First off, I should say that if you haven’t read the previous two books in the Marlow Murder Club series, that’s OK; this book works as a standalone. Ideally you’d start at the beginning, but you won’t be disadvantaged if you don’t.

Primary characters in the series are three older women who poke their noses into local murder cases. Judith Potts is widowed (and glad of it), lives in a big house by the Thames where she daily takes a nude swim, writes cryptic crosswords for several major newspapers, and has assertiveness as her leading characteristic. Suzie always has an idea for how to make money. At the moment she’s got her dog-walking business, but she’s considering building a pod hotel in her garden and making money from tourists visiting Marlow. Suzie is blunt and ready for anything. Becks, a vicar’s wife, is much more reticent than either of her friends, but she is so nice that she can get people to talk when the others’ style rubs them the wrong way.

One evening, Suzie goes to a town planning committee meeting to suss out the committee’s members and procedures, so she’ll be prepared when it comes time to get her pod hotel permit. Not long after all the committee members arrive, chair and local mayor Geoffrey Lushington drops dead after drinking a cup of coffee from the Nespresso machine. But who would kill Geoffrey, the ultimate nice guy?

Tanika Malik, a local police detective, is assigned to the case, as she has been in the prior books. But she has now been elevated and runs the investigative team, no longer needing to get permission from her sexist and none-too-bright bosses. From prior experience, Tanika knows it’s best to have the women involved, so she authorizes them as civilian consultants. I’m happy that this novel loses that aspect of most amateur detective novels where the detective is constantly having to battle the official investigators.

There were enough people in the room when Geoffrey died that there are plenty of people for the trio of amateurs to interview and investigate. It soon becomes clear from their digging that nice as Geoffrey was, several people had motives to kill him. The murder has been cleverly and carefully planned, but Judith has as devious a mind as any villain, and the trio work together with Tanika to spring a trap for the killer.

Lots of people compare this series to Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club, since both involve senior-citizen amateur detectives in English village settings. To me, they don’t read as much alike, though. Osman has such a distinctive style that I doubt he could be mimicked even if another author wanted to, and I don’t think Thorogood wants to. These are entertaining books on their own; not quite as good as Osman’s, but they offer a pleasant way to pass a few hours.

I dunno. I've read the previous Marlow Murder Club books and enjoyed them as light palate cleansers between weightier or darker books, but this one kept missing its mark for me.

I like how Becks and Suzie are developing. I like that Judith is reexamining aspects of her life that maybe aren't so productive. But the story felt frenetic so it's hard to say if any of that will stick or if those things were just plot devices. And that's my gripe about this book; everything that happened felt like a plot device, not a natural flow of thought and decision making, and so felt forced and often hard to imagine. And really, the women just ran around interviewing the same people over and over, those people all allowed themselves to be interviewed, and Tanika just rolled her eyes and went along with whatever Judith wanted.

I get that cozies are supposed to be fun and light, but this really wasn't terribly fun. It was light, but possibly too light. I found it unsatisfying, like eating stale salt water taffy when what you're craving is a morsel of premium chocolate truffle.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of Queen of Poisons.

Another Murder in Marlow!

The third instalment of Robert Thorogood's cosy murder mystery series does not disappoint.

The Marlow Murder Club trio of Judith, Suzie and Becks are back with their wit, charm and cantankerous ways.

The Queen of Poisons sees the ladies on the trail of the the murderer of the Mayor of Marlow, a well liked gent who was poisoned whilst at a council meeting.

The sleuthing trio weave their way through secrets and lies, introduce multiple suspects and take you on twists and turns throughout the story.

The author has created some wonderful, fun and charming characters in this series and clever storylines. This was my favourite book in the series.

Keep them coming.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for this ARC.

