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

This book was okay, but nothing that I could see myself raving about or recommending.

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.

Good!

I wish I had read the first two books so I could keep up. I'm going to re-read this once I've read the first two.

Thank You to Robert Thorogood, RB Media and NetGalley for the audio-digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm so impressed with this series. I love the characters and how we continue to get to know them. I love the way that they investigate, discover what is going on, and come to the conclusion of what happened a la Miss Marple. I also can't wait to read the next one. Also love the narrator and how she really brings the stories to life!

The Queen of Poisons
by Robert Thorogood
Narrated by Nicolette McKenzie

thank you so much RB Media for the gifted audiobook!

About the book 👇🏽

The Marlow Murder Club is on the hunt for a killer...

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 the Marlow Murder Club 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...

My thoughts 💭

A fantastic installment in The Marlow Murder Club series! I love a good mystery and Robert Thorogood delivers every time. Nicolette McKenzie did a fantastic job narrated and held my attention all the way through! A solid mystery, a great cast of characters, and an audiobook you won’t want to stop listening to! I’d recommend this book and audiobook to readers that love mystery series!

Happy reading

I enjoyed the first book in this series, but #2 and #3 (this one) haven't held my interest as much. I think I'd enjoy the stories on the screen more than in a book, because I do like the main characters. It's a decent "cozy" series, just not one I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next one.

Praise for Nicolette McKenzie who narrated this book. I have listened to the whole series and her character voices have been wonderful and distinct. I am typing this now and hearing Judith's voice in my head.

I give the first half of this book 1 star. But I slogged on and ended with a wobbly 4 stars.
What threw me off the most was Judith's attitude and the friend's dismissiveness towards Tanika. After listening till the end, I understand the harshness of Judith. It seemed as if Tanika, Susie and Becks all had character growth and Judith was at a stubborn stand still. I wish Robert Thorogood had presented it a bit different. But, I see it was done purposefully so the ending would be more impactful. I'm glad I continued. But I know I said "what a witch" more than once about Judith and just about DNF'd. I'm still not pleased of their behavior towards Tanika. They have a lovely Musketeer moment and then right back into excluding her. Why build her character up so much in the previous books then throw her aside?

I do think this can be read as a standalone. I also think the story and its conclusion was very good. If you like a mystery with a complete and (overly) thorough explanation of how and why the murder was done, then this series is for you.

Side note 1- I hope in the next book they embrace Tanika as more of a friend. She will always have that "police" divide with her, but they should really be more understanding.

Side note 2- I have read some of the other reviews and was surprised by their comments of fat shaming. A character's obesity was essential to the story. The murder club's reaction was not shaming the obese man but almost identifying with his living arrangement. Even defending him at one point for a job he had performed for one of the suspects. Now what that suspect did was fat shame. But it was also showing the two extremes since that character was extreme with her desire for natural health and wellness. She didn't trust a fat person, and the Marlow Club didn't trust someone so perfect. I thought it all fit in well with the story. Did Thorogood stereotype how someone extremely obese lives?. Yes he did. I still feel like it fit the narrative.

I am so glad I decided to read the first book in this series, because I live for them! So excited to be back with all of them and Thorogood is so good with the murder mystery! I highly recommend reading this book! It’s definitely one that you can read in one sitting but don’t want it to end so soon!

Thank you to RB Media and Netgalley for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

An issue completely of my own, I listened to this before realising their were two sequels preceding it. Despite this, I was still able to follow without issue, because the story was almost reiterated via small details, allowing the reader to refresh themselves on it - or, in my case, hear it for the first time.

Judith, Suzie and Becks are a fun, old lady detective gang who simply run around town, getting under the police force's feet and solving the cases for them. I did enjoy this book, with it's simple, almost formulaic mystery style, its cosy narrative and its low-stakes murders. The fact that it is actually pointed out on more than one occasion that they are not behaving legally themselves is enjoyable also. (I'm sure Judith is corrected at least thrice when she claims she is working for the police).

However the ending was a little bit ridiculous. I LOVED the idea of such a twist but it really was silly at a point.

This title won't change the wheel, but it is still a fun listen.

