In the book, Robert Thorogood takes us back to the village of Marlow in England. Marlow is charming and quaint, as any good cozy mystery setting is. It’s also developing quite the murder problem, as any good cozy mystery setting in a book series does. Fortunately for Marlow and its denizens, there are three amateur sleuths who have a knack for solving seemingly unsolvable cases.
The “club” is led by Judith Potts and includes Suzie Harris and Becks Starling. In The Queen of Poisons, Suzie actually witnesses the murder firsthand when the mayor is poisoned at a council meeting. The case is so complicated with contradictory clues, though, that it doesn’t give Suzie and her pals the advantage you think it would. Nevertheless, they tackle the mystery and try to put the puzzle together despite its misshapen pieces.
I can be rather picky when it comes to reading cozy mysteries, but the Marlow series always delivers. Like its predecessors, The Queen of Poisons is witty and fun, making for a great quick weekend read. Senior sleuths are always a delight, but I also appreciate the multi-generational aspect of the main characters. Plus, Thorogood continues to do a wonderful job of making the mystery just complicated enough to make you think without stressing you out too much.
Fans of the two other books in the series and/or those who liked The Thursday Murder Club books will no doubt find this one to be a great pick. Also, if you’ve been enjoying the adaptation of the first book on Masterpiece Mystery and wondering if the series was worth checking out, you should definitely pick it up!
