DEATH COMES TO MARLOW is the second installment in Robert Thorogood’s Marlow Murder Club series.

Amateur sleuth and puzzle enthusiast Judith Potts is back, alongside her friends Suzie and Becks, to solve the riverside village’s latest murder: Sir Peter Bailey, found crushed to death in his study the day before his wedding. Yup, it’s a locked room mystery!

My favorite part of book one in this series was its lovable cast of characters, and I’m happy to say this second installment delivers on that end. But with this one, I was especially impressed with the murder puzzle. While my hunch was correct regarding the killer, the solution came as a complete surprise. I enjoyed book two more than the first for this reason.

The humor in these can feel a little forced, and the emotions a tad over-explained, but it’s a solid series so far. Perfectly cozy, with a cute setting and strong community—plus a murder or two ;)

Big thanks to Poisoned Pen Press & NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I like cosy mysteries that are exciting enough, but not as gruesome as some "real" thrillers. I also like books with senior protagonists. This book complied with both of my expectations so I spent some very enjoyable hours with it.
There were some unexpected turns in the story, and I found the amateur sleuth trio very likeable.
I can recommend this book to everyone who likes cosy mysteries with charming characters.

Judith Potts and her two friends, Suzie Harris and Becks Starling, attend a party in honor of Sir Peter Bailey and his wife to-be, Jenny Page. Sir Peter’s son, Tristram, disapproves of his father marrying Jenny. Tristram’s appearance at the party upsets Sir Peter and Jenny. When Sir Peter is found murdered, Judith, Suzie, and Becks join forces to find the murderer. The trio of ladies help investigate the murder, annoying Detective Sergeant Tanika Malik. Will they be able to find the murderer who committed the crime in a locked room?

DEATH COMES TO MARLOW is a well-constructed mystery. I liked the characters, especially Judith, Suzie, and Becks. This is the second Marlow Club mystery, and I hope the author, Robert Thorogood, writes additional books in the series. Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review the e-arc of DEATH COMES TO MARLOW.

I read The Marlow Murder Club last year, and while I enjoyed reading the book in bits and parts, I didn't think I'd continue to read the series. However, I couldn't contain my curiosity when I saw Death Comes to Marlow on NetGalley. I wanted to check out what would be the next mystery Judith and her friends, Suzie and Becks, decide to tackle in their idyllic village of Marlow. And I'm glad that I picked this book, for I liked it much better than the first book. Some mystery series just grows on you as you plough deeper and that's how I feel about the Marlow Murder Club series.

Out of the different mystery tropes, I love the locked room ones. At the very outset, the murder seems so impossible but yet there must have been a way for the murderer to commit the act? In Death Comes to Marlow, Judith, who is in a relaxed state of mind, post Christmas and New Year and all the excitement of solving the previous murder case, gets a phone call inviting her to a drinks party by Sir Peter Bailey. Sir Peter is to be married to his nurse, Jenny Page, the next day but during the party he gets killed when an old, heavy cabinet falls over him inside his locked study. The police dismiss it as an accident but Judith and her friends are convinced that Sir Peter was killed. But Judith has a hard time arriving at the solution of how the murderer could've pushed a heavy cabinet and escape a locked room. Adding to her misery every suspect she comes across have a rock solid alibi for the time frame when the murder happened.

I enjoyed reading this book and although I had guessed the identity of the murderer at the very start, there are various red herrings in the plot, that made me question my initial theory. I think I'd love to continue to read this series and hope the third installement of the Marlow Murders is even better than the first two.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for an advanced e-copy of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of Death Comes to Marlow.

I read The Marlow Murder Club last year and thought it was fun and was looking forward to more adventures with Judith, Suzie, and Becks, so when I saw that a 2nd one was coming out, I was excited to read it.

Unfortunately, I felt that Death Comes to Marlow was missing a lot of the humor and silliness that made other book work. The mystery was fine, but not all that interesting or captivating, and I wanted more of the 3 women having fun together, just being friends. The ending felt a bit predictable and unoriginal honestly.

