The Marlow Murder Club TV show may have just reached Season 2, but author and series creator Robert Thorogood is already several steps ahead—on the page, at least. Thorogood recently spoke to MASTERPIECE about the three delightfully twisty novels already published in his cozy mystery series—with a fourth title coming soon!
1.The Marlow Murder Club (2021)
(HQ, 2021)
Book Summary: When 77-year-old Judith Potts hears a gunshot while swimming in the Thames, she’s certain a murder has taken place—despite the police brushing it off. Determined to find the truth, she teams up with a dog walker and a vicar’s wife to form the Marlow Murder Club. As bodies start piling up, the amateur sleuths realize they’re chasing a serial killer.
Thorogood: I always wanted [this title] to be the first in a series of books. With my commercial hat on, I’ve always felt, “Gosh, what’s the point of coming up with a great book if you can’t continue it?” And I know from my experience with Death in Paradise and from other things I’ve done, that that first book [is essentially] a pilot. … Book one is sort of “Who are these people? How do they get involved in crime? How do they meet each other?” There’s a shape to the story you’re going to tell.
2.Death Comes to Marlow (2023)
(HQ, 2023)
Book Summary: Amateur sleuth Judith Potts is invited to a festive pre-wedding gathering at a grand Marlow manor. But when the groom-to-be is found crushed in his locked study, the celebration comes to a halt. The police call it suicide, but Judith and her friends Becks and Suzie aren’t convinced. It’s a classic country house mystery—and the Marlow Murder Club is on the case.
Thorogood: I found book two the hardest to write because it was, “Oh, gosh, well, what is a typical Marlow Murder Club story?” It was that ‘second album’ syndrome. So, I worked quite hard at it trying to make it all fit together, but it’s never easy. … When I watch [this Season 2 story] on the telly I think, “Gosh, that’s a very faithful adaptation.” The book has translated, I think, quite well into [two episodes] of television. It’s pretty faithful. We’ve changed some bits and bobs, but very little.
3.The Queen of Poisons (2024)
(Sourcebooks, 2024)
Book Summary: When Marlow’s affable mayor suddenly dies during a council meeting, the police suspect murder—but the motive and culprit remain a mystery. Judith, Suzie, and Becks are brought in as civilian advisors, free to follow leads (and break rules). Who wanted the mayor dead and why? As the Marlow Murder Club digs deeper, they discover a deadly secret hidden in plain sight.
Thorogood: There is a fig leaf of truth in these [civilian advisors] in that in Liverpool and a few other big city detective squads, they do have civilian advisors who help with murder cases. … There’s a real tension when you have amateur sleuths who live outside of that world because the audience knows the police have all of this whiz-bangery they’ve got access to, and the amateur sleuths don’t. And from a writing point of view, and also from a reading point of view, it can be very frustrating when you see both sides sort of working separately from each other. … It was such a relief to go, “Do you know what? They’re civilian advisors, they can go to the police station. It’s fine.”
4.Murder on the Marlow Belle (September, 2025)
(Sourcebooks, September 2025)
Book Summary: Oliver Beresford vanishes during a pleasure boat party for Marlow’s Amateur Dramatic Society, and his wife turns to Judith Potts for answers. His body soon washes up from the Thames—shot twice. Because of Oliver’s reputation for bullying and making enemies, his death eventually exposes dark secrets within the local drama circle. Judith, Suzie, and Becks must navigate deception and hidden grudges to catch a killer before they strike again.
Thorogood: No writing is easy. Anyone who can complete a book, I tip my hat to. … But the one that I smiled the most during is Murder on the Marlow Belle. It’s set in the world of amateur dramatics, and I really enjoyed writing about that, [having done drama at Cambridge University]. And my good friend Duncan [a stage technician from Cambridge] is literally named and described in the book. … And actually, that caused a bit of a problem because he’s one of the suspects, and Duncan in reality is one of the nicest people in the world. So, I felt a bit of a heel suggesting that he was a murderer. But yeah, doing ‘am-dram’ really made me smile.