The Marlow Murder Club is a consistently great whodunnit series by author Robert Thorogood – in book form and on-screen – and I'm delighted that for the past few years I've been able to kick-off my reading year with a new instalment each time! The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts is another wonderful addition to the series, lifting the curtain on a part of our protagonist' life we've never seen before nor expected...
About The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts
Straight after solving the murder of the theatrical Oliver Beresford in Murder on the Marlow Belle, a stranger appears on Judith's doorstep and accuses her of murdering her husband many decades prior. The woman claims to be Judith's death husband's daughter from his mistress, hellbent on uncovering the truth about her father's demise once and for all. And, given Judiths' avoidance about what happened all those years ago in the books so far, the accusation doesn't seem that far-fetched. Are the tables turning on our beloved sleuthing senior?!My review
The last Marlow Murder Club book ended on the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers, and we dive straight back into the action in The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts. Our puzzle-whizz protagonist Judith is the key suspect in a murder this time around, bringing the action much closer to home than the characters are comfortable with.
And, despite this new development understandably taking up a lot of Judith's time in this book, there's also a brand-new case to solve alongside it as another prominent Marlow resident bites the dust. However, her friends Becks and Suzie have to do more of the heavy lifting this time around as their inside woman in the police, Tameka, is also out of action. This change in direction gives Judith's friends more agency and depth, shaping them as individuals instead of as an extension of Judith.
While Judith will forever remain my favourite of the friendship group, it's great to see Becks and Suzie's personalities shine through as they take over the sleuthing reigns. Becks in particular is a force to be reckoned with and I'm glad she's finally breaking free from her label as "the vicar's wife" as she is a kick-ass investigator in her own right with great ideas and unafraid to put them into action. After four books (and two series on TV) this development was much-needed and so appreciated! I also absolutely adored that they've been pulled brought into Judith's puzzling world and I'm excited about future puzzles and wordplays in the books already.
The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts will immensely satisfy fans of the Marlow Murder Club series as, aside from centring on another strong, local whodunnit story, it really moves our characters forward. We get to learn so much more about Judith's past (the good and the bad) alongside seeing Becks and Suzie shine. The only main character that was sidelined more in this book was Tameka, but it served the plot and I have a feeling we'll get to see a lot more of her again in the next book.
One of the things I love so much about Robert Thorogood's writing is that it's both gripping and fast-paced; he doesn't waffle on with unnecessary plot points or background information but gets straight to the point (save the occasional red herring, of course, to keep everyone on their toes). This is the perfect formula for readers to don their own investigative hats as they follow along on the adventures with Becks, Suzie, and Judith. And makes the inevitable conclusion – whatever it may be – immensely satisfying as you feel a part of the action. It's a very clever strategy and one that has me hooked on the Marlow Murder Club for however long Thorogood will release new stories!
The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood is published by HQ today and you can now buy your copy from your favourite local book shop!
Disclaimer: This book was gifted to me, but this has not impacted this honest review.
Disclaimer: This book was gifted to me, but this has not impacted this honest review.
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