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The Marlow Murder Club #3
The Queen of Poisons
9 hours, 9 minutes
Who killed the Mayor? It’s up to the Marlow Murder Club to find out …
Geoffrey Lushington, Mayor of Marlow, dies suddenly during a Town Council meeting. When traces of aconite—also known as the queen of poisons—are found in his coffee cup, the police realize he was murdered. But who did it? And why?
The police bring Judith, Suzie and Becks in to investigate as Civilian Advisors right from the start, so they have free rein to interview suspects and follow the evidence to their heart’s content, which is perfect because Judith has no time for rules and standard procedure.
But this case has the Marlow Murder Club stumped. Who would want to kill the affable Mayor? How did they even get the poison into his coffee? And is anyone else in danger? The Marlow Murder Club are about to face their most difficult case yet …
Who killed the Mayor? It’s up to the Marlow Murder Club to find out …
Geoffrey Lushington, Mayor of Marlow, dies suddenly during a Town Council meeting. When traces of aconite—also known as the queen of poisons—are found in his coffee cup, the police realize he was murdered. But who did it? And why?
The police bring Judith, Suzie and Becks in to investigate as Civilian Advisors right from the start, so they have free rein to interview suspects and follow the evidence to their heart’s content, which is perfect because Judith has no time for rules and standard procedure.
But this case has the Marlow Murder Club stumped. Who would want to kill the affable Mayor? How did they even get the poison into his coffee? And is anyone else in danger? The Marlow Murder Club are about to face their most difficult case yet …
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First published January 18, 2024
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About the author
Robert Thorogood
15 books2,229 followersRobert Thorogood is an English screenwriter. He is best known as the creator of the BBC 1 Murder Mystery Series, Death in Paradise.
Robert was educated at Uppingham School in Rutland and read History at Downing College, Cambridge. While at Cambridge, he toured with the university's student comedy troupe Footlights in 1993 and was elected President in 1994. Soon after leaving Cambridge, Robert set up a theatre company that toured small theatres and schools, the highlight of which was a production of Molière's The Miser that he directed and acted in alongside Robert Webb, David Mitchell and Olivia Colman.
Robert wrote for many years - selling scripts to the BBC, ITV and independent film companies - but before 2011 the only script of his that was actually broadcast was a Radio 4 afternoon play called From Abstraction about the life of Paul Wolfskehl.
In 2008, Robert entered the inaugural Red Planet Prize and was a chosen finalist, where he was able to pitch his 'Copper in the Caribbean' idea to Tony Jordan. By 2011, when the show was finally broadcast - making it Robert's first TV broadcast credit at the age of 39 - Robert had become something of a poster boy for 'never giving up on the dream'.
In January 2014, it was announced that Robert had signed a deal with MIRA Harlequin to write three Richard Poole Murder Mystery novels, with the first being published in hardback in January 2015.
Robert was educated at Uppingham School in Rutland and read History at Downing College, Cambridge. While at Cambridge, he toured with the university's student comedy troupe Footlights in 1993 and was elected President in 1994. Soon after leaving Cambridge, Robert set up a theatre company that toured small theatres and schools, the highlight of which was a production of Molière's The Miser that he directed and acted in alongside Robert Webb, David Mitchell and Olivia Colman.
Robert wrote for many years - selling scripts to the BBC, ITV and independent film companies - but before 2011 the only script of his that was actually broadcast was a Radio 4 afternoon play called From Abstraction about the life of Paul Wolfskehl.
In 2008, Robert entered the inaugural Red Planet Prize and was a chosen finalist, where he was able to pitch his 'Copper in the Caribbean' idea to Tony Jordan. By 2011, when the show was finally broadcast - making it Robert's first TV broadcast credit at the age of 39 - Robert had become something of a poster boy for 'never giving up on the dream'.
In January 2014, it was announced that Robert had signed a deal with MIRA Harlequin to write three Richard Poole Murder Mystery novels, with the first being published in hardback in January 2015.
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July 3, 2024
Feisty and fearless septuagenarian Judith and her two tagalong friends, vicar’s wife Becks and dog-walker Suzie are back on yet another murder case in this third book of The Marlow Murder Club series by Robert Thorogood, and I’m so glad. I missed them!
I won’t say too much about the plot, but this time around, Marlow’s beloved and benevolent mayor Geoffrey Lushington is the unfortunate victim of a town council meeting gone wrong. Newly minted DI Tanika Malik knows from experience that this trio of ladies isn’t going to sit idly by and let the police do their job. Her solution? Make them citizen advisers, which Judith of course takes to mean full detectives!
If there’s one thing we know by now: Judith is always one step ahead of everyone when it comes to solving crimes, and she can’t be bothered to wait for them to catch up! As a crossword setter, she knows the definitions of a lot of words, but “no”, “don’t”, “wait” and “stop” don’t appear to have ANY meaning at all to her. Add in Becks' kind and conciliatory nature and Suzie's tendency to rush to judgment, and it's a minor miracle these three can work productively on anything!
Once again I listened to the audio while reading along on my Kindle. Nicolette McKenzie has personified these characters so perfectly in each book, that I can’t imagine not hearing their voices and banter at this point! I hope she stays with the series for the long haul.
As for my thoughts on this book, I’ll put it this way: You know when you have a favorite TV series that you look forward to each week, but some episodes are simply better than others? It doesn’t mean you didn’t like this episode or you think negatively about it - it just isn’t as memorable. That’s how I feel about this book. It’s well-written as always, worth every moment I spent with it, and is another reminder of why I love the series - it just wasn’t QUITE as fun for me as the first two. The potential cast of “whodunnits” simply didn’t grab me as much this time.
So, will I be back for more “episodes”? You BET! I love these ladies, and I wouldn’t miss a chance to spend time with them again!
★★★ ½ (boosted to 4 for the wonderful narration)
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, NetGalley and author Robert Thorogood for this digital ARC to honestly review and to my library/Libby for the audio. It’s out now!
I won’t say too much about the plot, but this time around, Marlow’s beloved and benevolent mayor Geoffrey Lushington is the unfortunate victim of a town council meeting gone wrong. Newly minted DI Tanika Malik knows from experience that this trio of ladies isn’t going to sit idly by and let the police do their job. Her solution? Make them citizen advisers, which Judith of course takes to mean full detectives!
If there’s one thing we know by now: Judith is always one step ahead of everyone when it comes to solving crimes, and she can’t be bothered to wait for them to catch up! As a crossword setter, she knows the definitions of a lot of words, but “no”, “don’t”, “wait” and “stop” don’t appear to have ANY meaning at all to her. Add in Becks' kind and conciliatory nature and Suzie's tendency to rush to judgment, and it's a minor miracle these three can work productively on anything!
Once again I listened to the audio while reading along on my Kindle. Nicolette McKenzie has personified these characters so perfectly in each book, that I can’t imagine not hearing their voices and banter at this point! I hope she stays with the series for the long haul.
As for my thoughts on this book, I’ll put it this way: You know when you have a favorite TV series that you look forward to each week, but some episodes are simply better than others? It doesn’t mean you didn’t like this episode or you think negatively about it - it just isn’t as memorable. That’s how I feel about this book. It’s well-written as always, worth every moment I spent with it, and is another reminder of why I love the series - it just wasn’t QUITE as fun for me as the first two. The potential cast of “whodunnits” simply didn’t grab me as much this time.
So, will I be back for more “episodes”? You BET! I love these ladies, and I wouldn’t miss a chance to spend time with them again!
★★★ ½ (boosted to 4 for the wonderful narration)
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, NetGalley and author Robert Thorogood for this digital ARC to honestly review and to my library/Libby for the audio. It’s out now!
June 15, 2024
The third installment in Robert Thorogood’s The Marlow Murder Club series, begins with the death of Geoffrey Lushington, the mayor of Marlow, during a town council planning meeting in which Suzie Harris was one of the attendees. She is quick to summon her friends, Judith Potts and Becks Starling to the crime scene. It quickly becomes evident that the mayor was poisoned and as local law enforcement embarks on their investigation, DI Tanika Malik, well aware that no amount of warning would deter them from pursuing the case, engages the Marlow Murder Club as “civilian advisors” which allows them to conduct their investigation in collaboration with local law enforcement.
