Book Review: Death Comes to Marlow: A Novel by Robert Thorogood (The Marlow Murder Club #2

My Rating: 4.5⭐

The pre-wedding party of Sir Peter Bailey, a wealthy resident of Marlow ends in tragedy when the groom, who was in his sixties dies, after being crushed underneath a cupboard in his study. This was to be his second marriage, the first having ended in divorce. He was alone in his study with the door locked from the inside when the cupboard fell on top of him resulting in his death. His two adult children, friends, and acquaintances were in attendance at the party as were the members of the Marlow Murder Club - Judith Potts (after receiving a personal telephonic invitation from the now deceased Sir Peter despite not being previously acquainted) and her friends Suzie Harris, dogwalker and now also a radio host and the vicar’s wife Becks Starling. Judith is convinced Sir Peter’s death is no accident despite there being no obvious evidence of foul play. Judith being Judith decides to investigate. As Judith, Suzie and Becks proceed with their sleuthing, they find multiple people in and around the deceased gentleman’s life who have the motive to kill him. With multiple suspects to look into and plenty of surprises and red herrings along the way, The Marlow Murder Club have their work cut out for them. They find an ally in Detective Sergeant Tanika Malik, whose own doubts about the case are ignored by her superior officer, who returns after a long leave of absence and conveniently sidelines her.

Having previously read and enjoyed Robert Thorogood’s The Marlow Murder Club, I was eager to read the next installment and I was not disappointed! I loved the friendship and camaraderie between Judith, Suzie and Becks. Seventy-eight-year-old Judith is a force to be reckoned with! Observant, fearless and sharp- she still loves her crosswords and swimming the Thames in the nude (despite the winter chill). When she isn't out actively searching for clues with her friends, she diligently studies her makeshift incident board with her “thinking scotch”, trying to figure out how the different pieces of the puzzle fit together. Suzie is smart and comes up with the most creative (at times hilarious, but effective) ways to get information. Becks is perceptive and her knowledge of the community and everyday matters proves to be a great asset. The subplots with Judith and her cryptic crosswords, Suzie’s struggles and Beck’s keeping a secret from her friends and family are expertly woven into the primary narrative, without distracting from the core mystery of the plot. The mystery is very interesting and though the identity of the culprit might not be completely unpredictable (though I did change my mind a couple of times), I truly enjoyed the ending and was surprised more than once by the revelations that gradually came to light as the plot progressed.

With a good dose of humor woven into its cleverly crafted plot, consistent pace and cast of interesting characters, Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood is an entertaining and absorbing read. . I would not hesitate to recommend this book to fans of the cozy mystery genre. Those who enjoy Agatha Christie mysteries would enjoy this one. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Many thanks to the author Robert Thorogood, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this entertaining read. All expressions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due to be released (U.S.) on June 30, 2023.