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% :(

I enjoyed the writing! I think I would have gotten much more out of it if I had read the other books in the series first. Some books that are part of series function well as standalone novels, but there were clearly some bits I didn’t fully grasp. Totally my fault!

This is a good book!

Another mystery in Marlow and the motley crew of amateur sleuths from the first two books are back. This time, the mayor is poisoned before a planning council meeting and there are suspects galore. Blackmail, red herrings, and poison gardens - what a delight. QUEEN OF POISONS is like its predecessors in that the whodunnit feels sometimes irrelevant - particularly when the characters take up so much space on the page. This isn’t a good or a bad thing, just an unintended consequence of good characters. The Marlow series is less Agatha Christie and more Father Brown - the definition of cozy. Brilliant narration again for this audiobook. Recommend for anyone who loves their BritBox subscription and a mystery without any darkness. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance listeners copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC of the audiobook which I listened to alongside a purchased eBook copy of this book.

*Queen of Poisons* by Robert Thorogood is a gripping mystery novel that combines intrigue and suspense. The story centers on a renowned poison expert, who becomes entangled in a dangerous investigation when a prominent scientist is found dead under suspicious circumstances. As the ladies delve deeper into the case, they uncover a web of deceit, hidden agendas, and deadly secrets. Thorogood does such a great job at providing the readers with sharp twists and complex characters, which kept me guessing until the end. I really enjoyed this book. Judith, Suzie, and Becks are some of my favorite book characters and they are such a joy to read!

A wonderful addition to the series- Robert's writing is often a hit with me and this series just keeps improving

The Marlow Murder Club mystery does get compared to The Thursday Murder Club series, and I will say that is a fair comparison. However, it does stand on its own legs and I’ve come to love it just as much. Like TTMC, this is not a cosy series in my opinion- these are meatier stories that are not following a pattern like a cosy would. (I love cosies, it is not meant as an insult.) And I feel like with The Queen of Poisons, this series has truly hit its stride.

Our protagonists, Judith, Becks, and Suzie, are interesting and we learn more of their backstories without distracting from the mystery at hand. There is enough explanation that you could read this third book without having read the first two, though I would recommend catching up!

Robert Thorogood has written a lot of television, and I think that it shows in the strength of the pacing here. He knows exactly how much time to spend on each tangent and twist to maximise our enjoyment and to build suspense. All in all, I think that this has been one of my favourite books of the year!

This is my second foray into the Marlowe Murder Club, an eclectic trio of village women who bring different skills to investigate murders, in this case, the death of the mayor by poison at a public council meeting. It is their knowledge of their village and its residents as well as an understanding of people that leads them, a dog walker, a vicar's wife and a crossword puzzle writer to bring just what's needed to beat the police to the answer. In double checking some of the characters' names, I found that this has been made into a television series. As to this novel, it was a good mystery with typical disputes and a twisty surprise here and there. The narration was excellent. Fun.

Full confession time:

I bought this book myself for kindle before I was able to get the audio on NetGalley. I enjoy this series so much, I knew I wanted to get the latest but before I started the book I saw the audio on NetGalley and new that meant I could catch up on the story in faster time due to some travel the next day. So I did it and I listened to the book in one day. I love the ladies of The Marlow Murder Club.

In the lastest book in the series, the Mayor of Marlow becomes the latest murder victim and the Marlow Murder Club must get to the bottom of the case ASAP.

I continue to enjoy reading about the main characters, especially Beck's "OMG" level monster-in-law.

"The Queen of Poisons" is a thoroughly entertaining read that will appeal to fans of classic whodunits and contemporary mysteries alike. The setting of the novel, with its atmospheric descriptions and rich details, enhances the overall sense of mystery and suspense. Thorogood's attention to detail in depicting the locales and the intricacies of the poison used in the murder adds authenticity and depth to the story. This is a must-read for mystery enthusiasts and anyone looking for a well-crafted and engaging tale of crime and intrigue.

Narrated by Nicolette McKenzie
This audiobook was amazing, totally loved the narratio.

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.

Audiobook rating : 4.5 stars
Book rating : 3.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and RB media for the audiobook ARC in exchange of an honest review.