I enjoy Becks, Suzie and Judith as a team, and I've read the previous two books in the Marlowe series. I like the locked-room elements of this story, but at times it felt very frenetic. It came off as a play , where all they did was run around town and talk to the same 5 people (and it was some awkward dialogue too, like why are the suspects allowing themselves to be badgered by these women?). I missed some of the hijinks of the first two books and felt like some of the personal elements were padding (like the Marian storyline was painful, the pods hotel idea was ridiculous and then I was confused about the correspondence between Judith and her classmate until the very end). The resolution was fine with me but it felt too clever for its own good, and I was left feeling underwhelmed. There was a point in the first third where I stalled out a bit, before I picked it back up and finished it in a couple of days. The setup was good, although I'm still not totally clear on how the murderer set up the poison, I will definitely read more of this series, though, and hope the somewhat slow pace of this mystery isn't the standard.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

Robert Thorogood has done it again. I love the dynamics of the relationship between Suzie, Judith, and Becks and love following their thought processes as they navigate the twists and turns of solving the mystery. I also really appreciate the ladies being hired as "civilian advisors," especially as they are going to do it anyways. :)

When Suzie attends a Council planning meeting she hopes to identify the member most likely to support her building application. The last thing she expects is to witness the murder of Major Lushington who drops dead after his first sip of coffee.
Susie quickly calls her crime solving partners, Judith and Becks. DI Tanika, having given up trying to stop the three from getting involved in police investigations, makes them official civilian advisors.
The trio launch their usual in-your-face investigation, confronting suspects to demand alibis and present theoretical scenarios.
When Judith ultimately identifies the killer, the three set a dangerous trap to force a confession.
This third Marlow Muder Club mystery tried my patience at times but rewarded me in the end by deftly pulling together the clues. As usual, suspension of disbelief is required for this latest fun romp.
Thanks to Poison Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

In this installment of the Marlow Murder Club series, the three protagonists really seem to have established their relationships and roles. It could be read as a stand alone, but reading the books in order (as I did) would help to see the progression and the progress each character makes. There are some references to past books/cases/circumstances, but nothing that isn't explained enough to make reading it as a stand alone possible.

There is also a new character introduced as a fun villain (not the actual murderer, just annoying and inconsiderate!). The mystery itself is complicated, but nothing the reader couldn't figure out on their own as there are no clues left out or surprise twists that we couldn't have known about. Suzie is actually a witness to the first murder, which feels both like too much of a coincidence, but also true to her character.

My one criticism is that it feels like Judith is encouraged to let go of her hoard (she refers to it as her archive) and then she just does, even though she has been hoarding newspapers for years in response to past trauma. It feels unrealistic and a little as the message is that you can get over things if you try hard enough? But it's also true that this is something Judith has been working on and is encouraged and supported by her friends as well as spurred into action by her potential similarity to an isolated individual they cross paths with as they are sleuthing.

Overall, another fun read with excellent plotting of the mystery and enjoyable characters.

I absolutely loved this book. I am so grateful that my first ARC was a 5 star read! I had a feeling it would be, as I loved the first two in this series, as well. There is just something special about these characters and the cozy mysteries they find themselves in. If you are a fan of the Thursday Murder Club books, you will probably like these, too! I truly love Judith Potts, and I also love that this series really focuses on female friendship and how these very different women enrich each others' lives.

Another fun installment of the Marlow Murder Club series! I really enjoy following the work of Judith, Suzie, and Becks. As with the other novels in the series, the plotting is fast-paced, and we meet a host of characters along the way. I appreciate the focus on smart women—inside and outside law enforcement—solving the crimes in all of these novels.

I've read (and enjoyed) the other two books in the series but this one was just okay. It felt rushed, certain things that had happened to the characters since the last book were never really explained and it felt like the book constantly jumped between the three main women without much extension of their characters. Because of this, I feel like Suzie and Judith cross into mean territory that isn't played off as well as it is in the first few books. The story/mystery is well done, but the characters and surrounding backstory felt shallow and rushed.

The Queen of Poisons in the third book in Robert Thorogood's Marlow Murder Club series. Suzie Harris decides to attend a planning council meeting for the first time. As the meeting begins Geoffrey Lushington the beloved Mayor of Marlow suddenly dies after sipping his coffee. It is quickly discovered that he was murdered. Suzie, Becks and Judith are brought in as police consultants to help investigate this crime. This was enjoyable but my least favorite of the series so far. I didn't love the conclusion but won't go to deep into details to avoid spoilers. But I do still love the characters and the setting and will jump to read the next book when it comes out.

Thank you to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Robert Thorogood and team for this ARC. Queen of Poisons is the third book in the Marlow Murder Club series although it can be read as a standalone book, which is how I read it. I did not know what to expect from Thorogood, as I have never read one of his books before. I was not a big fan of this book and found myself dragging my feet to finish it.

