I liked this even more than the first one! Our crew is back with another wacky murder mystery. There's a murder (or is there?) inside of a locked room, interconnected subplots, and Judith's crosswords come into play in a fun way! I still don't get the same depth as I do from the Thursday Murder Club, but I am not more actively hoping there will be more after this one

Books from this author are a solid bet, including this one. Quite fun and engaging. Good plot and interesting characters as well. Recommended. I look forward to the author's next book.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

Judith Potts is seventy-eight.. She lives in an inherited mansion situated along the Thames where she swims nude everyday. Judith also sets crossword puzzles, buys a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle of baked beans and solves crimes with the help of her friends, Suzie and Becca, the vicar's wife.
One morning she returns from her swim (after being attacked by a swan)to find the phone ringing. The caller is Sir Peter Bailey inviting her to a pre-wedding drinks party. Judith is puzzled by the invitation since she's not Sir Peter's friend. Assuming he had a reason for extending the invitation, she invites Suzie and Becca to accompany her. They're enjoying the gathering when a crash from inside the house changes the celebration to a tragedy. Sir Peter has been killed - a large wall cabinet in his study has fallen and he's underneath it! Initially, the death is deemed an accident since Sir Peter was alone in the locked study with the only key in his pocket.
Judith puts two and two together and is convinced that Sir Peter had a premonition and that's why she was invited to the party - he wants her to solve the crime!
Soon the Terrific Trio is in action - boldly interviewing suspects and questioning police procedures when an other death occurs.
This is the second title in the Marlow Murder Club series. At first glance readers might dismiss it as a silly cozy. The main characters are broadly painted as a bit whacko and their investigative techniques unprofessional but they solve a complicated locked room murder in an interesting way that had me reading the solution clues more than once. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this fun and challenging mystery series.

The first book of this series was one of my favourites reads of 2022, so I’m so happy to have received this early.

Judith, the skinny dipping, cape wearing, mystery solving senior is back, along with her two friends Suzie & Becks! The unique trio all end up at an engagement party where the groom turns up dead. I love all three ladies but Judith really is the best. Her matter of fact attitude, plus all the little things she knows, make her ideal for solving mysteries. Nothing pleases me more than when the cops must admit they need her help. Becks is a delight too, he knowledge is so broad & helpful, the other two women just know that she’ll know! It’s so delightful reading about three women that most people would overlook, solving what the authorities can’t (or won’t). The mystery is well handled & takes you all over the charming town the author has shared with his readers. It reads like a modern day Christie, in the best way possible.

As an avid reader of Golden Age detective novels, I am always eager to find contemporary writers who draw on classic tropes but give them a modern twist. Here we have an older woman who does most of the investigation into a death in a locked room, with some inside help from a professional female police officer.

Despite its seductive readability, I found this second installment of the Marlow Murder Club series rather dull and the solution not terribly difficult to fathom. One of the murder club trio, the crossword-setter/solver Judith, does most of the work, and I found the never-ending rounds of intrusively nosey interviewing a bit wearing.

My lack of enthusiasm has nothing to do with not having read the first book, as it was easy to fill in the necessary backstory details. Quite simply, I am not, I think, within the target readership for this. The humour did not appeal and the upper-class, large house, questions of inheritance and second marriage scenario did not have any new elements or surprises to offer.

This is the second book in the ‘Marlow Murder Club’ by author Robert Thorogood and the first book I have read by this author. I am an avid watcher of the television series ‘Death in Paradise’ which was created by Robert Thorogood so I have always intended to read his books. Maybe because I wasn’t familiar with this series it took me a little while to get to grips with the characters but very soon I was up and running.

The Marlow Murder Club consists of Judith, Suzie and Becks and they are about to be called on again when they are invited to the wedding of Sir Peter Bailey and his nurse, Jenny Page. The Murder Club are invited to a pre wedding party Sir Peter is having at his grand mansion on the river Thames. During the party a crash is heard from inside the house and when ‘The Club’ rush to investigate they are shocked to find Sir Peter Bailey crushed to death in his study.

Because the study was locked from the inside, the police don’t consider foul play but Judith has other ideas. She is convinced the Sir Peter was murdered and it falls on the Marlow Murder Club to find the killer before he or she kills again.

I enjoyed this cosy crime thriller and would certainly look to reading more of this series in the future. Once I got to grips with the characters and their idiosyncrasies I was fully absorbed by this fun crime novel.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Another good mystery from the Marlow crew! I enjoy these cozy mysteries! It’s so interesting to see how Judith’s mind works things out!!

