s added is just the right amount.

As much as I enjoyed the first book in the Marlowe Murder Club Mystery series, this second book is even better (and I really didn’t think that would be possible). It is definitely 5 stars. The only problem I have now is how I’m going to be able to wait patiently for the next book. Write on, Mr Thorogood!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Robert Thorogood writes such fiendishly great complex mysteries, it's almost like tacking the Times crossword, although with more humour.
Judith , our Miss Marple for the modern day and pals , are our solving crimes again and how well they do it.

3.5 STARS

Judith, Suzie and Becks are back and find themselves teaming up to solve the murder of Sir Peter.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series The Marlow Murder Club , and was happy to catch up with the ladies, they are great characters. Judith is the leader and very determined to catch the killer!

They hear a crash at the mansion on the Thames and things get dodgy. The go about collecting clues, doing a stakeout, finding codes, and interviewing people. Basically, what the police should be doing, but aren't interested.

The mystery was okay, but went on and on too long and there was just too much questioning going on to the point that I was losing interest.

It was entertaining enough, but wasn't as good as the first.

This is a delightful cozy mystery.

I was interested in this book based on the Author Robert Thorogood. Robert created the BBC series “Death in Paradise”. My husband and I have seen them all including the Christmas specials. We also finished the spin off series “Beyond Paradise”. I highly recommend them.

So, when I saw that he had written this book too, I thought it would be good. It did not disappoint. The main character is Judith Potts. Judith loves to take daily dips in the Thames. Early in the book is one of my favorite scenes which also introduces where the cover of the book comes from. It made me laugh out loud.

Judith and her friends Susie and Becks soon find themselves at a party in a local rich man’s mansion and a locked room mystery soon ensues.

The characters are all wonderful. They soon find clues and with their shared intelligence start piecing the puzzle together. There is no shortage of suspects.

I like how each of the characters are very different, funny, smart and better together. I highly recommend this book.

Couldn't get into this one, I repeatedly tried, and I gave up after the third attempt. Characters failed to make me care about them and I just didn't want to spend time with them.

Death Comes to Marlow is a disappointing second entry in the Marlow Murder Club series. While the character of Judith is well drawn, most others are not. I found the solution to this locked room murder not to be difficult to unravel and the amount of involvement that police detective Tannika allows Judith and her two compatriots to stretch credulity. That being said, Death Comes to Marlow is an easy read and will surely appeal to many fans of its predecessor book (count me as one of them) The Marlow Murder Club. This series suffers in its inevitable comparison to Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series, which to date is a superior effort.

Locked-room murder mystery Death Comes to Marlow is the second in the delightful Marlow Murder Club series. Friends Judith, Becks and Susie return and with them loads of wit, insight into human nature and whacky antics. Out of the blue, Judy is invited to a country house party by Sir Peter, a man she doesn't even know. But why not? She's curious. She and her friends attend but are taken aback (or are they?) when Sir Peter dies in his locked study on the eve of his wedding. Detective Tanika arrives on the scene. Red herrings and twists abound as she and the women inveigle, ingratiate and investigate.

I especially like that the sleuths are older ladies who don't care what others think. While not enamoured by their personalities, I do appreciate that they are unique. Locked-room mysteries are amongst my favourites, too. Such fun! However, the murderer was not difficult to ascertain. Author Robert Thorogood's style is reminiscent of Richard Osman, quirky and smart. I look forward to what he has in store for his readers next.

My sincere thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this rollicking novel.

Robert Thorogood delivers another fun continuation of the Marlow Murder Club with “Death Comes to Marlow,” a locked-room mystery.

After receiving an invitation to Sir Peter Bailey’s pre-wedding tea, where he just happens to be killed behind locked doors, plucky and eccentric Judith Potts once again joins forces with her friends, dog walker Suzie and the vicar’s wife Becks, to solve his mysterious death. When several suspects all seem to have valid reason to kill Peter, but all seem to have rock solid alibis, the three women have to work quickly to solve the mystery.

What follows is a delightfully quirky tale with lots of laughs but also plenty of suspenseful moments that will leave readers guessing until the very end.

Thorogood also does a great job of developing some clever characters, including Judith who is like a modern day Jane Marple or Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote, Suzie who’s developed a new hobby of her own, and Becks who has her own mystery.

Fans of Agatha Christie, Richard Osmond’s Thursday Murder Club series, and even Alfred Hitchcock will love “Death Comes to Marlow,” which is due out May 30.

One warning: this book does contain the occasional curse word.

Five stars out of five.

Poisoned Pen Press provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

As a Robert Thorogood fan who has read all of his books and loves his TV series, I was excited to get this ARC from Netgalley! This was the perfect Agatha Christie-esque novel to read in the springtime and imagine myself in a cozy village in England. Time has passed since the events of the first Marlow Murder Club mystery, but Judith, Becks, and Suzie are still firm friends and get involved in another locked room mystery, this time at the local gentry's estate. Thorogood seems to specialize in his previous novels and TV shows in locked room mysteries and this was no exception. He allows the readers to follow the sleuths, giving us little clues along the way, and allows for the big reveal to explain all. If you're looking for a great cozy English mystery and love Agatha Christie, this is for you! I cannot wait to read more in the Marlow Murder Club series, but selfishly also hope he continues to write his Death in Paradise stories too or perhaps a Beyond Paradise book!