The narrative follows our amateur sleuths as they go about finding the killer. The suspect list is long and finding the culprit won’t be easy but our motivated ladies leave no stone turned as they delve into the lives of the deceased mayor who appeared to have been well-liked by those who knew him, his associates and anyone who might have held a grudge.
Having enjoyed the previous books in this series, I was looking forward to reading The Queen of Poisons. Though there are a few aspects of the story that implausible, I didn't mind having to suspend disbelief and chose to go with the flow. I do like these characters and have enjoyed following their antics in the past, but I struggled to finish this book. The premise was intriguing and while I usually enjoy investigations that involve multiple suspects, in this case, the plot becomes too convoluted as the narrative progresses. The pacing was uneven and I found the writing a tad repetitive with subplots that served no purpose other than to distract us from the primary narrative. Though I found the final reveal interesting, plot development was weak and the motive behind the murder wasn’t quite convincing.
I do appreciate the humor that the author injects into these stories and though I didn’t dislike the book in its entirety, this installment is the weakest among the three novels in the series. However, I won’t give up on the series yet and will await the next installment.
For those who are new to the series and the characters, I would recommend reading the preceding books before you read this one.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on June 4, 2024.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
The narrative follows our amateur sleuths as they go about finding the killer. The suspect list is long and finding the culprit won’t be easy but our motivated ladies leave no stone turned as they delve into the lives of the deceased mayor who appeared to have been well-liked by those who knew him, his associates and anyone who might have held a grudge.
Having enjoyed the previous books in this series, I was looking forward to reading The Queen of Poisons. Though there are a few aspects of the story that implausible, I didn't mind having to suspend disbelief and chose to go with the flow. I do like these characters and have enjoyed following their antics in the past, but I struggled to finish this book. The premise was intriguing and while I usually enjoy investigations that involve multiple suspects, in this case, the plot becomes too convoluted as the narrative progresses. The pacing was uneven and I found the writing a tad repetitive with subplots that served no purpose other than to distract us from the primary narrative. Though I found the final reveal interesting, plot development was weak and the motive behind the murder wasn’t quite convincing.
I do appreciate the humor that the author injects into these stories and though I didn’t dislike the book in its entirety, this installment is the weakest among the three novels in the series. However, I won’t give up on the series yet and will await the next installment.
For those who are new to the series and the characters, I would recommend reading the preceding books before you read this one.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on June 4, 2024.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
June 22, 2025
The well loved Mayor of Marlow, Geoffrey Lushington, dies within minutes of taking a sip of coffee during a town council meeting that Suzie happened to be attending…
And, just like that- The Marlow Murder Club has its third case!
All signs point to MURDER when traces of aconite—also known as the queen of poisons—are found in his coffee cup.
But WHO would want him dead? And WHY?
Judith, Suzie, and Becks are immediately brought in to investigate the murder as civilian advisors having had success in that role under Tanika Malik during their last case-a case that earned Tanika a recent promotion to Detective Inspector of the Maidenhead Police Station.
And, as usual, they seem to always be AT LEAST one step ahead of the Police!
The strength of COZY MYSTERIES for me are the characters and this is a likable trio of amateur sleuths led by Judith Potts who is a modern day “Miss Marple”, and her friends, Suzie Harris a dogwalker/FM radio host, and Becks Starling-the Vicar’s wife.
Will a mysterious handwritten letter, a scandalous photo or a meddlesome mother-in-law have anything to do with this murder?
I feel this entertaining series is best enjoyed if you start with book #1 “The Marlow Murder Club” but after that the subsequent mysteries can be read in any order. I didn’t spot any spoilers in this book for the first two.
Review for the “Marlow Murder Club”: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I needed to catch up with the series before reading “Murder on the Marlow Belle” (#4 in the series) which publishes on September 16, 2025. Watch for that review next week!
And, just like that- The Marlow Murder Club has its third case!
All signs point to MURDER when traces of aconite—also known as the queen of poisons—are found in his coffee cup.
But WHO would want him dead? And WHY?
Judith, Suzie, and Becks are immediately brought in to investigate the murder as civilian advisors having had success in that role under Tanika Malik during their last case-a case that earned Tanika a recent promotion to Detective Inspector of the Maidenhead Police Station.
And, as usual, they seem to always be AT LEAST one step ahead of the Police!
The strength of COZY MYSTERIES for me are the characters and this is a likable trio of amateur sleuths led by Judith Potts who is a modern day “Miss Marple”, and her friends, Suzie Harris a dogwalker/FM radio host, and Becks Starling-the Vicar’s wife.
Will a mysterious handwritten letter, a scandalous photo or a meddlesome mother-in-law have anything to do with this murder?
I feel this entertaining series is best enjoyed if you start with book #1 “The Marlow Murder Club” but after that the subsequent mysteries can be read in any order. I didn’t spot any spoilers in this book for the first two.
Review for the “Marlow Murder Club”: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I needed to catch up with the series before reading “Murder on the Marlow Belle” (#4 in the series) which publishes on September 16, 2025. Watch for that review next week!
November 27, 2025
**3.5-stars rounded up **
💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙
The Queen of Poisons is the 3rd-installment in The Marlow Murder Club Cozy Mystery series. I really enjoyed the first 2-books and have been anticipating this one.
This series follows Judith Potts, a septuagenarian crossword setter, and her two best friends, Suzie and Becks, as they nose around their community of Marlow solving mysteries.
This particular story is set amongst the world of local politics, as the Mayor of Marlow, George Lushington, died mysteriously during a town council meeting.
After traces of the poison, aconite, are found in his coffee cup, it's clear to all that Mayor Lushington was killed on purpose. Known for a track history of barging in to solve crimes, the police preemptively bring in Judith, Suzie and Becks, from the start as civilian advisors.
The women are allowed to interview suspects and search for clues to their hearts' content. The ladies are excited for their role and dig in with great gusto.
This is going to be a tough case to crack though, but aren't they all? Who could have gotten the poison into the mayor's coffee, and for that matter, who could have gotten a hold of the poison in the first place?
This is such a cute Cozy series. I do love this friend group and the dynamics amongst them. IMO, this was a bit of an odd whodonit, like some of the details at the reveal just seemed strange to me, but nevertheless, I enjoyed it a lot.
I'm in for the long haul with this series, and am def hoping for more books. I'll admit, my mind wasn't 100% on task with this one, since I'm traveling.
With this being said, I still found this engaging and fun. I would recommend this series to all Cozy Mystery fans, in particular if you enjoy friendship groups solving mysteries together, or elderly amateur sleuths.
Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press and Recorded Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'll be waiting for more Marlow Murder Club!!!
💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙💚🖤💙
The Queen of Poisons is the 3rd-installment in The Marlow Murder Club Cozy Mystery series. I really enjoyed the first 2-books and have been anticipating this one.
This series follows Judith Potts, a septuagenarian crossword setter, and her two best friends, Suzie and Becks, as they nose around their community of Marlow solving mysteries.
This particular story is set amongst the world of local politics, as the Mayor of Marlow, George Lushington, died mysteriously during a town council meeting.
After traces of the poison, aconite, are found in his coffee cup, it's clear to all that Mayor Lushington was killed on purpose. Known for a track history of barging in to solve crimes, the police preemptively bring in Judith, Suzie and Becks, from the start as civilian advisors.
The women are allowed to interview suspects and search for clues to their hearts' content. The ladies are excited for their role and dig in with great gusto.
This is going to be a tough case to crack though, but aren't they all? Who could have gotten the poison into the mayor's coffee, and for that matter, who could have gotten a hold of the poison in the first place?
This is such a cute Cozy series. I do love this friend group and the dynamics amongst them. IMO, this was a bit of an odd whodonit, like some of the details at the reveal just seemed strange to me, but nevertheless, I enjoyed it a lot.
I'm in for the long haul with this series, and am def hoping for more books. I'll admit, my mind wasn't 100% on task with this one, since I'm traveling.
With this being said, I still found this engaging and fun. I would recommend this series to all Cozy Mystery fans, in particular if you enjoy friendship groups solving mysteries together, or elderly amateur sleuths.
Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press and Recorded Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'll be waiting for more Marlow Murder Club!!!
June 6, 2024
This is a great series (and an excellent TV show as well!)
The Marlow Murder Club aka three good friends, Judith, Susie and Becks are on the case again. This time it is the Mayor who drops down dead at a Town Council meeting apparently poisoned by his coffee. D.I. Tanika Malik coopts the three friends onto the investigation as Civilian Advisors.
Having now watched some of the TV episodes I read this book with mental pictures of the extremely well selected cast playing their parts - Judith with her brains and her love of wild swimming, Suzie with her dog walking and Becks trying too hard to be everything to everybody. It is all great entertainment.
All very enjoyable and I look forward to the next book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The Marlow Murder Club aka three good friends, Judith, Susie and Becks are on the case again. This time it is the Mayor who drops down dead at a Town Council meeting apparently poisoned by his coffee. D.I. Tanika Malik coopts the three friends onto the investigation as Civilian Advisors.
Having now watched some of the TV episodes I read this book with mental pictures of the extremely well selected cast playing their parts - Judith with her brains and her love of wild swimming, Suzie with her dog walking and Becks trying too hard to be everything to everybody. It is all great entertainment.
All very enjoyable and I look forward to the next book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 25, 2025
EXCERPT: Judith found herself on her own and decided to go home as well. Once there, she knew that on a normal day, she'd go for a swim to help her think, but she realized she didn't quite have the energy.
Instead, she went over to her sideboard and poured herself the merest splash of whisky into a cut-glass tumbler. Downing it in one, she found herself briefly lost in memories of her childhood. Clunking the glass back down on the sideboard, she went over to the dying embers of the fire she'd lit that morning and added a firelighter and a few sticks of kindling. With a couple of puffs from er leather bellows, the fire crackled back to life. Next, she went to the front door where she'd left the handwritten letter that had arrived that morning. She picked it up, returned to the grate, and dropped it into the fire, unopened. The envelope blackened around the edges before bursting into flame, the charred paper peeling away to reveal the neatly handwritten letter inside.
Before she could make out any of the words, the charred edges raced to the middle and the whole thing was aflame.
There, she told herself, that was better.
ABOUT 'THE QUEEN OF POISONS': The Marlow Murder Club is on the hunt for a killer... Geoffrey Lushington, Mayor of Marlow, dies suddenly during a town council meeting. When traces of aconite―also known as the queen of poisons―are found in his coffee cup, the police realize he was murdered. But who did it? And why?
The police bring Judith, Suzie, and Becks in to investigate the murder as civilian advisors right from the start, so they have free rein to interview suspects and follow the evidence to their heart's content… which is perfect because Judith has no time for rules and standard procedure. But this case has the Marlow Murder Club stumped. Who would want to kill the affable mayor of Marlow? How did they even get the poison into his coffee? And is anyone else in danger? The Marlow Murder Club is about to face their most difficult case yet...
MY THOUGHTS: Binging the first season of The Marlow Murder Club earlier this year on the red-eye flight from Perth to Auckland, helped me better envisage the characters I have read about. Now, usually I don't watch the movies or tv series for books I have enjoyed because I find them disappointing, but this was so well cast and performed it has enhanced my reading experience. I visualised and heard Judith, Suzie and Beck throughout my reading of The Queen of Poisons.
It was interesting to see the trio invited by DI Tanika Mallik to take part in the investigation this time, which doesn't mean they didn't overstep their boundaries. Of course they did!
This may well be the trio's most difficult case yet, but I also found it the most difficult to follow. I don't mind multiple suspects at all, but the threads became unnecessarily convoluted and I found myself rereading some parts of the book trying to get and keep everything straight in my head. I almost felt dizzy going round and round in circles as suspects were discounted and then became suspects again! I also wasn't entirely convinced by the motive.
However, I enjoyed catching up with these three characters and at no point did I ever consider abandoning the read. I just hope their next case is a little more straightforward!
⭐⭐⭐.6
#TheQueenofPoisons #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: ROBERT THOROGOOD is an English screenwriter. He is best known as the creator of the BBC 1 Murder Mystery Series, Death in Paradise.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for providing an e-ARC of The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood, for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Instead, she went over to her sideboard and poured herself the merest splash of whisky into a cut-glass tumbler. Downing it in one, she found herself briefly lost in memories of her childhood. Clunking the glass back down on the sideboard, she went over to the dying embers of the fire she'd lit that morning and added a firelighter and a few sticks of kindling. With a couple of puffs from er leather bellows, the fire crackled back to life. Next, she went to the front door where she'd left the handwritten letter that had arrived that morning. She picked it up, returned to the grate, and dropped it into the fire, unopened. The envelope blackened around the edges before bursting into flame, the charred paper peeling away to reveal the neatly handwritten letter inside.
Before she could make out any of the words, the charred edges raced to the middle and the whole thing was aflame.
There, she told herself, that was better.
ABOUT 'THE QUEEN OF POISONS': The Marlow Murder Club is on the hunt for a killer... Geoffrey Lushington, Mayor of Marlow, dies suddenly during a town council meeting. When traces of aconite―also known as the queen of poisons―are found in his coffee cup, the police realize he was murdered. But who did it? And why?
The police bring Judith, Suzie, and Becks in to investigate the murder as civilian advisors right from the start, so they have free rein to interview suspects and follow the evidence to their heart's content… which is perfect because Judith has no time for rules and standard procedure. But this case has the Marlow Murder Club stumped. Who would want to kill the affable mayor of Marlow? How did they even get the poison into his coffee? And is anyone else in danger? The Marlow Murder Club is about to face their most difficult case yet...
MY THOUGHTS: Binging the first season of The Marlow Murder Club earlier this year on the red-eye flight from Perth to Auckland, helped me better envisage the characters I have read about. Now, usually I don't watch the movies or tv series for books I have enjoyed because I find them disappointing, but this was so well cast and performed it has enhanced my reading experience. I visualised and heard Judith, Suzie and Beck throughout my reading of The Queen of Poisons.
It was interesting to see the trio invited by DI Tanika Mallik to take part in the investigation this time, which doesn't mean they didn't overstep their boundaries. Of course they did!
This may well be the trio's most difficult case yet, but I also found it the most difficult to follow. I don't mind multiple suspects at all, but the threads became unnecessarily convoluted and I found myself rereading some parts of the book trying to get and keep everything straight in my head. I almost felt dizzy going round and round in circles as suspects were discounted and then became suspects again! I also wasn't entirely convinced by the motive.
However, I enjoyed catching up with these three characters and at no point did I ever consider abandoning the read. I just hope their next case is a little more straightforward!
⭐⭐⭐.6
#TheQueenofPoisons #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: ROBERT THOROGOOD is an English screenwriter. He is best known as the creator of the BBC 1 Murder Mystery Series, Death in Paradise.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for providing an e-ARC of The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood, for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
October 22, 2023
Marlow Murder Club #3
Suzie Harris attends a council planning meeting- what is she up to?! Councillor Sophia De Castro arrives late, a somewhat exotic creature for Marlow Council, thinks Suzie. Sophia causes a slight furore with her tardiness but not as great as when the Mayor, Geoffrey Lushington sips his coffee, then drops to the floor, utterly motionless. Detective Tanika Malik, newly promoted to DI, investigates with a “bit of help from her friends” - Judith Potts, Becks Starling and Suzie Harris. Tanika engages the threesome as police civilian advisors which is probably for the best as they’d investigate Geoffrey’s untimely demise anyway. Turns out the poor old Mayor meets his maker courtesy of the Queen of Poisons - aconite, otherwise known as monkshood, wolf bane and / or leopards bane. Why would anyone want to murder a man for whom no one has a bad word? Our intrepid trio are on the scent - with Tanika, obviously!
The Queen of Poisons, the latest in this fun series, is definitely capturing and delivering the Queen of Crime vibes here. It’s the usual mad caper which is full of mystery- notes, letters, phone calls, you make it, it’s here. As per usual, these three have noses like bloodhounds and are able to suss out a lie at fifty paces. Of course, it’s convoluted, there’s a largish suspect pool and plenty of rushing about the length and breadth of Marlow to solve it after flashes of inspiration Miss Marple style, usually from Judith. I’m sure DI Malik must feel redundant at times! Naturally, there’s a large dose of humour alongside the poison. A laugh with a mystery, what a great combo!
