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!

Another fabulous offering by this author! I was originally a bit late to the party as although I was a firm fan of Death in Paradise, I was unaware of the Marlow series. As such, I only read the first book last year, followed very quickly by book 2.
So it was fantastic to catch up with Judith, Suzie and Becks again so soon 🔍
In this instalment, the story revolves around the sudden death of Geoffrey Lushington, the Mayor of Marlow. As with the previous books, this is an engaging cozy crime murder mystery, a perfect excuse for staying indoors.

He’s done it again! Thank you for my early copy of the latest Marlow mystery, this is a series I really love.
Judith, Suze and Becks are back on the trail with a new case to investigate. This time the Mayor has been poisoned and with nobody having a bad word to say about him, just who would want him dead?
I loved this one, lots of twists and turns and a satisfying ending that I didn’t see coming. It has plenty of characters that make excellent suspects and our three intrepid investigators bring plenty of banter and fun to proceedings. It works as a standalone, but if you’ve enjoyed the other two you won’t be disappointed, I’m already looking forward to the next one.

This is the first book in this series that I have read but it is a good standalone book .It is such a fun read Judith ,Suzie and Becks are again working for the Police as civilian detectives and the Mayor has been poisoned at a Committee meeting but who dunnit ?I must admit I didn't guess who but it was a fast paced slightly bonkers exciting story .I look forward to reading the next book in this series .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

The Mayor of Marlow has been murdered, poisoned, during a meeting, and it is up to the Marlow Murder Club to figure out who wanted him dead. As with the previous two books plenty of secrets are revealed, and while the story itself is engaging enough I am starting to have problems with the character of Judith, at this point I don't understand why anybody is friends with her - she constantly lies to them, and everything has to be done her way. It really wouldn't come as a shock if she was the next victim.

Another totally enjoyable book by Robert Thorogood.
Escape from it all with this engaging lighthearted whodunnit that keeps the reader puzzling throughout. There are no shortage of suspects to the murder of popular local mayor but unfortunately not all clues fit, as the three lady sleuths find out.
The characters are entertaining and believable, the writing flows keeping you guessing and turning the pages to see if you were right - I wasn't!
If you like your mysteries to be entertaining and puzzling rather than gory and macabre then I highly recommend these books.

Fabulous..
The latest and the third in The Marlow Murder Club Mysteries arrives with a deadly case of poisoning. The Mayor is dead and the murder weapon is aconite - known as the queen of poisons - but whodunnit? The Marlow Murder Club are brought aboard the investigation by the local police from the off and as the gang begin their investigations they realise that they may well be stumped this time - but are they really? Another wonderfully entertaining, wholly enjoyable and perfectly executed mystery with an affable and deftly drawn cast of eclectic and eccentric characters, a perplexing plot bubbling with wit and a narrative laced amply with dry humour. Fabulous.

I really enjoyed the first Marlow Murder Club book, liked the second and thought this third one was just OK.

Like Robert Thorogood's other work, Death in Paradise, the Marlow Murder Club books play fast and loose with police procedure. Normally I don't mind too much, but here for some reason I found it a little annoying and grumbled to myself about the chain of evidence.

I do like the characters though, especially the crossword-setting, naked swimmer Judith Potts, so I'd probably pick up the next one in the series hoping that my disbelief will be better suspended.

Another great addition to the Marlow Murder Club series. This story revolves around the goings on at the local planning committee, whilst this may sound quite an unprepossessing focus for a murder mystery it becomes apparent that there are many forces at play. All the characters are well rounded and our detectives continue to ply their unorthodox trade, despite having some semi-official status within the police force. The final reveal was a complete surprise so hats off to the author for that.

A thoroughly enjoyable read that is well paced and doesn't suffer from padding to reach a word count.

I really enjoy this series of books. It took me a bit longer to get into this book but once I did I really enjoyed it. I look forward to the next one.

I really enjoyed being back in the company of the unikely friends, Judith, Suzie and Becks as they attempt to solve another murder in Marlow. This time Suzie is a key witness as the Mayor drops dead during a town council meeting. Tanika decides to bring the group into the investigation from the start and they soon get to work interrogating suspects. This was a really complicated case and I really loved that I was totally wrong about who the culprit was. I enjoyed that during their investigation the reader learns more about the town and its inhabitants and snippets about the friends. Judith is still quite elusive but I'm hoping in more books we will get to learn more about her. Becks is not only dealing with the case but her awful mother in law who has decided to stay and help the family spend their recent good fortune. I'm sure sometime soon the goodwill of the ever patient and kind Becks will run out. The Queen of Poisons is a great mystery with lots of red herrings and secrets for the suspicious friends to uncover.

