Geoffrey Lushington, Mayor of Marlow, dies suddenly during a Town Council meeting. When traces of aconite – also known as the queen of poisons – are found in his coffee cup, the police realise he was murdered. The police bring Judith, Suzie and Becks in to investigate as Civilian Advisors right from the start, so they have free rein to interview suspects and follow the evidence to their heart’s content, which is perfect because Judith has no time for rules and standard procedure.
The third book in the series & another delightful cosy mystery. I love Judith, Becks & Suzie they are so different but work so well together. Everyone at the meeting is a suspect & others are drawn in too, the trio are unconventional & dive in where no policeman could. There are twists, turns & red herrings. It was a fun, entertaining read, which was meant to do exactly that entertain. I hope there are more in this light hearted series
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

They’re back for another go at crime solving. This time Suzie is on the scene when someone dies and the first people she calls are Judith and Becks. Can they find out who murdered the man that everyone liked and had no enemies? Another cracking case for the Marlow Murder Club. With each book you find out a few more things about Suzie, Becks and Judith and their lives. I really enjoy these books you always know it’s going to be entertaining with a twist.

4.5 stars
This is the third in this series and, to get the very best from it, especially with regard to the characters and their development, you could do yourself a favour and read books one and two first.
So... this time, we start with a Council meeting. Susie is in attendance so she is witness to the death that the Marlow Murder Club subsequently go on to investigate. Not that it really does her much good at the beginning. But I get ahead of myself. The meeting has just started to kick off when Councillor Sophia De Castro turns up late in a bit of a fluster. I say late, but she is in time to see the mayor, Geoffrey Lushington, take the first sip of his coffee and drop down dead...
Enter newly promoted DI Tanika Malik to investigate. Alongside the three newest "civilian advisers" Susie, Becks and Judith. Well, they are going to investigate anyway, might as well have them onside formally, sharing right from the off...
It appears that the Mayor was poisoned by aconite, but how it got into his coffee will lead our sleuths a merry dance indeed...
I love this series. As I also loved Death in Paradise, the TV show and the books. But I do feel that this book wasn't quite as strong as the others. Nothing that I can actually put my finger on, but it just didn't excite me as much as its predecessors. It contains everything it should - secrets, lies, red herrings, obfuscation, and it has our heroines running around chasing their tails as they think up and dismiss many potential solutions along the way. And the truth, when we eventually get to it was just as bonkers as expected! It just manages to skirt the line of credibility, just... To be honest, I preferred some of their guesses that didn't pan out rather than what actually happened.
All in all, not the best in the series but only by a smidge. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Conveniently, one of our trio of amateur detectives just happened to be at a council meeting as one of the councillors is murdered. As in the previous episodes, they are asked to help the police and this time receive official lanyards to upgrade their status. This is to help the police officers save time in trying to find the killer, rather then wait for ages as the three amateurs solve the cases anyway. This excellent writer continues this adventurous series where all three of the amateur detectives offer different types of skills to solve the mysteries. The older lady enjoys swimming naked in the river; the vicar's wife tries to keep everyone within the law while the third appears to make up the rules as she feels they will aid the latest murder case. This is a nice easy read which means the sentences can gently rush past my brain as I quickly turn from page to page to find out who did it. This isn't as easy as it sounds because during the course of the book almost every character involved is charged with being guilty by this team of three and the police appeared to lag behind consistently. To be fair, the police are hardly involved and usually find out most aspects of the case after these three amateurs have completed all the legwork. I look forward to the next in the series.

This is a great cosy murder mystery.
When Suzie witnesses the Mayor of Marlow drop dead at a council meeting, she calls her friends so they can help.
Judith, Suzie and Becks love to investigate a crime and previously have been very successful helping the Police, so this time Detective Tanika appoints them as civilian advisors.
They get straight to work trying to find the killer and work well with the Police.
Some aspects are a little hard to believe but it adds to the charm of the story.
This is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery.
Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I hadn’t read the previous two books, I’ve no idea why, but I went straight out and bought them after reading this. What an absolute stunning and gripping series they are.
Geoffrey Lushington is poisoned while st s council meeting. It turns out it was aconite. But why was he killed? Judith, Becks and Suzie are brought back in by the police, namely Tanika to help her find the perpetrator. It certainly moves along at a pace and like I say I couldn’t wait to get the previous two to see what I’d missed.

Robert Thorogood did it again! I really love this author and this book is no exception! With plenty of mystery and hooking the reader to every page, great characters… I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next book

I've really enjoyed all three books in this series - and if you're a fan of cosy murder mysteries, I highly recommend them.
In Thorogood's latest novel, Geoffrey Lushington, the Mayor of Marlow, dies suddenly during a Town Council meeting. When traces of aconite – also known as the queen of poisons – are found in his coffee cup, the police realise he was murdered. But who did it? And why?
The author Robert Thorogood, who also created the BBC murder mystery series, Death in Paradise, has created some very likable characters who become unlikely friends and amateur sleuths.
But while most reviewers talk about the central group of three women AKA the Marlow Murder Club, who use their very different personalities and skills to track down killers, I think that now policewoman Tanika's character has been fleshed out through the series, it's become a story of four great women working together in very different ways to solve a crime.
Like Death in Paradise, It's not always believable and there are some parts that need you to ignore the amount of coincidence, but it's just what you want from a cosy murder book, a fast and fun read with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC, for an honest review.

We're back with the Marlow murder solving trio and I think this is the best one yet. I still stumble over the idea of 3 middle/old aged women being brought in as civilian advisors as soon as the case is opened, but if you can get beyond that, it's a great story that passed my time very nicely whilst we had a big plumbing job going on ☺️☺️

Thank you so much HQ stories for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The Marlow Murder Club are back solving the murder of the Marlow Mayor who was killed using Wolf’s Bane, a.k.a the queen of poisons.

