The Marlow Murder Club

Thirty minutes after Judith’s emergency call, a police officer arrives at Stefan’s property, conducts a brief search, and leaves after 20 minutes. Judith, frustrated by what she considers inadequate police work, watches until midnight before going to bed. The following morning at 10:00, Detective Sergeant Tanika Malik calls to inform Judith that nothing unusual was found and there is no cause for concern. Judith insists she heard a gunshot, knows what guns sound like from growing up on a farm, and argues that Stefan’s car remaining in the driveway while he does not answer his phone suggests something is wrong. DS Malik dismisses her concerns, suggesting an innocent explanation.

After the call, Judith attempts to work on her crossword puzzles but cannot concentrate. She searches online for information about Stefan and finds a six-week-old newspaper article describing an argument at Henley Regatta between Stefan and Elliot Howard, owner of the Marlow Auction House, which resulted in both men being ejected. Connecting the past argument with Stefan’s disappearance, Judith decides to investigate. She takes her punt across the Thames to Stefan’s property, where she searches the garden and follows an overgrown stream to where it feeds back into the Thames. There, she discovers Stefan’s body caught in a metal grille, with a small black bullet hole in the center of his forehead.

An hour after finding the body, Judith is interviewed by Detective Sergeant (DS) Malik, who questions why she returned to Stefan’s property. Judith retorts that if the police had investigated properly, she would not have needed to. She mentions the newspaper article about Stefan’s argument with Elliot Howard at Henley. DS Malik reveals that five weeks earlier, Stefan had reported a break-in where nothing was stolen. Malik insists they cannot be certain Stefan was murdered, suggesting it could be an accident or suicide. Judith dismisses the suicide theory, arguing the gun would have been found nearby. DS Malik warns Judith against jumping to conclusions and promises divers will search for the weapon. Judith, internally categorizing Malik as an unimaginative authority figure, resolves to investigate the murder herself. After giving her statement, she takes her punt home, gets on her bicycle, and cycles into Marlow, heading for Stefan’s art gallery.

Judith enters Dunwoody Arts and finds a young woman, Antonia Webster, crying at her desk after receiving news of Stefan’s death. Antonia recognizes Judith from an incident years earlier when Judith scared off some boys who were harassing her. Judith offers comfort and reveals that Stefan was shot dead, not killed in an accident. As they lock up the gallery together, Judith suggests Stefan must have had someone dangerous in his life. Antonia recalls that the previous Monday, a tall, grand gentleman with long, silver hair had visited the gallery. Stefan seemed embarrassed and took the man directly to his office, where they had a loud argument. When Antonia entered to offer coffee, the silver-haired man rudely dismissed her. As she left, she heard Stefan say he could go to the police immediately. Later, Stefan apologized for the scene and told Antonia that desperation drives people to do foolish things. Judith asks Antonia to search online for Elliot Howard, and they find a photo of him on the Marlow Auction House website. Antonia confirms he was the man who argued with Stefan.

Judith arrives at the Marlow Auction House intending to confront Elliot Howard. A friendly Irish woman, Daisy Howard, greets her at reception. Before Judith can formulate a plan, Elliot appears behind her and asks why she wants to see him. Flustered, she blurts out that he owes her money, inventing a story that during his argument with Stefan at Henley, he pushed past her and spilled red wine on her dress. Elliot denies remembering the incident or her. When Judith presses him about being rude to Stefan, Elliot calls Stefan a fraud, liar, cheat, and crook. Judith asks why he is speaking of Stefan in the past tense, and Elliot replies that he knows Stefan is dead. Judith admits she is Stefan’s neighbor and believes he was murdered. Elliot seems delighted by this revelation and correctly guesses she is an amateur sleuth investigating him. When Judith provides the time of death as approximately 8:10 the previous evening, Elliot reveals he has an alibi: he was at choir practice at All Saints Church from seven to nine, witnessed by the vicar and many others. He dismisses her fabricated story and tells her to leave before he calls the police.

Judith cycles to All Saints Church to verify Elliot’s alibi. Inside, she searches the vestry for information about the choir. Feeling as though she is being watched, she opens a large cupboard and discovers Becks Starling, the vicar’s wife, hiding inside. Becks explains she had panicked when she heard someone approaching and hid. After introducing themselves, Judith asks to see the choir membership list. Becks confirms Elliot Howard is a member and was at choir practice from seven to nine the previous night. She explains that after the boy trebles leave at eight, the adults continue rehearsing until nine. When Judith tells Becks she believes Elliot is involved in murder, Becks is shocked. Judith asks if Elliot could have left during the eight o’clock break, and Becks admits it is possible, though she does not specifically remember.

Judith persuades Becks to view the church security footage by warning that police involvement would create a media scandal. They watch the recording from the previous night and see that Elliot remained in the choir stalls throughout the rehearsal, never leaving his seat during the break. Judith is initially disappointed until they notice that just before exiting the camera’s view at the end of rehearsal, Elliot looks directly into the lens with what Judith reads as a look of triumph, as if he knew his alibi would be checked. Judith proposes they investigate together, but Becks panics, refuses to get involved, and rushes from the vestry.

