The Marlow Murder Club is a deliciously fun cosy mystery that will appeal to readers who enjoy M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin and Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series.

Septuagenarian Judith Potts lives alone in a grand but hopelessly cluttered Arts and Crafts mansion whose garden runs down to the banks of the River Thames near the town of Marlow, Bucks. She writes cryptic crosswords for a living, and enjoys nude swims in the river. During one such excursion, she hears raised voices, followed by a gunshot, from the garden of her neighbour on the opposite bank. Has she overheard a murder? If so – where is the body?

Aiding Judith in her amateur pursuit of the truth are new friends, dog-walker Suzie Harris and Becks Starling, the local vicar's under-stimulated wife. They make quite a trio as together they uncover secrets and gather evidence, bolstered in their endeavours by the consumption of quite a lot of whisky.

The Marlow Murder Club is a heart-warming and entertaining cosy mystery, with many laugh-out-loud moments and an unlikely but charming posse of protagonists. Author Robert Thorogood balances the central mystery narrative with lighter interludes, a good dollop of humour and engaging character development over the course of the story. I particularly enjoyed the references to cryptic clues that were sprinkled throughout.

I'd enthusiastically recommend The Marlow Murder Club to any reader who enjoys a lighter style of mystery, albeit with a deceptively tricky solution. This was an enjoyable romp through a beautiful area of England with engaging characters and a satisfying, if rather melodramatic, conclusion and a final surprising revelation.

My thanks to the author, Robert Thorogood, publisher Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this entertaining and feel-good title.