The third book in the Marlow Murder Club keeps up the fun, breezy and cozy mystery atmosphere of the previous books while giving our trio a bit of character development. I really enjoyed it, but perhaps not quite as much as the previous two. I will follow that statement up with my assertion that it's still a great read and a notch better than many of the other books I tend to read and review. You'll find me eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

Third book in the series. It follows Becks, Judith and Suzie in their adventures in solving crime in their town of Marlow. I liked the banter of the 3 women and how their personalities complement and support each other. When the mayor gets poisoned at a council meeting, everyone becomes a suspect. The trio have to uncover all the secrets of the members to find the killer. I enjoyed this book and the pace. The reason behind the murder is sad and makes sense. It wasn’t obvious who the killer was so it kept me in suspense. The struggle I had was the women were very quick to judge and act and jump to conclusions. That part was a huge struggle when reading.

I was disappointed with this third book in the series. I have enjoyed the previous two books, but this book was boring, flat, and linear. Anyone who is a usual reader of mysteries knows who was responsible early on. You might not know the why, but you know the who, and it is a trudge to get to the end.

I would have preferred the subplot of Becks conflict with her mother-in-law being plumped-up since the main storyline was boring. Their conflict was the spark this book could have used more of. Truthfully, I like Becks more than Judith and Suzie and would love to see more of her.

Fans of Robert Thorogood will persevere, but if this is your first visit to Marlow, I suggest you start at the beginning of the series and get to know this trio of crime-solving ladies.

My Rating: 4/5

I loved this book! Just like I have loved all the other books in this series. I can't wait to see the TV show they've made based on this series. All of the characters are so fun in their different ways and each mystery is so interesting.
If you love cozy English murder books/shows, this book and this series is for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a 2 star read for me. I felt a disconnect from the characters and felt like the writing was very one dimensional. The story had a lot of potential and I loved the idea but I feel like more time could have gone into this.

This is a very favorite series of mine and one I recommend to any type of mystery reader. I am always looking for the next in the series so I can spend time with Judith, Suzie, and Becks again. I love their friendship and the way they encourage and push each other in their personal challenges. In each of the 3 in this series, I have enjoyed the way Robert Thorogood weaves the mystery and allows his characters to unravel it. Give me more Marlow Murder Club!!

The Queen of Poisons is the third in the series and is out now! Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for my e-arc!

Thank you to NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating : 3.5

This is the third book in the series (The Marlow Murder Club & Death To Marlow) which I didn’t realize prior. It could be read on it’s own as well. I plan on reading the other books sometime. I really liked Suzie and Becks characters the most. In some parts the story was slower paced than I usually prefer. It was a cozy murder mystery and well written overall.

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This was a fun murder mystery! Three nosy older women are helping the police with their third murder, only this time one woman was present when it happened! The ladies are officially contracted as civilian consults and given (more like taken) free rein around town to figure out who murdered the mayor and why. The banter in this book was great, the killer’s identity was particularly difficult to discover while reading, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ending.

I received an audio arc of this book and will be leaving my full review on that copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Mayor of Marlow dies during a town council meeting and traces of aconite are found in his coffee. Aconite is known as the queen of poisons because of its toxicity. Before Judith, Suzie, and Becks can meddle too far, they are brought in as civilian advisors to the police and the trio begin to investigate, even if they don’t follow normal police procedures. This case appears to be more complicated than at first glance and the Marlow Murder Club must pull out all the stops to find the killer. Who would want to kill the mayor? Is anyone else on the murderer’s radar?

The Queen of Poisons is the third book in The Marlow Murder Club series. These characters are so much fun to read about and even though it had been months since I read the second book, I was easily able to remember the quirks of each of these ladies and jump full tilt into this new mystery. Thorogood has created a town with characters that most readers can relate to and another story that was hard to put down. Although this could be read and enjoyed on its own, readers will have more fun if they read the books in order.