The author has created some really good and immensely likeable characters here and with every new instalment you get to know them a bit better with the three of them being resourceful to say the least. Poor Becks earns a ton of sympathy as her mother in law is simply ghastly. However, the ultimate end is nicely devious and earns applause from me.
Of course, some things are very convenient, it wouldn’t be a cozy otherwise but it’s highly entertaining and so it’s a go with the flow read. The big reveal is suitably bonkers and is unexpected as my suspicion antenna twitches into an altogether different direction. Nicely played Mr Thorogood!
Overall, I’m liking this series more and more with every new novel as I eagerly anticipate number 4.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Suzie Harris attends a council planning meeting- what is she up to?! Councillor Sophia De Castro arrives late, a somewhat exotic creature for Marlow Council, thinks Suzie. Sophia causes a slight furore with her tardiness but not as great as when the Mayor, Geoffrey Lushington sips his coffee, then drops to the floor, utterly motionless. Detective Tanika Malik, newly promoted to DI, investigates with a “bit of help from her friends” - Judith Potts, Becks Starling and Suzie Harris. Tanika engages the threesome as police civilian advisors which is probably for the best as they’d investigate Geoffrey’s untimely demise anyway. Turns out the poor old Mayor meets his maker courtesy of the Queen of Poisons - aconite, otherwise known as monkshood, wolf bane and / or leopards bane. Why would anyone want to murder a man for whom no one has a bad word? Our intrepid trio are on the scent - with Tanika, obviously!
The Queen of Poisons, the latest in this fun series, is definitely capturing and delivering the Queen of Crime vibes here. It’s the usual mad caper which is full of mystery- notes, letters, phone calls, you make it, it’s here. As per usual, these three have noses like bloodhounds and are able to suss out a lie at fifty paces. Of course, it’s convoluted, there’s a largish suspect pool and plenty of rushing about the length and breadth of Marlow to solve it after flashes of inspiration Miss Marple style, usually from Judith. I’m sure DI Malik must feel redundant at times! Naturally, there’s a large dose of humour alongside the poison. A laugh with a mystery, what a great combo!
The author has created some really good and immensely likeable characters here and with every new instalment you get to know them a bit better with the three of them being resourceful to say the least. Poor Becks earns a ton of sympathy as her mother in law is simply ghastly. However, the ultimate end is nicely devious and earns applause from me.
Of course, some things are very convenient, it wouldn’t be a cozy otherwise but it’s highly entertaining and so it’s a go with the flow read. The big reveal is suitably bonkers and is unexpected as my suspicion antenna twitches into an altogether different direction. Nicely played Mr Thorogood!
Overall, I’m liking this series more and more with every new novel as I eagerly anticipate number 4.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
October 23, 2024
there is something so metal about Robert Thorogood initially wanting to write a “The Marlow Murder Club” TV series which everyone rejected, only to decide to publish the story as a novel, which then became so successful it was turned into a TV series after all. First and foremost, you gotta respect the hustle.
Naturally, I was curious to see how the series’ first book that I enjoyed so much would play out on screen and while the series is entertaining, though unremarkable, I now cannot help but view the books through an entirely new lens. Once you know this story was originally created and written for TV, you cannot help but notice all the signs pointing towards it, no more so than in Thorogood’s newest entry into the Marlow verse, The Queen of Poisons.
This time, Marlow’s idyllic peace is disturbed by a murder no one can explain. It’s not only the how, but the why that puzzles Judith, Suzie and Becks. After all, who would have wanted to kill Geoffrey Lushington, Marlow’s affable mayor who was beloved by all and hated by none? When traces of aconite – also known as the queen of poisons – are found in his coffee cup, they and the police realise they’re dealing with a stone-cold killer who will do anything to avoid being found.
The crime is set, the team is back together, and I was primed to enjoy the heck out of this murder mystery and yet… everywhere I looked I stumbled over signs just how much better this would have worked as a TV script and how much this was written with one in mind. There’s a scene in which Judith and Suzie are face-timing each other when Judith accidentally uses one of those animal filters which leads to half a page of banter about how hilarious Suzie finds Judith talking to her whilst wearing giraffe face.
This scene SCREAMS television so much so that it made it into the TV adaptation of the first book, making me question just how invested the author still is in writing these novels rather than just developing his stories for the screen and afterwards putting the same scenes into his books, killing two birds with one stone whilst only putting the work in once. There’s rather a lot of telling instead of showing going on, and I can imagine much of the humour would translate so much better on screen than it does here.
The overall plot is unfortunately a bit draggy, with many of the characters’ decisions feeling like plot devices. The story lacked a natural flow, especially since 90% of it is the trio running around Marlow, going from interviewing one suspect to the next, then regrouping, finding out a fact that sheds new light on one of the suspects they had previously discounted. Then Judith says something like: “There’s one way to find out. We should ask her, don’t you think?” or “I think we need to talk to him, don’t you?” at the end of a chapter and off the women are to interview one of their previous suspects. It’s a pity the story essentially isn’t more than that because the three women could not be more different and it’s their character dynamic that really brings these stories to life.
While I think that Tanika’s decision to bring on the team as civil instigators served to make the narrative of three women sticking their noses into everybody’s business and running around questioning suspects a bit more believable, it also led to some of the spice missing that in previous books was so wonderfully created by the ladies’ continuous run-ins with the police.
Running parallel to the murder plot are several minor side plots that are concerned with further developing the main trio to a lesser success than I would have liked. Suzie is given another side hustle so utterly ridiculous, it begs to question whether it does anything at all for her character development. It does, however, provide the beginning of her turning over a new leaf so that’s that. Similarly, Becks does not only have to deal with the murder case but with an entitled and posh mother-in-law, a side plot neither responsible for laughs nor good storytelling, merely serving to pad out the murder plot, while also “making it a bit about the people in it”.
I found the story lacking in much of what I had previously enjoyed about the series’ first two instalments and I would be content not to get another Marlow Murder Club for a while if it meant Thorogood putting all his focus on getting a second tv season off the ground.
As always, thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Naturally, I was curious to see how the series’ first book that I enjoyed so much would play out on screen and while the series is entertaining, though unremarkable, I now cannot help but view the books through an entirely new lens. Once you know this story was originally created and written for TV, you cannot help but notice all the signs pointing towards it, no more so than in Thorogood’s newest entry into the Marlow verse, The Queen of Poisons.
This time, Marlow’s idyllic peace is disturbed by a murder no one can explain. It’s not only the how, but the why that puzzles Judith, Suzie and Becks. After all, who would have wanted to kill Geoffrey Lushington, Marlow’s affable mayor who was beloved by all and hated by none? When traces of aconite – also known as the queen of poisons – are found in his coffee cup, they and the police realise they’re dealing with a stone-cold killer who will do anything to avoid being found.
The crime is set, the team is back together, and I was primed to enjoy the heck out of this murder mystery and yet… everywhere I looked I stumbled over signs just how much better this would have worked as a TV script and how much this was written with one in mind. There’s a scene in which Judith and Suzie are face-timing each other when Judith accidentally uses one of those animal filters which leads to half a page of banter about how hilarious Suzie finds Judith talking to her whilst wearing giraffe face.
This scene SCREAMS television so much so that it made it into the TV adaptation of the first book, making me question just how invested the author still is in writing these novels rather than just developing his stories for the screen and afterwards putting the same scenes into his books, killing two birds with one stone whilst only putting the work in once. There’s rather a lot of telling instead of showing going on, and I can imagine much of the humour would translate so much better on screen than it does here.
The overall plot is unfortunately a bit draggy, with many of the characters’ decisions feeling like plot devices. The story lacked a natural flow, especially since 90% of it is the trio running around Marlow, going from interviewing one suspect to the next, then regrouping, finding out a fact that sheds new light on one of the suspects they had previously discounted. Then Judith says something like: “There’s one way to find out. We should ask her, don’t you think?” or “I think we need to talk to him, don’t you?” at the end of a chapter and off the women are to interview one of their previous suspects. It’s a pity the story essentially isn’t more than that because the three women could not be more different and it’s their character dynamic that really brings these stories to life.
