Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood in exchange for an honest review. Judith Potts lives very happily alone in an old mansion in Marlow on the River Thames. Every night she takes off her clothes, wrap a cape around herself and go skinny dipping. From across the river, she hears a gun shot. She swims over and then remembers she's nude, now what? The police can't find her neighbor, Stephen, so she takes a boat to find him. This story took me awhile to get into and had a lot of layers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an early digital review copy of this book. The opinions given are my own. "The Marlow Murder Club" is a cozy mystery featuring 77-year-old Judith Potts. Judith lives in the small town of Marlow in Buckinghamshire (UK). Her job is to create crossword puzzles for the newspaper, she loves jigsaw puzzles, and she enjoys a glass of whiskey every night. Oh, and she likes to swim nude in the river whenever she pleases. One night while on one of her swims she witnesses the murder of her neighbor. Marlow is a quiet town with a small police department and not very well equipped to handle such things as murders. Much to the dismay of the detective in charge, one murder turns into 3. Now there is a serial killer in Marlow. Judith quickly enlists the vicar's wife, Becks, and a local dog walker, Suzie, to help her solve the crimes. These amateur sleuths are quirky and fun and the mystery moves at a quick pace. The story is full of twists and turns and a few red herrings to keep the reader guessing. If you like a light murder mystery, with lovely characters, this is for you! Looking forward to the next in the series.

Ever since I saw my first episode of Murder, She Wrote, I've been in love with cozy mysteries and smart, sassy older woman sleuths, and Thorogood brilliantly delivers a story and protagonist in Judith that hooked me from the first page. What follows is a charming yet twisty narrative and compelling mystery with an immersive sense of place, perfect pacing, and clever writing. I'll admit - I judged this book at first glance by its mystery manor meets crossword themed cover; I anticipated an absorbing puzzle - and this book exceeded my expectations. Highly recommended for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, and so excited to learn The Marlow Murder Club will be back later this year with a new mystery to solve. As Thorogood is also a TV writer, I'm hoping we'll get a small screen series treatment for these characters as well.

I received a digital pre-publication copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and I'll be including it in a TBR round-up of "Club" books in the spring. I also added a UK print edition to my permanent collection. The U.S. release will be available on 3 May.

What a delicious treat this British cozy mystery was to read. It features a fresh plot concept using crossword puzzle references. The setting in Marlow, a small town on the banks of the river Thames. The scenic area was well portrayed and gave a charming village atmosphere.
Judith Potts is quirky, elderly, eccentric, spry for her age and content to be on her own. She compiles crosswords for a newspaper. While I used to be good at solving, I'm sure I could never create one.
Out for a cooling swim one night, she hears a gunshot across the river and is convinced her neighbor, Stefan, has been murdered. First Judith has to convince DS Tanika Malik that there was a murder. Judith doesn't get the sense that the police are pursuing the case fast enough. She takes matters into her own hands and starts snooping around town at local businesses. Stefan ran an art gallery. She finds a connection to Elliot Howard, affiliated with an auction house.
Then there's another murder, a local taxi driver, Iqbal Kassam. Soon Judith meets Suzie, Iqbal's neighbor. Later Judith meets the Vicar's wife, Becks. The three women have individual strengths and begin to meet and eventually team up to solve the case.
There are some connections in the murders, each are shot by an antique German Luger and have a small medallion with more clues. Even so, connecting the victims baffles everyone.
The ensuing quest to find the serial killer has it all;  break-ins, robbery, art forgery, misdirection, family feuds, dark secrets and outright lies.
The suspects change more often than the English rainstorms. The plot twists are dramatic and unexpected.
Judith, Susie and Becks all have pasts, secrets and are wonderfully likable and human. They all have traits of people I've known, they're funny busybodies with good intentions. The plot is juicy and was as hard to solve as the NY Times crossword!
When I requested this book I had no idea that the author created the TV show Death in Paradise. I have watched this series and loved it, too. His book lived up to and surpassed my expectations. It will be a series I add to my must-read list, would certainly recommend.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Robert Thorogood, and to Poisoned Pen Press, for the digital advance copy of "The Marlow Murder Club". These are my personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

Really enjoyed this book. I love a mystery with a tons of twists and turns and good characters! Will definitely be on lookout for more by author!

We love a good US release! This book was a lot of fun to read and it was quick to get through which is always a good sign. And we love a good cover.

This book was very enjoyable. I felt like I was along with Judith and her Rag tag cohorts while they investigated. I thought the writing was excellent and the story kept me guessing and turning pages! I look forward to more from this author. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for giving me an advance copy for my honest review and to Net Galley for having such a fantastic platform for literary lovers!

Senior amateur sleuths band together to solve a mystery? Sign me up!

Seventy-seven-year-old Judith Potts writes crosswords for The Times paper, regularly swims (naked!) in the Thames river, and now she’s on her way to solving a huge murder. When Judith’s neighbor and local art gallery owner Stefan Dunwoody is shot dead, the police refuse to entertain any ideas of foul play. But Judith knows better, and soon more and more deaths start occurring in the small town of Marlow, and it’s up to Judith and her band of misfits to crack the case.

The main character Judith is spunky and refreshing. In general, I’m really enjoying the trend of genre-defying detectives, as she – along with the other ladies in the Malow Murder Club – made for a very entertaining read. The whodunnit style mystery also thrives in this small-town setting where everyone knows everyone, and everyone is up in each other’s business. The humor and setting gave me Midsomer Murders vibes while I was reading it.

