I was so excited to get this latest instalment of the Marlowe series and it really didn’t disappoint. It was great to get back with Judith, Susie and Becks on the trip of a murderer. I loved the plot and was banking on a very different solution than the one given but once it was revealed it still seemed plausible and realistic. The actual end is somewhat of a cliffhanger paving the way for the next book in the series and I can’t wait.

Another enjoyable book in the series, following the adventures of our investigating threesome. The mystery was interesting, but did go very slow and dull in parts, which is why I can’t in all good conscience give it full marks, however when it got to the last hour of the book, it suddenly ramped up and became very interesting.

I really love this series and was thrilled to get my hands on this instalment at the start of my holiday - perfect timing!!!

In this, the fourth book in The Marlow Murder Club series, Oliver Beresford, the director of the local amateur dramatics group, is found murdered after a cruise on the Marlow Belle. Once again, it’s up to the fabulous trio Judith, Suzie, and Becks to solve the case!

As always, there’s plenty of twists, humour, and red herrings throughout and whilst this can be read as a stand-alone, I would recommend starting from the first book in the series to get the full Marlow experience.

I didn't mind this instalment in the series, but I wouldn't say I was fully engaged. The murder and the set up was lovely, complex, and interwoven plots and characters, but the three leading ladies felt a bit flat, and I didn't like the subplots at all.

I didn't understand the timeline. It threw me, like a flamboyant director off a boat. On one hand, this felt like it had been done over a few days with the three Marlow-teers moving from suspect to suspect to question them. The play had to be sorted in about 2 weeks, which tied in with this timeline. But then there was this random and totally shoehorned in plot about Hugo, which seemed to take weeks from start to end. How did they raise so much money in two weeks? And Becks or Colin even said at one pont, 'you’ve missed a few weeks', suggesting the whole thing went over at least a month? Maybe it was just my perception, but this subplot was jarring, almost entirely irrelevant, and put me at odds with the main plot in terms of timeline.

Similarly, the DS Arsehole storyline featured quite heavily as a plot point but had no resolution or progression in this book.

So in all, I loved the main plot, and the Orient Express inspired multiple suspects on transport trope, but I felt that the characters and the subplots fell flat.

This is the first book in the series for me and as such I wish i had read the previous 3 although was able to read as a stand alone
I enjoyed the characters and the story but didn’t 100% gel with the writing style
I would recommend though for anyone who really enjoys this genre

4.5 stars. The 4th instalment of this very enjoyable series and just as enjoyable as the first.

This time, our three amateur sleuths - 79 year old Judith, Suzie, a middle aged dog walker and part time DJ, and Becks, the local vicar’s wife - are warned by the police to stay out of the investigation into the murder of Oliver, director of the local am dram society. As always, however, these three are way ahead of the police.

The action takes place in and around Marlow, a fairly wealthy town on the Thames, not far from London and most of the characters are in some way connected to the Marlow Amateur Dramatics Society. It is in many ways a formulaic cosy murder mystery - events and characters are all rather unlikely - but it’s very well done. There are plenty of red herrings throughout and I certainly didn’t guess who the murderer was before s/he (no spoilers here!) was revealed.

This is a better series than Richard Osman’s IMO although there are many similarities. I’ll definitely be watching out for the next in the series as this book finishes on a real cliffhanger and I want to know what happens.

With thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a review copy.

I absolutely adored this.

Disclaimer - I'm a huge fan of Robert Thorogood. I love Death in Paradise and I have loved the entirety of the Marlow Murder Club series.

Do you know why I love this? I love the crew; the crew that weren't even friends at the start of this series but have truly grown to love each other - and I love each of them dearly. This series truly warms my heart. It is just really good storytelling based on loveable characters and truly intriguing plots. I love visiting Marlow. I read this book in a day and honestly what a thrilling read. Also, kudos to Thorogood because I didn't actually work out the murderer this time.

I look forward to the Marlow Murder Club #5 and of course the TV adaptation of this fantastic novel.

***advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***
Robert Thorogood knows murder - or, how to write it at least. The fourth instalment in the Marlowe murder series, and it’s a banger from start to finish. As ever, the plot is tight and moves along at a pace - there’s nothing here that’s filler, or not important in some way to the plot - exactly how a good murder mystery should be. I look forward to more from Marlowe in the future.

