Our friendly neighborhood amateur sleuths are at it again. Suzie Harris is watching a planning meeting when Mayor Geoffrey Lushington suddenly drops dead. Of course the first thing Suzie does is call the rest of the Marlow Murder Club, her pals Judith Potts and Becks Starling. It seems like the mayor was an affable person with no reason for anyone to want him out of the way. Suzie even describes him as a "jolly gnome with and impish sense of humor. Everyone in the town liked him." But evidently not everyone, since somebody put aconite in his coffee.
The three women are an unlikely group of friends, as well as unlikely detectives. Suzie is always coming up with schemes to make money. Judith sets crossword puzzles. Becks is the vicar's wife. They are different ages, from different backgrounds, and very different personalities. But that is what makes them so useful as civilian advisers. They know people through the various activities they are involved with around town. Judith is a source of obscure facts from her involvement with creating crossword clues. Becks knows parishioners and community members associated with parish programs. And Suzie knows people from her dog-walking business, her radio show, and even her time as part of a home makeover reality TV series. So it makes sense that Tanika Malik, the detective inspector, would want their input. They were helpful in previous investigations and she knows they will be snooping around anyway.
As usual the women speak to everyone who was present at the planning meeting, visiting homes and offices to track down persons of interest. It seems like they should have an easy time of figuring out the culprit since Suzie witnessed the death, but it isn't that simple. They try to find possible motives - bad finances, questionable business deals, love affairs, etc. And they still have their everyday lives to attend to along with their search for clues. Suzie is interested in starting up a pod hotel to make extra cash. Becks is dealing with her mother-in-law, who came to stay with them and doesn't seem to plan on leaving. And Judith has heard from an old school chum who wants to take her on a date, something she hasn't done since her husband died. How is anyone supposed to solve a murder with all these distractions?
This latest case, like the rest of the series, shows how much can go on behind the scenes in a village or small town. What shows on the surface may be far different from what someone is actually like, especially for public figures like council members who are trying to maintain a good reputation. Could the planning committee member who knows all about toxic garden plants have been the murderer? Was it something to do with the publishing industry and all the authors Geoffrey worked with? Is there a blackmailer at work and things got out of hand? The more they talk to people, the more unanswered questions they seem to have and cryptic phone calls from a blocked number aren't helping matters.
Don't worry, things end in a blaze of glory. (No, I can't explain, it would be a spoiler.) And our three main characters stay true to themselves. "None of the three friends were ever likely to change, and that's just how they liked it. They wouldn't have it any other way." For those who haven't heard, the books are now being made into a TV series which will be coming to MASTERPIECE on PBS on October 27, 2024. So read ahead and be prepared to enjoy all the sleuthing fun.
I read an advance copy provided by the publisher for review purposes.
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