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The Marlow Murder Club #3
Myrkkyjen kuningatar
Geoffrey Lushington, Marlowin pormestari, kuolee äkillisesti kesken kaupunginvaltuuston kokouksen. Kun hänen kahvikupistaan löytyy jälkiä ukonhatusta – joka tunnetaan myös myrkkyjen kuningattarena – poliisi ymmärtää hänen joutuneen murhatuksi.
Poliisi ottaa tutun kolmikon, Judithin, Suzien ja Becksin, mukaan tutkimuksiin, ja he pääsevät vapaasti haastattelemaan epäiltyjä ja tutkimaan todistusaineistoa. Tämä sopii Judithille hyvin, sillä hänellä ei ole aikaa sääntöjen ja protokollan seuraamiseen.
Naiset ovat kuitenkin ymmällään. Kuka olisi halunnut tappaa ystävällisen pormestarin? Kuinka myrkky ylipäätään saatiin hänen kahviinsa? Ja onko joku muukin vaarassa? Judith kumppaneineen kohtaa vaikeimman tapauksensa…
Poliisi ottaa tutun kolmikon, Judithin, Suzien ja Becksin, mukaan tutkimuksiin, ja he pääsevät vapaasti haastattelemaan epäiltyjä ja tutkimaan todistusaineistoa. Tämä sopii Judithille hyvin, sillä hänellä ei ole aikaa sääntöjen ja protokollan seuraamiseen.
Naiset ovat kuitenkin ymmällään. Kuka olisi halunnut tappaa ystävällisen pormestarin? Kuinka myrkky ylipäätään saatiin hänen kahviinsa? Ja onko joku muukin vaarassa? Judith kumppaneineen kohtaa vaikeimman tapauksensa…
360 pages, Hardcover
First published January 18, 2024
About the author
Robert Thorogood
17 books2,704 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,433 reviews
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 1, 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 21, 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!
August 5, 2024
I’m new to the Marlow Murder Club Series, joining the series at book 3, “The Queen of Poisons”. What I enjoy most about cozy mysteries is that the author must rely upon clever characters, banter, and plot. When an author has gore eliminated from his/her mystery repertoire, the author must rely on character development, misdirection, and excellent sleuthing skills.
When Marlow’s Mayor, Geoffrey Lushington dies at a Town Council meeting, a meeting that Suzie Harris was one of the attendees, DI Tanika Malik realizes that the Marlow Murder Club ladies will be working the case whether she wants them or not, so Malik allows them access as “civilian advisors”. Right away, a poison, aconite, was found in his system. Suzie is very familiar with the plant as she grows it in her garden. Given its bitter taste, it is assumed someone put it in his coffee or in his sugar cube. But, who and why?
Why I believe elderly sleuths are such a hit with readers is that we all hope to enter our 70’s and 80’s with our wits about us. We want to believe we will have relevance and energy as we enjoy our senior years; we want to be elderly sleuths. We want to believe it is possible.
So when Judith, Suzie, and Becks align their focus into solving the mystery of who killed the Mayor, it’s delightful. There’s a few squabbles and a very annoying mother-in-law (what a delightfully evil character) that add to the plot. Author Robert Thorogood adds humor to the antics of our senior ladies. Judith is the alpha, Becks, as a Vicar’s wife, seems to have difficulty standing her ground, and Suzie is the dog walking, nature loving senior easily recognized in our daily life; all three characters are entertaining in their own way.
I am happy to be acquainted with these delightful septenaries!
I listened to the audio, narrated very well by Nicolette McKenzie.
When Marlow’s Mayor, Geoffrey Lushington dies at a Town Council meeting, a meeting that Suzie Harris was one of the attendees, DI Tanika Malik realizes that the Marlow Murder Club ladies will be working the case whether she wants them or not, so Malik allows them access as “civilian advisors”. Right away, a poison, aconite, was found in his system. Suzie is very familiar with the plant as she grows it in her garden. Given its bitter taste, it is assumed someone put it in his coffee or in his sugar cube. But, who and why?
Why I believe elderly sleuths are such a hit with readers is that we all hope to enter our 70’s and 80’s with our wits about us. We want to believe we will have relevance and energy as we enjoy our senior years; we want to be elderly sleuths. We want to believe it is possible.
So when Judith, Suzie, and Becks align their focus into solving the mystery of who killed the Mayor, it’s delightful. There’s a few squabbles and a very annoying mother-in-law (what a delightfully evil character) that add to the plot. Author Robert Thorogood adds humor to the antics of our senior ladies. Judith is the alpha, Becks, as a Vicar’s wife, seems to have difficulty standing her ground, and Suzie is the dog walking, nature loving senior easily recognized in our daily life; all three characters are entertaining in their own way.