While I think that Tanika’s decision to bring on the team as civil instigators served to make the narrative of three women sticking their noses into everybody’s business and running around questioning suspects a bit more believable, it also led to some of the spice missing that in previous books was so wonderfully created by the ladies’ continuous run-ins with the police.
Running parallel to the murder plot are several minor side plots that are concerned with further developing the main trio to a lesser success than I would have liked. Suzie is given another side hustle so utterly ridiculous, it begs to question whether it does anything at all for her character development. It does, however, provide the beginning of her turning over a new leaf so that’s that. Similarly, Becks does not only have to deal with the murder case but with an entitled and posh mother-in-law, a side plot neither responsible for laughs nor good storytelling, merely serving to pad out the murder plot, while also “making it a bit about the people in it”.
I found the story lacking in much of what I had previously enjoyed about the series’ first two instalments and I would be content not to get another Marlow Murder Club for a while if it meant Thorogood putting all his focus on getting a second tv season off the ground.
As always, thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2024
Readable but disappointing compared to the earlier books in this series. Also major doses of anti-fat bias.
June 19, 2024
Welcome to Marlowe, where murderers lurk around every corner!
Another day, another murder! Judith, Becks, and Suzie, the members of the Marlowe Murder Club, team up once again as Civilian Advisors to help the incompetent police solve the latest murder in Marlowe. This time, the Mayor’s coffee has been poisoned during a town council meeting. Who slipped the poison into his coffee pod? The ladies are on the case!
Once again, Thorogood delivers a super clever plot filled with red herrings and sprinkled with humor. Judith, Becks, and Suzie have developed a wonderful rapport over the course of the three mysteries. While the series has become slightly formulaic, the mysteries always keep me guessing until the very end.
I listened to the audiobook which is read once again by the terrific Nicolette McKenzie. I always listen to the books instead of reading the hard copies as she really embodies Judith. I highly recommend this format!
4/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ARC of The Queen of Poisons in exchange for an honest review.
Another day, another murder! Judith, Becks, and Suzie, the members of the Marlowe Murder Club, team up once again as Civilian Advisors to help the incompetent police solve the latest murder in Marlowe. This time, the Mayor’s coffee has been poisoned during a town council meeting. Who slipped the poison into his coffee pod? The ladies are on the case!
Once again, Thorogood delivers a super clever plot filled with red herrings and sprinkled with humor. Judith, Becks, and Suzie have developed a wonderful rapport over the course of the three mysteries. While the series has become slightly formulaic, the mysteries always keep me guessing until the very end.
I listened to the audiobook which is read once again by the terrific Nicolette McKenzie. I always listen to the books instead of reading the hard copies as she really embodies Judith. I highly recommend this format!
4/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ARC of The Queen of Poisons in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2023
I really enjoyed the first two books in this series but I haven’t enjoyed reading this one so much. In the first two, the characters of Suzie, Becks and Judith felt much more rounded and interesting. Much of this book is just dialogue and the storyline feels convoluted with practically everyone involved being listed as a suspect at some point. The finale - and I will avoid spoilers - is just silly as no one capable of murder is liable to stand patiently for what must have been half an hour having their crime explained to them in minute detail.
Is this a book too far? The first has been televised though not broadcast. Perhaps it will lead to a series that isn’t based on the books. The characters are made for television so it’s a strong possibility.
With thanks to NetGalley and HQ/Harper Collins for a review copy.
Is this a book too far? The first has been televised though not broadcast. Perhaps it will lead to a series that isn’t based on the books. The characters are made for television so it’s a strong possibility.
With thanks to NetGalley and HQ/Harper Collins for a review copy.
January 27, 2025
The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood is Book #3 in the Marlow Murder Club Cozy Mystery Series!
The Mayor of Marlow, Geoffrey Lushington, drops dead during a town council meeting, and with traces of aconite - the queen of poisons - discovered in his coffee cup, the police have no doubt the poor man was murdered. But who would do such a thing? Everyone in Marlow loves the mayor...
The Marlow Murder Club is back! Septuagenarian and crossword puzzle setter Judith Potts, dedicated dog walker Suzie Harris, and the local Vicar's wife Becks Starling are brought in by the police as civilian advisors to have complete control of the investigation.
Short chapters that scrutinize suspect after suspect make this a quick addicting read. Judith, as usual, keeps things interesting, moving along, and slightly outside the lines. Becks reveals more of her personal side and takes a larger part in the investigation. (I think she's quickly becoming my favorite). But, what was Susie doing at the...oh, never mind!
An immersion read, the audiobook was narrated by Nicolette McKenzie and brought life to the story. However, I found both formats equally enjoyable.
With a mix of dry humor, continued shenanigans, shifty characters, and a police force that continues to...what is it that they do? Who else can the folks in Marlow rely on to solve the murders in their community except this trio of female super-sleuths?
I'm looking forward to the next book in this series as these ladies are beginning to feel like old friends!
3.75⭐
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, RB Media, and Robert Thorogood for a DRC and an ALC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
The Mayor of Marlow, Geoffrey Lushington, drops dead during a town council meeting, and with traces of aconite - the queen of poisons - discovered in his coffee cup, the police have no doubt the poor man was murdered. But who would do such a thing? Everyone in Marlow loves the mayor...
The Marlow Murder Club is back! Septuagenarian and crossword puzzle setter Judith Potts, dedicated dog walker Suzie Harris, and the local Vicar's wife Becks Starling are brought in by the police as civilian advisors to have complete control of the investigation.
Short chapters that scrutinize suspect after suspect make this a quick addicting read. Judith, as usual, keeps things interesting, moving along, and slightly outside the lines. Becks reveals more of her personal side and takes a larger part in the investigation. (I think she's quickly becoming my favorite). But, what was Susie doing at the...oh, never mind!
An immersion read, the audiobook was narrated by Nicolette McKenzie and brought life to the story. However, I found both formats equally enjoyable.
With a mix of dry humor, continued shenanigans, shifty characters, and a police force that continues to...what is it that they do? Who else can the folks in Marlow rely on to solve the murders in their community except this trio of female super-sleuths?
I'm looking forward to the next book in this series as these ladies are beginning to feel like old friends!
3.75⭐
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, RB Media, and Robert Thorogood for a DRC and an ALC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
September 5, 2025
Judith, Suzie and Beck’s have proven themselves as local sleuths, so when the mayor drops dead at a Town Council meeting, they are brought in as Civilian Advisors. It becomes quickly clear that the mayor was poisoned - was it in his coffee? How was the killer able to poison him in plain sight?!
There are many clues to follow, as they try to identify all of the suspects, motive, and method. These ladies are fun. They are enjoying their senior years while facing personal challenges, but always there for each other. Their solutions always surprise me!
There are many clues to follow, as they try to identify all of the suspects, motive, and method. These ladies are fun. They are enjoying their senior years while facing personal challenges, but always there for each other. Their solutions always surprise me!
April 11, 2024
Really despicable characterization of a fat person as a suspect in this book. Presented as a bundle of unrealistic and bigoted stereotypes, and Becks wonders if it is “unkind” to compare him to Judith in her head just because he’s fat. It puts into a light the author’s general shortcomings of presenting realistic characters, but takes it to a next level by being hateful. Couldn’t finish this book after that, won’t be reading anymore in the series.
December 5, 2025
What took me so long to get here? I think it's because I only liked the first one at three stars, but clearly this is a series that improves, so I want to read books 2 and 4 now. A wonderful man is murdered (not making this up--this is not a book where many people would have wanted him dead.) The mayor dies at a city council meeting where Suzie is present, so she, Judith and Becks end up hired as civilian advisors once again.
There are a bevvy of suspects and of course the women stretch the boundaries of what they are allowed to do as they work to solve this mystery. It's not just who would want to kill a man so affable and kind, but who had the ability to get the poison in his coffee (poison is mentioned in the second sentence of the book blurb, so not a spoiler) and other tricky questions. There is humour here, but it's not comedy even with funny parts. Is there character growth in our three amateur sleuths? You have to read it to find out.
