**3.5-stars rounded up **

💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙

The Queen of Poisons is the 3rd-installment in The Marlow Murder Club Cozy Mystery series. I really enjoyed the first 2-books and have been anticipating this one. This series follows Judith Potts, a septuagenarian crossword setter, and her two best friends, Suzie and Becks, as they nose around their community of Marlow solving mysteries.

This particular story is set amongst the world of local politics, as the Mayor of Marlow, George Lushington, died mysteriously during a town council meeting. After traces of the poison, aconite, are found in his coffee cup, it's clear to all that Mayor Lushington was killed on purpose. Known for a track history of barging in to solve crimes, the police preemptively bring in Judith, Suzie and Becks, from the start as civilian advisors.

The women are allowed to interview suspects and search for clues to their hearts' content. The ladies are excited for their role and dig in with great gusto. This is going to be a tough case to crack though, but aren't they all? Who could have gotten the poison into the mayor's coffee, and for that matter, who could have gotten a hold of the poison in the first place?

This is such a cute Cozy series. I do love this friend group and the dynamics amongst them. IMO, this was a bit of an odd whodonit, like some of the details at the reveal just seemed strange to me, but nevertheless, I enjoyed it a lot. I'm in for the long haul with this series, and am def hoping for more books. I'll admit, my mind wasn't 100% on task with this one, since I'm traveling. With this being said, I still found this engaging and fun.

I would recommend this series to all Cozy Mystery fans, in particular if you enjoy friendship groups solving mysteries together, or elderly amateur sleuths. Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press and Recorded Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'll be waiting for more Marlow Murder Club!!!

The Queen of Poisons; Audio version

I have simultaneously read and listened to each of the previous Marlowe Mystery series and so, was excited to receive this advance copy of the third installment in the audio format as I find Nicolette McKenzie a captivating narrator. Nicolette McKenzie is a talented narrator adapting her voice to suit the personalities of the main characters – the oldest of the group – Judith – spunky, solitary living, crossword puzzle maker; Becks, the “proper” vicar’s wife who made a bundle in investments (last episode); and Suzie, “tough as nails” dog walker and local radio show personality. Listening to the audiobook is like watching it as a movie - I can imagine the story unfolding in my mind while listening to her.
Like the previous episodes, Judith, Becks, and Suzie quickly become involved with the local police, solving the crime as “civilian advisors”. They seem to find themselves first on the scene of the murder and this time it was Suzie who was present when Geoffrey Lushington was killed. She immediately calls in her friends Judith and Becks. Their quirkiness, skill sets and down to earth/common sense reasoning once again helps the police find clues they missed to help solve the murder.

Thank you to NetGalley, RB Audio, Robert Thorogood and Nicolette McKenzie for the advanced copy.

This review has been published in Goodreads and Amazon (reviewer name SpringFever)

This story was so engaging, I needed to know what was happening next in the story at every point of the story. Totally engrossing - a story I couldn't put down

The Queen of Poisons is the third book in the cozy mystery Marlow Murder Club series. When the Mayor of Marlow is poisoned during a council meeting, Judith, Suzie, and Becks are back on the case as official police assistants this time! With all the usual antics and heart, readers will be happy to be back in this world. We get to diver deeper into the struggles and joys of our amateur detectives. For me, as a reader, I enjoy the complicated lives of each character and how it makes me want to root harder for each of them. In addition to character building, this novel has plenty of clues to interpret, red herrings, and shenanigans any cozy mystery reader will love.

The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood is a fun murder mystery that was equally entertaining and twisty! I thought, for sure, that I guessed the ending and alas; I had not! The narrator is fantastic and the main character, Judith Potts, had me smiling throughout the audiobook. I enjoyed this audiobook on my commute this week and it did the trick to pull me out of a book slump that I was in. Thank you to the Netgalley, Robert Thorogood and RB Media for the opportunity to read this advanced reader's copy!

Confusing book about three women who feel like they are seniors - which is fine - who are friends with a DI who isn't a senior - also fine, but it didn't feel like a real relationship. They run around lying to everyone they speak to with an attitude of the "ends justify the means." It wasn't fun and it wasn't uplifting and it was most certainly not a mystery the reader/listener could solve because it relied on visual clues.

I want to race the protagonist to the solution, not have it told me after the fact. It loses much of the fun that way.

The characters were not redeeming at all. They weren't people I would ever want to be friends with or spend any time with. They were rude, even to each other, they were ugly about all manner of people. Simply, they were not good people.

The police allegedly bring in Judith, Suzie and Becks to work as consultants/advisors, but there is no consulting or advising happening at all. The police barely have a presence in the story. When they do, they are doing nothing but carrying the trains of the "advisors."

