Eventually, as the case garners national attention she relents and takes in the trio as “civilian advisers” to help in the case. The drama in the personal lives of the main characters felt a little out of place in some parts of the narrative and that is where the pace faltered a bit but not so much that you’d lose interest. She hung her cape on an old hook, and, still hidden from the outside world by a pair of ancient boathouse doors, stepped down the stone slipway and into the Thames. We follow the exploits of three ladies: Judith who is 77 and who creates crossword puzzles for a living and who loves to go swimming naked in the Thames; then we have Suzie, a local dog walker; and finally Becks who is the wife of the local vicar. Now, whilst Cozies sound all sweet, innocent and tame, murder still occurs and generally in small idyllic towns and communities where “nothing ever happens”, they just don’t tend to have all the violence and foul language associated with their grittier counterparts and are generally investigated by armchair / amateur detectives (generally well educated women).

I am not really a Cozy Mystery reader, but have enjoyed books about octogenarians in the past, so I couldn’t wait to read this one. Judith meets middle aged Suzie Harris who walks Iqbal’s dog Emma and these two ladies eventually hook up with the vicar’s wife, Becks Starling, and they take it upon themselves to investigate these murders because the police seem to be making no headway. She'd tell anyone who asked, and many did, that it kept her warm in winter, served as a picnic blanket in the summer, and she could pull it over her head if ever she was caught in a spring shower. During an evening dip in the Thames, Judith hears a gun-shot coming from the direction of her next-door neighbor's yard.

However, when the single murder turns into a triple homicide, it turns out that a serial killer may be at large. Initially, local police don’t take her claims seriously-murders don’t happen in Marlow-but when he does indeed turn up dead-Judith decides to investigate on her own. When she is nude swimming in the Thames one hot summer night, she hears a yell and a gunshot from her neighbor's place.

This was a fun read that gets points for having two elderly protagonists and a 40-something as the amateur sleuths. The main characters sympathetic enough but indifferent as personalities and didn't manage to captivate me! When traces of aconite – also known as the queen of poisons – are found in his coffee cup, the police realise he was murdered. When the police insist it could have been a suicide or an accident (despite the man being shot in the middle of his forehead) she decides she will need to be the one to investigate. The solution to the mystery made sense, but we learn it by Judy explaining the twisted, complicated answer.One of the prevalent themes running through the book is Judith's role as a crossword setter for The Times. Judith is a 77-year old…a septuagenarian (please don’t ever ask me to pronounce that) who likes to relax in the evening by drinking scotch and swimming naked in the Thames River.

And the plot is quite involved, which is really good because it keeps the reader guessing as we see not one but three murders in this sleepy little town. Nicolette McKenzie, the audiobook narrator did an outstanding job giving each of the characters a distinctive voice.

Every evening, come rain or shine, she'd take off her clothes, wrap the cape around herself, and step out of her house feeling a delicious frisson of naughtiness. I would have enjoyed it immensely if the author had the creativity to plan a huge plot twist that I couldn't see coming! This is a terrific start to a book series, and I cannot wait to find out what these ladies are up to next! It was so repetitive (and jarring) that I wondered if this were a regional village quirk or this was the largest collection of people suffering from George Bailey's addled ear (the movie It's A Wonderful Life, if you don't know who that is) ever read in fiction.

The murder mystery itself was a bit overcomplicated at times but at the end every piece fit together as in one of Judith's puzzles. They line up a list of probable suspects and leave no stone unturned in exploring every possible lead, often leading to risky situations. If that was the ONLY entry in her entire calendar, then she quite obviously didn't use her calendar at all. I just knew I was gonna love Judith after her first appearance, when she goes skinny dipping into the Thames. One night while swimming she hears a gunshot coming from a neighbor’s house, and the next morning a body is found.Three amateur sleuths (all women in this case) get together to socialize, have a bit of whiskey and solve a local murder mystery (or two)! She receives help with her endeavor from her new friend Suzie and together they form the Marlowe Murder club. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. Giving the characters backstories in an attempt to make them socially relevant didn’t do the book any favors.