After her encounter with Judith, Becks returns to the vicarage feeling unsettled. She compulsively tidies while her 14-year-old son, Sam, sits on his phone. Her husband, Reverend Colin Starling, reminds her of their dinner guests that evening. Becks privately reflects on her dissatisfaction with her life as a vicar’s wife, feeling her identity has been subsumed by others. On her phone, she logs into a local community forum called Let’s Talk Marlow using her old anonymous username, Jezebel. For the first time in years, she posts a thread asking if Elliot Howard of the Marlow Auction House can be trusted, feeling a rebellious thrill as she hits the post button.

The following morning, Judith works at her crossword desk but is distracted by thoughts of Elliot and Stefan. She recalls their only significant conversation, when Stefan kindly checked on her during a snowstorm years earlier. Looking out her window at Stefan’s house, she sees a woman with thick, wild, auburn hair standing in the garden. Judith puts on her cape, goes outside, and calls across the river to the woman, introducing herself. The auburn-haired woman appears panicked and immediately runs away, disappearing around the side of Stefan’s house.

DS Malik reads the ballistics report and learns the bullet that killed Stefan was an antique 7.65mm Parabellum fired from a World War II German Luger pistol. She considers that an antique dealer like Elliot Howard would be well-positioned to possess such a weapon, though his alibi had been confirmed by the local vicar. She also reflects on a mysterious bronze medallion with the word “Faith” carved on it that was found attached to Stefan’s jacket. A constable informs her that divers have not found the murder weapon in the river or millpond.

Judith arrives at the station and tells Malik what she learned from Antonia about the argument between Stefan and Elliot, including Stefan’s threat to go to the police and his comment that desperation drives people to do foolish things. Malik suggests Stefan could have been referring to his own desperation before suicide, but Judith notes that no suicide note was found. Malik asks if Stefan was religious, explaining the medallion discovery. Judith insists Elliot is involved and suggests he hired a hitman. Malik dismisses this as implausible in peaceful Marlow. A police officer bursts in to announce that another man has just been shot dead in the town.

DS Malik, serving as acting Senior Investigating Officer, arrives at a bungalow on Wycombe Road. A constable briefs her that the victim is Iqbal Kassam, a taxi driver who lived alone. Iqbal’s body was discovered by a delivery driver whose alibi checks out. Inside the tidy bungalow, Malik sees sailing books and memorabilia. In the bedroom, she finds Iqbal dead in his bed with a bullet hole in the center of his forehead and prescription sleeping pills on his bedside table. The scene suggests an execution, as the victim is neatly tucked in with no signs of struggle. She notes the similarity to Stefan’s death.

A constable alerts her to a woman hiding in the garden. Outside, Malik confronts the woman, who initially gives a false name before revealing she is Suzie Harris, a local dog walker. Suzie explains she walked Iqbal’s Doberman, Emma, every morning and describes him as extremely kind with no family nearby. Her alibi for the morning is weak, as she was home alone. Malik asks Suzie to take the dog and not speak to the press.

Back inside, Malik notices something glinting inside the victim’s mouth. She carefully extracts a bronze medallion on a silver chain, identical to the one found on Stefan’s body, but this one is carved with the word “Hope.” Malik has a chilling realization: Judith was right about Stefan’s murder, and they are dealing with a serial killer. They are missing the third Christian theological virtue, “Charity,” signaling that another victim will follow.

Judith returns home eager to learn about the second murder. To distract herself from dark thoughts associated with the key around her neck, she works on a jigsaw puzzle and eats dinner while waiting for the evening news. The local broadcast leads with Iqbal Kassam’s murder and includes a brief interview with Suzie, who coyly refuses to comment but clearly enjoys the attention. Judith recognizes her from the Thames Path and decides to find her.

The next morning, Judith takes a thermos and sandwiches to her favorite spot by the river to wait. When Suzie arrives with dogs, she excitedly introduces herself to Judith, having recognized her from her mansion. Judith explains her theory that the two murders are connected and recounts her investigation. Suzie confirms that Elliot lives on “Gypsy Lane” and insists that Iqbal was a saint who had kindly taken in his dying neighbor Ezra Harrington’s Doberman. Suzie speculates that Iqbal must have seen or overheard something incriminating in his taxi, leading to his murder. She asserts there is plenty of wickedness hidden beneath Marlow’s respectable surface. When the Doberman attacks another dog, Suzie runs after it, breaking off the conversation.

Judith continues walking into Marlow. In a field past Higginson Park, she sees a woman with red hair approaching. Recognizing her as the woman from Stefan’s garden, Judith waves and calls out. The woman immediately turns and runs. Judith gives chase but cannot catch her. She reaches a car park just in time to see the woman speed away in a maroon car. Judith realizes she recognizes the woman from somewhere in Marlow but cannot place where they have met.