I very much enjoyed the first book in this series; the second book a little less, and this third instalment a little less again!

Although I love the three fiesty woman who star in this book (particularly Judith Potts, a fearless septuagenarian), that wasn’t enough for me to enjoy the book. It felt very much like a colour-by-number painting: superficial and formulaic. There were too many suspects, all of whom could have a possible motive, and we spent a lot of time with Suzie jumping to conclusions, Becky hiding behind Suzie and Judith firing questions at suspects left, right and centre. It felt disjointed and the pace was irregular. I had to suspend my disbelief a few too many times for comfort.

However, any book that champions women who are normally overlooked, I.e. of a certain age; of a certain ethnic background or made invisible by their husband’s job, still gets my vote. So, although this book was not Thorogood’s finest hour, I hope the next instalment rallies and returns to the originality of the first.

Lots of fun! If you’re a fan of [a:Richard Osman|6173710|Richard Osman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1635981852p2/6173710.jpg]’s [b:The Thursday Murder Club|46000520|The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club, #1)|Richard Osman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582287822l/46000520.SY75.jpg|70861405] then I guarantee you’ll enjoy this book.

Judith Potts is seventy-seven years old, lives blissfully alone, writes cryptic crosswords for The Times newspaper and swims naked in the Thames every evening. One night, she hears a gunshot come from her neighbour’s home and when his body is discovered with a bullet-hole through his head, she knows she was a witness to his murder. The police refuse to believe it’s a murder, so Judith decides to investigate herself. She’s soon joined by Becks, the vicar’s wife and Suzie, an outspoken dog-walker.

When another body is found, these three unlikely women find that when they combine their talents, they make quite the team, and Judith discovers that leading a solitary life is not all its cracked up to be. The evolving friendship between the three women is a joy to follow!

Yes, this does come under the umbrella of ‘cosy crimes’ - but don’t be deterred by that label, as this book is a rollicking good read. Robert Thorogood is the creator of Death in Paradise, so his crime credentials are sound!

Highly recommended!