The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts: Robert Thorogood and the Marlow Murders
The fourth book in the series about the amateur detectives in the Marlow Murder Club
What is the book about?
The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts (HQ, 2026) is the fourth installment in Robert Thorogood's popular series about the amateur detectives in the English town of Marlow. The story centers around the charismatic Judith Potts, a crossword constructor, who along with her friends Suzie and Becks forms the core of the Marlow Murder Club. In this edition, the idyll of Buckinghamshire is shattered by two shocking murders of local celebrities: footballer Gary Wise and thriller author Tony Sexton. Both men are found shot, which plunges the town into a wave of speculation about blackmail and hidden scandals.
Alongside the current murder cases, Robert Thorogood introduces a personal and historical thread that threatens to tarnish Judith Potts' own reputation. A woman named Eleni Paphides appears in Marlow claiming to be the daughter of Judith's deceased husband, Philippos Demetriou. She accuses Judith of having murdered him decades earlier during their stay in Cyprus. As their regular contact at the police, DI Tanika Malik, is suspended, the trio must operate on their own to clear Judith's name and find the real murderer behind the new killings.
The real case
Although the book draws on classic true crime elements and police procedures, The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts is a work of pure fiction. The characters, victims, and specific events in Marlow are conceived by Robert Thorogood. The author is known for creating atmospheric mysteries in the 'cosy mystery' style, where the focus is on deduction and character relationships rather than explicit violence. While the geographical locations such as Marlow in Buckinghamshire exist in reality, the criminal acts are not based on specific historical cases from the area. However, the series has gained such popularity that it has inspired a TV adaptation, which often leads to renewed interest in the fictional cases in the books.
About the author
Robert Thorogood is a recognized British screenwriter and novelist. He is best known as the creator of the global TV success <a href='/krimidex/death-in-paradise'>Death in Paradise</a>, which has run for many seasons on BBC. His ability to construct complex 'locked room' mysteries and lovable amateur detectives has been directly translated into the book series about the Marlow Murder Club. Thorogood himself lives near Marlow, which gives his descriptions of British village life an authentic tone, even when describing fictional murder cases.