I’ve followed the “Marlow Murder Club “mystery series from the beginning, enjoying the first two books. This was more of the same with the three older women, who are now best friends, investigating the murder of Geoffrey, Mayor of Marlow and all round nice guy. Who would want to kill him and why- this is what Judith, Becks and Suzie have to find out.
Suzie has actually witnessed the murder as she was present at the planning meeting where it occurred and although, theoretically this should help the investigation, it does not seem to do so. In fact there are many red herrings and almost everyone could be a suspect and has a possible reason to kill Geoffrey.
If I’m honest, although I enjoyed this book and raced through the story, I did not find this outing of the Marlow Murder Club quite as compelling as the previous two novels.
There didn’t seem to be nearly as much humour injected into the interactions between the three women which I missed. Maybe because they are now working with the police and do not have to sneak around like before.
The story itself kept me on my toes but there were a lot of characters and when I picked the book up after a break I’d almost forgotten who some of them were.
All in all it was an enjoyable if not spectacular read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

I really enjoy this series. It's full of good humour, well meaning actions and such wonderfully memorable characters in Judith, Suzie and Becks, that I just cannot resist the books. This time around, Suzie finds herself caught up in the case right from the start, witness to the murder of Marlow's Mayor, Geoffrey Lushington. When I say witness, I mean that she was present at the time he dies, as were the other Town Council members, but none of them can really explain how, or why, Geoffrey was killed. He was the perfect Mayor, friend to everyone, and with no enemies, Or, perhaps not. I mean, is anyone really that perfect?

With Judith, Suzie and Becks on the case we are bound to find out. I love the variety that these women bring to the stories. Judith is logic driven, intuitive and determined. Suzie is fearless, if sometimes also clueless, but definitely brings the humour and, on occasion, provide a pivotal idea, even if she doesn't realise it. Becks is a woman of hidden depths. As the Vicar's wife she knows everyone in the town, and is far more astute and observant than her timid personality might suggest. She certainly has the measure of Judith, much to her chagrin and out amusement. Together, they really are a brilliant team and, despite Becks constant reluctance, the perfect trio to help Detective Inspector Tanika Malik to solve the case.

This is a wonderful mystery with so many suspects that the truth remains a closely guarded secret until the perfect moment. There are clues, some of which us observant readers are more aware of than the supposed witnesses to the murder, but also so many red herrings that trying to find out fact from fiction, and motive from misdirection, which is what makes this series such fun. We can investigate alongside the ladies, make the same mistakes and try our best to outpace Judith's logic - not easy - but ultimately, if we want, just be entertained. But death by poison seems a very personal, but remote, method of dispatch. What kind of killer would employ such tactics?

Now the author has plenty of experience in creating those light-hearted investigative moments, whilst still carrying a slightly darker storyline underneath. There's not all that much joviality in murder after all. But with the wit and wisdom of our favourite Marlow Ladies, the brilliant mystery that is slowly, carefully, unpicked for readers, and the author's ability to create authentic characters, the type you could easily recognise from amongst your peers, this is definitely a series I'd recommend for readers who like their crime on the lighter side.

Murder most horrid? Absolutely. But it's going to make you smile too. It certainly did me. And a TV adaptation on its way! Cannot wait.

***advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***
Another excellent instalment of the Marlow Murder Club. What I enjoy about these books is not just the actual murder mysteries themselves - well written, well thought out, twisty but workoutable by the reader if paying attention - is how the main characters grow and develop as the series progresses. It’s what makes it a series and not just a set of books. Most enjoyable.

Third in this series of characters who live in Marlow on the banks of the Thames. Three older women feature as the investigators in this mystery of a murder of a local well loved councillor. The story twists and turns in one direction then another, with multiple red herrings, before we reach the final culprit. A warm, witty story that I enjoyed.

The Queen of Poisons is the third instalment in the The Marlow Murder Club series and is due to be published in January 2024. The mystery is the murder of the mayor, which actually occurs in the first chapter, so the drama begins straight away! It is well-paced and kept my interest throughout. I also love the village setting of Marlow as it reminds me so much of my own village.
There are so many red herrings! It is packed full of twists and turns which was great but I think everyone was accused as the killer at some point which was a bit 'overkill' (pardon the pun).
I noticed that there was much less focus on the main characters, Judith, Suzie and Becks, than in the first couple of books which I did feel let this book down. I think because the police take them on as civilian advisors, they don't have to be as sneaky and some of the humour and backstory was lost. I do also feel Judith is becoming more unlikeable and prickly as the series goes on which is a shame as I enjoyed her so much at the beginning. Something that did make me feel uncomfortable was the fatphobia towards Dave, it was quite insensitive and difficult to read.
For me the ending was great, I like who the killer turned out to be and the motive behind it, it was a good end to the book but I do think unfortunately this has ended up as my least favourite of the Marlow Murder club series. Still worth the read, and I will be reading the fourth book when it is released.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and Robert Thorogood for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted to Goodreads and will be posted to Amazon on release date as required.