This was a fast and easy read. It was a police procedural set near London. There were several crimes here to be solved, and this was done mostly by figuring out the backgrounds of the people involved and through supposition of their motives, rather than by acquiring crime evidence. Though the author had devised quite creative backstories to make the elements of the plot all come together, the story wasn’t especially riveting. Similarly, there is little in the way of characterization or the relationships of the key players, so I didn’t feel engaged in their lives. However, I was new to this series and read this book (which is seventh in the series) as a stand-alone. Presumably people reading the series would feel more connection with the protagonist and his team.
I was provided with an ARC (thanks to the author & publisher!) and I am voluntarily posting my honest review.

This is #7 in the DCI Rob Miller series and it was great to be back with him, his team, and his family. It can easily be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the whole series!

Debby Morris was last seen at the Christmas party of a charity, held in Hollyhock Manor. Her phone, bag, and fancy dress hat are found near the Thames in Marlow, then her body is later found in the river, several miles downstream.

Lots of high profile people were at the party and they’re not all honest about Debby’s last known movements. Rob starts to look at the party planner, but then she is murdered in her own home.

If you like a police procedural thriller that is accurate and gripping, then you’ll love this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

It was good, but not sitting on the edge of your seat dying to know what happened good.

I like when mysteries leave clues on who could have done it, but this was more you didn't know until the author wanted to tell the answer. There was a lot to unravel *after* the person was arrested that you wouldn't have been able to figure out on your own.

I'm not sure if it's the Kindle version, but I wish the POV changes were more obvious.

Overall, it was good but not the best mystery I've read.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me early access to this book.

Another winner from Biba Pearce. Excellent storyline and interesting characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would thoroughly recommend.
Thank you Netgalley and Joffre.

Digital copy provided by #NetGalley

3.5/5
I enjoyed this book. There were some points where the police procedural talk felt a bit too long and descriptive but overall the book provided you with the feeling of being part of the team, which was interesting. At some points it was a bit too hard to keep up with names and characters, which I felt there were too many of. However, the last twist felt gripping and kept me hooked until I finished.

4.5⭐

DCI Rob Miller is back six months on from the horrific events in THE SOHO KILLER he's physically and mentally beaten and reluctantly back on the job.

Tasked with finding the killer of Debby Morris. Who was last seen at a Christmas Party and is later found floating in the Thames. 

But Rob isn't sure he's ready and he knows he and the team are on thin ice, especially if they get this one wrong.

And as the investigation begins Rob soon learns just how many high-profile names were in attendance including his boss's boss, an MP and a Dame.

But none of them seem to have a motive to kill Debby.

Or do they?

And then the event planner is murdered and all eyes turn to Debby's husband.

Which pleases Rob's boss immensely. Only he isn't so sure and he's determined to keep investigating. 

But can he find the real killer before they strike again? 

And with big twists and a killer I did not expect. This was a cracking read. That I genuinely found hard to put down and this is a series I would happily recommend to all.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of The Marlow Murders, the seventh novel to feature DCI Rob Miller of the Met’s Murder Investigation Team, based in Putney.

Debby Morris goes missing in Marlow after attending an early Christmas party, with the only trace of her, her elf hat and phone, found in a local park. Three weeks later her body is found in the Thames, miles from where she disappeared. Rob Miller is vaguely aware of the case, but as he is on leave after his last case he hasn’t paid much attention, especially as it is in another jurisdiction, so he is surprised to called back from leave to lead the investigation.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Marlow Murders, which is a straightforward police procedural, well, as straightforward as complicated investigations get, with an interesting plot and likeable characters. I wouldn’t say it was full of twists and turns, more surprises at the way the investigation goes, as the genre doesn’t really suit big twists being more of a relentless search for facts to build a case.