Geoffrey Lushington, Mayor of Marlow, dies suddenly during a town council meeting. When traces of aconite—also known as the queen of poisons—are found in his coffee cup, the police realize he was murdered. But who did it? And why? The police bring Judith, Suzie, and Becks in to investigate the murder as civilian advisors right from the start, so they have free rein to interview suspects and follow the evidence to their heart's content… which is perfect because Judith has no time for rules and standard procedure. But this case has them stumped. Who would want to kill the affable mayor of Marlow? How did they even get the poison into his coffee? And is anyone else in danger? The Marlow Murder Club is about to face their most difficult case yet...

This is a great series with wonderful, quirky characters. I like Thorogood's descriptions and character development. His does use some English words, though, that I had to try and figure out by context if he did not explain. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request to read the latest in a delightful series.

This was a little too british for me. It was extremely difficult to get into, and wasn't as attention grabbing as I had hoped for. I love a mystery thriller, but this was too slow and i just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I love the cover! It just wasn't for me.

The Queen Of Poisons is the third book in the A Marlow Murder Club Mystery series by Rober Thorogood.

I would love to visit the Marlow Murder Club and its members. Judith, Suzie and Becks.

Suzie finds herself amid a mysterious meeting of the local planning council. As the members start to gather, Mayor Lushington's actions add an intriguing twist to the scene. Mayor Lushington heads to the coffee maker to make a cup of coffee before the meeting starts. He takes a sip, collapses and dies. It will be learned later that he had been poisoned. Recently promoted Detective Inspector Tankia Malik arrives and begins her investigation. She notices Suzie and knows she will tell Judith and Becks what happened at the meeting. Having worked with the ladies before, Malik knows they will start their own investigation, so she decides to make them Civilian Advisors.

Judith, Suzie, and Becks, with their unique personalities and shared determination, form a formidable team. They quickly identify several potential suspects, setting the stage for a gripping investigation.

I love this series. The Marlow Murder Club ladies are pretty interesting. Judith's home abuts the Thames, and she likes to swim naked in the Thames. Suzie is a dog-walker who produces an occasional podcast, and Becks is a vicar's wife.

The book is well-written and plotted. The characters are well-developed, engaging, and believable. Judith, Suzie, and Becks will put a smile on your face. There were enough red herrings that I kept guessing till the end who the killer was.

I’m looking forward to the next book in this delightful series.

I loved this book. It was so much fun. I hadn’t read the first two in the series, but was able to jump right into the storyline. The characters were endearing and the twist ending was great.

The third installment in Robert Thorogood’s The Marlow Murder Club series, begins with the death of Geoffrey Lushington, the mayor of Marlow, during a town council planning meeting in which Suzie Harris was one of the attendees. She is quick to summon her friends, Judith Potts and Becks Starling to the crime scene. It quickly becomes evident that the mayor was poisoned and as local law enforcement embarks on their investigation, DI Tanika Malik, well aware that no amount of warning would deter them from pursuing the case, engages the Marlow Murder Club as “civilian advisors” which allows them to conduct their investigation in collaboration with local law enforcement.

The narrative follows our amateur sleuths as they go about finding the killer. The suspect list is long and finding the culprit won’t be easy but our motivated ladies leave no stone turned as they delve into the lives of the deceased mayor who appeared to have been well-liked by those who knew him, his associates and anyone who might have held a grudge.

Having enjoyed the previous books in this series, I was looking forward to reading The Queen of Poisons. Though there are a few aspects of the story that implausible, I didn't mind having to suspend disbelief and chose to go with the flow. I do like these characters and have enjoyed following their antics in the past, but I struggled to finish this book. The premise was intriguing and while I usually enjoy investigations that involve multiple suspects, in this case, the plot becomes too convoluted as the narrative progresses. The pacing was uneven and I found the writing a tad repetitive with subplots that served no purpose other than to distract us from the primary narrative. Though I found the final reveal interesting, plot development was weak and the motive behind the murder wasn’t quite convincing.

I do appreciate the humor that the author injects into these stories and though I didn’t dislike the book in its entirety, this installment is the weakest among the three novels in the series. However, I won’t give up on the series yet and will await the next installment.