I am happy to be acquainted with these delightful septenaries!
I listened to the audio, narrated very well by Nicolette McKenzie.
July 6, 2026
“We are all broken. That is how the light gets in.”
Let me begin by sharing that I actually read book #4, “Murder on the Marlow Belle” before this one because Book #3 wasn’t available at my local library. Now that I’ve finally caught up, I’m even more anxious to read Book #5, “The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts” hoping that the mystery set in Book #1 is finally resolved. Needless to say, I was delighted when this third installment recently appeared at my local library.
What happens when the Mayor of Marlow, a retired book publisher, dies right before everyone’s eyes at a Town Council Committee meeting? Well, you get your friends involved immediately. Especially when your friends happen to be the Marlow Murder Club, of course – and, its members have now become trusted consultants to Detective Inspector Tanika Malik.
Judith, Suzie, and Becks once again find themselves immersed in another puzzling case. And naturally, there is an obvious suspect – or is there?
Sophia, a Town Council member who arrived late to the meeting, also happens to maintain a poison garden at home, complete with aconite, the “Queen of Poisons.” Is she really the killer, or is she simply the most convenient distraction?
Also, the mayor seemed genuinely well-liked. Was he the intended target? And, if so, who wanted him dead – and why?
As always, the investigation is filled with twists, red herrings, and clever deductions as the Marlow Murder Club works to uncover the truth.
While this novel can certainly be enjoyed as a standalone mystery, it is recommended that readers begin at the beginning with “The Marlow Murder Club.” Watching these characters grow and their friendships deepen is part of the series’ enduring charm. And, of course, each book resolves its main arc, but there is always an overarching mystery readers want to unravel as the series continues.
This book is a quick, easy-to-read, cozy page-turner in the Agatha Christie style where all is neatly revealed at the end. Whether readers solve the mystery before the final chapter or simply enjoy following along, this third in the series is sure to satisfy fans.
The Marlow Murder Club is also a PBS Masterpiece series. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Wu1...
“Marlow Murder Club” book review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Let me begin by sharing that I actually read book #4, “Murder on the Marlow Belle” before this one because Book #3 wasn’t available at my local library. Now that I’ve finally caught up, I’m even more anxious to read Book #5, “The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts” hoping that the mystery set in Book #1 is finally resolved. Needless to say, I was delighted when this third installment recently appeared at my local library.
What happens when the Mayor of Marlow, a retired book publisher, dies right before everyone’s eyes at a Town Council Committee meeting? Well, you get your friends involved immediately. Especially when your friends happen to be the Marlow Murder Club, of course – and, its members have now become trusted consultants to Detective Inspector Tanika Malik.
Judith, Suzie, and Becks once again find themselves immersed in another puzzling case. And naturally, there is an obvious suspect – or is there?
Sophia, a Town Council member who arrived late to the meeting, also happens to maintain a poison garden at home, complete with aconite, the “Queen of Poisons.” Is she really the killer, or is she simply the most convenient distraction?
Also, the mayor seemed genuinely well-liked. Was he the intended target? And, if so, who wanted him dead – and why?
As always, the investigation is filled with twists, red herrings, and clever deductions as the Marlow Murder Club works to uncover the truth.
While this novel can certainly be enjoyed as a standalone mystery, it is recommended that readers begin at the beginning with “The Marlow Murder Club.” Watching these characters grow and their friendships deepen is part of the series’ enduring charm. And, of course, each book resolves its main arc, but there is always an overarching mystery readers want to unravel as the series continues.
This book is a quick, easy-to-read, cozy page-turner in the Agatha Christie style where all is neatly revealed at the end. Whether readers solve the mystery before the final chapter or simply enjoy following along, this third in the series is sure to satisfy fans.
The Marlow Murder Club is also a PBS Masterpiece series. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Wu1...
“Marlow Murder Club” book review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
July 15, 2023
**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!!!
December 14, 2023
This is the latest in Robert Thorogood's (apparently a writer on TV's Death in Paradise) Marlow Murder Club series. There are a number of developments from the last book, DS Tanika Malik has been promoted to DI, and she has taken the step of co-opting the murder club women as civilian advisors, given their previous successes, not that she could have stopped them poking their noses into whatever murder might occur anyway. The strange murder here takes place at a Marlow town council meeting, where the mayor, Geoffrey Lushington is sipping his coffee, only to suddenly drop down dead. Who could possibly want the likeable mayor dead? It turns out he was poisoned by aconite (also known as wolfsbane).
The murder club begin to investigate, delving into Lushington's life and have a disparate group of suspects to look into. Suzie Harris had attended the council meeting, with hopes of acquiring planning permission for a pod hotel and Becks Starling has her own personal problems. As ever, leading the club and the interrogations is the larger than life crossword obsessive Judith Potts, a relentlessly overly pushy character who grates and irritates me with her style of investigating. This is a twisted case that proves to be fraught with complications as it ends up going all over the place before the truth emerges. There is humour in the narrative, but I would have to say that most of the time it missed the mark for me.