The novel follows the usual format with theories formed and discarded as more information comes to light, suspects ruled in or out, standard dodgy behaviour from many of the partygoers, more murders and determined detectives. The devil, as they say, is in the detail and the author has created a very readable novel which makes the reader puzzle over the whole who and why, while offering plenty of possibilities. I don’t think that I would have ever guessed the outcome in advance as it relies on late breaking and sensational information to make sense. Still, it’s a great finish that ties up the loose ends in a quite unusual fashion.

I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about Rob Miller when I started this series, but he’s grown on me and now I look forward to his next case. He’s matured, both as a detective and a family man and now it appears as a mentor with him taking newbie PC Victor Trent under his wing.

The Marlow Murders is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

This was an amazing read! I went into the book without having read the first one in the series, and you are informed of the past in a contextual fashion. The mystery is just so so SO good. I couldn't out it down once I started the book. The writing is fast paced, impeccable with the detailing when needed. I love British settings and you can clearly picture yourself driving to Marlow or walking to scene of the crime near the Thames river bank. ABsolutely loved. The Twsit was so satisfying - I did not see that coming! Do not miss this book, definite recommend!

A Confounding Case..
The seventh outing in the Detective Rob Miller series of mysteries and when a Christmas party outing results in a missing persons case but soon turns fatal, the team have a confounding case on their hands. They are to find themselves in a race against time as they attempt to track a killer. With a well rounded and deftly drawn cast of characters and a twisting, nicely constructed plot this is another intriguing and compelling mystery and a worthy addition to this long running series.

This was my first introduction to this author and this series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite not being familiar with the characters and previous story lines, the book was easy to get into and still gave you a good understanding of these well rounded characters - I'm now invested and want to know more.

The story itself has a suspenseful plot, but doesn't use cheap thrills to get there. It's well thought out, twisty and really enjoyable.

I also loved the ending!

Elf hats, Christmas parties, and murders!

Well this was intriguing! A missing woman with nothing to go on but a Christmas elf hat and a mobile phone discarded near a bench down by the river towpath at Marlow in the Thames Valley.
What looks like a missing person turns into a more complex murder, which is just the beginning. There’s a host of moving parts and people who just might have a reason for harming the missing woman. How to uncover the truth is the challenge.
DCI Rob Miller and his disbanded crew from the Major Investigation Team of the Met. Police Headquarters are called back together to solve the case—quickly! (That’s another story, that includes Rob’s partner Jo)
I found this tale intriguing, and full of deft twists. So much so that I feel the need to explore the rest of the series.
Well paced, tense and surprising!

A Joffe Books ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Another great book by Biba Pearce. Well written and fast paced. Lots of twists and turns. I loved the Christmas storyline, always a fun setting. I can’t wait to red more bout the main characters.

Having read all of the DCI Rob Miller books, I was keen to get my hands on this latest offering, and I was not disappointed. Along with the usual host of well-developed characters we are introduced to PC Victor Trent, whom I liked instantly - for me he adds a lot to the team, and I am looking forward to seeing how his role develops over time. We are also presented with a multitude of credible suspects each one as deceitful as the other! As always, with this author, the story is well written, and the multi-layered plot flows effortlessly with spot on pacing. Overall, this is an excellent police procedural, which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Having read titles by Biba previously, I looked forward to this one and as always I found it hard to put down. An author to be trusted for giving you an excellent read and one to always look out for.

