Friends. Sir Peter cannot be left for dead like that…Judith and the Marlow Murder Club are on the case.

Judith realises the garden lady is Liz Curtis, the woman who runs the Marlow Rowing Centre. Suzie says Liz has killed before. Brilliant, brilliant book . . . this was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time ’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Kudos to author Robert Thorogood for a sequel as riveting as his debut, The Marlow Murder Club! Like the debut, the sequel contains a chilling denouement I never saw coming. Forgive the cliché, but I couldn’t put it down and I read it in a day. No greater recommendation that that! And for those whom missed the first book (please remedy that as soon as you can), Death Comes to Marlow stands up quite well on its own. Malik finds a medallion in Iqbal’s mouth. It is identical to the one found on Stefan’s body, and this one says Hope instead of Faith.It proves fortuitous, however, that Judith has to return home earlier than expected, as it enables her to answer a phone call from Sir Peter Bailey, a local bigwig. He invites her to his pre-wedding party that afternoon, ostensibly so that he can thank her for solving a series of local murders the year before, although Judith immediately discerns that there is far more to the invitation than meets the eye. Putting aside all thoughts of crossword puzzles, Judith ropes her best friend Suzie Harris, a part-time dogwalker and local radio celeb, into attending the party with her. Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. They spot someone breaking into Stefan’s house and they go running – or, rather, punting – over. Judith stops the intruder but doesn’t see who it is before they run off. The police arrive and ask some questions. Judith tells them about the garden woman. Malik gets another call saying there has been another shooting in Marlow. She heads over to the victim’s house, and finds a man called Iqbal Kassam dead. He was a taxi driver.

Holiday festivities are now January doldrums when Judith gets a call—Sir Peter Bailey, a prominent Marlovian is inviting notable citizens to his house the day before his wedding to celebrate. Never a dull moment, lots of red herrings, plenty of humour and a plot worthy of Agatha!!!' Reader review, Detective Malik reveals there has been another murder. It’s Liz Curtis. The body had a bronze medallion on it saying “Charity”. Apparently Danny Curtis was up in Nottingham at the time, so it couldn’t have been him. Fred is Suzie’s postman so they catch him for a chat. Fred agrees that Elliot’s dad, Dudley, was a crook. Apparently Elliot was interested in rowing when he was younger but he wasn’t allowed to be on the school team. Elliot also enjoyed painting but instead of going to art school he had to stay at the auction house. The night before the wedding of Sir Peter and Jenny, Judith gets a call inviting her to their wedding. Judith isn’t super familiar with Sir Peter so she finds it odd when he invites her and even more odd when he reacts strangely to her joke of hoping no one gets murdered at his wedding.

With Judith Potts, the principal sleuth among the Marlow Murder Club, author Robert Thorogood adds to the fine tradition of crossword solving lying at the heart of a murder mystery. The writer is well-known for his work on the TV series Death in Paradise. Like the show, Death Comes to Marlow is set in the present day and begins with Judith – or ‘Pepper’, as she’s known in the crossword world – puzzling over the purpose of a secret assignation that seems to have been arranged through the corner clues of the latest Marlow Free Press crossword. The gang figure out that Andy Bishop shredded information about Ezra’s will. Ezra’s two witnesses both died in March the previous year, but the will was dated in May. Sus. But, like nearly everyone raised in the UK, she knew that a swan ‘can break your arm’, and she also guessed there’d be something unedifying about a completely naked 78-year-old woman wrestling with a swan.”

Read a full summary of The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood below. If you can’t remember what happened in The Marlow Murder Club and you need a refresher, then you’re in the right place. What happened in The Marlow Murder Club?A delightful story that involves an unlikely trio of amateur detectives. Loved the English setting the quirky characters." Judith and Co have to bring all their bonkers interview techniques and leaps of logic to play to uncover the truth.” — Crime Fiction Lover

Judith figures that Danny has wanted Liz dead for ages because she didn’t want to sell her family’s land, which is worth millions. Danny killed Stefan. Put on your thinking cap. It’s time for another round with the brainiest trio of amateur sleuths on either side of the Atlantic. A woman is spying on Malik from the bushes. She says her name is Suzie Harris and she is Iqbal’s dog walker. She agrees to look after the dog for the time being. Judith goes to speak to Howard and makes up a story about him spilling her drink at the Regatta and owing her money. She asks about the argument with Stefan and he confirms it happened. Elliot calls Stefan a fraud and a liar.Second in the military crime series featuring Special Agents Scott Brodie and Magnolia "Maggie" Taylor, after The Deserter (2019).