I listened to the audio of the previous book, and found it to be a frustrating listen, especially due to the character and nature of Judith Potts whose arrogance and brashness simply do not work for me, I would prefer a more thoughtful and subtle woman. I had hoped this would work out better for me, but alas it was not to be. There are pacing issues and once again the level of repetition was too much for me. Reading the book turned out to be hard work, a chore that I am loath to repeat by continuing with the series. This is just not for me, I am acutely aware there are so many who absolutely love it, so I would like to suggest readers look at other reviews prior to making the decision to read this. I understand there is a TV series being planned, I might possibly enjoy that more! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
The murder club begin to investigate, delving into Lushington's life and have a disparate group of suspects to look into. Suzie Harris had attended the council meeting, with hopes of acquiring planning permission for a pod hotel and Becks Starling has her own personal problems. As ever, leading the club and the interrogations is the larger than life crossword obsessive Judith Potts, a relentlessly overly pushy character who grates and irritates me with her style of investigating. This is a twisted case that proves to be fraught with complications as it ends up going all over the place before the truth emerges. There is humour in the narrative, but I would have to say that most of the time it missed the mark for me.
I listened to the audio of the previous book, and found it to be a frustrating listen, especially due to the character and nature of Judith Potts whose arrogance and brashness simply do not work for me, I would prefer a more thoughtful and subtle woman. I had hoped this would work out better for me, but alas it was not to be. There are pacing issues and once again the level of repetition was too much for me. Reading the book turned out to be hard work, a chore that I am loath to repeat by continuing with the series. This is just not for me, I am acutely aware there are so many who absolutely love it, so I would like to suggest readers look at other reviews prior to making the decision to read this. I understand there is a TV series being planned, I might possibly enjoy that more! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
June 5, 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 17, 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/...
December 20, 2024
⭐️ 4 ⭐️
The Queen of Poisions
Plot:
In The Marlow Murder Club, Judith, Suzie, and Becks are brought in to investigate the sudden death of Marlow's Mayor, Geoffrey Lushington, who was poisoned with aconite during a town council meeting. As they dig into the mystery, they face their most challenging case yet, unraveling clues to uncover who killed the mayor and why, while uncovering potential dangers to others in their town.
Mystery | Cozy
My Thoughts:
Who doesn’t love a cozy mystery? The Marlow Murder Club is the perfect choice for anyone who enjoys a captivating puzzle without the frustration of an overly complicated case. It offers just the right balance of intrigue to keep you guessing, without keeping you up all night. What really stood out to me was the wonderful dynamic and deep friendship between Judith, Suzie, and Becks.If I ever found myself in Marlow, I would definitely be stopping by to say hello to these charming ladies.
The Queen of Poisions
Plot:
In The Marlow Murder Club, Judith, Suzie, and Becks are brought in to investigate the sudden death of Marlow's Mayor, Geoffrey Lushington, who was poisoned with aconite during a town council meeting. As they dig into the mystery, they face their most challenging case yet, unraveling clues to uncover who killed the mayor and why, while uncovering potential dangers to others in their town.
Mystery | Cozy
My Thoughts:
Who doesn’t love a cozy mystery? The Marlow Murder Club is the perfect choice for anyone who enjoys a captivating puzzle without the frustration of an overly complicated case. It offers just the right balance of intrigue to keep you guessing, without keeping you up all night. What really stood out to me was the wonderful dynamic and deep friendship between Judith, Suzie, and Becks.If I ever found myself in Marlow, I would definitely be stopping by to say hello to these charming ladies.
March 26, 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.
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.
June 11, 2024
Readable but disappointing compared to the earlier books in this series. Also major doses of anti-fat bias.
April 21, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded down
The Queen of Poisons is the third in the Marlow Murder Club series. While I enjoyed this, I found it the weakest of the three books.
This time, Geoffrey Lushington, the mayor of Marlow, dies during the town council meeting. Suzie is attending the meeting as an observer. It’s apparent that Geoffrey died from poison in his coffee cup. DI Tanika Malik has given up trying to fight the murder club and asks the three ladies to work as civilian advisors. I felt it beggared belief that the ladies would be granted free reign to interview suspects on their own. The women focus on the individuals present at the time. As they investigate, they learn that everyone has a motive but no one appears to have had the means. The story was too convoluted, with the elimination of each of the possible suspects. It also meant there had to be a LONG explanation at the end as to why the murderer killed the mayor.
