‘THE MARLOW MURDER CLUB’ IS A CHARMING AND COZY PUZZLE THAT’S GREAT FUN
One of the TV mysteries to make its debut on PBS Masterpiece, The Marlow Murder Club has a great cast (many of whom frequent British TV show fans will recognize) and of course, as its title suggests, a mystery.
The Marlow Murder Club (2024) Masterpiece TV Series Review
Retired and spending her days taking nude swims and creating crosswords for a local paper while living in a small town of Marlow, Judith Potts (Samantha Bond) lives quietly. This changes when she becomes a witness to murder. When she reports what she thinks is a gunshot in the garden of her neighbor, despite their being no initial signs of a death, she’s sure something happened.
This sends her into the worlds of vicar’s wife Becks Starling (Cara Horgan), a woman who feels taken for granted and Jo Martin (Suzie Harris). Jo feels left behind when her daughter doesn’t return after visiting her father, and then she discovers a man murdered, something Judith believes could be connected to her neighbor’s death. Working the case is DS Tanika Malik (Natalie Dew), a smart investigator who is also out to prove she’s equally capable.
‘THE MARLOW MURDER CLUB’ IS A CHARMING AND COZY PUZZLE THAT’S GREAT FUN. Review of the #MaterpiecePBS mystery! #MasterpieceonPBS #PBS #Masterpiece #Mystery #SamanthaBond #RobertThorogood Share on XFrom the creator of Death in Paradise Robert Thorogood, the writer also penned the novels on which this show is inspired by. Sometimes just saying upfront what we think of a show is needed, and my thoughts on The Marlow Murder Club is that this one is wonderfully entertaining. At least based on the first half. The story starts off strong with the case and the cast pulls it all together. Though I haven’t yet seen (outside of maybe one episode) the first show Thorogood created, I do think fans of it will be able to appreciate this mystery.
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The cast is really good and seeing Samantha Bond lead this is great fun since the role I probably associate her most with is from Downton Abbey. Playing a sleuth suits her and the writing strikes a nice balance between the case and giving us glimpses into who these characters are. Plus, these characters are hilariously fun in these roles, such as a scene where Jo and Becks try to create distraction so they can get a clue!
In the end, I hope I’ve given you some good reasons why you should watch this show. It comes down to watching if you like good performances, mystery plots and good productions. Like most anything I see on Masterpiece, this is quality. The fact that the seasons from places like this are so short is always a little sad, but I also respect that the production of these keeps things compact and “tight” with the storytelling. I think it gives them more continuity and ensures that there are fewer mistakes in the timelines or recurring character quirks.
The Marlow Murder Club isn’t a story I’ve read in its original form. But is one I plan to thoroughly enjoy as I watch it all unfold in through the lens of this TV production.
You can watch and stream The Marlow Murder Club a few different ways! First you can watch episodes three and four through MASTERPIECE on PBS broadcast or find the show streaming on PBS.org, the PBS App and the PBS MASTERPIECE Prime Video Channel. See episodes one and two now and episodes three and four will drop to streaming after their respective November 10 and 17 air dates.
EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS from MASTERPIECE
First Episode: When a brutal murder shocks the peaceful town of Marlow, Judith, Becks, and Suzie investigate.
Second Episode: Despite Tanika’s warnings to stay away, the trio uncover they have a serial killer on their hands!
Third Episode: As the police race against time, Tanika recruits the trio as civilian advisors to help catch the killer.
Fourth Episode: Judith makes a breakthrough and sets up a trap for the killer, but plans go awry.
Photos Courtesy of MASTERPIECE PBS | Credit: Masterpiece PBS / Monumental Television
Content: the first and second episode show dead bodies (one in a body of water, another lying in a bed). We see, in a far off shot, the nude backside of a woman swimming. The show rates TV-14 but based on the first episodes, seems to be relatively mild in its content.
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