I loved the latest installment of The Marlow Murder Club series. In this book we are following the ladies as their try to solve the murder of the mayor of Marlow after he drops dead during a town council meeting. This book had a lot of characters and some pretty outlandish twists a turns. This installment is the first one where I feel like I have had to suspend my disbelief a bit. Nonetheless, this story was fast paced and fun and I hope there are more books in this series in the future!

It's always a letdown when a book you've been eagerly anticipating doesn't live up to your expectations, especially after enjoying the previous ones.
I could never quite get into the story. The cast dynamic seemed a tad off and the mystery held none of my interest. I am not sure if there will be a book 4, but I doubt I will read it.

Suzie was at the council meeting to get her proposal heard and eventually accepted when the mayor fell over and died in front of her and those present. He dropped a mug of coffee and aconite was found in his system. So, this time, Suzie became one of the amateur sleuths once again but she was also a witness to the crime.

This was actually my very first audiobook featuring a full-length novel. Narrated by Nicolette McKenzie, who had experience in voice-acting before was brilliant - not just because she was good at making the characters come alive, but also because I could believe the main character Judith to sound like her. Her aged voice was perfect for this book, in my opinion.

I loved how the case was different than the first two. Also, the fact that there were some changes in the lives of the recurring characters. There was a hint of romance too! As a thirty-something woman in the world that prefers youth, I truly appreciate the idea of romance being alive and exciting even in our 70s and 80s!

In this book, it made sense for Thorogood to give more authority to Tanika who would delegate her work to the three ladies. If she was not going to solve the case herself, might as well let her be useful in other ways.

I still personally prefer the first two books because I thought those cases were more exciting. Still, the reveal for this one got me stumped. Didn’t see that coming at all! Call me biased, but I think I will always enjoy Thorogood’s Marlow series. I hope there’s a next one because I am already looking forward to it.

After The Marlow Murder Club and Death Comes To Marlow it was high time for a third installment of the brilliant Marlow Murder Club series by Robert Thorogood.
In The Queen Of Poisons death is back in Marlow when beloved and respected mayor Geoffrey Lushington dies - is poisoned - at a town council meeting. Traces of aconite
— known as the queen of poisons - are found in his coffee cup. But who did it? And why?
The police bring Judith Potts the ornery crossword builder, Suzie the dog walker, and Becks the harried vicar’s wife in to investigate the murder as civilian advisors right from the start, so this time round they have almost free rein to interview suspects and follow the evidence to their heart's content... but this murder still has them stumped, everyone who was in contact with the mayor loved him and compliments his integrity and his goodness, so why would anyone kill him ?

The three sleuths are completely different from one another, but that only seems to deepen their friendship and their murder solving capabilities. They make this series so special.
I loved the small town politics and secrets that are revealed. A murder occurring at a council meeting is the perfect setup for having a group of people from different backgrounds and with very different potential motives. The ending is a great twist.
I love Robert Thorogood’s screenwriting as well and think his Death in Paradise series is fantastic. If you like the Thursday Murder Club I think the Marlow Murder Club will work for you as well.
I listened to the audio for this one provided by @recordedbooks and loved my listening the narration by Nicolette McKenzie set the scene and brought me to a village on the River Thames.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version.
I loved this novel. I didn't care for the narrator really she sounded too old for the characters? But besides that I really enjoyed the murder mystery and who done it. All the characters are likable and it kept me guessing who it was. Highly recommend!

I described this book to my partner as, "The Golden Girls solve a murder" early on in my read, and I stand by that.

This book was great, and I thought the mystery was really well crafted. Every character was shown to have strengths and flaws, but they worked together so well. I also loved that they would come in with assumptions or biases, and when those were challenged they learned from them. It was nice to see sleuths that aren't perfect, don't know everything, aren't even necessarily intellectually superior to the police, but work together and use the collective to solve the mystery.

This is great for anyone that likes things in the vein of Miss Marple/Poirot or Murder She Wrote for sure. I'd also say anyone who just enjoyed mysteries and seeing women supporting other women as they grow as people.

Loved it! A great follow up book that had me hooked from the very beginning and kept the pages rolling. Carefully crafted characters with whimsical charm.

The Queen of Poisons is the third book in Robert Thorogood's Marlow murder club amateur sleuth cozy series. Released in the USA 4th June 2024 by Poisoned Pen Press, it's 272 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

This is an interesting and engaging cozy featuring a 77 year old (but quite young at heart) protagonist and her two unlikely allies, a brash young(ish) professional dog walker radio personality, and the local vicar's wife. The poisoning of the village mayor (at the council meeting, how outré!) sees the trio once again drawn into investigation, this time with the blessings of the local constabulary.

