Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I didn't realize this was the third book in the Marlow Murder Club series but I enjoyed this one and it will make me go back and read the other two books and wait for the fourth.

This is a fun series and great to recommend to patrons, especially those looking for something cozy or wanting to know what to read after The Thursday Murder Club.

The Queen of Poisons is the third book in the Marlow Murder Club series, and starts with the murdered of the mayor Geoffrey Lushington during a town council meeting. Evidently the mayor was poisoned and the plot is full of twists and turns that kept me hooked. This can be read as a stand-alone but i would recommend reading the first two books to get to know the wonderful characters and their previous adventures. This is a great mystery and it was quite a good read.

This is the third book in the Marlow Murder Club series and starts with a bang. The mayor Geoffrey Lushington is murdered during a town council meeting with Suzie in attendance. It was quickly evident that the mayor was poisoned. DI Tanika Malik knows that warning the Marlow Murder Club not to investigate will go on deaf ears. The suspect list is plentiful but the Marlow Murder Club is up to the task. The story is well thought out with a couple red herrings thrown in.

It is a not my favorite book in the series, but I did enjoy it & look forward to book 4!

Thank you to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for letting me read this in advance.

Thank you so much @RB Media, @poisonedpen press and @netgalley for the complimentary audio and advance copy of this eARC!

I had such a great time listening to and reading this book! This particular mystery centers on a murder at a local council meeting, with Judith, Suzie, and Becks once again using their sharp instincts to solve the crime. The three main characters are wonderfully developed, each with their own vibrant, distinct personalities. Suzie especially cracked me up—she's hilarious! The plot is full of twists and turns that kept me hooked, and the charming setting only added to the story. The ending was so satisfying, tying everything together perfectly.

There’s a great sense of mystery as everyone seems to have their own secret, and the conclusion was clever and well done. The friendship between Suzie, Judith, and Becks is such a heartwarming aspect of the book, making the whole experience feel even more special.

Listening to the audiobook was a fantastic way to revisit the story. The narrator really brought the characters to life—it felt like they were right there with me. It did take me a little longer to finish because it got a bit repetitive at times, but the twists kept me engaged, and the payoff in the end was totally worth it!

If you're a fan of cozy mysteries, I highly recommend this one! I'm looking forward to reading the first two books in the series to get to know these characters and their adventures even more.

"The Queen of Poisons" by Robert Thorogood is Book #3 in the Marlow Murder Club Cozy Mystery Series!

The Mayor of Marlow, Geoffrey Lushington, drops dead during a town council meeting, and with traces of aconite - the queen of poisons - discovered in his coffee cup, the police have no doubt the poor man was murdered. But who would do such a thing? Everyone in Marlow loves the mayor...

The Marlow Murder Club is back! Septuagenarian and crossword puzzle setter Judith Potts, dedicated dog walker Suzie Harris, and the local Vicar's wife Becks Starling are brought in by the police as civilian advisors to have complete control of the investigation.

Short chapters that scrutinize suspect after suspect make this a quick addicting read. Judith, as usual, keeps things interesting, moving along, and slightly outside the lines. Becks reveals more of her personal side and takes a larger part in the investigation. (I think she's quickly becoming my favorite). But, what was Susie doing at the...oh, never mind!

An immersion read, the audiobook was narrated by Nicolette McKenzie and brought life to the story. However, I found both formats equally enjoyable.

With a mix of dry humor, continued shenanigans, shifty characters, and a police force that continues to...what is it that they do? Who else can the folks in Marlow rely on to solve the murders in their community except this trio of female super-sleuths?

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series as these ladies are beginning to feel like old friends!

3.75⭐

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, RB Media, and Robert Thorogood for a DRC and an ALC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

After giving two solid 4-star ratings to The Marlow Murder Club and Death Comes to Marlow, I am so sad to report that this third installment let me down in the most unexpected way. I am a huge fan of Robert Thorogood's works; Death in Paradise is a comfort watch for me, and I have even dabbled in the TV-to-book series. Unfortunately, the captivating mystery of The Queen of Poisons doesn't outweigh the fatphobia expressed by both suspects and our leading sleuths.

In an attempt avoid spoilers, a person of interest keeps making anonymous calls or sending anonymous messages to Judith, Suzie, and Becks. This individual is caught on the church's security camera. He is an obese man who uses a mobility scooter. As soon as this is discovered, his weight becomes the main topic of discussion, and there is clear judgment toward his lifestyle and health. I found it extremely uncomfortable. I've been told by someone who finished this title that this description does affect the ending, but the fatphobic comments aren't resolved.

I have elected to give this book a neutral 3 stars on Netgalley, as I chose to DNF the book at Chapter 21 in light of the fatphobia's presence.

I feel like I know these characters, especially after watching the series on PBS, which put a face to the sleuths.
When the popular mayor is found murdered after drinking coffee at a town meeting, Judith, Becks, and Suzie are asked by Tanika to help find the killer. There is no shortage of suspects - people who may not have their permits approved, a woman who grows poisonous plants, or a strange blond man making threatening calls. As the trio investigate, they do help identify a suspect, but they struggle to believe that they truly were the murderer.
I look forward to the next installment of this series.

