Michelle Blanchard Ardillo

This is book #5 in the Marlow Murder Club Mystery series by Robert Thorogood. I really enjoy this series a lot, and my enjoyment was increased when PBS Masterpiece Theater ran the Marlow Murder Club series (Seasons 1 and 2) inspired by books #1 and #2. I was thrilled when I read that Season 3 is being filmed as we speak, so 6 more episodes should be coming to our side of the pond soon!

Now as I read each new installment, I am picturing the main characters being portrayed by the actors from the PBS series. And, when I’m not picturing them, I can actually hear Samantha Bond’s distinctive voice speaking the lines. I wonder if Robert Thorogood hears her, too, as he writes each new Marlow book, because I feel that Judith Potts has become more and more Samantha Bond as the book series has continued.

If this series interests you, you can learn more about books #1-3 here.

Book #4, which I reviewed previously here, was very good (to me) up until the very end when I felt things went a bit off kilter. I’m happy to report that book #5 holds up much better all the way to the very last sentence.

Book #5 brings the gang of three amateur sleuths together again but their policewoman contact, Detective Inspector Tanika Malik, has been benched and is unable to participate in the solving of the two deaths set before us. Her next in line, Detective Sergeant Brendan Perry, takes over, and he is not about to let Judith, Becks, and Suzie within a mile of his open cases. A major twist occurs near the end that will change the future books of this series, if there are more to come, and I’m pretty sure no one is going to kill the goose that is laying the golden eggs in the book world and in the streaming world.

The title of book #5, The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts, really refers more to a subplot than the plot of this book, although they do tie up together at the end. This book takes us back to Judith’s life in Greece, her short-lived marriage, and her return to England where she shuts that part of her life into a storage room, padlocks it shut, and starts over.

Book #5 also features the death of an author of an action/adventure series that sounds like something written by Tom Clancy or Lee Child. The other death is that of an ex-footballer who is writing an autobiography using a ghostwriter. As someone working on a book right now, I loved reading about the writers in this book.

Judith lives in a mansion she inherited from an aunt, which is idyllically situated on the banks of the Thames in a charming village called Marlow, which by the way, is the actual place where Thorogood lives or lived. Judith creates crossword puzzles for the local newspaper, either as a hobby or as a means of earning pocket money, since it doesn’t seem that she needs an actual salary. In a previous book, we learn that she at one time was an archeologist, so perhaps there was money in that or at least a pension.

The other two main characters surely have backstories that we haven’t learned of yet. Becks is the wife of the village vicar and Suzie is a dog-walker. An interesting crew, no doubt about it.

There are two things about Judith’s character that I find very interesting. One is her work on crossword puzzles, and her love of words in general. I, too, love a good word puzzle, and each day religiously work my way through all the word puzzles that the NYT offers up.

The other interesting thing about Judith is that she is a swimmer. I love swimming as well, although our similarities end there. Judith swims in the nude in the Thames, regardless of the weather or the temperature of the water.

As I’ve noted before some people think this series is a knock-off of the very successful Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman. But I think this series is very different, and I love both series for different reasons. That being said, if you enjoyed the Thursday Murder Club, you may very well enjoy the Marlow Murder Club series as well!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC ebook of this soon-to-be released book. Happy reading, everyone!