The Marlow Murder Club review: Meet the skinny-dipping sleuth in this delightful homage to Agatha Christie, writes CHRISTOPHER STEVENS
The Marlow Murder Club
With every film adaptation of a novel for the silver screen, the question always arises: what is better: the book or the series? Potboilers can make great series, great literature can be flattened and compressed.
In the case of writer Robert Thorogood’s genteel mystery The Marlow Murder Club (Drama), the answer is simple: while there are minor differences between the bestseller and the two-part film, they are just as good.
That’s because Thorogood, the creator of Death In Paradise, is equally at home in both genres. In fact, this story of three curious ladies investigating a double murder in their Thames town was originally pitched as a TV concept, before turning into the first in a series of successful books.
Now the author has written this TV version. You have to admire his dedication, and the skill with which he brings together a handful of separate storylines.
Samantha Bond as Judith Potts in The Marlow Murder Club
From left to right: Jo Martin as Suzie Harris, Samantha Bond as Judith Potts and Cara Horgan as Becks Starling
It’s clear he loves his characters, and as a result, we soon love them too. The leader of the group is retired archaeologist and crossword puzzler Judith (Samantha Bond).
When we first meet her in the novel, she hears a murder while skinny dipping in the river, and Samantha boldly plays the scene exactly as it was written.
Reverend’s wife Becks (Cara Horgan) is a nervous person in the book, but comes out of her shell more quickly on screen. One minute she’s hiding in closets to avoid irritated parishioners, the next she’s duping police officers to gather evidence.
Jo Martin’s Suzie is the most versatile character, a single mother who started dog walking after her teenage daughter left home.
On the page, there’s more time for the three women to develop a strong friendship, but it’s easy to imagine them wanting to be friends – because they immediately feel like friends to us.
Much of the plot consists of simple detective work. Judith is a busybody who insists on interviewing everyone she meets. That might be infuriating, if she weren’t so knowledgeable about every subject under the sun, from Nazi memorabilia to Bible verses.
And every time she’s in danger of becoming insufferable, she says something schoolgirlish: “Not on your nelly!” – we must forgive her.
Although there are minor differences between the bestseller and the two-part film, they are equally good
The leader of the bunch is retired archaeologist and crossword puzzler Judith (Samantha Bond).
There are also moments of laugh-out-loud comedy. “It’s not as bad as it seems,” Judith screamed, as armed police burst into a house on the stockbroker’s belt and found her with a submachine gun and a hand grenade in hand.
The setting is undiluted Home Counties, all parish churches and vintage sports cars on the High Street. Thorogood consciously pays tribute to Agatha Christie and even refers to an archeology colleague of her husband.
This show was made by UKTV, part of BBC Studios, but why BBC1 didn’t pick it up is a mystery in itself. Perhaps the overtly English setting and lack of violence make it too middle-class and cozy for today’s Beeb.
The international market is not so dismissive. Like Midsomer Murders and Father Brown, this delightful piece of cleverly constructed entertainment is sure to sell well around the world.