Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Judith, Suzie, and Becks, are back in the next instalment of The Marlow Murder Club series. And of course, there is another murder to solve. Oliver Beresford has been washed up, and everyone is the perfect suspect. So, it is up to this trio to find out who the real killer is.

This series is one of my favourites, and I always look forward to the next instalment, it really is like catching up with old friends. The characters of Judith, Suzie, and Becks are so well written. And, on paper, they shouldn't really be friends as they are all such different characters, but they are the best of friends, and each of them bring their own traits to the table, that are perfect for solving murders. This series also has an element of comedy running throughout, so these are always a joy to read. And this book was no different, we had a murder that needed solving, and the perfect trio to solve it. The writing is always flawless, and this one was no different. The author always ensures the reader feels part of the story, and offered an immersive and compelling storyline. Really recommend this book.

This is book number four in the Marlow Murder Club series. A very cosy series.

As the founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, Oliver has arranged a trip along the river with only a select amount of members from the MADS and a very special guest. All goes well until the next morning when Oliver's wife calls on Judith Potts, saying that Oliver hasn't returned home and she doesn't recall when she last saw him on the boat, the Marlow Belle.

Before long, Judith and her two friends, Suzie and Becks are doing their own investigating. Staying well out of the way of the police force as their help with solving the murders in the last three books have not gone down well at all with some of DI Tanika Malik's colleagues, leading to Tanika being under investigation. We discover that Oliver was murdered on the boat, but every one of the suspects all have an alibi.

As usual, there are loads of great background characters who you will love, hate or be convinced that they are without a doubt, the murderer - and if you're anything like me, you'll be mistaken.

I had absolutely no idea of whodunit and just when you think that everything is all wrapped up neatly, the author drops yet another surprise on you.

Although I didn't enjoy this book as much as some of the others, I shall certainly be looking out for the next in the series.

I really enjoyed this novel! It must be the best one yet in the series! Only murders in the building season 3 vibes. The writing is captivating, smart, and entertaining. There were many threads of mystery that connected to the main one and all of them were resolved with an impressive flair.
I did figure out the invitations at 6pm part, but the final reveal was shocking! And the final page! I’ve been waiting for Judith’s past to catch up with her. Looking forward to book #5!

I’ve been enjoying Robert Thorogood’s Marlow Murder Club series so far, and Murder on the Marlow Belle is another fantastic installment! The mix of mystery, humor, and the quirky camaraderie between Judith, Suzie, and Becks is as delightful as ever. This time, the story takes us aboard the Marlow Belle, and the riverside setting is beautifully described, adding a unique charm to the mystery.

The plot kept me guessing with its clever twists, and I loved how the characters’ relationships continue to deepen and evolve. While the pacing is on the slower side, it suits the cozy tone and gives you time to enjoy the world Thorogood has created. If you’ve been following the series, this book is a wonderful addition—I can’t wait to see what Judith and her friends get up to next!

I absolutely love the Marlow murder mysteries. This is the fourth in the series featuring Judith, Suzi and Becks. And unlikely group of friends who seem to keep stumbling across murders. I don't think that I would be so keen to move to Marlow with the murder rate! Judith is a lady who is north of 70 and sets cryptic crossword puzzles. Suzi is the local dog walker and part time radio presenter. Becks is the wife of the local vicar. The fourth outing for the intrepid trio does not disappoint. The murder is set on a local river boat, hired for a party of six from the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society. Everyone seemingly has a motive to want the victim dead. This story seems much tighter than the previous three with a small pool of suspects to investigate. The story moves along at a pace and does not disappoint. I very much look forward to future books involving the ladies.

Book 4 of The Marlow Murder Club series sees the three friends help detective Tamils investigate the murder of an amateur dramatics impresario on the Marlow River. A cosy crime with well written characters, the denouement clever and I liked the ending which beautifully sets up the next novel.

My first read of 2025. Robert Thorogood. Murder on the Marlow Belle.
An ARC from Netgalley. Due out this month.
I love this cosy crime series. As I read the book I was imagining Samantha Bond and friends investigating. A good plot around an am-dram group on a boat trip. 5⭐️.