The ladies remain enjoyable main characters and we also continue to get glimpses into their personal lives. Of most interest is Beck’s insufferable mother-in-law coming to live with them. Beck's attempts to extract her from their life is the main source of humor in this book.
The book would work as a standalone but I still recommend reading the series in order.
Thorogood’s background as a tv writer (Death in Paradise) means his writing is crisp with easy to envision scenes.
My thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Books for an advance copy of this book.
As an aside, PBS is turning the first book into a tv series and I look forward to watching it.
The Queen of Poisons is the third in the Marlow Murder Club series. While I enjoyed this, I found it the weakest of the three books.
This time, Geoffrey Lushington, the mayor of Marlow, dies during the town council meeting. Suzie is attending the meeting as an observer. It’s apparent that Geoffrey died from poison in his coffee cup. DI Tanika Malik has given up trying to fight the murder club and asks the three ladies to work as civilian advisors. I felt it beggared belief that the ladies would be granted free reign to interview suspects on their own. The women focus on the individuals present at the time. As they investigate, they learn that everyone has a motive but no one appears to have had the means. The story was too convoluted, with the elimination of each of the possible suspects. It also meant there had to be a LONG explanation at the end as to why the murderer killed the mayor.
The ladies remain enjoyable main characters and we also continue to get glimpses into their personal lives. Of most interest is Beck’s insufferable mother-in-law coming to live with them. Beck's attempts to extract her from their life is the main source of humor in this book.
The book would work as a standalone but I still recommend reading the series in order.
Thorogood’s background as a tv writer (Death in Paradise) means his writing is crisp with easy to envision scenes.
My thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Books for an advance copy of this book.
As an aside, PBS is turning the first book into a tv series and I look forward to watching it.
May 4, 2024
This was really a 2 1/2* read but I'm rounding it up because I did enjoy some of the humor in the book!
I had read the first in the Marlow Murder Club series and it was just o.k.; I was hoping that this latest mystery might have more to offer - it didn’t.
We start off quickly with a murder. While attending a council meeting Suzie is present when Geoffrey, the well liked mayor of Marlow, collapses after drinking his coffee!!
Of course Suzie is quick to call her friends, Judith and Becks to have a meeting as to how they are to solve this murder. Tanika Malik, now a DI, has decided to give them the title of “civilian advisors” - which of course gives them the freedom to investigate and interview anyone.
I cannot imagine any police investigator who would involve these three in a murder case. It’s just not believable!
The book follows the trio as they interview all of the suspects, meet and discuss and eventually solve the question of who killed the mayor and why.
I love a good cozy mystery but this was very formulaic and I truthfully don’t like the trio of women. They just aren’t very interesting and their antics grow a bit repetitive.
Anyone who really enjoys this group of characters will probably like this one more than I did.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.
I had read the first in the Marlow Murder Club series and it was just o.k.; I was hoping that this latest mystery might have more to offer - it didn’t.
We start off quickly with a murder. While attending a council meeting Suzie is present when Geoffrey, the well liked mayor of Marlow, collapses after drinking his coffee!!
Of course Suzie is quick to call her friends, Judith and Becks to have a meeting as to how they are to solve this murder. Tanika Malik, now a DI, has decided to give them the title of “civilian advisors” - which of course gives them the freedom to investigate and interview anyone.
I cannot imagine any police investigator who would involve these three in a murder case. It’s just not believable!
The book follows the trio as they interview all of the suspects, meet and discuss and eventually solve the question of who killed the mayor and why.
I love a good cozy mystery but this was very formulaic and I truthfully don’t like the trio of women. They just aren’t very interesting and their antics grow a bit repetitive.
Anyone who really enjoys this group of characters will probably like this one more than I did.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.
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.
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.
January 26, 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!
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.
December 23, 2023
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.)
January 19, 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.
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.
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.
August 31, 2026
5⭐️
This one might be my favorite one yet!!!
I don’t think that I will ever get tired of Suzie accusing people of murder and being so strong in her convictions. Suzie has true heart when it comes to solving these cases. 😂😂😂.
~~~~~~~
***Pre-Read:*** Ending this August and Beginning this September with my favorite gals: Judith Potts, Suzie Harris, and Becks Starling. 😍😍😍.
This one might be my favorite one yet!!!
I don’t think that I will ever get tired of Suzie accusing people of murder and being so strong in her convictions. Suzie has true heart when it comes to solving these cases. 😂😂😂.
~~~~~~~
***Pre-Read:*** Ending this August and Beginning this September with my favorite gals: Judith Potts, Suzie Harris, and Becks Starling. 😍😍😍.
January 30, 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.
May 30, 2025
I thought this series had ended after book 2 until I received a widget for book 4. This 3rd one was great fun, and I loved getting reacquainted with quirky characters involved in a true whodunnit that had me guessing until the end.
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!
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