The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

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🕵️‍♀️ The Marlow Murder Club Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 Stars)

Cozy crime, crossword clues, and a murder pact you won’t see coming

Ohhhh I had FUN with this one. 😌☕🔍

I went in fully prepared for “large cast of quirky retirees solving crime” chaos (looking at you, The Thursday Murder Club 👀), but this turned out to be way easier to follow — and honestly? Way more addictive.

Let’s talk about it.

📚 Book Overview

Title: The Marlow Murder Club
Author: Robert Thorogood
Published: 2021
Genre: Cozy Mystery / Amateur Sleuth / British Crime
Series: Book 1 in The Marlow Murder Club series

Set in the charming English town of Marlow, this cozy mystery follows 77-year-old crossword setter Judith Potts, who believes she witnesses a murder during her nightly skinny dip in the Thames. When police brush her off, she assembles her own unlikely trio to investigate.

And I was locked in from page one.

⚠️ Trigger Warnings

  • Murder (multiple victims)

  • Gun violence

  • Suicide (discussed as a possibility)

  • Domestic abuse (past)

  • Emotional abuse

  • Animal death (mentioned)

  • Fraud and financial crimes

🚨 SPOILER WARNING 🚨

Below is a full and complete plot breakdown, including the killer(s) and ending.

🧩 Detailed Plot Summary (With All the Twists)

The Night Swim That Starts It All

Judith Potts lives alone in a crumbling riverside mansion and spends her evenings creating crossword puzzles and swimming nude in the Thames. Iconic behavior, honestly. 😌

One night she hears:

  • A shout

  • A gunshot

  • A splash

From her neighbor Stefan Dunwoody’s property.

Police dismiss it. Judith does not.

The next day? Stefan is found dead with a bullet hole in his forehead.

And Judith is officially on the case.

Enter: The Murder Club 🫖

Judith recruits:

  • Becks Starling — the vicar’s wife (polite, anxious, hiding surprising steel)

  • Suzie Harris — dog walker (practical, warm, underestimated)

Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant Tanika Malik slowly realizes Judith might not be insane after all.

Murder #2 and the Medallions

A second victim appears: Iqbal Kassam, a taxi driver.

He’s shot in the head with the same WWII German Luger pistol.

Inside his mouth? A bronze medallion reading:

“Hope.”

Stefan had one reading “Faith.”

Uh oh. Serial killer alert.

Police now anticipate a third murder: “Charity.”

The Red Herrings (And There Are Many)

Suspects pile up:

  • Elliot Howard, auction house owner with a grudge against Stefan

  • Andy Bishop, shady solicitor

  • Danny Curtis, rowing club owner

  • Liz Curtis (Danny’s wife)

  • Old auction house scandals

  • A stolen Mark Rothko frame

At one point I was pointing fingers at everyone. I love when a cozy makes me suspicious of literally the entire village.

Murder #3

Liz Curtis is found dead. Shot in the forehead.

Medallion: “Charity.”

Now we have:
Faith.
Hope.
Charity.

Judith connects it to the Freemasons.

👀👀👀

The Big Breakthrough

Judith’s secret weapon?

An archive of every local newspaper since 1970. (She’s been collecting them since her abusive husband died under “suspicious” circumstances. Yes. That detail matters.)

Through alumni magazines, old articles, and rowing team connections, Judith uncovers the truth:

Three former school rowing teammates:

  • Danny Curtis

  • Elliot Howard

  • Andy Bishop

Reunited at a reunion.

Formed a murder pact.

Each killed someone for the other to create alibis.

  • Danny killed Stefan for Elliot

  • Elliot killed Iqbal for Andy

  • Andy killed Liz for Danny

It’s a rotating murder favor system.

And honestly? I’ve seen versions of this twist before (Kill for Me, Kill for You vibes), but I STILL did not predict it here.

The Final Showdown 🌧️🔫

Judith realizes she’s next.

A storm hits. Roads are blocked. Classic cozy isolation setup.

Danny breaks into her house and holds a gun to her head.

She confronts him with the whole theory.

And here’s my one complaint…

Why does he deny it at this point??

Sir.
You are about to shoot her.
The jig is up.

But again — this is a cozy. We are not here to cross-examine villains like defense attorneys. 😂

Before he can pull the trigger, Emma the Doberman (bless her heroic soul 🐕) attacks him.

Police arrive. All three men are arrested.

Justice served. Tea poured.

And That Final Little Wink 👀

We also learn Judith may have been the mysterious “second person” on the boat the night her husband died years ago.

Was it self-defense?
Was it something else?

She refuses to comment.

And I LOVE that ambiguity.

💬 My Thoughts

This is what I want from a cozy mystery:

✔️ Sharp but charming protagonist
✔️ Humor woven naturally into dialogue
✔️ Twisty but not convoluted
✔️ A satisfying final confrontation
✔️ Found-family friendship vibes

Judith is delightful. Brilliant but eccentric. Tough but playful. I loved her crossword brain and her slightly mischievous energy.

Compared to other “older group solves crimes” books, this one felt tighter and easier to follow. I never felt overwhelmed by the cast.

Yes, the logic wobble at the end bothered me slightly. But this isn’t grimdark Scandinavian crime fiction. It’s meant to be clever and fun.

And it absolutely is. ☕🧩

⭐ Final Rating: 4/5 Stars

I flew through this.
I laughed.
I guessed wrong repeatedly.
I enjoyed every minute.

I’ll absolutely continue the series.

📖 If You Loved This, Try:

All cozy-but-clever mysteries with strong characters and satisfying puzzles.

Have you read this one?
Are you Team Judith forever now? Because I might be. 😌🫖

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