A lovely follow up to the first in the series, the Marlow Murder Club! Thrilled to review a free e-ARC provided by NetGalley.
We follow Judith, a real character of an old lady, and her friends Becks and Suzie as they work to solve the locked room murder of Sir Peter the day before his wedding. Of course, there’s a lively cast of suspects and a fun trail of clues, as well as a couple side mysteries to get you tangled up. I’m really enjoying this series and I would recommend it to fans of Anthony Horowitz’s mysteries and similar. Not as simple as the generic cozy mystery, I’m looking forward to the next!

Seventy-eight-year-old widow Judith Potts likes nothing better than a nude swim in the Thames outside her cottage in the small village of Marlow. She is also an avid solver and setter (creator) of cryptic crossword puzzles. It just so happens that she is also very adept at solving crimes, along with her two best friends Becks and Suzie. When Judith gets an unexpected call to attend a "drinks party" at the home of local aristocrat Sir Peter Bailey, she of course invites her two friends to accompany her. She isn't really acquainted with Sir Peter, so she has no idea why she's been invited. It's only after Sir Peter dies during the party that Judith realizes he was calling to ask for her help -- only now it's too late. Sir Peter is found under a heavy cabinet in his locked study, with the only key in his pocket. The police, including Detective Sergeant Tanika Malik, are not so sure Sir Peter's death was anything other than a tragic accident. After all, how did the killer escape from the locked room? It doesn't help when most of the prime suspects have air-tight alibis for the time of the murder. Sir Peter's bride-to-be, Jenny, was seen on a balcony at the time everyone at the party heard the crash of the cabinet falling on the unfortunate man. His grown children, Tristram and Rosanna also have alibis (Tristram was even speaking to Judith at the time). A groundskeeper with a grudge is also able to account for his whereabouts at the relevant time. Judith still thinks something is not right and won't stop until she's unraveled the mystery. (not before another death occurs, however). At the same time, there are other problems that seem to need her attention -- such as why is Becks acting all shifty and who is putting clues that seem to be invitations to clandestine meetings in the weekly crossword puzzle?

I really enjoyed reading about the exploits of Judith and her friends. The lovely settings also adds a touch of charm to the story. The explanation of the locked room mystery was all a bit far-fetched and kept me from giving the book the top rating. It was a very fitting tribute to Agatha Christie-style country house mysteries.

Ahh, I was so excited to read this one! And it delivered! It was so good to be back in Marlow again. I really appreciated the coziness of this series! I hope that it continues for a while!

I am SO glad I got an earc of this one! Marlow Murder Club was one of my favorite reads of the year. If you’re looking for a fun murder mystery club lead by an old lady, add that one to your 2023 TBR. This one was also amazing. I love his writing and how funny the characters are. They’re all so quirky and true to themselves which is so fun to read. These are super easy and quick Murder mystery reads. If you’re also looking to squeeze in a few more books before the end of the year, pick up Marlow Murder Club!

I got to read the ARC of Death Comes to Marlow in return for a honest review. All thoughts are entirely my own.

When reading The Marlow Murder Club this summer, I fell in love with Judith Potts. So, when I saw the sequal of this book on Netgalley I had to request it! Death Comes to Marlow was like entering a warm bath of familiar feelings. When I finished it I was shocked and just had to rate it 4 stars. And here is why:

When I started reading the book I was immediately greeted by the familiar characters of the first book. They instantly put a smile on my face. Goodness, I love Judith, Suzie and Becks. Their personalities are so different, yet they are made to fit together so well. But here also comes the reason why I had to give the book four stars: I felt like the balance between the characters wasn't the same. Let me explain this to you. In the first book the three characters really work together to find out who the murderer is. In this sequel it felt to me like Judith did all the work and Becks and Suzie were just there. I feel like they only got more involved towards the end of the book.

I absolutely adore how this story has so many side-stories. They are not really relevant to the murder but they make sure there is character growth, and it makes the characters feel like they are actually real. It is not just focuse on the murder but also on their personal lives as well. It makes the characters more complete. It feels like you got dropped into someone's story and get to see every aspect of their life.

The author introduces the new character one by one into the story. I personally prefer this over the author dumping a mountain of characters into a story. Because if that happens, you just have to remember who is who immediately, and I often start to confuse characters with eachother. Here you slowly get to know the characters and how they are related to the story.

The book keeps the tension on throghout the story. Everytime I thought I had it figured out, and I simply turned out to be wrong again. The ending made me feel like a typical Agatha Christie ending. The way everything was revealed in the end, with this big reveal. There were moments where I was so sure who it was, but in the end I suspected everyone of the characters at least once. In the end I was so wrong, but the solutions was so smart and I would never have thought of it.

