The Marlow Murder Club

Published in 2021, The Marlow Murder Club is a cozy mystery novel by British author and screenwriter Robert Thorogood. A resident of Marlow, Buckinghamshire, Thorogood is also known as the creator of the popular BBC One television series Death in Paradise. Set in the picturesque English town of Marlow, the novel follows 77-year-old Judith Potts, a solitary crossword puzzle designer who believes she has witnessed a murder. When the police dismiss her claims, she takes matters into her own hands, forming an unlikely alliance with a pragmatic dog walker and the proper vicar’s wife to investigate a series of killings. The novel explores themes including The Deceptiveness of Appearances, Forging Bonds Through a Shared Purpose, and Subverting Ageist and Sexist Expectations.

The Marlow Murder Club is the first installment in the Marlow Murder Club series and was a Sunday Times bestseller. The book’s success led to a television adaptation starring Samantha Bond, which aired on the UKTV Drama channel and was later picked up by PBS for its Masterpiece programming block in the United States. The series also received nominations for the National Television Awards, including for Best New Drama. The second book in the series, Death Comes to Marlow, was nominated for an Edgar Award.

This guide is based on the 2022 Poisoned Pen Press edition.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide feature depictions of death, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual harassment, animal death, and death by suicide.

Plot Summary

Judith Potts, a 77-year-old crossword setter (a creator of crossword puzzles), lives a solitary and contented life in a mansion on the River Thames, in the English town of Marlow, Buckinghamshire. During her nightly nude swim in the river, she hears a shout and a gunshot from the property of her neighbor, Stefan Dunwoody. She also sees a blue canoe near his riverbank. Unable to climb out of the water on his side, she swims home and calls the police. She then watches as a lone officer conducts a cursory search and leaves.

The next morning, Detective Sergeant Tanika Malik calls to dismiss the incident, suggesting it was a car backfiring and that Stefan is likely on holiday. Unconvinced, Judith researches Stefan online and discovers a newspaper article about a public argument he had with Elliot Howard, owner of the Marlow Auction House, at the Henley Royal Regatta six weeks earlier. Judith takes her punt across the river to investigate Stefan’s property herself and finds his body in a small river that feeds into the Thames, caught in a grille with a bullet hole in his forehead.

DS Malik interviews Judith, revealing that Stefan reported a break-in five weeks prior where nothing was stolen. Malik suggests the death could be a suicide, a theory Judith strongly rejects. Judith visits Stefan’s art gallery and speaks to his assistant, Antonia Webster. Antonia recounts a recent, heated argument between Stefan and Elliot, during which she overheard Stefan threatening to go to the police. Judith confronts Elliot at his auction house, inventing a story about him ruining her dress at Henley. Elliot admits to the argument, insisting that Stefan is a fraud and a crook. When Judith tells him the time of death was around 8:10 PM, Elliot provides a solid alibi, stating he was at choir practice at All Saints Church.

To verify the alibi, Judith goes to the church, where she finds Becks Starling, the vicar’s wife, hiding in a vestry cupboard. Becks confirms Elliot was at the entire practice. They review the church’s security footage, which shows Elliot was present for the full two hours. However, as he leaves, he gives a triumphant look directly into the camera, convincing Judith he is somehow involved. Frightened, Becks wants no part of the investigation. A few days later, Judith spots an auburn-haired woman in Stefan’s garden who flees when Judith calls out to her.

While meeting with Judith at the police station, DS Malik is interrupted by an officer announcing a second murder. The victim is Iqbal Kassam, a taxi driver, shot in the head in his bed with no signs of forced entry. The investigation reveals the murder weapon was a WWII German Luger pistol, the same type used to kill Stefan. Malik recalls finding a bronze medallion with the word “Faith” on Stefan’s jacket. At the new crime scene, she confronts a woman spying on the property, Suzie Harris, who is Iqbal’s dog walker. Suzie describes Iqbal as a kind man with no enemies. Inside, Malik discovers a second bronze medallion, this one with the word “Hope,” placed in Iqbal’s mouth. She realizes she is hunting a serial killer who is signaling that a third murder, “Charity,” is to come.

