The Mysterious Affair Of Judith Potts – The Marlow Murder Club Are Back!

Last Updated on April 22, 2026

The Marlow Murder Club is back with the fifth book in the series – The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts, another cracker of a whodunit from Robert Thorogood.

The story picks up the day after the lost great solve on the Marlow Belle and this time around it is Judith who is firmly in the spotlight.

And, this book wastes no time raising the stakes. It is not just one mystery the ladies of Marlow are dealing with this time, but two, and both feel personal in very different ways.

One plays out in public, with a run of unsettling murders that have the town talking.

The other strikes right at the heart of the group, forcing Judith to confront a long-buried part of her past.

Who’d Be A Celebrity?

The first mystery is classic Marlow in tone. A number of well-known local figures are murdered, and at first, there seems to be no clear link between them.

They come from different walks of life, have different reputations, and do not appear to share enemies or secrets.

That lack of connection makes the case unsettling, both for the police and for the amateur sleuths watching from the sidelines.

What works well here is the sense of unease. When victims are described as “Marlow celebrities,” there is an immediate sense that no one is entirely safe.

These are people known to the town, people with public faces, and their deaths ripple outward, creating gossip, fear, and plenty of wrong assumptions.

Judith’s Past Comes Knocking

Running alongside the murder investigation is a second, more intimate mystery.

Eleni, the daughter of Judith’s long-dead husband, appears at Judith’s door and accuses her of murder.

According to Eleni, Judith killed her father more than forty years ago, and she believes she now has proof.

As a reader, you are fairly sure Judith is innocent, but the book never lets you feel completely comfortable.

The events in Corfu all those years ago are revealed slowly, and there is just enough uncertainty to keep that small question mark hanging in the air.

Judith’s reaction feels true to her character. Rather than explaining herself or asking for help, she retreats.

She leaves Marlow without warning, convinced she has to face this alone. It is frustrating at times, but it also fits perfectly with the fiercely independent woman we have come to know and love.

Suzie And Becks Left Behind

With Judith gone, Suzie and Becks are left in an awkward position. They want to help their friend, but they do not know where she has gone or what she is really dealing with.

At the same time, the murders in Marlow are continuing, and the trio’s usual way of working has been completely disrupted.

This separation is one of the strongest elements of the book. It allows Suzie and Becks to step forward in new ways, showing how much they have grown since the first novel.

Their worry for Judith is genuine, but their determination to keep going, even when things feel wrong without her, gives the story emotional weight.

Trouble at the Police Station

Adding to the sense that everything is off-balance is the absence of DI Malik.

Her suspension leaves DS Brendan Perry in charge, and his dislike of the amateur sleuths is no secret.

Without Malik acting as a quiet bridge between the police and the women, cooperation becomes strained, and this time the ladies are pretty much shut out of the case completely.

For once, it genuinely feels possible that the mystery might be solved without them, or not solved at all.

Don’t worry though, it’s going to take more than that to stop our favourite trio!

Two Mysteries, One Strong Pace

Balancing two major mysteries could have felt crowded, but instead, it gives the book real oomph in terms of pace.

When one storyline slows, the other steps forward. The public murders drive the plot forward, while Judith’s personal crisis adds emotional pull.

Even when you think you understand part of what is going on, the book keeps shifting your focus.

You may feel confident about Judith’s innocence, yet still wonder what really happened in Corfu. You may start to see patterns in the Marlow murders, only for another detail to complicate things.

It’s a book that holds your attention from the first word to the last – a proper page turner from Thorogood.

Another Great Addition To The Series

The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts is another strong addition to an already reliable series.

The dual mysteries add tension and depth, the characters feel sharper than ever, and the emotional stakes are higher than in previous books.

Judith, Suzie, and Becks are very much on their A game, even when circumstances pull them apart, and the whole story manages to be thoughtful, funny, and engaging without losing its cozy core.

I loved it, and by the final chapter, I was already hoping the wait for the next one will not be too long.