I have really enjoyed the past two books in the series and this one did not disappoint. It is such a cozy mystery and the main characters are so entertaining! It kept me guessing throughout and I loved the ending!

This could be read as a standalone but I’d recommend reading the other books first if you like the sound of this!

Part of a series but I think it definitely could be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed it it was funny, cosy and engaging

I really enjoyed this next instalment of the Marlow Murder Club. I really enjoyed been back with the characters Judith, Suzie and Becks. It’s always, a fun read with Judith giving it her all to solve the case.A great series I really hope there is more books to come. I really like Robert Thorogood writing as it’s so creative and it’s so great to see how much his writing keeps getting better and better in each book. It’s such a fun and easy read. This is a series that I really really love and will continue to talk to people about. It has lots of twists and turns the whole way though this book and it has such a satisfying ending that I didn’t see coming at all and I didn’t expect who the killer was at all and I didn’t work the clues out or who the killer was. It has plenty of characters that make excellent suspects and our three women are great detectives and they always have great banter with each other. Xxx

I really enjoyed this next instalment of the Marlow Murder Club. The Mayor of Marlow dies during a Town Council meeting, His coffee was poisoned...Judith, Suzie and Becks are given carte blanche to investigate which they do with great relish. It is as always, a fun read with Judith giving it her all, such great characters I love Robert Thorogood's writing, and this does not disappoint. A great series, do they figure it out.....you bet they do after a few twists and turns.

Although the third in the series it is the first I have read and will not be the last. There are some great characters with lots of twists and turns in the plot and red herrings thrown in for good measure. . A very enjoyable read and I look forward to more. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have read the previous two Marlow Muder Club and have loved them all. A definite must for the fans of Richard Osman. Our three intrepid heroines are back helping the police with their investigation in to the murder of th3 town mayor at a planning committee meeting. Suzie is at the meeting and witnesses the murder of the mayor by a poison know as the Queen Of Poisons. We follow the ladies as they uncovered the who, what and why of the case. A fun and easy read.

As someone who has worked in local government since 1987 and loves the books of Richard Osman this book was going to be guaranteed winner for me. It is the first Robert Thorogood book I have read and will not be the last. Not quite as humorous as Richard Osman it has to be said but some great characters progress the twists and turns of the plot. A very pleasant read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to ARC this book.

The Queen of Poisons is the 3rd in the series and we return to Marlow and the Marlow Murder Club of Judith, Suzie and Becks.

The Mayor, Geoffrey Lushington, dies suddenly during a Council meeting. Aconite – also known as the queen of poisons – is found in his coffee cup, leading to a murder investigation. After previous successes, the police bring Judith, Suzie and Becks in to investigate as advisors giving them free rein to interview suspects and seemingly ignore any rules and normal procedures.

Having enjoyed the earlier stories from the Marlow Murder Club, this one was disappointing, it felt disjointed and kind of convoluted and I didn't enjoy the ending at all. I know the first book is in production for TV and I can absolutely see these characters on the screen.

"'Aconite is an extremely fast-acting poison.'
'I saw that for myself,' Suzie said.
'Geoffrey tool one sip of coffee and was dead within seconds.'
'Which means the poison must have been administered by someone who was there with him.'
'Are you saying one of the planning committee's the killer?' Becks asked.
'I think that's exactly what I'm saying. I suggest we work out who it was.'"

Book 3 of the Marlow Murder Club series see the trio of amateur detectives investigating the shock murder of Marlow's beloved Mayor - a man no one has a bad word to say about. It's great to be back with Judith, Suzie and Becks, assisting the police as civilian investigators again because of their local knowledge and clever insights.

Once I had got past planning applications and burials being managed by a town council (I'm a local government Town Planner and they're managed by district, county and unitary councils / Local Authorities) I was fully engrossed in the trio's investigation. There's a small number of suspects, it's fast-paced and there are plenty of cliffhangers and red herrings, making this very readable. I guessed some of whodunit and how, but not why. A great third installment in this series, which is being adapted for TV, by the creator of Death In Paradise.

There’s no trouble jumping in at No 3 as your first foray into the Marlow Murder Club, as there’s nothing relating to previous cases involved. The women seem intent on trampling all over any evidence, and interview people off the cuff, which I’m sure will make the evidence inadmissible, but it’s all in good fun. Just a warning in case you like your cosies a little more police procedural.

My first impression, having read Mr Thorogood’s bio in which he says he’s been mad about Miss Marple stories since he was ten, was that he had been impressed too much, as the first couple of chapters read terribly old fashioned. This wears off, fortunately, into quite a jolly caper.

There’s an awful lot of things I think a good editor should have picked up, some in phrasing and some in factual detail, but am I too fussy? I mean… what is an undeveloped field? It’s either a field or it’s been developed (or in process) and is no longer a field. Obviously nobody bothered to check the planning process and local powers, or bat surveys, and what to do if a rare one was found. Also, checking the habitat used by the named rare one might have been good. Although, I suppose it would have ruined several strands of the author’s story.

It was convoluted, to say the least. So many suspects, so many ways to suspect them. So little proof until they’d scrabbled around and conveniently found things. It was all so contrived. Two of the women are very badly characterised and I could not tell who was who when they were speaking, or remember which was which when they were named. And as for the tropes Mr Thorogood reaches into for his motivations… I can’t imagine why half his readership haven’t burnt his books by now.

A bit too twee for me to really enjoy it fully. Easy enough to read but not sure how realistic it is!