The main mystery plot-line has a fair number of parallels with golden age books from yesteryear and readers of the Golden Age will be able to think of half a dozen which are quite similar. That being said, it *is* a clever plot device and the author does it a good turn.

The characterizations are well rendered and distinct. The main character is a cruciverbalist (crossword setter) and the prose is cleverly wrought with fun wordplay throughout. Additionally, she's the type of person who takes charge (often just stampeding ahead recklessly), is an excellent sculler, strong and brave, and isn't afraid to take chances (although some of them will have readers shaking their heads in disbelief).

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 9 hours 9 minutes, and is expertly narrated by Nicolette McKenzie. She has a clear, well modulated, and nuanced voice and does an impressive job with a myriad of local (English) accents, both male and female. Despite having a full cast of varied characters, it's never a problem to keep them sorted during the read.

There's a distinct Agatha Raisin vibe, and fans of MC Beaton, Deanna Raybourn, and Richard Osman will probably like this series as well. The resolution and denouement were as expected, but satisfying nevertheless. This is the third book, there's a fourth book due out from the same publisher in second quarter 2025, making this one a good candidate for a binge/buddy read or book club project.

Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This was absolutely amazing [and just what I needed after a series of dud's]. I fell hook, line, and sinker for the [excellent] red herrings and therefore was blown away by the [very well done] reveal [ALL. OF. IT.].

This was a well-crafted story [and I expect nothing less from this author] filled with interesting [and slightly twisted] characters, and led by three of the most amazing women [that I desperately want to be friends with], who just want peace to reign in their little village [and their lives] and plenty of tea and biscuits [that Becks has hid for them].

If you are looking for a fun, quirky series, I highly recommend this one.

Nicolette Mackenzie is an amazing narrator who brings Judith, Suzie, Becks, and Tamika [along with all the crazy side characters that grace each book] to life n such a way I often forget there aren't multiple narrators *AND* that this group isn't actually a real group of people [Sigh. See above]. Her delivery of the story is excellent, she amazingly never gets the characters voices mixed up [Its awe-inspiring as I know I surely would], and I just love listening to her. I am always grateful when I am able to get an audiobook arc for these books!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Robert Thorogood, Nicolette Mackenzie - Narrator, Poisoned Pen Press, and RB Media for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

A great addition to the Marlow Murder Club series, new characters witht he old favorites as well. Plot was well thought out and the audiobook narration was lovely.

"The Queen of Poisons" by Robert Thorogood is the third book in the series, and while it can work as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the entire series first—it gets better with each installment!

The narrator truly knocked it out of the park, providing the perfect voice for this book and enhancing the overall experience.

In this story, after the mayor is murdered, the three unlikely friends are at it again and take it upon themselves to investigate. The plot is clever and engaging (though it did remind me of a "Monk" episode at one point). A standout subplot involves Becks and her mother-in-law, culminating in a superb and satisfying ending.

Overall, "The Queen of Poisons" is a delightful and clever mystery that is thoroughly enjoyable.

I own this on kindle but also had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook thanks to NetGalley and RBMedia.

This is such a fun cozy mystery series. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two and knew I had to read this when it was published.
This book picks up where we’ve left our old friends Judith, Becks, and Suzie. The books opens with the poisoning of the mayor of Marlow at a town council meeting. The ladies are asked to help with the police investigation to find out why the beloved mayor would have been targeted. They are appointed as citizen advisors but Judith as usual takes that to mean they are detectives. These characters are vastly different but work together so well to get the job done in their own way.

Narrator Nicolette McKenzie did a great job of bringing all the characters to life. I listened to this over the course of 2 days—I couldn’t put it down!

If you enjoy a cozy mystery with a cast of unique characters including a crossword setter, a vicar’s wife, and a dog walker who always has another scheme up her sleeve, this is the series for you!

The Queen of Poisons is the third in the Marlow Murder Club series. We rejoin the trio of Judith, Becks, and Susie whose unlikely friendship relates to their amateur detective work in a sleepy town that has more than its fair share of murders. The latest case involves the poisoning of the beloved town mayor. The plot moves briskly and the mystery is exactly as one would expect in a gentle cosy mystery. But my favorite part is the growing inner lives of the main characters and their maturing friendship. And, along that dimension, this is Thorogood's best (audio)book!

Elderly amateur detectives are my favorite thing to read, so I was excited for another Marlow Murder Club book! Book three was definitely better than book two, as Judith took more of a back seat in the case than she normally does. Suzie witnessed the murder, so she got a little more time to be center stage, and Becks continues to grow some skin, like we saw last time. Plot was solid, without too big of twists, with the believable, while still highly orchestrated ending.