Queen of Poisons - Robert Thorogood

I came across The Marlow Murder Club by accident on TV, and have moved to the books, which are equally if not more enjoyable than the very well cast TV series.

In this volume, the Mayor of Marlow suddenly drops dead in the middle of a Town Council meeting - poisoned by aconite. Everyone seems to love Geoffrey, but it doesn't take long for amateur sleuths Judith, Suzie, and Becks to discover that it's not only ALL of his Council colleagues who have some big secrets to keep. 

Robert Thorogood is expertly versed in telling cleverly constructed cosy mysteries, and he does a great job here. Judith, Suzie, and Becks are fabulous characters. So different and yet so complimentary in their personalities and approaches. There is plenty of wit and humour in this novel, and although it's the third book in the series there's absolutely no requirement to have read the previous two in order to enjoy this one. But if you haven't, I'll bet you'll be seeking out the other volumes in this sparkling series. I read this in big chunks while away in my campervan over a heatwave weekend, and I'm already looking forward to my next encounter with the Marlow Murder Club ladies.

A Fatal Obsession - Faith Martin

Set in Oxford in 1960, this book follows young WPC Trudy Loveday as she starts to find her feet in a world which still considers that women should only be in the Police to make tea and take notes. Bright and eager, Trudy is a bit of a frustrating conundrum for her senior officer DI Jennings, who is relieved to palm her off to help local Coroner Clement Ryder  (also a severe thorn in DI Jennings' side) who has opened a cold case around a young woman's mysterious death.

I'm not sure why I found this book a bit slow. It starts energetically (literally) and Trudy's character is engaging. Ex-surgeon Coroner Clement Ryder is an interesting one too, and of the two he is probably the one I find most appealing. The pair, to me, felt a little bit 'Holmes and Watson', with Trudy being the Watson, with Clement putting things together faster, but Trudy by no means being there simply to use her shorthand skills.

There are two stories (at least!) here, interwoven with some unexpected direction changes as the reader progresses. Perhaps the reason I found it a little hard going is because I never really connected with the victims or their situations, even though the story is well constructed, plotted and written.

On the other hand, the sense of place is fantastic. I worked in Oxford for decades, so perhaps that meant there was a connection of sorts, but you can really 'feel' the environment in which this story is set.

Overall, I enjoyed it enough to make a further foray into Loveday and Ryder's world at some point, but it wasn't one which made me immediately look for others in the series.

Fatal Pattern - Kate Angelo

Fatal Pattern is not a novel which gently introduces its characters and eases the reader into the story. Oh no. It begins with a wham with forensic psychologist Dr Tori Crew being grabbed at knifepoint by the stalker who has been threatening her. Homicide detective Blade St. James arrives just in time to save Tori. Or did he? The stalker could easily have killed her, but although he cut her badly enough to leave her bleeding, he leaves her alive. And this isn't the only time when Tori finds herself far, far too close to ending up dead.

Blade has been Tori's friend since they were both kids. She grew up traumatised by hearing the murder of her parents while she cowered in a bedroom closet. He was abandoned by his parents. They have had a connection ever since their teens, but although others see the romantic spark between them, they fail to do so. But now, with Tori's life in imminent danger. they must find out why. Who is her stalker? Why were her family killed, and who murdered them? Things turn out to be darker and more deeply buried than they could ever have imagined. And their off-the-books investigation could have serious, even lethal, complications for more than just themselves. Can they find the truth before it's too late? And just who can they trust in the process? Will they finally realise their mutual attraction? (Not a spoiler: yes, they will.)

This is a book with which you won't be able to wile away a few peaceful hours reading. This one requires focus and concentration. At times I found it a bit confusing and difficult to keep up with. And at the beginning I didn't really warm to the lead characters. Especially Blade. I particularly disliked his relationship with Kiara. She was loving, generous, kind and giving, and he was closed, evasive and untruthful. Later in the story he is more aware of how poorly he had treated her, but it felt very overdue. Kiara was very gracious and sacrificial in more ways than one and I hope that she has a lovely happy-ever-after story of her own - even if we never get to find out about it. She was far too nice and too interesting a character to be merely 'the girlfriend who must be disposed of so that the leading lady gets her man'!

This is a complicated story with lots of action and plot twists. Some of the latter are more like plot cyclones with some astounding revelations as things move forward at express-train-like speeds. Although this installment is satisfactorily rounded up by the end of the book and feels complete (I hate books which end on utter cliffhangers with no resolution, after I've read about 350 pages!), it is very clear where things are going in book 3 of The King Legacy series. And I will definitely be following as I am fascinated to find out how things play out. 

Overall, an excellent read for lovers of truly gripping suspense with lots of plot twists and some awkward paths to romance! Just note that it may take you a while to warm to Blade.

NOTE: I read a pre-publication version supplied by the publisher. No review was required. All comments and opinions above are entirely my own.