Lady-of-a-certain-age Judith and her best friends Becks and Suzie are back on the case in Murder on the Marlow Belle.
A local blowhard who runs the town’s drama society and playhouse is killed on a boat where everyone is a suspect. Was it his protégé who is now an elite Hollywood star? His long-suffering wife? Or one of the other three people on the boat, all of whom have both motive and opportunity?
This is the fourth book in this series. While I enjoyed catching up with the girls, the denouement feels rather unfair from a fair play mystery perspective. I think it is highly unlikely that any armchair detectives will solve this convoluted plot with its relevant clues revealed only at the very end of the book. Despite that, I did enjoy the characters in Murder on the Marlow Belle so 3 stars for this lesser entry in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an advanced review copy.