The Marlow Murder Club

By Robert Thurgood

Publsihed by HQ Stories

What it’s about?

From Goodreads:

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

Judith Potts is seventy-seven 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 realise 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…

What I think:

I really enjoyed this book!

From the first chapter ai loved the character of Judith. She’s quirky and independent and doesn’t give two hoots what other people think about her. She lives in her riverside mansion, swimming naked in the Thames and cycling around Marlow wearing her trusty cape.

When she hears a gunshot and discovers the body of her neighbour she is sure that there is more to this than meets the eye and sets out to investigate. Along the way she meets and teams up with the vicar’s wife Becks who is hiding in a cupboard trying to avoid parishioners and dog walker Suzie.

Using their combined skills and contacts they start to unravels some of the clues and actually help the cash straped police task force in their investigations.

This a great read. I love the three protagonists and really enjoyed the dynamics of their developing friendship.

Police officer Tanika Malik is also a great character – juggling motherhood and family with her career she is witty and relatable.

The mystery itself is clever and all the clues as there so the reader feels a part of the investigation.

Loved this and can’t wait to read the future adventures of The Marlow Murder Club.

Thank you HQ Stories for the gifted copy and inviting me to be a part of this blog tour.