Verity Beresford is worried about her husband. Oliver didn’t come home last night so of course Verity goes straight to Judith Potts, Marlow’s resident amateur sleuth, for help. Oliver, founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society or MADS for short had hired The Marlow Belle, a private pleasure cruiser, for an exclusive party with the MADS committee but no one remembers seeing him disembark. And then Oliver’s body washes up on the Thames with two bullet holes in him. Judith, Suzie & Becks want to get involved but are warned by DI Tanika Malik to stay out of the investigation as a complaint has been made about her.
The fourth book in the series & another engrossing cosy mystery. I love the intrepid trio who can’t help but become involved. The pace is good & the characters have depth. There are only a handful of suspects who were on the boat when Oliver was killed but each one is seemingly being framed for the murder. Also they all have secrets which are gradually revealed. I loved that Brendan who made the complaint about Tanika is so smug that every time he meets the trio he gives clues left, right & centre! I loved where & when Judith revealed the villain, it was certainly different. There was a surprise ending so I hope there’s not a long wait for book five
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

Dear Cosy Mystery Writer

Are you planning on writing your next cosy mystery and feel that it’s leaning too heavily on the cosy and not the mystery? Obviously you’ve already read the Puzzle Doc-ologue but if you want to see the near-perfect cosy mystery in action, then I strongly recommend Murder On The Marlow Belle. It’s the fourth book in the series written by the Death In Paradise chap, Robert Thorogood. Actually, we might have to start referring to Death In Paradise as being created by the Marlow Murder Club chap. I’ll have to check.

So why is this so on point? Well, we have three central characters sufficiently free of past trauma who are investigating the murder for a reason. There is also an active police investigation too – I know it’s very easy to ignore that if you’ve got everyone trapped together in a snowed-in stately home, but if you’re investigating in civilisation, don’t forget there is a police force and that they will be competent.

The murder itself is suitably distinctive – in this case every suspect was in their cabin at the time of the murder having received a note asking for a meeting and evidence seems to incriminate every passenger – but there is a reason for the murderer choosing such a method for murder beyond “the killer was a nutter”. Even better, the sleuths factor this into their investigation – they see that this isn’t a normal killing and look for that reason.

Each character on the boat must have valid reasons for the murder and yet there must be a clear indication in the story as to why only one of them could have been the killer. So any clues – sorry, I misspoke. So THE clues should lead, via misdirection of course, to the identity of the killer, but hide them well enough for the reader not to spot the relevance of them but remember them when the sleuth reveals all, preferably in a dramatic finale. Literally in this case.

So include some red herrings – have a couple of characters around who almost certainly could not have committed the crime, so that readers (like that Puzzle Doctor chap) will be convinced that one of them did it, even if he didn’t have a clue why. I gather he was last seen shaking his fist at the heavens shouting “You win this one, Thorogood!” but he had a smile on his face so he clearly enjoyed getting well and truly beaten.

Because this should be a game, a game that you are playing against the reader, while they enjoy themselves with the plot and characters along the way. And this is a fantastic example of such a game. So do take notes…

It’s so much fun to be back in the company of Judith, Suzie and Becks with another murder in Marlow. This one gets straight into the action with our amateur sleuths approached by a fraught wife about the mysterious disappearance of her husband. A cast of amateur dramatics actors, each with their own backstories, find their leader mysteriously shot dead whilst on a pleasure cruise together. But with all seemingly having alibis, can Judith and her friends solve the mystery? Lots of twists and turns, intrigue and drama had me turning the pages at all ours of the day and night. And what a cliffhanger we’re left with! I can’t wait for the next instalment.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, HQ for a copy in exchange for a review.

A nice cosy mystery set in Marlow, three friends Judith, Becks and Suzie have a habit of getting involved in solving murders and this is no exception, even though their friend DI Tanika Malik specifically asked them not to get involved, they just can’t help themselves.
The director of the local amateur dramatics society is murdered and it seems that all the people who were with him aboard the Marlow Belle, whilst cruising the river, had the opportunity and motive to kill him.
The trio investigate and, naturally, there is the reveal all at the end. A very enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Another enjoyable read in this series. I love how we find out a little bit more about each of the four main female characters in each book.

Great mystery about who shot the victim - lots of red herrings and misdirection.

Also a great cliffhanger at the end of the book!

Another great book to add to the Marlow Murder Club series!

I really enjoyed the fourth instalment, as always there was a great twist solving the murder! I loved returning to Marlow with Judith, Becks and Susie.

Without spoiling anything, I hope Tanika’s work issue is resolved in the next book, I dislike the dude she works with whose name I can’t remember but I don’t like.

Also that ending?!? I need the next book now!!!

