The Marlow Murder Club

Marlow Murder Club, Book 1

By: Robert Thorogood

Narrated by: Nicolette McKenzie

The first in a stunning new series introducing the Marlow Murder Club!

"A hugely enjoyable murder mystery written with wonderful verve, humour and compassion. Utterly delightful." (Robert Webb)

"I love Robert Thorogood’s writing." (Peter James)

From the creator of the BBC One hit TV series Death in Paradise.

To solve an impossible murder, you need an impossible hero....

Judith Potts is 77 years old and blissfully happy. She lives on her own in a faded mansion just outside Marlow, there’s no man in her life to tell her what to do or how much whisky to drink, and to keep herself busy she sets crosswords for The Times newspaper.

One evening, while out swimming in the Thames, Judith witnesses a brutal murder. The local police don’t believe her story, so she decides to investigate for herself and is soon joined in her quest by Suzie, a salt-of-the-earth dog-walker, and Becks, the prim and proper wife of the local vicar.

Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club.

When another body turns up, they realize they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. And the puzzle they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never escape....

©2021 Robert Thorogood (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Very Enjoyable Story and Narration

I like Robert Thorogood's Death in Paradise Novels, so I thought I'd give this a try. I am very happy I did. The story is intricately plotted, kept me guessing (wrongly BTW) right up to the end, and entertaining. The characters are all believable. Judith, the crossword puzzle creator, Becks, the vicars wife, Susie the dog walker, and Danica the policewoman, all improbable friends work together through several comic situations to crack the case and bring the killer to justice.
I hope Mr. Thorogood will write more stories for these lady sleuths to solve.
Nicollette McKenzie does a great job with all the voices and her tone is an easy listen. Nothing shrill :-)

A new series to binge

Loved it. It was fun and funny and a good who dunnit crime. The story was very good and the narration was top notched. Each character had their own distinctive voice and I could imagine what each one looked like. I hope there are more adventures with the Marlow Murder Club.

Well Done!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait till his next one comes out. I had fun getting to know the lovable, diverse and esoteric group of quirky women! The narrator does a great job bringing them to life. Their escapades and camaraderie remind me a bit of the women in the old movie, ‘The North Avenue Irregulars’.

What a nice surprise!!!

This is a great book read by the perfect reader. The plot is interesting and full of red herrings. The characters are interesting and evolving. I was sorry to see it end.

Charming murder mystery

Implausible at times but a charming, entertaining, murder mystery starring three English ladies. The villain (or is it villains?) are male.

Adorable cozy mystery

Loved these amateur sleuths, the mature, intelligent ladies that others often marginalize because they are older and appear to be in traditional "feminine" roles. I hope this is the start of a wonderful new series. I am hooked!

A decent cozy...but..

This is a British village cozy similar to many other British village cozies.
A small group of village women (headed by an older woman with her own secrets),
solve some murders. The narrator is serviceable, the characters are
certain stereotypes that show up in such cozies. There's little foul language,
little violence and few sexual situations, if that's a concern for you, however
there's little to keep the readers attention. The narrator is too chatty, which
can be distracting to the plot. I don't know if I plan to continue this series..

Excellent Narration and Story

Nicolette McKenzie brings this story to life. Each character has their own voice. You can sense the mood of the authors intent at the right moments. The story is so superbly written, dead ends, twists, turns, and some laugh out loud moments. The humor is perfectly placed, as so you’re not laughing the whole time when you should be on the edge of your seat. Robert Thorogood has proven to be a talented author with a brilliant mind for mystery. I highly recommend you read this book. You’ll thank me later.
If you liked the Thursday Murder Club, you will love this book. And vice versa.

Clever, Fun and complex

I loved this book and plan to continue the series. The three women who form the Marlow Murder Club are all well fleshed out, original and interesting. The story is complex, but it makes sense and comes together at the end. Yes absurdities abound, but they fit with the story and the characters in a way that is both interesting and fun.

A perfect cozy mystery with one big flaw

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. There is humor, lots of movement in the plot, and you really grow to love each character. I am hopeful there are more books to come! My one complaint, and it is a big one for me, is please, please, please stop using Jesus Christ's name as an expletive. He is my Savior, I worship him, and it is really hurtful to hear His name used so dishonorably. I can't think of another religion's God that is used as profanity. If you don't feel the same, that is fine, but please be respectful of those listeners who do. Other than that, and it's a BIG that, (and a bit of profanity that I could have done without) this book was perfect in every way. I agree with another reviewer who said that the story would have been just as good without the profanity--it would have been much better actually! I read a review saying this wasn't as good at The Thursday Murder Club, and I totally disagree. I have that on audiobook, and I am so bored with it. I can't even get myself to finish it. This author brings the characters to life, is witty, and it's a treat to listen to the narrator. I am giving the audiobook 5 stars, hoping that this feedback from reviewers motivates some small changes in language that would greatly improve future books in this series. Cozy mystery listeners are not an audience that wants profanity in their entertainment.