As a fan of Death in Paradise I was already predisposed to like Murder on the Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood, the creator of said TV series!
The story’s got amateur detective trio Judith, Suzie, and Becks (all faimilar to fans of the series but new to mw) hot on the trail of a killer who murdered Oliver Beresford, the big-shot founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society. When his wife Verity comes knocking on Judith’s door flustered because Oliver didn’t come home after a fancy boat party on the Marlow Belle, you just know he isn’t going to turn up safe and well – well to be afir the books title is a hint in that direction!
As mentioned I wasn’t familiar with these amateur sleuths, Judith’s a crossword-crunching older lady with a wild idea and a unique perspective, Suzie nis more down to earth walking her dogs and sniffing out clues like a bloodhound in a leather jacket, and Becks juggles vicar’s wife duties with sleuthing and being the heart of her family. Together, they’re unstoppable, as is usual for this type of cozy crime book they go through alibis and red herrings like they’re in a three-legged race.
A book in the world of amateur dramatics beings its own unique set of characters There’s a diva who thinks she’s Meryl Streep, a mechanic with a chip on his shoulder, and a Hollywood star who’s slumming it back in Marlow. Everyone has something to hide, and it soon becomes clear many people had something against the victim. The book has a lot of twists and turns and when I thought I had an idea the rug was pulled from under me, but this added to the fun. The pacing’s zippy, the dialogue’s snappy, and by the end, I was ready to go back and seek out the previous books in the Marlow Murder Club series. Also no spoilers but it ended the book on a cliffhanger that now means the next book is on the tbr pile!
If you’re into cozy mysteries with heart, laughs, and a boatload of quirky charm, Murder on the Marlow Belle should maybe be your next read. As a fan of the MC Beaton books if you like those you’ll enjoy this and I didn’t feel I missed too much by not having read the previous books, though I undoubtedly will now!