The first in a stunning new series introducing the Marlow Murder Club!
‘A hugely enjoyable murder mystery written with wonderful verve, humour and compassion. Utterly delightful' Robert Webb
‘I love Robert Thorogood's writing' Peter James
From the creator of the BBC One hit TV series, Death in Paradise
To solve an impossible murder, you need an impossible hero…
Judith Potts is seventy-seven years old and blissfully happy. She lives on her own in a faded mansion just outside Marlow, there's no man in her life to tell her what to do or how much whisky to drink, and to keep herself busy she sets crosswords for The Times newspaper.
One evening, while out swimming in the Thames, Judith witnesses a brutal murder. The local police don't believe her story, so she decides to investigate for herself, and is soon joined in her quest by Suzie, a salt-of-the-earth dog-walker, and Becks, the prim and proper wife of the local Vicar.
Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club.
When another body turns up, they realise they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. And the puzzle they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never escape…
READERS LOVE THE MARLOW MURDER CLUB series
'Wonderful escapism!' 5* Amazon Review
‘A wonderful piece of escapism. Absolutely loved it!' 5* Amazon Review
'My favourite book of the year!' 5* Amazon Review
'I had an absolute blast reading this book' 5* Amazon Review
‘So enjoyable, I laughed out loud !' 5* Amazon Review
An entertaining and action-packed cosy mystery
The Marlow Murder Club is a deliciously fun cosy mystery that will appeal to readers who enjoy M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin and Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series.
Septuagenarian Judith Potts lives alone in a grand but hopelessly cluttered Arts and Crafts mansion whose garden runs down to the banks of the River Thames near the town of Marlow, Bucks. She writes cryptic crosswords for a living, and enjoys nude swims in the river. During one such excursion, she hears raised voices, followed by a gunshot, from the garden of her neighbour on the opposite bank. Has she overheard a murder? If so – where is the body?
Aiding Judith in her amateur pursuit of the truth are new friends, dog-walker Suzie Harris and Becks Starling, the local vicar's under-stimulated wife. They make quite a trio as together they uncover secrets and gather evidence, bolstered in their endeavours by the consumption of quite a lot of whisky.
The Marlow Murder Club is a heart-warming and entertaining cosy mystery, with many laugh-out-loud moments and an unlikely but charming posse of protagonists. Author Robert Thorogood balances the central mystery narrative with lighter interludes, a good dollop of humour and engaging character development over the course of the story. I particularly enjoyed the references to cryptic clues that were sprinkled throughout.
I'd enthusiastically recommend The Marlow Murder Club to any reader who enjoys a lighter style of mystery, albeit with a deceptively tricky solution. This was an enjoyable romp through a beautiful area of England with engaging characters and a satisfying, if rather melodramatic, conclusion and a final surprising revelation.
Sarah, 20/05/2022
