The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood review

About The Book

Book: The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts
Author: Robert Thorogood
Standalone or Series: Book 5 in the Marlow Murder Club series
Publisher: HQ
Publication Date (UK): 15th January 2025

My Review

My favourite cosy crime series is back with its fifth entry! Anyone who has been following the series will know there’s been an ongoing background storyline surrounding the ambiguity of the fate of Judith’s late husband. The previous book, Murder on the Marlow Belle, concluded with Judith receiving a visitor who would raise more questions about this…

The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts takes place a day after the events of Murder on the Marlow Belle. As well as the visitor at Judith’s door, our unlikely trio, consisting of the puzzle setter and her dog walker and vicar’s wife friends, have more murders to solve!

The celebrities of Marlow are dropping like flies, so it’s down to Judith, Suzie and Becks to investigate and expose who’s behind the deaths. With ringleader Judith preoccupied with her personal predicament, it’s great to see Suzie and Becks take charge and come into their own with all the sleuthing skills they have learnt over the years. I love how their friendship is written.

As mentioned, this is part of a series and due to the particular storyline and the way it follows on timeline-wise from the last book, I really do think it’s worth investing the time to get up to speed. It’s cosy in the sense of the characters and the fact that the murders are not dark, but the series isn’t twee. The puzzles and mysteries are fun and well written. Plus if you’re a fan of the TV series Death in Paradise then you will be pleased to know it’s the same writer!

Thank you to Rachel Quin and HQ Stories for the proof.