There are a bevvy of suspects and of course the women stretch the boundaries of what they are allowed to do as they work to solve this mystery. It's not just who would want to kill a man so affable and kind, but who had the ability to get the poison in his coffee (poison is mentioned in the second sentence of the book blurb, so not a spoiler) and other tricky questions. There is humour here, but it's not comedy even with funny parts. Is there character growth in our three amateur sleuths? You have to read it to find out.
July 3, 2024
3.25 stars
I enjoyed the first third of this book a great deal. At about that point, my mood began to change and it took me a little while to put my finger on the reason. Tanika, the police officer in charge, has received a promotion and now has the authority to make Judith, Suzie, and Becks official assistants to the investigation. So why was Judith going rogue? She was excluding Tanika, deliberately disobeying reasonable requests, and truly running amok, questioning people in bull-in-the-china-shop style. It had been my impression in the second book that Tanika had better rapport with the older women than that. To see Judith disregarding that relationship and Tanika tolerating it annoyed me.
And, while the mystery is a good twisty one, I don't think that many people would have chosen the murderer who was finally revealed. I felt like Thorogood didn't play quite fair, but I can't complain too hard, as Agatha Christie pulled similar shenanigans. But it was the fracture between Judith and Tanika that truly disappointed me.
I have mixed feelings about continuing on, should another book be published. The subplot concerning Becks and her mother-in-law was well done and Becks' life as a vicar's wife reminds me quite a bit of Griselda Clement, the vicar's wife in The Body in the Library.
I enjoyed the first third of this book a great deal. At about that point, my mood began to change and it took me a little while to put my finger on the reason. Tanika, the police officer in charge, has received a promotion and now has the authority to make Judith, Suzie, and Becks official assistants to the investigation. So why was Judith going rogue? She was excluding Tanika, deliberately disobeying reasonable requests, and truly running amok, questioning people in bull-in-the-china-shop style. It had been my impression in the second book that Tanika had better rapport with the older women than that. To see Judith disregarding that relationship and Tanika tolerating it annoyed me.
And, while the mystery is a good twisty one, I don't think that many people would have chosen the murderer who was finally revealed. I felt like Thorogood didn't play quite fair, but I can't complain too hard, as Agatha Christie pulled similar shenanigans. But it was the fracture between Judith and Tanika that truly disappointed me.
I have mixed feelings about continuing on, should another book be published. The subplot concerning Becks and her mother-in-law was well done and Becks' life as a vicar's wife reminds me quite a bit of Griselda Clement, the vicar's wife in The Body in the Library.
January 23, 2024
I am convinced that reading this series of books is like starting a tube of Pringles - you know they are rubbish, you know they are bad for you and yet you can’t stop until you reach the end.
The plot is okay but the characterisation is so stereotypical, and I think that if Judith (one of the ‘detectives’) moved into my town, I would cheerfully murder her. She is so insufferable - I know she is supposed to have issues but the way she has been written I have absolutely no sympathy or empathy for her whatsoever. The way she conducted herself throughout the ‘investigation’ ruined what could have been a not bad murder mystery and put me off ever reading one of them again, that is if this series continues.
In fact, none of the women in the book come out very well at all. I’m trying to work out why that is.
The plot is okay but the characterisation is so stereotypical, and I think that if Judith (one of the ‘detectives’) moved into my town, I would cheerfully murder her. She is so insufferable - I know she is supposed to have issues but the way she has been written I have absolutely no sympathy or empathy for her whatsoever. The way she conducted herself throughout the ‘investigation’ ruined what could have been a not bad murder mystery and put me off ever reading one of them again, that is if this series continues.
In fact, none of the women in the book come out very well at all. I’m trying to work out why that is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2024
I was disappointed by the anti-fat bias in this book. The earlier books in the series undermine ageist stereotypes and I hoped for better. The mystery and story were good, but I’m amazed by the promotion of gross stereotypes.
(I received a galley copy through Edelweiss.)
(I received a galley copy through Edelweiss.)
February 7, 2024
The Marlow Murder Club makes a triumphant return and so do our beloved Police Civilian Advisors – Judith, Suzie, and Becks. In The Queen of Poisons the third instalment in the series, Suzie attends a Town Council meeting, but it isn’t long before the Mayor of Marlow, Geoffrey Lushington, keels over and dies at the table.
Was it a heart attack, etc? No, it is a meticulously executed act of murder. His coffee has been laced with poison but who would want to do such a thing to an apparent well-respected man, and who has seen the sugar bowl? These are answers the Marlow Murder Club friends need to find out if they want to locate the murderer and bring them to justice.
I love this series. The dynamic trio, Judith, Suzie, and Becks have such contrasting personalities and yet work well together. Their energy and vibrancy bounce off the pages, along with their sarcasm, sneakiness, and boldness. It was also lovely to see Becks having a backbone and her family supporting her (well most of them!).
The thrills and twists of a fine murder mystery novel were weaved throughout and the pages were turned with ease having me flying through the book in no time. I also always love playing along trying to see if I can work out who the killer is before the big reveal.
The Queen of Poisons is a stellar addition to an already outstanding series. It is entertaining and I love how the author manages to captivate his audience the whole way through with a blend of mystery and intrigue alongside fabulous characters. I now look forward to more books in the future and the TV series which is due out soon.
Was it a heart attack, etc? No, it is a meticulously executed act of murder. His coffee has been laced with poison but who would want to do such a thing to an apparent well-respected man, and who has seen the sugar bowl? These are answers the Marlow Murder Club friends need to find out if they want to locate the murderer and bring them to justice.
I love this series. The dynamic trio, Judith, Suzie, and Becks have such contrasting personalities and yet work well together. Their energy and vibrancy bounce off the pages, along with their sarcasm, sneakiness, and boldness. It was also lovely to see Becks having a backbone and her family supporting her (well most of them!).
The thrills and twists of a fine murder mystery novel were weaved throughout and the pages were turned with ease having me flying through the book in no time. I also always love playing along trying to see if I can work out who the killer is before the big reveal.
The Queen of Poisons is a stellar addition to an already outstanding series. It is entertaining and I love how the author manages to captivate his audience the whole way through with a blend of mystery and intrigue alongside fabulous characters. I now look forward to more books in the future and the TV series which is due out soon.
March 2, 2024
In the third book of our usual gang, as always, there is Judith Potts, a woman in her 70s who swimming naked in the river, solving and making crossword puzzles, and enjoys living alone with her cat. Then there is Becks, a vicar's wife who has a good financial mind and tries her best to carry her dignity, most of the time. Lastly, there is Suzie, a woman in her 50s who is a dog walker, has a line in Marlow radio, and hates podcasters.
This time, they didn't pull into the murder, like before. To make things worse, Suzie is the witness of it, so, Tanika, the detective inspector of Marlow to prevent them from meddling and becoming a nuisance, does all of them including herself a favor, and hires them as civilian advisers for the case. This way, they have to act as law-abiding citizens, but is such a thing even possible for Judith?!
I found three novels of The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood to be enjoyable and mysterious, and each of which can be read as a standalone book. While I did like this book as much as the others, I couldn't give it a 5-star rating because of its psychological aspect which made me feel sad. I don't want to reveal any spoilers, so I won't go into detail, but overall it was still a very good read.
My huge thanks to Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley for giving me the chance to read The Queen of Poisons (The Marlow Murder Club #3) by Robert Thorogood, I have given my honest review.
This time, they didn't pull into the murder, like before. To make things worse, Suzie is the witness of it, so, Tanika, the detective inspector of Marlow to prevent them from meddling and becoming a nuisance, does all of them including herself a favor, and hires them as civilian advisers for the case. This way, they have to act as law-abiding citizens, but is such a thing even possible for Judith?!
I found three novels of The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood to be enjoyable and mysterious, and each of which can be read as a standalone book. While I did like this book as much as the others, I couldn't give it a 5-star rating because of its psychological aspect which made me feel sad. I don't want to reveal any spoilers, so I won't go into detail, but overall it was still a very good read.