I am delighted that Judith, Becks and Susie are back to solve a fourth mystery. When Verity’s husband, Oliver, goes missing, she turns to Judith to help her find her missing husband. Soon, however, the missing person case turns into a murder when Oliver turns up dead in the river, with two bullet holes in him! As our three amateur detectives set out to help Tanika solve the murder (unofficially of course….) they stumble across so many suspects that each have a reason to want Oliver dead……. And all of them were on The Marlow Belle when Oliver was shot.
A fabulous, quick to read cosy murder mystery full of twists and turns, and more suspects than you can shake a stick at. Robert Thorogood does not disappoint and I am keeping my fingers crossed for a fifth book in the series.

Cosy crime at its most far fetched best. Great edition to the series these novels are light heated with a deadly dark humour I love the fact the three main characters are women of various ages and backgrounds but somehow come together to make a formidable team. The books follow a fairly formulaic plot but they still mange to feel fresh and unique. While not as clever as similar novels they stand strong among the genre. Thank you for the ARK it was great fun to catch up with the three Marples.

Murder On The Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood is a fabulous contemporary cosy crime novel that gripped me from the start. It is the fourth book in The Marlow Murder Club series but can be read as a stand-alone.
I enjoyed meeting up with familiar faces – the trio of women who are amateur super sleuths. On the surface they look quite ordinary but underneath – the seventy-nine-year-old, middle-aged lady and the vicar’s wife – have the extraordinary capacity to sniff out and solve murders!
Like the fictional Miss Marple, the three are relentless in their pursuit of the solution to the crime. They are the thorns in the side of local police woman Tanika – although she secretly approves and appreciates their puzzle solving abilities.
We follow some amateur dramatic actors following the murder of one of their own. No one seems to have been able to commit the crime but everyone has a motive – who could it be? Is the truth stranger than fiction?
The three leading ladies are a formidable team. They all have unique qualities and work well together. Their friendship proves that together they are stronger.
Murder On The Marlow Belle is a marvellous cosy crime novel. It is an entertaining read that engaged me from the start. The characters are wholesome and likable as the reader follows them throughout.
Knowing that The Marlow Murder Club is soon to be a television series brings joy to my heart and I cannot wait!
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

A very welcomed 4th instalment of Judith, Becks and Suzies story. The trio are faced with news to keep away from the crime solving but what happens when you get dragged in? Judith is an iconic bad bitch of a lady in her 70s, as we know and this book proves that again.

However, Thorogood, you had me panicking here and I did not like the worry from around 1/4 of the way through! (No spoilers)

Citizen advisors to the police are still citizens right? Either way there is no stopping Judith, talking to people and finding answers. This was a chaotic, for all the right reasons, journey to find the answers to the case and ends in a true Robert Thorogood reveal.

An absolute honour to receive this ARC, from my favourite author. Thank you HQ and NetGalley ♡

Another cosy mystery by the talented Mr Thorogood! If you are a fan of the tv series “Death in Paradise” you’ll love this series of books featuring three friends, Judith, Suzie and Becks. As ever the end where all is revealed including an ingenious murder is excellent when Judith recounts how the death occurred. This is the same format as the “ Death in Paradise” endings- very Agatha Christie.
In this case the death is that of a bombastic amateur dramatics director, Oliver, who is murdered on a pleasure boat on the Thames. Other Dramatic committee members on the boat, including his wife, Verity, are all suspects. There is also a famous film star on board who is visiting Marlow. They all claim innocence but who is telling the truth? All have reason to dislike him but is this enough to commit murder?
I really liked the characters of the three sleuths, particularly the extremely clever Judith who manages to work out a very complicated murder. She is definitely the star of the show.
Bex is having trouble with her daughter’s new boyfriend from uni, pleasant on the surface but she feels there is something not quite right about him. This forms the basis of a subplot and helps Judith to solve the main mystery.
The book ended with a fantastic cliff hanger, obviously setting the scene for the next book and I am now awaiting its arrival, seriously hoping it won’t be too long.
I’ve read the previous books and although this one can be read as a stand alone I would suggest reading the previous books as they really set the scene.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

This is the third in a series, but worked well as a standalone book. I would have preferred to read the previous two books as I would have had a better understanding of the main characters, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
I am one of the few people who couldn’t even finish the first Richard Osman book as I thought it was so dire, and I was concerned this would be in the same vein but thankfully that was not the case.

A quick but entertaining read 4*

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy and return for an honest review.