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, but unfortunately, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. In the earlier books, the characters of Suzie, Becks, and Judith felt more well-developed and interesting, but here, they seemed a bit flat. The book relies heavily on dialogue, and the plot felt overly complicated, with nearly every character being a suspect at some point.

Without giving away spoilers, the finale was a bit hard to swallow. It just didn’t seem realistic that someone capable of murder would calmly stand there for what felt like forever while their crime was explained to them in such detail. The mystery had a good twist, but I don’t think many readers would have guessed the murderer. It felt like the author didn’t quite play fair, which reminded me of some of Agatha Christie’s tricks—though, admittedly, I can’t complain too much since Christie did the same thing.

What really disappointed me, though, was the rift between Judith and Tanika. It felt like a missed opportunity for a more meaningful development in their relationship. Overall, this book just didn’t live up to the promise of the earlier installments.

#ARC #netgalley

I was saddened by the fact that I didn’t like this book as much as I anticipated that I would. The synopsis made me want to devour it and I just found myself not being able to unfortunately.

A wonderful who-dunit with spins like Thursday Murder Club and turns like any Freida McFadden. The crime is unique and almost so unique, that it is nearly impossible to solve. With several female characters leading the story, the reader truly embraces the mystery and overall intelligence found within the female mind.

(Actual: 3.75⭐, rounded up) I'll be honest to start in saying that I didn't realize this was the third book in the series (I really just found the title, cover, and premise to be really intriguing), but I really enjoyed it all the same and plan to go back and read the previous two also! This was a solid cozy mystery with good pacing, unique twists and reveals (that may or may not have always stuck the landing, but were a fun ride to experience regardless), and very loveable characters.

I initially expected a cozy mystery, this book packed the thrilling twists of a contemporary whodunit. The story kicks off when Susie witnesses the Mayor collapse at a town council meeting, sparking an investigation that sends the trio deep into a puzzling murder mystery filled with poison and unexpected suspects.

I found the plot engaging, keeping me guessing until the very end. Though some aspects felt a bit exaggerated, they only added to the fun, making it easy to suspend disbelief. The humor throughout and the chemistry between the three main characters added charm, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. The narrator's voice work further enriched the experience, making the characters even more vivid.

Set in modern day Marlow in England, "The Queen of Poisons" is intriguing, gripping, full of twists and turns, oh so cozy mysterious, and interesting. Full of unique characters, questions about whom can and cannot be trusted, and a murder to solve, this novel is so difficult to put down!

When the beloved mayor of Marlow is murdered in a seemingly-impossible-to-solve manner, Judith, Becks, and Suzie once again put on their sleuthing hats, and are brought in my Tanika as civilian advisors to help the police solve the case. With a handful of suspects in the room at the time of the murder, each and every one with a secret they would rather keep hidden, and more suspects found along the way, Judith, Becks, Suzie, and Tanika must put their heads and detective skills together to find out what really happened.

Mr. Thorogood does a phenomenal job of hooking the reader from the first page, revealing both red herrings and clues at the exact moments needed to in order to advance the plot. and the various pieces of the puzzle fall into place brilliantly and seamlessly and everything kept me on the edge of my seat.

I also felt the character development was really strong throughout, and the friendship between Judith, Becks, and Suzie is so special. They really care deeply for one another, and truly want the best for one another.

I highly recommend this book to cozy-mystery lovers! I can't wait to read the next books in the series!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the e-ARC of this book, it is incredible! I even checked out a copy from my library to read some sections again to search for clues I might have missed! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I tried soooo hard to listen to this one! It just was NOT working for me. I loved the first two books in this series, but this installment in the series fell flat for me. DNF @ 65% :(

Another cozy entry into the older adult detective genre. Several elderly women take on the investigation into a murder in Marlowe. If you enjoy the Thursday Murder Club mysteries, you’ll enjoy this.

The Queen of Poisons is the third title in the Marlow Murder Club series. The 3 amigas are at it again as Judith, Suzie and Becks team up with their police counterpart, Tamika, to figure out who killed the Mayor of Marlow, and particularly, why, as he seems to be the guy that everybody loved.

I tend to describe the Marlow Murder Club as a slightly lower-rent and more believable bunch than that other series about a group of older amateur crime solvers living in a retirement home. Only Becks will probably be able to avoid that kind of option when she ages into it. Judith is the ostensible leader of the crew, although one of the nicest things about this series is that the leadership role moves around between the 3 main characters. She is an unrepentant outsider, who loves to skinny dip in the river and may have a hoarding problem. Suzie will fall for any money-making scheme out there, and Becks is, of course, the vicar's wife, who is starting to not care quite so much about what other people (including her spouse) might think.

In this installment, they're officially seconded to the police department, which gives them a bit more freedom to ask questions, though they push the limits of that as usual.