My huge thanks to Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley for giving me the chance to read The Queen of Poisons (The Marlow Murder Club #3) by Robert Thorogood, I have given my honest review.
January 22, 2024
Utterly disappointed. This is a third in the series, and definitely the weakest. Main characters who were mildly annoying (but funny) in the first two books are totally unlikeable (and NOT funny) in this one. The book was rather boring, too (it doesn't usually take me 3 days to finish such a short book, but I had to force myself to continue) and the ending (especially the reveal and the killer's motive) quite ridiculous.
No idea why I even bothered to finish this one, but I surely won't bother with this series anymore.
No idea why I even bothered to finish this one, but I surely won't bother with this series anymore.
July 1, 2024
I really didn't like the portrayal of fat people. It was reductive and used as a plot point.
December 10, 2023
2.5/5
I am a person who thought the Marlow Murder Club was fine, and thought Death Comes to Marlow was AMAZING, so it left me in a weird spot with this book.
And, unfortunately, this doesn’t live nearly up to the quality of the second installment.
This mystery isn’t really centered in a location, but rather jumps around five or six different locations every chapter, and trust me, that gets annoying really fast.
Additionally (and I don’t say this all too often with whodunits), I almost think this has too little suspects to warrant a 350 page book. There are 4 or 5 people you really dive into throughout the book, which gets repetitive really quickly.
And the solution to the mystery, is in my opinion both unsatisfying, and probably the least clever reveal in the series (especially with how the crime was pulled off). I will give it points, however, for motive of the crime. That was somewhat interesting in an otherwise bland reveal.
People are inclined to compare the series to Richard Osmon’s The Thursday Murder Club, but I consider those more crime books and these whodunit books, so I don’t feel weighed down by that comparison. But I will say, the characters seem to be less funny and interesting this go around, and I almost find myself wishing these three ladies had the dynamic of the characters from those series. Once in a while they can hit some form of a dynamic, but it certainly isn’t consistent.
Overall, this book felt rushed. I know Death Comes to Marlow was loved by a lot of people, but this felt like a very quick turnaround for another book, and it certainly shows in the final product. Rest assured, I will be here for a fourth book (which hopefully they give Thorogood more time to work on) and I’ll be watching the TV series!
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for an ARC!
I am a person who thought the Marlow Murder Club was fine, and thought Death Comes to Marlow was AMAZING, so it left me in a weird spot with this book.
And, unfortunately, this doesn’t live nearly up to the quality of the second installment.
This mystery isn’t really centered in a location, but rather jumps around five or six different locations every chapter, and trust me, that gets annoying really fast.
Additionally (and I don’t say this all too often with whodunits), I almost think this has too little suspects to warrant a 350 page book. There are 4 or 5 people you really dive into throughout the book, which gets repetitive really quickly.
And the solution to the mystery, is in my opinion both unsatisfying, and probably the least clever reveal in the series (especially with how the crime was pulled off). I will give it points, however, for motive of the crime. That was somewhat interesting in an otherwise bland reveal.
People are inclined to compare the series to Richard Osmon’s The Thursday Murder Club, but I consider those more crime books and these whodunit books, so I don’t feel weighed down by that comparison. But I will say, the characters seem to be less funny and interesting this go around, and I almost find myself wishing these three ladies had the dynamic of the characters from those series. Once in a while they can hit some form of a dynamic, but it certainly isn’t consistent.
Overall, this book felt rushed. I know Death Comes to Marlow was loved by a lot of people, but this felt like a very quick turnaround for another book, and it certainly shows in the final product. Rest assured, I will be here for a fourth book (which hopefully they give Thorogood more time to work on) and I’ll be watching the TV series!
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for an ARC!
April 7, 2024
Robert Thorogood is fun. I enjoy his TV series (which I watch on BritBox). My favorite episodes are the ones he wrote in the first season. And I like his Marlow series, of which The Queen of Poisons is the third entry. In my opinion, it's the best of the series so far.
Judith is an almost-80 year old woman who, as a part-time job, creates crossword puzzles for newspapers. She is sharp, smart, drinks a little too much whiskey, and likes to swim nude in the Thames. And in her spare time, she solves murders (of which the village of Marlow seems to have more than its fair share. But why quibble?).
In the first book of the series, Judith and her best friend, Suzie Harris, a dogwalker embrace Becks Starling, the vicar's wife, as a kind of partner in crime solving. Judith is the leader--as good at solving a murder puzzle as she is at crosswords, Suzie is her emotional support friend--always willing to take a risk for the sake of an adventure, and Becks is a somewhat reluctant yet fascinated follower who emerges over time out of the shadow of her role of wife and mother to show her own brand of feistiness.
Suzie has thoughts of building a hotel of sorts in her back yard (yes, that's what I wrote). She attends a town council meeting to get a sense of how she might best approach the council successfully. Of course, there is a suspicious death, almost immediately.
Tanika, a rising star in the Marlow police force, has "worked" (not always willingly) with the triumvirate before. Although they constantly break rules and protocol, they (spearheaded by Judith) always solve the mystery (of course). So Taniika has accepted her fate--and her unofficial squad
Thorogood has a warm, humorous tone to his writing. The story moves along quickly.. Although I had suspicions about the identity of the killer, in the end, Thorogood did manage to surprise me.
The Marlow series are very light. As I began this review by saying, Thorogood is fun and so is this book.
Full disclosure: I received this book as a complimentary copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Judith is an almost-80 year old woman who, as a part-time job, creates crossword puzzles for newspapers. She is sharp, smart, drinks a little too much whiskey, and likes to swim nude in the Thames. And in her spare time, she solves murders (of which the village of Marlow seems to have more than its fair share. But why quibble?).
In the first book of the series, Judith and her best friend, Suzie Harris, a dogwalker embrace Becks Starling, the vicar's wife, as a kind of partner in crime solving. Judith is the leader--as good at solving a murder puzzle as she is at crosswords, Suzie is her emotional support friend--always willing to take a risk for the sake of an adventure, and Becks is a somewhat reluctant yet fascinated follower who emerges over time out of the shadow of her role of wife and mother to show her own brand of feistiness.
Suzie has thoughts of building a hotel of sorts in her back yard (yes, that's what I wrote). She attends a town council meeting to get a sense of how she might best approach the council successfully. Of course, there is a suspicious death, almost immediately.
Tanika, a rising star in the Marlow police force, has "worked" (not always willingly) with the triumvirate before. Although they constantly break rules and protocol, they (spearheaded by Judith) always solve the mystery (of course). So Taniika has accepted her fate--and her unofficial squad
Thorogood has a warm, humorous tone to his writing. The story moves along quickly.. Although I had suspicions about the identity of the killer, in the end, Thorogood did manage to surprise me.
The Marlow series are very light. As I began this review by saying, Thorogood is fun and so is this book.
Full disclosure: I received this book as a complimentary copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2024
First off, I should say that if you haven’t read the previous two books in the Marlow Murder Club series, that’s OK; this book works as a standalone. Ideally you’d start at the beginning, but you won’t be disadvantaged if you don’t.
Primary characters in the series are three older women who poke their noses into local murder cases. Judith Potts is widowed (and glad of it), lives in a big house by the Thames where she daily takes a nude swim, writes cryptic crosswords for several major newspapers, and has assertiveness as her leading characteristic. Suzie always has an idea for how to make money. At the moment she’s got her dog-walking business, but she’s considering building a pod hotel in her garden and making money from tourists visiting Marlow. Suzie is blunt and ready for anything. Becks, a vicar’s wife, is much more reticent than either of her friends, but she is so nice that she can get people to talk when the others’ style rubs them the wrong way.
One evening, Suzie goes to a town planning committee meeting to suss out the committee’s members and procedures, so she’ll be prepared when it comes time to get her pod hotel permit. Not long after all the committee members arrive, chair and local mayor Geoffrey Lushington drops dead after drinking a cup of coffee from the Nespresso machine. But who would kill Geoffrey, the ultimate nice guy?
