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Detective Malik shows up again and asks questions. She tells Judith that Elliot Howard reported a burglary a few weeks ago, although nothing was stolen.
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. A delightful story that involves an unlikely trio of amateur detectives. Loved the English setting the quirky characters." 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. Second in the military crime series featuring Special Agents Scott Brodie and Magnolia "Maggie" Taylor, after The Deserter (2019). Put on your thinking cap. It’s time for another round with the brainiest trio of amateur sleuths on either side of the Atlantic.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.
Brilliant, brilliant book . . . this was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time ’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Danny arrives and Malik asks him a few questions. Danny lets slip that he and Liz have spent all their savings. The group attends Iqbal’s funeral. They are told that Iqbal was supposed to inherit some money from his neighbour, an old man called Ezra. Except someone made Ezra change his will and give them the money instead. They need to figure out who this other person is. 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. Friends. Sir Peter cannot be left for dead like that…Judith and the Marlow Murder Club are on the case.
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Death Comes to Marlow is a warm and humorous murder mystery that challenges even the eccentric members of the Marlow Murder Club, although they of course have no intention of being beaten, even by an impossible crime. And don’t worry, they also find time to unravel the crossword puzzle. 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. 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 heads over there and meets Antonia Webster. She’s working at the gallery before she goes off to uni. Antonia tells Judith a sus looking man came to the gallery a little bit ago. He and Stefan had a tense conversation. Judith and Antonia look up Elliot Howard and Antonia confirms that’s the man. As anodyne as a village fair and as fiendishly clever as one of the many crossword clues embedded in the story. 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. 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.
Detective Malik learns that the gun used to kill Stefan was an old WW2 gun. It hasn’t been found yet. 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. They head to the solicitor’s office and make up a story to get info out of him. They don’t get much out of him but he seems cagey. They think he has shredded some documents.
Judith looks Stefan up online and finds he was in a “bust up” at the Henley Regatta. He got into a fight with Elliot Howard, the owner of an auction house. 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. Never a dull moment, lots of red herrings, plenty of humour and a plot worthy of Agatha!!!' Reader review, Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival.
They fill Malik in. Malik says Bishop couldn’t have killed Iqbal because he was in Malta at the time.
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