These are fun characters, and Robert Thorogood is smart enough to let them grow a little in each book. The relationship between the 3 of them grows as well. This story has some unexpected twists, and every time I thought I had it figure out, I didn't. That's exactly the sort of thing I want in my beach bag at the lake. Not a lot of pretention here, or trying to be anything but what it is - a solidly crafted cozy.

When Suzie showed up to a Town Council meeting, she never expected to witness a murder! Now Judith and her friends are on the scent. Who killed Marlow’s very own saint, Geoffrey Lushington, and why? With Tanika on their side, this group of friends are determined to hunt down the killer and find themselves unearthing Town Council drama in the process.

I’ve really been enjoying the series, so I’m a little sad that this one turned out to be a dud. We follow Judith, Becks, and Suzie as they do their thing and hunt down the town’s latest killer. Unfortunately, the group’s interest and involvement in the mystery felt super forced. It seemed like they were going through the motions just to go through them. It didn’t make me feel drawn into the mystery at all. I also had a hard time buying that Judith and co. actually solved the murder. It seemed like they were accusing everyone and their mom before they suddenly knew who it was for a while. We were told this rather than seeing it play out, so I was like… okay, Judith.

That said, I did like getting to know some of the characters a little more. I was hoping that Tanika would be more involved with the mystery solving trio, but at least we did get to learn a little more about her home life. I hope that we get to see Tanika and everyone more involved with each other during the investigations, and that we’ll see everyone more open to hearing what Tanika has to say outside of picking her brain.

I really wanted to like this book because I loved the previous two, but it was just a miss for me. The mystery just didn’t pull me in, it seemed like everyone was just running through the motions, and I’m not sure I buy that they managed to solve the mystery. I kept finding myself more interested in the drama surrounding Becks and her mother-in-law and wishing the mystery involved Becks and her in-laws rather than the Town Council. Plus, the fatphobia that emerges as the story progresses was extremely unnecessary and really soured what good the story had going.

This is the third installment from the Marlow murder series.

I haven't read the first two, so I wasn't familiar with these ladies. It gave me Thursday murder club vibes and I have enjoyed those books. This book mostly has female characters which are senior ladies, with a sass and attitude that will make young women shy away.

I totally enjoyed the reading style, the dialogues were quite entertaining. Overall a very smart read and quite enjoyable. I would have loved it even more if mystery part was that engaging. It was okay but not something which had my attention.

Overall rating :3.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and poisoned pen press for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Our friendly neighborhood amateur sleuths are at it again. Suzie Harris is watching a planning meeting when Mayor Geoffrey Lushington suddenly drops dead. Of course the first thing Suzie does is call the rest of the Marlow Murder Club, her pals Judith Potts and Becks Starling. It seems like the mayor was an affable person with no reason for anyone to want him out of the way. Suzie even describes him as a "jolly gnome with and impish sense of humor. Everyone in the town liked him." But evidently not everyone, since somebody put aconite in his coffee.

The three women are an unlikely group of friends, as well as unlikely detectives. Suzie is always coming up with schemes to make money. Judith sets crossword puzzles. Becks is the vicar's wife. They are different ages, from different backgrounds, and very different personalities. But that is what makes them so useful as civilian advisers. They know people through the various activities they are involved with around town. Judith is a source of obscure facts from her involvement with creating crossword clues. Becks knows parishioners and community members associated with parish programs. And Suzie knows people from her dog-walking business, her radio show, and even her time as part of a home makeover reality TV series. So it makes sense that Tanika Malik, the detective inspector, would want their input. They were helpful in previous investigations and she knows they will be snooping around anyway.

As usual the women speak to everyone who was present at the planning meeting, visiting homes and offices to track down persons of interest. It seems like they should have an easy time of figuring out the culprit since Suzie witnessed the death, but it isn't that simple. They try to find possible motives - bad finances, questionable business deals, love affairs, etc. And they still have their everyday lives to attend to along with their search for clues. Suzie is interested in starting up a pod hotel to make extra cash. Becks is dealing with her mother-in-law, who came to stay with them and doesn't seem to plan on leaving. And Judith has heard from an old school chum who wants to take her on a date, something she hasn't done since her husband died. How is anyone supposed to solve a murder with all these distractions?

This latest case, like the rest of the series, shows how much can go on behind the scenes in a village or small town. What shows on the surface may be far different from what someone is actually like, especially for public figures like council members who are trying to maintain a good reputation. Could the planning committee member who knows all about toxic garden plants have been the murderer? Was it something to do with the publishing industry and all the authors Geoffrey worked with? Is there a blackmailer at work and things got out of hand? The more they talk to people, the more unanswered questions they seem to have and cryptic phone calls from a blocked number aren't helping matters.

Don't worry, things end in a blaze of glory. (No, I can't explain, it would be a spoiler.) And our three main characters stay true to themselves. "None of the three friends were ever likely to change, and that's just how they liked it. They wouldn't have it any other way." For those who haven't heard, the books are now being made into a TV series which will be coming to MASTERPIECE on PBS on October 27, 2024. So read ahead and be prepared to enjoy all the sleuthing fun.