The Marlow Murder Club: The first novel in a gripping new cosy crime and mystery series from the creator of the hit TV series Death in Paradise (The Marlow Murder Club…
£3.80
The first in a stunning new series introducing the Marlow Murder Club!
‘A hugely enjoyable murder mystery written with wonderful verve, humour and compassion. Utterly delightful’ Robert Webb
‘I love Robert Thorogood’s writing’ Peter James
From the creator of the BBC One hit TV series, Death in Paradise
To solve an impossible murder, you need an impossible hero…
Seventy-seven-year-old Judith Potts is blissfully happy. She lives alone in a faded mansion in Marlow, sets crosswords for The Times, and there’s no man in her life to tell her what to do or how much whisky to drink.
One evening, while out swimming in the Thames, Judith witnesses a brutal murder. When the local police don’t believe her story, Judith and two unlikely friends decide to investigate for themselves. Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club.
But soon another body turns up, and it seems they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. Now the puzzle they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never escape…
READERS LOVE THE MARLOW MURDER CLUB
‘Miss Marple with attitude’ 5* Amazon Review
‘I want to be Judith Potts when I grow up’ 5* Amazon Review
’Wonderful escapism!’ 5* Amazon Review
’Absolutely loved it!’ 5* Amazon Review
’My favourite book of the year!’ 5* Amazon Review
’I had an absolute blast reading this book’ 5* Amazon Review
‘So enjoyable, I laughed out loud !’ 5* Amazon Review
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Additional information
| Publisher | HQ (7 Jan. 2021) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 1989 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 347 pages |
by tichy
An entertaining yet engaging storyline, believable characters who grow on you and who hopefully will grow into more books
by Assynteach
Okay, lets deal with the cavils (and the cavillers) first: yes there a several moments of high improbability and others where the noise of clunky plotting almost drowns out the rest, and yes the police officer character is so thin as to seem an amateur exercise in plotting (give her a couple of banal, minuscule and stereotypical personal problems to make her seem real) and at times the style of writing itself, especially the dialogue, is so naive I thought it was a first novel and not a very good one at that. But … but … the whole thing is just so much fun!
Disclaimer: as a woman in her seventies whose lack of height is fully compensated by her rotundity, who enjoys one privilege of her age, remaining in bed if there’s no particular need to get out of it, whose house care standards can fairly be described as relaxed and whose friends and detractors alike would probably describe as feisty and, er, idiosyncratic, I was destined to enjoy the main character immensely from the start. (I might even take up the nude swimming if I had a suitable river handy.) But I don’t think this blinded me to the book’s weaknesses. I think anyone who is willing to just accept a little license with probabilities in places, ignoring any pompous little internal critic demanding strict adherence to police procedural norms, and can just hang on tight for the ride would enjoy this joyful little romp of a book immensely.
As I said, I took an immediate liking (and fellow-feeling) for the main character, and found her wholly believable barring a little — quite unnecessary — stretching in a (to me) over-sentimental ending, quite out of step with the overall tone of the book. The two other characters were both recognisable types though by no means stereotypes, and although the younger of the two was a little exaggerated she was nevertheless an amusing satire of a type of woman familiar to anyone who has ever been involved in a parent-teacher committee for a school in one of our leafier suburbs or more socially-desirable county towns. The third character, the dog walker, was so well-realised I knew her at once. (I was once married to a vet so am thoroughly familiar with the type of woman who has come to view the world largely through canine, or sometimes feline, eyes and as a result has come happily adrift of social norms and cares not a jot.) These three women were such fun to spend time with and were so sympathetically — and knowledgeably — portrayed I thought for a time the author was a woman. (Congratulations are due to his wife, I think, for probably many years of helping him to understand — and value — women, and congratulations to the author for paying attention.)
As for the plot I think, by and large, he plays fair. Although a seasoned crime novel reader may suspect the solution before the end, I doubt if many will notice one crucual clue hidden in plain sight early on in the story, resulting in a good few slapped foreheads when it is put into context at the end: mine is certainly still (metaphorically) smarting and my shins are equally in some pain because I missed it. But there are others aplenty and the central puzzle holds up well.
But don’t read this if you’re looking for a plot full of forensic detail and carefully based on exact police procedures. (Though the essential problem of having amateur sleuths working alongside the professionals is neatly and even almost plausibly got round.) And don’t even open it if you want one of those books in which a tormented investigator wrestles with personal demons while hunting down a sadistic killer whose crimes are portrayed in full-on blood and gore horror. They can be enjoyable too, in a different mood. But this book doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is: an enjoyable gambol with origunal and entertaining characters in an attractive setting, and all topped off by a decent puzzle to solve.
It’s not great literature, it’s not gritty realism, but it is the most enormous fun!
I’m very impatient to spend more time with these wonderful characters and see how they’ve developed. Will Judith still be oblivious to her local fame or will this have turned into unwanted notoriety encroaching on her privacy? Will Suzie still have a missing house wall but be on better terms with her family? Will Becks continue to dust anything that stands still or might she now be able to relax a little and finally grow into using her full name? I want to know.
So as soon as I’d finished I immediately ordered the next in the series and now can hardly believe I’ll have to wait nearly TWO YEARS to see them again! What will I do? ( Read it again in about eighteen month’s time, probably!)
by NHA
If you like cosy murder mysteries then this will be right up your street. If you want high brow readers no this is not for you.
Part of a series.
by Shelleyhey
Enjoyed this so much. Looking forward to reading the next one in series.
by sue h
An enjoyable read. However I disliked the us of the phrase, ‘ What’s that’ throughout the book when somebody said something. It didn’t sit well with me for some reason.
by Erika P.
Judith is a 77 years old lady who likes to swim naked in the Thames and solve puzzles.
Never she would have expected to find herself catapulted in a crime scene and becoming the real investigator , helped by two as unlikely detectives : a dog walker and a housewife.
Together they form the Marlow murder club, with the goal to solve the trail of murders that has been afflicting their sleepy town.
Witty and fun but still a great murder mystery book which will keep you hooked!
A real page turner . I already bought the second book of the saga 😉
by Amazon Customer
Good enjoyable read
by Ninski
Very good, enjoyable. The DIP writer has excelled himself in England too.