Tanika Malik, a local police detective, is assigned to the case, as she has been in the prior books. But she has now been elevated and runs the investigative team, no longer needing to get permission from her sexist and none-too-bright bosses. From prior experience, Tanika knows it’s best to have the women involved, so she authorizes them as civilian consultants. I’m happy that this novel loses that aspect of most amateur detective novels where the detective is constantly having to battle the official investigators.
There were enough people in the room when Geoffrey died that there are plenty of people for the trio of amateurs to interview and investigate. It soon becomes clear from their digging that nice as Geoffrey was, several people had motives to kill him. The murder has been cleverly and carefully planned, but Judith has as devious a mind as any villain, and the trio work together with Tanika to spring a trap for the killer.
Lots of people compare this series to Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club, since both involve senior-citizen amateur detectives in English village settings. To me, they don’t read as much alike, though. Osman has such a distinctive style that I doubt he could be mimicked even if another author wanted to, and I don’t think Thorogood wants to. These are entertaining books on their own; not quite as good as Osman’s, but they offer a pleasant way to pass a few hours.
Primary characters in the series are three older women who poke their noses into local murder cases. Judith Potts is widowed (and glad of it), lives in a big house by the Thames where she daily takes a nude swim, writes cryptic crosswords for several major newspapers, and has assertiveness as her leading characteristic. Suzie always has an idea for how to make money. At the moment she’s got her dog-walking business, but she’s considering building a pod hotel in her garden and making money from tourists visiting Marlow. Suzie is blunt and ready for anything. Becks, a vicar’s wife, is much more reticent than either of her friends, but she is so nice that she can get people to talk when the others’ style rubs them the wrong way.
One evening, Suzie goes to a town planning committee meeting to suss out the committee’s members and procedures, so she’ll be prepared when it comes time to get her pod hotel permit. Not long after all the committee members arrive, chair and local mayor Geoffrey Lushington drops dead after drinking a cup of coffee from the Nespresso machine. But who would kill Geoffrey, the ultimate nice guy?
Tanika Malik, a local police detective, is assigned to the case, as she has been in the prior books. But she has now been elevated and runs the investigative team, no longer needing to get permission from her sexist and none-too-bright bosses. From prior experience, Tanika knows it’s best to have the women involved, so she authorizes them as civilian consultants. I’m happy that this novel loses that aspect of most amateur detective novels where the detective is constantly having to battle the official investigators.
There were enough people in the room when Geoffrey died that there are plenty of people for the trio of amateurs to interview and investigate. It soon becomes clear from their digging that nice as Geoffrey was, several people had motives to kill him. The murder has been cleverly and carefully planned, but Judith has as devious a mind as any villain, and the trio work together with Tanika to spring a trap for the killer.
Lots of people compare this series to Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club, since both involve senior-citizen amateur detectives in English village settings. To me, they don’t read as much alike, though. Osman has such a distinctive style that I doubt he could be mimicked even if another author wanted to, and I don’t think Thorogood wants to. These are entertaining books on their own; not quite as good as Osman’s, but they offer a pleasant way to pass a few hours.
Want to read
April 5, 2023Before reading: I am so excited for this book! The first two Marlow books are some of my favorite mysteries of all time, and I'm obsessed with Thorogood's writing style! Anxiously anticipating a release date.
April 3, 2024
The gang’s together again — crossword-puzzle creator and semi-recluse Judith Potts, ditzy dogwalker Suzie Harris and vicar’s wife Becks Starling — and I am definitely here for it! In this third entry in the Marlow Murder Club series, the women — for once with Detective Inspector Tanika Malik’s blessing — investigate the death of the beloved mayor of Marlow. Right before Suzie’s eyes at a planning council meeting, Mayor Geoffrey Lushington died after a sip of coffee. How was he poisoned in plain sight? Judith, Suzie and Becks are sure to find out, while uncovering some other crimes in the effort.
Longtime fans will love catching up with the Marlow Murder Club, but those new to the series will not feel lost. Author Robert Thorogood has not lost his touch, as The Queen of Poisons proves just as stellar as the first two books in the series, The Marlow Murder Club and Death Comes to Marlow .
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
Longtime fans will love catching up with the Marlow Murder Club, but those new to the series will not feel lost. Author Robert Thorogood has not lost his touch, as The Queen of Poisons proves just as stellar as the first two books in the series, The Marlow Murder Club and Death Comes to Marlow .
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2024
Full disclosure, I have read everything by this author, I am a fan. I loved the Death in Paradise series with its plot that was always full of twists and turns, the characters who were fully developed, the humor and the unexpected ending. In the Marlow series I have enjoyed them but the characters are less interesting and the plot is less intricate. I truly enjoyed the first two installments but this one was on the silly side. A murder occurred then you follow the three amigas wondering through Marlow asking questions, Judith being blunt, Becks apologizing and Suzie stating something she was warned not to repeat. In short, the plot needed more development, it felt flat.
The series just started on PBS and I cannot wait to see it. Like I said the first two installments were good.
The series just started on PBS and I cannot wait to see it. Like I said the first two installments were good.
June 9, 2025
3.4 stars
July 30, 2024
I received a copy from Poisoned Pen Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When Suzie showed up to a Town Council meeting, she never expected to witness a murder! Now Judith and her friends are on the scent. Who killed Marlow’s very own saint, Geoffrey Lushington, and why? With Tanika on their side, this group of friends are determined to hunt down the killer and find themselves unearthing Town Council drama in the process.
I’ve really been enjoying the series, so I’m a little sad that this one turned out to be a dud. We follow Judith, Becks, and Suzie as they do their thing and hunt down the town’s latest killer. Unfortunately, the group’s interest and involvement in the mystery felt super forced. It seemed like they were going through the motions just to go through them. It didn’t make me feel drawn into the mystery at all. I also had a hard time buying that Judith and co. actually solved the murder. It seemed like they were accusing everyone and their mom before they suddenly knew who it was for a while. We were told this rather than seeing it play out, so I was like… okay, Judith.
That said, I did like getting to know some of the characters a little more. I was hoping that Tanika would be more involved with the mystery solving trio, but at least we did get to learn a little more about her home life. I hope that we get to see Tanika and everyone more involved with each other during the investigations, and that we’ll see everyone more open to hearing what Tanika has to say outside of picking her brain.
I really wanted to like this book because I loved the previous two, but it was just a miss for me. The mystery just didn’t pull me in, it seemed like everyone was just running through the motions, and I’m not sure I buy that they managed to solve the mystery. I kept finding myself more interested in the drama surrounding Becks and her mother-in-law and wishing the mystery involved Becks and her in-laws rather than the Town Council. Plus, the fatphobia that emerges as the story progresses was extremely unnecessary and really soured what good the story had going.
When Suzie showed up to a Town Council meeting, she never expected to witness a murder! Now Judith and her friends are on the scent. Who killed Marlow’s very own saint, Geoffrey Lushington, and why? With Tanika on their side, this group of friends are determined to hunt down the killer and find themselves unearthing Town Council drama in the process.
I’ve really been enjoying the series, so I’m a little sad that this one turned out to be a dud. We follow Judith, Becks, and Suzie as they do their thing and hunt down the town’s latest killer. Unfortunately, the group’s interest and involvement in the mystery felt super forced. It seemed like they were going through the motions just to go through them. It didn’t make me feel drawn into the mystery at all. I also had a hard time buying that Judith and co. actually solved the murder. It seemed like they were accusing everyone and their mom before they suddenly knew who it was for a while. We were told this rather than seeing it play out, so I was like… okay, Judith.
That said, I did like getting to know some of the characters a little more. I was hoping that Tanika would be more involved with the mystery solving trio, but at least we did get to learn a little more about her home life. I hope that we get to see Tanika and everyone more involved with each other during the investigations, and that we’ll see everyone more open to hearing what Tanika has to say outside of picking her brain.
I really wanted to like this book because I loved the previous two, but it was just a miss for me. The mystery just didn’t pull me in, it seemed like everyone was just running through the motions, and I’m not sure I buy that they managed to solve the mystery. I kept finding myself more interested in the drama surrounding Becks and her mother-in-law and wishing the mystery involved Becks and her in-laws rather than the Town Council. Plus, the fatphobia that emerges as the story progresses was extremely unnecessary and really soured what good the story had going.
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