In the end I can say I would defininetly recommend these two books if you enjoy funny and cosy murder mysteries.

Death Come to Marlow raises a lot of questions.

No queries about the unsolvable murder, who dunnit or anything along those lines. That gets wrapped up nicely after a series of near indecipherable clues, beautiful misdirections and chance encounters through crossword puzzles.

What I must find the answer to is, how do I become like Judith when I'm 78 years old. The friend group that are unofficially investigating the suspicious death of Sir Peter are some of the best developed and well rounded characters I've been introduced to in any novel. I love the dynamics of the three women. They brought such wit and brilliance to an already clever story.

Death Comes to Marlow is a gem of a cozy mystery, that will leave readers satisfied, yet still wanting more. Hopefully, there will be a third book in this series.

I went in blind with this one, and I’m so so glad I did because it was full of intensity. I highly, highly recommend this one.

This is the second book in the Marlow Murders by Robert Thorogood and it doesn’t disappoint.The ladies are back and at their best in solving the murder of Sir Peter Bailey.The plot and characters welcome you in this excellent mystery and will you guessing right till the end.I highly recommend this book.

I really need to stop requesting books in series! I did not know that this was a sequel, therefore I do fee like it hindered my abilities to say too much about the book.

I do like the premise of having the murder club come together to solve all of these cases. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish the book, because I felt like I was missing so many parts of the original story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc.

This book is for fans of The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman. It’s a cozy mystery with a wonderful cast of characters who are equally charming, witty and funny. This is the second book in the series, and I enjoyed revisiting Judith and her friends Suzie and Becks as they solve yet another murder.

The night before the wedding of Sir Peter and Jenny, Judith gets a call inviting her to their wedding. Judith isn’t super familiar with Sir Peter so she finds it odd when he invites her and even more odd when he reacts strangely to her joke of hoping no one gets murdered at his wedding.

When a murder does in fact take place, Judith and her friends must investigate what seems like an impossible murder. The list of suspects is pretty obvious and while I had my suspicions the entire time (and ended up being right), the murder plot itself was quite well thought out and definitely not something easily guessed. You may be able to guess who did it, but I doubt you’ll guess how it was done. It reminds me of the game club, Colonel Mustard, in the ballroom with the candlestick. Guess the murderer, and guess how it was orchestrated.

While this definitely isn’t a thriller with lots of plot twists, the characters in this book are what make this book a standout. I truly hope this series continues as I would love to see what Judith solves next. The ending made it seem like there might be another book in this series, so fingers crossed there!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mrs. Judith Potts receives an invitation from a man named Sir Peter Bailey saying he’s getting married the next day to his fiancée Jenny Page. Sir Peter is the head of one of the most preeminent families in Marlow.

Judith Pott and her friends Becks Starling and Suzie Harris are members of the Marlow Murder Club. Becks is the wife of the vicar of Marlow, and Suzie Harris who volunteers at a radio station also runs a dog-sitting business.

At the party Judith witnesses an altercation between Sir Peter Bailey and his son Tristram. Moments later, Sir Peter Bailey is found dead crushed by a cabinet in his study.

Did someone push the cabinet on Sir Peter and why?

According to Tristram, his father banned him from attending the wedding. Tristram thinks Jenny who was a live-in nurse before she met Sir Peter, is only out for his father’s money and title–Lady Bailey.

When the police are called in to investigate, they discover that the study was locked from the inside. So the police don’t consider the death suspicious. But Judith suspects foul play. So she and her friends set off to find the killer before he or she strikes again.

Following her boss’s return to the office, the investigating officer, DS Tanika Malik learns she’s been assigned to a new case. So she enlists Judith’s help in following the leads.

There’s no shortage of suspects: Sir Peter’s kids, Tristram and Rosanna, Jenny, Sir Peter’s fiancée; Lady Bailey, Sir Peter’s ex-wife, and Chris Shepherd, their family gardener whose grandfather had a blood feud with Sir Peter’s father and so on.

An interesting read. Recommend

Thank you to Robert Thorogood, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was such a fun mystery! A locked room mystery was the perfect second entry in this series. I love and adore Judith, Becks, and Suzie. (And let’s not forget Emma, the Doberman also!). I do suggest reading the first one before this one. It will explain a lot about the relationships. Four paws up. This is a winner!

I loved the plot! I thought this was a great read and the characters… they are hilarious trying to solve this case! Judith and the club does what it takes to solve yet another mystery.