Robert Thorogood – The Marlow Murder Club
A couple of months ago, during a visit to my local bookstore, I’d (for once) remembered to bring my reading glasses with me. So, whilst waiting for my husband to finish his perusing, I idly picked up The Marlow Murder Club. Ignoring the back cover blurb, which sometimes can be misleading, I cracked the cover and read the opening paragraph….Then, the following three pages, and in short order, I was hooked on one, Mrs. Judith Potts.
Mrs. Judith Potts is a seventy-seven-year-old woman who lives alone in a large mansion on the banks of the River Thames in a town called Marlow. Happily sipping her whiskey, compiling crossword puzzles, and swimming in the Thames. It’s this last activity that sparked Judith’s newest pursuit – murder investigation, as she nearly witnessed the murder of her neighbor….An event that leads Judith into not only investigating the crime but into forming the unofficial Marlow Murder Club — with her new friends Becks, Rosie, and one frazzled investigating police officer.
And it’s not until I sit here writing this review that I’m struck by Judith’s resemblance to Ms. Marple in both age and her love for gossip and puzzles. While these similarities exist (perhaps to hook Marple lovers like me?) Judith is very much her own sleuth. One I’d recommend to anyone who’s looking for an irreverent, independent woman (of a certain age) who’s determined to solve the puzzles life places before her.
Seriously, this is a great first installment in a series and one I’d happily place on my recommendation shelves if Seattle Mystery was still going strong.
Ann Claire — Last Word To The Wise
What I enjoy about the Christie Bookshop Mysteries is that Ann Claire doesn’t try to recreate one of Agatha Christie’s famous detectives or her writing style. Instead, Claire finds inventive ways of including references to the Grand Dame herself, as well as occasionally mentioning tidbits from her books.
Such as, in Last Word To The Wise, the college professor who, whilst on a blind date, snubs Agatha Christie to a bonafide lover of her works, Ellie Christie (no relation).
As you can imagine, the date went downhill from there.
Claire also taps into the dream of living with a beloved cat above a bookshop in a quirky town. (The winter setting in Last Word was especially welcome; the descriptions of snow and ice on a ninety-degree day made me feel at least a tad cooler.)
In any case, don’t be fooled by this book’s lavender cover or the tiny hearts dotting it. Last Word To The Wise is not an over-the-top, sappy, cozy, but a proper mystery. Grounded in clues with plenty of good humor, red herrings, and books, I cannot wait until the next Christie Bookshop Mystery hits the shelves so I can (metaphorically) gobble it up!
My 52 Weeks With Christie 