I looooooooove this series so much. It started with The Marlow Murder Club (2021), followed up by Death Comes to Marlow (2023), and then The Queen of Poisons (2024). There are comparisons to Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club, which was bound to happen if you write a cosy crime novel featuring retired characters. But I've often said I prefer the Marlow books ever so slightly. I wonder if it's because I love watching Death in Paradise (which Robert wrote), and therefore am already a fan of his writing, who knows.

I am lucky to receive advanced copies of books and am always very grateful for whatever I receive, but this was one that I was desperate to get my hands on, and was willing to fight for it. Luckily the lovely people at HQ sent me a copy before things could get scrappy.

I started reading this at about 1am during a night where I couldn't get to sleep, and I instantly got lost in it, and finished it within a matter of hours. It really helped the long night zip along.

There are a few bits that are slightly unbelievable, but I don't much care. I find the cosy crime genre requires a bit of...you have to suspend belief a bit, and that's what makes it fun. Back in the days of Miss Marple for instance, there were bits that quite clearly could never have happened and yet in context it really works and what makes it so enjoyable, and I find that is the case with this series.

We have characters old and new. This gives us the familiarity of returning to the series, to people we know, but keeps it fresh so it's not just repeating the same story.

One thing I've always liked about this series is how many women are front and centre. It's known that the majority of crime books and films etc. show men in the main roles, as police or criminal, and that's fine, I have no problem with that. But there is definitely an imbalance in my experience. And in this series, we have a female police officer, and the group of older females in a civilian capacity. And I think that's what helps it stand out in a busy genre.

With the amount of thrillers and crime books I read, you'd think I would be a natural at working out the killer. But yet again, Robert has foxed me. I had my suspicions and some were proved right, but I did not get the biggy, and that's impressive that he manages to do it again and again.

On a related note, I was excited about the first book being made into a TV show but I was slightly disappointed. Not that it was bad. It was good with some good actors in and whatnot. But I preferred being able to imagine myself what was happening or work it out myself on the page, and so I felt that excitement was slightly lost on the screen.

I have recommended this series to so many friends and family and will continue to do so. This ends in a satisfying way but also with a cliff-hanger that hopefully promises another book. I really don't want this series to end.

The Marlow Murder Club ladies strike again. Judith, Suzie and Becks are asked to solve the disappearance of posh Verity's husband, Oliver. He disappeared when on a pleasure cruise down the river. Oliver was not a likeable man, but a bully who liked his own way, particularly at the local amateur dramatics society. Will the three ladies solve the murder, if it was a murder, before the local police? Another great case for the Marlow Murder Club.

This is another brilliant cosy murder featuring Judith, Becks, and Suzie, who make up the Marlow Murder Club. It can easily be read as a standalone.

Verity’s husband Oliver didn’t return home last night so she goes to Judith for her help in finding him. Oliver was the director of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society and had hired the Marlow Belle for a pleasure cruise with some of the members. He had a special guest present, a Marlow woman who had become an actress in the USA.

When Oliver’s body is found, it turns out that each of the people on the cruise had a motive for killing him. The Murder Club get to work on finding the perpetrator.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

The three friends who comprise the Marlow Murder Club are back with a new mystery. Judith, Becks and Suzie are thrown into an investigation after the body of Oliver Beresford is washed up on Thames with two bullet holes in him. Oliver was the founder the local Amateur Dramatic Society and had hired the Marlow Belle, the local cruiser, to throw a party of his am dram colleagues. Now he’s no longer here, it’s up to the trio to figure out who’s responsible. The best way – bar questioning everyone – is for one of the trio to throw themselves into the acting world…

I have read and loved every book so far in the Marlow murder club series and this book was just as brilliant as the other three. All the books are like a cosy mystery that are well written and can be read as standalones. I just love how Judith, Suzie and Becks work together to get the crime solved. I can’t wait for the next instalment, I hope we don’t have to wait too long!

When her husband does not return from a pleasure cruise, Verity Beresford turns to the best person she can think of in Marlow - amateur sleuth Judith Potts. He hired the Marlow Belle, a 1920s boat to take his Amateur Dramatics group out to celebrate the return of an alumna who left for Hollywood, but he never came home. When his body washes up, the Marlow Murder Club leap into action - but with their police contact unable to let them near the case, this is one they may have to solve on their own.

I'm a huge fan of the series and was very excited to see a fourth book was being released! It's another great entry and has lots of twists and turns - 5*.