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:(

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.