The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts

This latest work of the Marlow Murder Club, one of the most popular cozy crime series, is the fifth, with a major TV presence as well. Yet as cozy as this volume might be, it’s the darkest of the books to date, with blackmail, murder, and scandal all playing a major role. The murder of two of Marlow’s best known celebrities—soccer-player Gary Wise and thriller-writer Tony Sexton—galvanizes our three amateur female detectives, who travel all about the town to discover the killer, an endeavor both serious and hugely comic. But what’s changed? DI Malik, who always assisted the women in their previous searches, has now been suspended from duty; it’s a huge loss. And Judith, who has always been at the center of any investigation, shows up only to shortly disappear and then repeat again. Where is she going? Aficionados of the Marlow Murder Club can only worry that the three brave women may not survive and make it through to the other side.—Brian Kenney