When a dogwalker comes across a discarded elf-hat on his walk alongside the Thames at Marlow, he thinks little of it, but the mobile phone nearby makes him contact the police. It transpires that it belongs to Debby Morris, a mother of two who had gone to a Christmas party (dressed as an elf) at the nearby Hollyhock Manor and never came home.
Three weeks later, when Debby’s body is found floating downstream, Detective Rob Miller, on leave due to his previous case, is put on the case. Reassembling his old team, he soon establishes that this is a case of murder. As are the other two deaths that quickly follow…
So, this is Christmas… apparently.
I’ve got loads of Christmas books coming up to review – this year there seems to be a particular avalanche of them, so I thought I’d grab review copies of any that crossed my path on NetGalley. Of course that means reviewing them in October or November, but why not start the festive season early? They certainly do in this book, given that the time scale places the fancy dress Christmas party that Debby disappears from in mid-November. I’d possibly understand it if it was at an overbooked restaurant, but it’s at a private residence. And that’s where Christmas seems to end. There’s a few mentions near the end, but if you’re looking for a serial killing Santa, off to rid the world of elves, then this isn’t the book for you.
And also – and apologies to Joffe’s marketing department – this isn’t
FULL OF TWISTS AND TURNS, A HEARTSTOPPING MYSTERY
Or indeed
AN UNSTOPPABLE CRIME MYSTERY THAT YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO PUT DOWN.
Or even
AN ABSOLUTELY GRIPPING CRIME MYSTERY WITH A MASSIVE TWIST
And despite the title, it’s nothing to do with The Marlow Murder Club.
What it is, it’s a perfectly entertaining police procedural that passes the time nicely without setting the world on fire. And there’s nothing wrong with that. There are things you can nitpick – the previous book which upset the status quo of the series, it seems, is spoiled good and rotten, for example, which is a shame as it sounds rather good. There’s a clever idea with how to fake an alibi, for example, and the lead characters are interesting. There’s some political shenanigans in the background and an interesting cast of suspects.
It does suffer from characters doing things, like keeping an alibi secret, to service the plot, where as in reality… probably not. There’s some near-psychic detection near the end to, and one aspect of the solution is a little disappointing.
Still, if you like police procedures, this is a perfectly enjoyable read. Just not very Christmassy…

DCI Rob Miller #7

Debby Morris, mother of two, goes to a Christmas party at the historic Hollyhocks Manor in Marlow, and never comes home. Her phone, handbag and eld hat are found at a park near the River Thames. The police issue a nationwide search, but Debby is not found. Is this a planned disappearance or something more sinister? Then Debby's body, still in her eld costume, is discovered five miles downstream from where she disappeared. But the circumstances around Debby's death are murkier than the Thames in which she was found.

DCI Rob Miller and his team are investigating a murder. We are introduced to a new character, PC Victor Trent, who I really liked. The plot is multilayered. The characters are well-developed. Journalist Claire Marlow is determined to find out the truth behind the murders. Although this is the seventh book in the series, it could be read as a standalone.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #bibaPearce for my ARC of #TheMarlowMurders in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
Another enjoyable addition to the series; I really enjoyed being back in Detective Rob Miller's world.
He's back to work early from his compassionete.leave to lead the case of a murdered young mother of twin sons. They suspect the husband, but can't make it stick. Two more murders follow and it seems they just can't get it right.
But with a new young, eager police sidekick and his team, Rob finally has a eureka moment and the surprising truth comes out. Great read!

Yet another great book. Would recommend this to anyone who loves police procedurals. I love the twists and turns

Netgalley review - Thanks to Netgalley for giving me a copy to read and give an honest review. This is the first in this series that I have read. I enjoyed it. It reminded me of the many British mysteries I watch. This one involves a DCI Rob Miller who with his team gets involved in a murder that took place in Marlow. When a young woman leaves a charity Christmas party and is found dead, his team is pulled in to investigate because the young woman is a god daughter to one of his higher ups. He and his team had to prove themselves because of being reprimanded for something that happened in the previous book. He has been off work for several months, his partner had her throat cut but survived and the two of them now have a baby. All the while his supervisor, fears that there will be another fiasco that will make them all look bad. There were several suspects and I enjoyed how the author slowly put the pieces together. This was an enjoyable read and would recommend to anyone who loves a good British mystery.

This is a murder mystery centred around the guests attending a charity party. I thought it well written with true to life characters. I liked how all their secrets unravell and come together for a satisfying conclusion.
I am looking forward to reading more in this series.