Judith sees Suzie on the news and arranges a meeting. Suzie tells her Iqbal was a good person who had taken in his dying neighbor Ezra’s dog, Emma. Judith again encounters the auburn-haired woman, who flees in a maroon car; Judith recognizes her but cannot place her. Troubled by Elliot’s behavior, Becks posts on a local forum and later discovers a comment stating that his father, Dudley, and Stefan Dunwoody were “crooks” who ran scams together. That night, Judith and Becks see an intruder in Stefan’s house. Judith confronts the person, who throws a torch at her and escapes. DS Malik arrives, and they discover the intruder stole the frame from an unsigned abstract painting sold by the Marlow Auction House in 1988. Later, Suzie visits Judith’s house to invite her to Iqbal’s funeral. Becks is also there, and the three women bond over whisky, deciding to investigate together.

The women learn from their postman, Fred Smith, a former chairman of the auction house, that Stefan cheated Elliot out of a valuable Mark Rothko sketch in 1988. Judith then identifies the auburn-haired woman as Liz Curtis, owner of the Marlow Rowing Center. They confront Liz, who denies knowing either Stefan or Iqbal, but her husband, Danny Curtis, later confirms she knew both men. At Iqbal’s funeral, the imam tells them Iqbal believed he was cheated out of an inheritance from his neighbor, Ezra, by a man he describes as short and large. Judith obtains Ezra’s will and discovers the sole beneficiary was his solicitor, Andy Bishop, who matches the imam’s description.

Judith confronts Andy, who is dismissive, and she catches him shredding a document as she leaves. The three women stage a heist: Becks creates a diversion by setting off the office fire alarm, while Suzie breaks into Andy’s office and swaps the shredded paper with hamster bedding. DS Malik then calls Judith to report a third murder. Liz Curtis has been shot in the forehead, and a medallion with the word “Charity” was found with her body. Both Liz’s husband, Danny, and Elliot Howard have solid alibis.

Judith reassembles the shredded document, revealing it is a page from the Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School alumni magazine. The obituary section lists the two witnesses to Ezra’s will as having died a month before they supposedly signed it, proving Andy Bishop’s fraud. Judith theorizes that Iqbal, also an alumnus, discovered the forgery and was killed by Andy. However, DS Malik reveals that Andy was on holiday in Malta during the first two murders.

DS Malik officially co-opts the three women as civilian advisers, granting them access to the case files. Judith connects “Faith,” “Hope,” and “Charity” to the Freemasons, and Malik confirms Andy is the only Mason involved. Judith notices Elliot has removed a school rowing photo from his office wall. Convinced the link is rowing, she reveals her secret archive: rooms filled with every local newspaper since 1970, the year her abusive husband, Philippos, died. While searching, Suzie finds an old article about Philippos’s “suspicious” death, which mentions a second person on his boat. Judith has a breakthrough, realizing the blue canoe she saw belonged to the killer, as an article confirmed Stefan hated rowing. She deduces the killers are Danny Curtis, Elliot Howard, and Andy Bishop, all members of a former school rowing team who reconnected at a reunion and formed a murder pact: Danny killed Stefan for Elliot, Elliot killed Iqbal for Andy, and Andy killed Liz for Danny.

Realizing she is the next target, Judith uses herself as bait. A storm hits, and a fallen tree blocks the road, trapping Malik and Becks. Danny Curtis breaks into Judith’s house. She confronts him with her theory, but he overpowers her. Just as he is about to shoot, Emma the Doberman bursts in and attacks him. Suzie, unable to swim, had attempted to cross the flooded river to help and was rescued by Emma, whom she then sent to save Judith. The police, aided by townspeople rallied by Becks, finally clear the road and arrive to arrest Danny. Elliot and Andy are also arrested.

A few days later, the three friends celebrate on Judith’s punt. Judith explains Elliot stole the Rothko’s frame because he had to put the real painting back on the wall to avoid leaving his DNA on a forgery. Suzie confronts Judith about being the second person on the boat when her husband died. Judith smiles in response, insisting that she has no comment.