I was sure I was going to love The Marlow Murder Club. It features a septuagenarian amateur detective, which brought to mind the Thursday Murder Club, mystery series by Richard Osman, which I’ve enjoyed. The author of The Marlow Murder Club is the creator of the TV series Death in Paradise, another one of my favorites.
Then I met senior sleuth Judith Potts. I liked her picture-perfect village on the Thames. The grand house she inherited from a great-aunt is enviable.
But Judith is a hoarder and a slob. She’s rather abrasive. I didn’t like her and couldn’t relate to her.
The other members of the club were only marginally more interesting to me. Suzie is an odd dog walker. Becks is the vicar’s wife and a neat freak.
I considered giving up on the book, but I was intrigued by the mystery. I kept turning pages despite myself.
When Judith’s neighbor, owner of an art gallery, turns up dead, Judith is sure it’s murder. The police aren’t, so she starts investigating, with the help of Suzie and Becks. Their queries take them to an auction house, a rowing center and the office of a possibly sleazy lawyer. Alas, there are two more deaths before Judith confronts the murderer in an exciting, dramatic scene.
Yes, exciting! Judith turns out to be an interesting character after all. She sets crosswords for several newspapers and loves jigsaw puzzles. Naturally, these skills help her solve the mystery. Judith also harbors a tragic past and, perhaps, a dark secret.
Becks, who had put her own life on hold in order to be the perfect vicar’s wife, draws on the outgoing, even reckless, girl she once was to rally a rescue team to help an imperiled Judith. And Suzie, with the help of her adopted doberman, Emma, puts her own fears aside to save Judith’s life.
The Marlow Murder Club turned out to be a fun, gentle cozy with an edge, and some hilarious scenes. Amateur gumshoes take note: If you need to distract a suspect, just jam a couple of thick slices of sourdough bread into a toaster. Works like a charm.
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