Judith, Suzie and Becks are small-town famous after their last stint as the Marlow Murder Club, but life is getting back to normal. That is until Judith gets a phone call from someone who fears they are about to be killed. The Marlowe Murder Club is on the scene to investigate a murder that will be their greatest puzzler yet.

This sequel is just as delightful as the first and fans will delight in the shenanigans' of Judith, Becks and Suzie for another adventure.

“Death Comes to Marlow” (The Marlow Murder Club #2) by Robert Thorogood ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Cozy Mystery. Location: Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England. Time: Present.

THE SERIES: The Marlow Murder Club solves murders. They are:
Judith (late 70s, crossword puzzle setter for The Times, nude Thames swimmer),
Suzie (ruddy cheeked, loud voiced, salt-of-the-earth dog walker), and
Becks (the perfect Home Counties wife of Vicar Colin).

THIS BOOK: An olive oil can with no fingerprints, a split Wellington boot, and a missing will:

Sir Peter Bailey is marrying his nurse, Jenny Page. The day before the wedding, Judith, Suzie, and Becks attend a party at his mansion. When there’s a crash inside the house, they find Sir Peter crushed to death in his locked study. The police don’t consider his death suspicious, and their favorite detective, DS Tanika Malik, is side-lined from the case. Judith knows the Marlow Murder Club must investigate to stop the killer. Who killed the wealthy, privileged Sir Peter? The aggressive son, the ex-wife with a grudge, the daughter with a secret, the bride, the wronged business partner, or the lover?

Author Thorogood has written a locked room mystery with a clever plot, quirky characters, and lots of humor. It’s an easy read, filled with red herrings. He twists and turns the plot until you don’t know which way to look. In fact, the ending is so convoluted you’ll wonder how he came up with it!

There’s no map, but Marlow is a real town so you can Google it to get a sense of place. Those who like crossword puzzles, anagrams in particular, will enjoy solving clues with Judith in the secondary mystery. Pretty much everyone should enjoy Thorogood’s well-written, likable characters.

Thorogood is the creator of the popular tv series “Death in Paradise” so if you enjoy that, give this series a try. It’s 4 stars from me 🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, Sourcebooks, and Robert Thorogood for this early copy. Publishes 6/6/2023. PS: I learned an anagram: Eleven Plus Two = Twelve Plus One.

Absolutely brilliant, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

This is the second book in the Marlow Murder Club series. Judith, our lead detective is an eccentric older lady who creates crosswords and skinny dips in the Thames. The other members of the "club" are Susie, a good hearted but rough dogwalker and Becks, a proper vicar's wife whose head contains an amazing store of odd facts. When they attend a pre-wedding party for Sir Bailey and a cabinet topples onto the groom in a locked room their new case begins.
This is a review of an ARC provided by NetGalley.

Death Comes to Marlow was an exciting mystery read that wound you up at just the right moments. Judith Potts and her detective crew Becks and Suzie are back to solve another murder (that the police don't think is murder) in this thrilling sequel to The Marlow Murder Club.

The story begins when Judith receives a mysterious phone call that isn't all that mysterious. Or is it? Only Judith could tell you, if I'm being honest. The way in which she puts clues together absolutely baffled me. I was always right there with her and never once did we draw the same conclusions. This isn't my favourite book I've read this year by far, but it was captivating enough that I've now got a taste for murder mysteries. I am so happy that I was able to get my hand on a copy of this book because I sure do adore the dynamic between Becks, Suzie, Judith and Tanika. I can't wait for their next murder mystery escapade.

Clues are all over the place in this highly entertaining and very funny whodunit where once again Judith and her gang are pooling together all their resources to unmask the killer responsible for the death of Peter Bailey, a local bigwig savagely murdered only one day before his second wedding....

A locked-room mystery, a very dysfunctional family and plenty of reasons for wanting his lordship's demise are some of the "ingredients" the reader will find in this compelling and irresistible cluefinder full of twisty twists, delicious verbal pyrotechnics and a terrific cast of exquisitely drawn characters. I loved this delightful romp and to be honest I can't wait for its next installment!

Highly recommended and to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever!

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen and Netgalley for this great ARC!

