To solve an impossible murder, you need an impossible hero…
Judith Potts is seventy-seven years old and blissfully happy. She lives on her own in a faded mansion just outside Marlow, there’s no man in her life to tell her what to do or how much whisky to drink, and to keep herself busy she sets crosswords for The Times newspaper.
One evening, while out swimming in the Thames, Judith witnesses a brutal murder. The local police don’t believe her story, so she decides to investigate for herself, and is soon joined in her quest by Suzie, a salt-of-the-earth dog-walker, and Becks, the prim and proper wife of the local Vicar.
Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club.
When another body turns up, they realise they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. And the puzzle they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never escape…
Title: The Marlow Murder Club
Author: Robert Thorogood
Publisher: HQ
Publication date: January 7, 2021
REVIEW
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"...as far as I can see, she could be our killer."
Beck's eyes widened in amazement.
"That's not posible, she does yoga!"
"The Marlow Murder Club" is the second book I've read in the past few months where a group of senior citizens go and solve a murder. It seems to be becoming quite a trend and I only have three words: KEEP THEM COMING! I loved "The Thursday Murder Club" and I've loved "The Marlow Murder Club". I find so refreshing to read a murder mystery with a group of unlikely sleuths and not a tormented detective!
Meet Judith Potts, 77, living in a mansion and designing crosswords for the paper. When she stumbles upon her neighbor's murder police don't listen to her cause, murder don't happen in Marlow, so she must try to solve it herself.
I just knew I was gonna love Judith after her first appearance, when she goes skinny dipping into the Thames. In that moment is made clear that she's not a frail old lady and that nothing will stop her till she finds the truth. She reminded me of Miss Marple on steroids!
But she's not alone doing all the sleuthing. She enlists the help of two unlikely allies. Suzie, the village's dog walker and Becks, the prim and proper Vicar's wife. Besides DS Tanika Malik, the acting police investigator, they conform a group of absolutely delightful and charming characters. I loved their friendship and the bond it was established between them. Once they all started working together I came to think of Judith, Suzie and Becks as Tanika's Angels! They had some pretty funny interactions and there were several laugh out loud moments throughout the story.
The murder mystery itself was a bit overcomplicated at times but at the end every piece fit together as in one of Judith's puzzles.
The story also pointed the finger to some issues that added a layer of depth to the characters, such as loneliness in the old age, being invisible to others when you're past a certain age, being taken for granted by your own family or estrangement from your kids. All this made the characters not only quirky and funny but also humane.
The writing was so good I could easily visualize Judith cycling around Marlow. Nicolette McKenzie, the audiobook narrator did an outstanding job giving each of the characters a distinctive voice.
An engaging murder mystery and a group of lovable and humorous characters make of "The Marlow Murder Club" a really enjoyable read. Hoping to meet Judith and co. again really soon!
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