This is written by an English author and takes place in the UK and I think there were some phrases, as an American, that were either poorly written/grammatical errors or English sayings that sounded off to me and made me pause to think about it. The actual story line was good just not very entertaining to me. Overall, I give it a 2.5/5. The best way I can describe it is The Golden Girls meets Nancy Drew. If that sounds fun to you then you might like it.

WOW, I couldn't read this book fast enough. The ending will leave you with your jaw dropped. This was already one of my favorite book series, but The Queen of Poisons took it to another level. This is by far my favorite entry in the series. In this book, your favorite, lovable characters are back in Judith, Suzie and Becks. Of course they have another mystery to solve by trying to figure out who killed the Mayor of Marlow. Robert Thorogood is the master of keeping you guessing all the way until the end. This book is such a great cozy mystery and I fall more in love with our main chapters in each new edition of this series. I'm already eagerly awaiting the next book to see what Judith, Susie and Becks get into next. My full review will be posted to my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readingbookswithwords/ on the US release day.

Loved this fun story! Book 3 in the Marlow Murder Club

The Marlow Murder Club reconvenes when the Mayor dies suddenly in front of a council meeting. Who would be so daring to poison Mayor Lushington? As civilian advisors, our old friends Judith, Suzie, and Becks come in to uncover secrets, make wisecracks and generally help and annoy the police in equal portions.

Great plot, perfect pacing makes this a fun read for any detective-want-to-be!
#thequeenofpoisons #robertthorogood #hq

The Marlowe Murder Club mysteries are a comfortable combination of “ buddy story” and cozy mystery. The gal pals who devote ( seemingly) every waking hour to chasing down a murderer are a bright, likable bunch but wholly unbelievable to this reader.

I love a mystery series. And, prefer them on the light, clever side, but this series strains my credulity a bit too much. How the police can condone this level of “ support” is far more than I can believe. The varying skills of the three amateurs is interesting and fun, but their supportive police friend is relegated to the role of subservient side-kick ( at best)..

These quirks are not enough to put me off a fun series, but the narrative is just too “ step-by-step” for my taste. I found the book to lack style, but the solution was a surprise. And complex.

This is a delightful mystery featuring three charming amateur detectives and set in an idyllic English town. Lots of suspects and a surprising solution make it highly recommended!

I did not love this book a much as the previous two, but its dialogue heavy nature will appeal to many readers. It's definitely a book I would recommend readers read as part of the series, and not attempt to go for it as a standalone. It is a positive addition to a library's mystery collection, and I appreciate that each character has a history and experience, despite still being fallible.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The three main characters were well developed and had unique personalities, making it a delightful read. Suzie's humor stood out to me, and the plot had many unexpected twists. The setting was charming, and I was satisfied with the ending, especially how two characters were handled. Overall, I highly recommend this novel.

When the Mayor of Marlow dies suddenly the police resignedly appoint Judith, Becks and Suzie as Civilian Advisors. As the trio investigates, Geoffrey Lushington seems beloved by all. Everyone in Marlow seems to have been helped out by Geoffrey, so who would poison his coffee? As the Marlow trio digs into the council members everyone else seems to be hiding a secret. As the secrets begin to unravel, embezzlement, blackmail and more come to light.

Can the Marlow Murder Club untangle the mess before a murderer gets away with killing an innocent man?

As I began to read the book it started like it would give me a sense of suspense. As the book progressed, by the time I finished the book this evening, I'd been waiting for it to end for nearly an hour.

I did not read the two books before this one so that could be why I did not connect to me like it should.

The book opens with a welcome change to the formula. Suzie witnesses the murder, Tanika Malik has been promoted to Detective Inspector and so has the freedom to bring Judith, Becks and Suzie in from the beginning as Civilian Advisors. This cut out a lot of unnecessary time that might have been spent on justifying the three friends' involvement and acknowledges their track record without stopping them from being free agents.

The chemistry between Judith, Becks and Suzie is even better in this book than in the first two. I love the close observation of how day-to-day life works and the dialogue worked so well that I found myself laughing out loud at it in places. I loved that we finally get to see Becks losing her temper as she tries to cope with having her mother-in-law invading her home for an indefinite period.

Overall, I got bored and when I get bored it takes me a while to try to finish a book.