Perfect for viewers of British country mysteries and what is becoming a new genre in books. They are fun and I can see this one becoming a tv series. I used to live a few miles from Marlow and that made thr book even more enjoyable for me.

Death comes to Marlow is second book in a series, and even better than the first one. Judith, Suzie, Becks and Tanika join forces again when local rich man dies at his party. He dies in a locked room alone, with the only copy of the room key in his pocket. There’s no way it can be murder, surely?

The solution to the mystery was a big surprise for me, and I think this novel is as good as Agatha Christie’s best. I also find the character of Judith Potts very refreshing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

Another clever mystery and fun investigative romp with Judith, Suzie and Becks! Much to DS Tanika Malik's consternation, the trio once again find themselves front and center to the mysterious death of the prominent Lord Peter Bailey, just before his wedding. This locked room mystery is chock full of witty humor and red herrings. Looking forward to the next in the series!

Judith, Susie, and Becks are back at it with another murder in Marlow. A locked room murder with a yard full of witnesses, and all suspects having an alibi it makes them question was it actually a murder or a terrible accident? With the lead detective back from sick leave and writing the death off as an accident, Judith has her work cut out for her.

I'm really loving this trio of friends and their murder solving abilities. I was hoping for more to come from the side quest Judith had found but it also was a cute side story. All in all another good cozy mystery with these 3 that I enjoyed. It holds your attention and has a good flow. Looking forward to another adventure with these ladies.

What a delight to have a second installment of Robert Thorogoods' Marlow. Having read the first book featuring Judith and her reluctant sidekicks, I eagerly anticipated this new adventure for our intrepid trio and was not disappointed. Another murder takes place in their sleepy town and the girls proceed to 'help the police' by basically getting involved. A great read which is well written and plotted. I thank Netgalley, Poison Pen publishers and Mr Thoroggod for a great read. Can't wait for number 3!

Loved the first book and was so excited to see I was able to read the second story! I love these characters and I really enjoyed this second installment. This was such a fun crime novel with such lovable and fun characters. This series keeps getting better! Can’t wait for the third story! Thank you Robert Thorogood and NetGalley for taking me through this lovable series.

When Sir Peter Bailey dies on the day before his wedding to his much-younger nurse, the local police rule it an accident, leading Judith, Suzie and Becks to investigate. Did the bride-to-be off her fiance, or was it Sir Peter's son, the heir to the estate?

The main characters are likeable, and the plot moves along at a nice clip. Judith and friends are quirky enough to be interesting but not so over-the-top as to be unbelievable. Recommended for fans of cozy mysteries, British series, and Golden Age stories.

Thorogood is the creator of the Death in Paradise series, which lets us know that we'll be getting a charming setting, quirky characters, and not much emphasis on gritty police procedure. I like that quite a bit in the tv show. In this book, though, I feel like the quirkiness is dialed up to 10, so that the characters' signature traits (yes, they all have signature traits—swimming nude in the Thames! repeatedly pulling out a tin of boiled travel sweets! asking strangers obnoxious questions!) had me grinding my teeth. This is the second installment in the series, and it has the feel of a sequel to a film blockbuster, compelled to repeat and magnify anything viewers might have liked about the original. The questions are more obnoxious, the pretext for their involvement in the mystery flimsier, the police less competent. Maybe the book also suffers from not having actors to add humanity to its over-the-top characters, creating what feels like farce.
There's also a heavy helping of what feels to me, as an American, a set of particularly British stereotypes about people low on the social ladder, as depicted in the character Suzie: few social skills, slow on the uptake, dirty, attention-seeking, etc, Having written that, I realize that nearly many of the characters are rigidly attached to class stereotypes (with perhaps the exception of their police officer friend), but that it bothers me most with Suzie.
My favorite part of this story is the detailed attention to cryptic crosswords, which the main character sets and drafts as a hobby.

First, a man that was going to be married the next day is found dead.
Poisoned Pen Press and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published on June 6th.

The Marlow Murder Club decides it is murder even if the police don't agree. The woman start asking questions.

Then another murder happens. They now have two to solve.

In time, Judith finds herself with the killer. Will she survive?