Massive thank you to NetGalley and HQStories for this ARC

Judith , Becks and Suzie are back with another case which needs their sleuthing skills .
Oliver Beresford the founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society is missing and his wife asks Judith Potts to investigate .
The unique trio make great detectives and all bring their own individual skills to make a great team led by the indomitable Judith .
Oliver is found murdered but who can be the perpetrator?All of the suspects aboard the Marlow Belle with Oliver were in their cabins weren’t they?
The case is a definite mystery but the ladies soon get to work and it’s not long before they have a suspect in their sight , but has it all been too easy?
Love the characters in this book they make a great team and have depth and vulnerabilities and flaws as all people do .
The writing is of an excellent calibre as is the plot it’s very clever .
Can’t wait to read the next in the series especially after the cliffhanger !
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ.

I love the way Robert Thorogood writes, his plots and characters are always enthralling. The lovely ladies in this series are fabulous characters, fully rounded and realistic, although I suspect I’d be slightly intimidated by Judith if she was real. After watching the tv adaptation of the first in the series, I now picture these characters as the actresses who portrayed them, which adds to my enjoyment of the books. Another great read.

Once again Judith, Becks and Suzy get involved in solving a murder in Marlow. This time the victim is Oliver Beresford, the director of the local amateur dramatic society who seems to be very unpopular with everyone. The murder takes place during a party on the paddle steamer Marlow Belle. So many motives but who could possibly have committed the crime?
I love this series and this, the fourth one, does not disappoint. The characters are so familiar now and the story is full of the usual twists and turns, dead ends and red herrings. The characterizations are excellent and the setting is perfect. I love the theatrical side of the story and I cannot wait for the next installment.

Another wonderful murder mystery with Judith, Becks and Suzie, all aboard the Marlow Belle and the complicated murder of Oliver Beresford, a thoroughly enjoyable read, already looking forward to the next one, bravo!

Oliver Beresford, founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, is murdered while on board the pleasure cruiser The Marlow Belle. Judith, Becks and Suzie can't help but get involved with the murder investigation.

Murder On The Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood is the fourth book in the Marlow Murder Club series. This series just keeps getting better and better, probably because I now know the characters so well that I feel as if I'm part of the investigation.

Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society has been a village institution since it was founded by Oliver Beresford early in the 1980s. Oliver organises a trip on the Marlow Belle for a select group of members, including a very special guest. At some point during the trip Oliver is murdered but with everyone else onboard having alibis the identity of the murderer is a complete mystery.

The story has all the hallmarks of a modern-day Agatha Christie mystery with its small group of suspects, all of who have motive, and an isolated location. As Judith, Becks and Suzie question each suspect it seems obvious they have found their killer until a new alibi surfaces or a secret involving another character is revealed. The trio seems to go round and round in circles with their accusations, becoming a running joke with Suzie's certainty that they've found the killer each time.

There are a host of wonderful characters but my favourite has to be Mary Eddingham, a stalwart of the amateur dramatic society who steals every scene she's in. Flamboyant and narcissistic, she insists on being the centre of attention and constantly harks back to her days as a professional actress; since she's in her seventies this was a long time ago and her career was fleeting. I can just hear her as she proclaims "You may have heard of me...." when she meets anyone new.

The trio are constantly one step ahead of the police. Where the trio acted as police advisors in the previous book, this time around they have to keep their distance as DI Tanika Malik is under review for her unorthodox practice of involving the amateur sleuths. Needless to say, it doesn't stop the women from getting involved.

Petty feuds, long-held resentments and deep, dark secrets all surface during the investigation. I loved the way in which accusation followed accusation during the investigation, only for each one to be baseless. This meant that by the conclusion my head was reeling, unable to fathom who the murderer was. The big reveal came as a complete surprise. Author Robert Thorogood then saves one even bigger surprise for the end - but you'll just have to read the book to discover what it is.

In 'Murder on the Marlow Belle' Robert Thorogood continues his series of cosy crime books, following Judith, Suzie and Becks. This time, one of the co-founders of an Amateur Dramatic Society is found dead, and the evidence points to just about everyone in the cast. To solve it, Judith ends up trying to embed herself in the theatrical world, but her and the gang's investigations have to be kept covert due to Detective Inspector Tanika Malik facing an investigation about her use of civilian investigators.

I love the way that Thorogood has an elderly female lead, who is not in anyway vulnerable or saddened by living alone. In fact, she revels in her freedom and regularly goes for naked swims (despite this often leading to problems). The books contain a huge amount of humour and heart, and this most recent one is no exception. I hugely enjoyed reading it, and found the conclusion satisfying. I'd highly recommend.

A gripping mystery yet again! Reminded me of The Appeal with the am dram angle but told in this authors fantastic narrative style.