Book Review : The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood (The Marlow Murder Club #1)

 My Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Seventy-seven year old Judith Potts lives on her own in her mansion along the Thames. She compiles crosswords for the national newspapers for a living, enjoys her whiskey, loves jigsaw puzzles and swims the river in the nude when she pleases. While swimming one evening she hears a gunshot echo across the garden of her neighbor, local art gallery owner Stefan Dunwoody. She calls the police and upon initial investigation, they don’t find anything that would warrant suspicion and assume that Mr. Dunwoody is probably away for the duration. Judith, not entirely convinced, goes exploring and finds the body of her neighbor at the base of his garden on the other side of a dam along the river.

“Murders just didn’t happen in Marlow.”

Judith is on high alert when subsequently, two more people are found dead - Iqbal Kassam, a taxi driver and Liz Curtis, Olympic silver medalist and owner of Marlow Rowing Center. All three murders have the same signature and the weapon is determined to be an antique German Luger pistol.

“Nothing links a local art dealer, a taxi driver, and the owner of a rowing center.”

Is there a serial killer in Marlow? Is it someone they know? Is there any connection between the victims? Is the killing spree over or are there others whose lives are in danger? Initially, Judith isn’t impressed with Detective Sergeant Tanika Malik, who in the absence of a superior offer is assigned as acting SIO to the case, and decides to engage in her own investigation. In the course of her sleuthing, she is joined by Rebecca “Becks” Starling, the dutiful, prim and proper wife of the local Vicar and mother of two and straight-shooting dog walker Suzie Harris. Judith, Becks and Suzie - The Marlow Murder Club, is a force to be reckoned with and loads of fun to be around! Together they embark on an intense search for answers despite DS Malik’s warning to not engage in any “amateur sleuthing”. Eventually, as the case garners national attention she relents and takes in the trio as “civilian advisers” to help in the case. The Marlow Murder Club is relentless in their pursuit of any clue that could lead them to solve the murders. These ladies are sharp, attentive and do not shy away from either legwork or homework. They can (and do) give seasoned law enforcement officials a run for their money. They line up a list of probable suspects and leave no stone unturned in exploring every possible lead, often leading to risky situations. Their antics will either have you in splits or gasping in disbelief, or maybe both! Their unlikely friendship and camaraderie make for some delightfully heartwarming moments. The drama in the personal lives of the main characters felt a little out of place in some parts of the narrative and that is where the pace faltered a bit but not so much that you’d lose interest.

The author does a good job in keeping us guessing the identity of the culprit, throwing in numerous red herrings and enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and entertained till the very end. I adored Judith and admire her spunk! The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood is a fun cozy mystery with an interesting cast of characters, a good dose of humor (some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments) and a satisfying ending. I eagerly look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank You NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.