Title: The Marlow Murder Club
Author: Robert Thorogood
Genre: Mystery
Format & Source: eBook, library (Hoopla)
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This book is a first in series featuring a trio of amateur female sleuths. It starts when Judith – age 77 – hears her neighbor being murdered. However, the police don’t believe her that it was a murder, so Judith puts her nose where it doesn’t belong and begins her own investigation. Along the way, she meets two other women and somehow recruits them to help her, which turns out to be a VERY good thing, because two more murders occur.
All three women were very different, making them seem like an unlikely group of friends. However, being so different, they all had their own strengths to offer during the investigation. My favorite character was Suzie because she’s pretty gruff and blunt, but that makes her hilarious. She also has a bit of a potty mouth which I always appreciate.
All in all, I loved this book. I wasn’t sure because it was slightly slow to start, and I don’t usually go for British mysteries, but it was a book club pick. I’m so glad this one was chosen because it was so fun! The mystery itself was intriguing, the characters were extremely well written and developed, and best of all, it was genuinely funny.
I’m very anxious to get my hands on the next book in the series to uncover more about these women and their back stories. I also look forward to seeing whatever antics they get into next.
Highly recommend for fans of both cozy mysteries and more traditional. It kind of teeters the line on both. Cozy due to the quaint setting, amateur sleuthing and humor. Traditional due to the murders being described in more detail than in a typical cozy. Either way, it’s very enjoyable!
This book was a pick for my mystery book club.
