Murder On The Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood

 

Oliver Beresford, founder of the Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society, is murdered while on board the pleasure cruiser The Marlow Belle. Judith, Becks and Suzie can't help but get involved with the murder investigation.

Murder On The Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood is the fourth book in the Marlow Murder Club series. This series just keeps getting better and better, probably because I now know the characters so well that I feel as if I'm part of the investigation. 

Marlow Amateur Dramatic Society has been a village institution since it was founded by Oliver Beresford early in the 1980s. Oliver organises a trip on the Marlow Belle for a select group of members, including a very special guest. At some point during the trip Oliver is murdered but with everyone else onboard having alibis the identity of the murderer is a complete mystery.

The story has all the hallmarks of a modern-day Agatha Christie mystery with its small group of suspects, all of who have motive, and an isolated location. As Judith, Becks and Suzie question each suspect it seems obvious they have found their killer until a new alibi surfaces or a secret involving another character is revealed. The trio seems to go round and round in circles with their accusations, becoming a running joke with Suzie's certainty that they've found the killer each time.

There are a host of wonderful characters but my favourite has to be Mary Eddingham, a stalwart of the amateur dramatic society who steals every scene she's in. Flamboyant and narcissistic, she insists on being the centre of attention and constantly harks back to her days as a professional actress; since she's in her seventies this was a long time ago and her career was fleeting. I can just hear her as she proclaims "You may have heard of me...." when she meets anyone new.

The trio are constantly one step ahead of the police. Where the trio acted as police advisors in the previous book, this time around they have to keep their distance as DI Tanika Malik is under review for her unorthodox practice of involving the amateur sleuths. Needless to say, it doesn't stop the women from getting involved.

Petty feuds, long-held resentments and deep, dark secrets all surface during the investigation. I loved the way in which accusation followed accusation during the investigation, only for each one to be baseless. This meant that by the conclusion my head was reeling, unable to fathom who the murderer was. The big reveal came as a complete surprise. Author Robert Thorogood then saves one even bigger surprise for the end - but you'll just have to read the book to discover what it is.

Murder On The Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood will be published on 16th January 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a review copy.