For those who are new to the series and the characters, I would recommend reading the preceding books before you read this one.

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This one started with a bang (well, a cough and choke)☠️

With the murder in the first 5% of the book, this was a fast-paced, fun addition to the Marlow Murder Club mystery series. Judith, Suzie and Becks are formally hired by the police (which, if I’m honest, made their investigation a little less fun. I like a bit of sneaking around and undermining of the officials 😆) to help solve the murder of the mayor of Marlow.

Everyone had something to hide, but nobody seemed to have a good reason to kill the beloved mayor, so there were lots of red herrings and false gotcha! moments.

It was a little less character-driven than previous books in the series, which was a bummer for me as I’ve enjoyed getting to know the characters - especially fiercely independent, naked swimming Judith.

Overall, not my favorite of the series, but a solid addition nonetheless. Thank you @netgalley for the #arc just out last Tuesday!

Mayor Geoffrey was beloved by everyone in the English small town of Marlow. Well, by everyone but his killer. It seems that The Queen of Poisons, aconite, had somehow made it into his coffee at a local town council planning committee meeting, of which he was a member. Luckily, Suzie, a member of the amateur detective Marlow Murder Club, was in attendance. She and the other Club members, Judith and Becks, are asked to officially help the investigation as consultants. As they investigate the other planning committee members, secrets are exposed that give everyone a motive. But who actually killed poor Geoffrey?

The antics of go-for-it Suzie, nude Thames swimmer and puzzle maker Judith, and vicar’s wife Becks, are as fun as usual. Becks gets a larger part than usual as she battles with her mother-in-law, who has moved in and is working through Becks recent crypto trading windfall. I did think the middle of the book was a bit of a muddle compared to previous books in the series. If the gals didn’t have people confessing their sins, I’m not sure how their detecting would have worked out. However, the conclusion of The Queen of Poisons was great as always. 4 stars!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

This is the third book in the Marlow Murder Club series and while the mystery aspect was great there wasn’t as much about the three main characters. This instalment was much more plot focused than the first two. The setting, tone and writing were all great, and the mystery kept me guessing until the very end. I also listened to the audiobook, and as always the narration was fantastic. Judith had the most going on for her besides the mystery, but I felt like Susie was just there for investigation. This time the gang is involved in the murder investigation from the very start and they were able to run amok as they pleased, I kind of missed the pushback that they used to get from the police investigator. Almost every character introduced had a motive for the murder so it was a bit hard to narrow it down as a reader. I would still continue the series (and I’ve heard there’s a tv show out there too) as I’ve really enjoyed it as a whole. This addition was just as fun, I just wanted to see a little more out of the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Robert Thorogood for this e-ARC/ALC

Robert Thorogood is the creator of the popular TV series Death in Paradise. Here is the third of his Marlow Murder Club mysteries. (They are also going to be coming to TV.) It will appeal to those who enjoy Richard Osman’s series.

Here too are a group of friends who play amateur detective (and busybody). Judith, Becks and Susie have distinct personalities and are only to eager to use them to advantage as they poke their noses in.

When the Mayor of Marlow is murdered by the Queen of Poisons (do you know what poison this is?) the stage is set. Follow along with the team as they solve this cozy village mystery. It is perfect for when you need to be pleasantly distracted.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

'Marlow Murder Club' series, by Robert Thorogood. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for book four. The Marlow Murder Club is on the hunt for a killer...

I was delighted to return to the charming village of Marlow, England, and reunite with the quirky trio of Judith, Suzie, and Becks. While I found Suzie's impulsive accusations slightly off-putting this time around, the engaging plot and skillful character development kept me invested in their journey.

The author's masterful pacing and twists and turns had me guessing until the very end. I appreciated the satisfying conclusion and eagerly anticipate the next installment in the series. If you're a fan of cozy mysteries and amateur sleuth stories, I highly recommend 'The Marlow Murder Club'!"

Overall, I am excited to continue following this series and seeing where the author takes these intriguing characters next."

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.