Overall, it was a very charming book. There are quite a few twists and turns I enjoyed, and the reveal at the end is pretty satisfying as well! I’ll definitely be picking up the second book when it comes out.

Unfortunately, this book fell quite flat for me.
I found the writing style to be.....bland? I'm not sure that's the best word for it but it lacked any sort of voice or personality. This resulted in a severe lack of engagement or interest on my end because it felt nearly textbook-like.
In conjunction, the characters really weren't my favorite. I found most of the mc's actions quite nonsensical which kept pulling me out of the story. I mean, even right off the bat when Judith decides to investigate the murder on her own. She does this because she thinks the police don't care but they do? They're just still gathering evidence and didn't want to jump to conclusions.

While there are a lot of things in here that I like (older main characters, cozy mystery, crosswords), this one just wasn't for me

An engaging mystery full of humour and twists. I love the attitude of Judith, the septuagenarian sleuth, as she worked her way through the different events of the story. A strong cast of characters and a well-paced storyline held my interest throughout. I'm very much hoping there will be future books featuring the Marlow Murder Club!

Really enjoyed this book. I love murder mysterious and this had lots of twists and turns. Can't wait for the next one!

If you're ready for a cozy-ish mystery with a unique set of characters, The Marlow Murder Club may be for you. Penshioner Judith, chaotic Suzie, and perfect Becks are inadvertently joined in their attempt to solve three murders in their quiet village. Getting to know these women was to me, the best part of the book. Each woman was both hampered and helped by her past or her personal struggles. The way they bonded is surely a sign of more books to come.
The mystery was appropriately convoluted and contained some interesting twists. All in all, a pleasant quick read and one I'd recommend to friends

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author for this ARC of The Marlow Murder Club.

This was a fun cozy mystery that starts with 77 year old Judith hearing a murder. She starts investigating and meets a few new friends that join in. I thought this was good and can’t wait to read the next!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book!

Where this club is, I want to go to it! Fascinating read, great characters, and thrilling plot.

I received a copy of The Marlow Murder Club from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Marlow Murder Club follows three unconventional amateur sleuths as they try to uncover the identity of a killer in their small town. Judith Potts, a seventy-seven year old whose eccentric ways and large river front home make her well known around town, leads Suzie, a lonely dog walker, and Becks, a prim and proper vicar's wife on a mission to uncover the murderer's identity.

I loved the individuality of each of the women. Judith was such a complex and eccentric character. What's not to love about an elderly, whiskey drinking, skinny dipping, crossword compiler with a dark past of her own? Becks, in my opinion, had the greatest character development. It was great watching the way she adapted and changed throughout the book. Susie was a lovable ball of chaos, and I never quite knew what would come out of her mouth. The relationships forged between the women helped pull me in as a reader, but the mystery had me puzzling over the murders even after I'd closed the book.

One of my favorite things in a mystery is solving them along with the main characters. I thought Thorogood did an excellent job building a complex case that took me some time to figure out. While I grasped certain elements of the case, it felt like a jigsaw with one missing piece. It was frustrating to feel so close to solving the case, without being able to do so. Until o e peice. I love the timing of the information being discovered by the Murder Club.

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book.

The Marlowe Murder Club is a cozy murder mystery with three adult women in the center. The protagonist Judith enjoys her life, creating crosswords and solving puzzles. One night whilst going for a swim she hears a gunshot coming right from her neighbor's property, too curious to wait for the police, she finds her now dead neighbor. When investigations move too slowly, Judith takes it upon herself to solve the mystery and encounters two new friends on her way that help her solve the murderous puzzle.


This book was just delightful. I loved the cozy mystery, and I was pleasantly surprised by how witty and funny this book actually was. I instantly fell in love with Judith, Becks and Suzie, who were not your typical protagonists. All in all, I had a great time reading this and would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good cozy mystery featuring badass women.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley electronically for review. This is a quick read...although the story moves slowly at times...it is an enjoyable story...the protagonist is quirky and fun to read about. Don't miss this story.

One evening, during a heatwave, 77-year old Judith is enjoying a naked swim in the Thames when she overhears a gunshot. Convinced her neighbour has been murdered, she calls the police who dismiss her concerns. Driven by insatiable curiosity and annoyed by police indifference, she's compelled to investigate. Soon the bodies are piling up and she, along with two new friends, are having the time of their lives chasing clues and interviewing suspected murderers.

This was a light and enjoyable read. I liked the eccentricities of the characters and the setting enough to be able to suspend my disbelief over some of the events that occur. Recommended for those who like their crime stories light and frothy.

Let me start out by saying I LOVE cozy mysteries, so the premise of a 77 year old lady who writes crosswords for a living, who was swimming in the Thames when she witnesses a murder, sounds like a very fun read to me.

Unfortunately, I was bored to tears and really struggled to make it through this one.

While some of the characters were super cute and quirky, the story fell flat. I think there's definitely a crowd that would appreciate this, it just wasn't me, sadly.

2.5 stars.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this one. It will be out on May 3rd!

This was a decent book. I didn’t love it but I certainly didn’t hate it either. The characters are fun and the mystery is nicely tied up by the end (although a little complicated). The story got a little convoluted at times, especially trying to remember who was where and when as well as who knew what. However, the main investigators (three village women) were amusing and interesting, so that made it a worthwhile read.