I am a fan of Robert Thorogood's Marlow Murder Club series so was excited to read the latest. The main elements are all there - Judith, Suzie, and Becks poking their noses in while the long-suffering DS Tanika Malik tries to hold them in check. And, throughout, the River Thames is, as usual, as much an integral part of the plot as a character in its own right. After watching the TV adaptation, I can't remember the women I formed in my head and can only see the actresses, which is a shame, despite their excellent depiction.
The plot revolves around an am-dram society (MADS) after its bumptious director, Oliver Beresford is bumped off during a MADS party on a paddle steamer, the eponymous Marlow Belle. Everyone on board has a motive but no one could have done it.
The book has the signature impossible crime plot with enough red herrings to please. And the main characters' personalities develop nicely, with all the good humour and tenderness we expect from Thorogood.
There were a couple of points where I prepared myself to be disappointed as it seemed as though Thorogood was going to palm us off with an unsatisfactory reveal. But I underestimated his ability to pace and plot and play with the reader. I should not have doubted him. The twist is more than twisty enough.

Oh it is so lovely to be back in the company of Judith, Suzie and Becks. Obviously, it also means that we are back in the company of a killer as well, but the title of the book should have been a big enough give away for that one, and, well, that's what we're really here for isn't it? Marlow's greatest amateur sleuths are back and this time it's a case of murder at sea ... well, on the Thames, but it's close enough. The fact that the victim fell from a boat with a very exclusive guest list - the committee of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society and a former alumni and famous Hollywood star - means that the number of suspects is finite. But which of them would have a reason to have killed the MADS founder, and as they all have a seemingly perfect alibi, with no witnesses to boot, how will our favourite trio ever prove it?

This book made me smile for so many reasons. I've been involved in Am-Dram of varying sorts over the years and the variety of characters that Robert Thorogood has created for this latest romp through Marlow's dastardly doings may have been a trifle exaggerated in some ways, it was delightfully on the nose in others. From the pompous director turned victim, to the not quite as good as she thinks she is Diva, you have every kind of personality frequenting the stage and positioning themselves as prime suspect in turn. A mechanic, a high school dropout ... what a vast array of characters who, along with our series favourites and local Detective Tanika Malik, I was completely drawn into their world with a wonderful mixture of amusement and intrigue.

Now, Robert Thorogood has a very strong pedigree when it comes to creating a perplexing, but thoroughly entertaining mystery, and Murder on the Marlow Belle is no different. It should be virtually impossible for judith and co to insert themselves in the investigations they way they do, in fact Tanika expressly forbids it this time around, not that it makes any difference to Judith. But in the same way you wouldn't question Miss Marple quietly taking charge in an investigation in St Mary Mead, I find myself happily accepting the best intentions, and quiet, and also not so quiet, machinations of the Marlow Murder Club trio. In fact I love it. The author has played a canny game drawing them into this mystery, they very reason the police want them to stay away, being the one thing that has the victim's family turning to them for help.

With the finger of suspicion firing off in many different directions (depending on whose finger it is pointing at any given time), there are so many questions and quite a lot of misdirection too, enough to keep the killer's identity under wraps until the perfect moment for a reveal. It's almost the perfect Christie-esque big reveal, not just the key suspects but the entire town on hand to hear whodunnit. I love the blend of humour, the contrasting characters of our three leads - Judith's tenacity and quick mindedness, Becks with her quiet contemplation and understanding of town, and Suzie who is quick to judgment - especially when it comes to one of the suspects - but no less determined and gung-ho than her friends. Add in an element of reticence on her part for a reason that I was not at all suspecting, and a bit of an Eastenders style drum beat ending, and this was such a fabulously entertaining read, I'm almost sad I've read it so quickly (gone in a day!) as I miss the team already.

If you love the series, this is another absolute cracker. Laden with witty narrative, brilliant characters, full of mystery, an element of underlying tension, and with an exclamation of 'oh-my-gosh' to round it off, I can't wait to see what comes next!

I really enjoy the Marlow Murder Club and the characters Judith, Becky and Suzie, this one though took me a while to read and I didn't get quite the same vibes as i normally do when reading.
The latest instalment follows the trio as they try to solve the murder of the AM Dram society director, but from first glances, everyone could be the culprit.
As always I liked the cosy feel of this murder mystery, the characters are lovely and I like spending time reading them. This one definitely kept me guessing throughout, but it was maybe a little too convoluted in places.

This is the fourth Marlow for the Marlow murder club and Judith, Suzie and Becks are solving a murder mystery the police cannot solve.

True to form, the victim was unlikable and he died within the first 5% so you're not waiting around for the mystery to start.
I enjoyed the sideline mystery of Beck’s daughter's new boyfriend and was he or wasn't he a bad guy, I had expected a little more development on that.

The suspects were well fleshed out and there was lots of twists and turns where my expectation of who done it changed from chapter to chapter.

My only bug bear was with the reference to the lighting and sound in the amateur dramatics performance wasn't well researched, (it never is - even though there are loads of really approachable , knowledgable people who would be able to tell you what you need to know) , I won't say why specifically because no spoilers but I do find it irritating. I won't drop it a star just for that.

Overall, another satisfying cosy mystery, thank you for the E-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review

Judith receives a visit from a woman named Verity explaining that her husband appears to be missing as she has not seen him since the previous evening when they were at a party being held on a boat for a famous actress.
When his body washes up not long after, Judith, Suzie and Becks cannot help but get involved.
With many red herrings and dead ends, everyone has a motive to kill Oliver Beresford.
With their unusual methods, will Judith and the ladies get their killer?
Great fun from start to finish.

I thoroughly enjoyed the fourth outing of The Marlow Murder club and was pleased to be able to follow more adventures of the ladies helping the local police solving crimes.

In this instalment the crime fighting trio are alone as they have been forced to back off as police official helpers and they try and stay away from the official investigation however a little of their own sleuthing couldn’t hurt, could it!!

I really love the characters in these books and in this one we meet the cast of the Marlow amateur dramatics and their associated friends and family. When a local play is due to debut and a Hollywood star makes a return to her hometown to help an up and coming actor the Marlow Belle is hired for a boat trip for a selected few. The death of one of them sets of the investigation.

Well written and complex with clues along they way, if you can pick them up, this is a great mystery and one I enjoyed reading and will be sharing with friends and family.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A new year brings many things and one of the things I look forward to is the next instalment of the Marlow Murder Club series.

This time the gang are investigating the murder of Oliver who was last seen on the Marlow Belle during its maiden voyage, but no one saw him leave. Throw in an Am Dram society, a mix of suspects with grudges against the victim, and some personal drama for the trio and you have a wonderfully delightful book.

The characters were interesting and well-fleshed out, with clear care taken with each suspect to give them a believable motive for murder. As ever the reveal had me surprised and was cleverly done.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Another cosy installment of the Marlow Murder Club but one which felt just a little bit flat. The plot itself was good with a locked room mystery but we usually follow the main characters lives more. I felt that there were parts of the book that could have been expanded on which would have made it more enjoyable.

These books just keep getting better and better and we get more excited about the arrival of the next new book. Completely addictive, read by all of the family from the teens upwards. Love them, more please.

I was so excited to be given the chance to read this instalment! Love this series so much… it wouldn’t be a spoiler to tell you the gang reunite due to murder in Marlow. This book has the humour I loved from the other books along with the charm and love for the characters. I did however feel it was a little slower in places but I think that was just because it’s part of a series. It’s can be read as a stand alone which I thought was a strong positive! This did not stop me from reading it! Would of course recommend this book!!!

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.