The Marlow Murder Club follows a group of amateur sleuths as they hunt for a serial killer in a sleepy riverside town.
Penned by Death in Paradise creator Robert Thorogood and based on his best-selling novels, the two-part crime series, airing on Drama in the UK shortly and in the US on PBS Masterpiece later this year, sees Downton Abbey and Home Fires' star Samantha Bond play crossword setter and retired archaeologist Judith Potts, who lives in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, beside the river Thames.
As the drama begins, Judith suspects her neighbor, an art gallery owner, has been murdered. When she tries to unravel the mystery, she crosses paths with both plain-speaking dog walker Suzie Harris (Holby City and Doctor Who’s Jo Martin) and organized vicar’s wife Becks Starling (The Sandman’s Cara Horgan) and they team up to crack the case, while shrewd local cop DS Tanika Malik (Sandylands' and Archer's Natalie Dew) gradually realizes that the determined trio could prove useful. But danger strikes as the body count quickly rises...
WhattoWatch.com caught up with Samantha Bond to find out more about The Marlow Murder Club…
The Marlow Murder Club is full of clues and red herrings. What appealed to you about the show?
"I wanted to be involved with something fun. I do lots of serious stuff, but this is escapism and the twists and turns are fabulous. While I was reading the script and I was going, 'Ooh' and at other bits I’d laugh out loud. There’s a solid plot and a complicated murder but it's light-hearted and funny things happen. Having four leading ladies is great too!"
Why is Judith drawn to the case?
“Every evening she has a whisky and then swims in the Thames, which is relaxing for her. But one day, during her swim, she hears a gunshot, which inspires her to begin her informal investigation. She has a passion — as I do — for puzzles. And because of her archaeological background, she likes to delve! By the end of the first episode, you know what’s at stake and yet there are so many knots still to be untied, doors to be opened and mysteries to be solved…”
How do she, Becks and Suzie assist the investigation?
“They all have varied backgrounds and different things that intrigue them. Judith’s the eldest and bossiest and the brains behind it. But there’s an element of excitement the three of them share. They get swept up by what they could achieve and even though there's a threat, they think, ‘We must sort it out.’
"Tanika, who is very good at her job, keeps explaining to them that this is dangerous and it’s police business. But they like to think that they're helping her – and often they are!”
Is the friendship they forge important to Judith too?
“Yes, Judith is retired and she has her cat, Jasper, but she leads a solitary existence. Then this adventure starts and she meets the other women. The mystery and camaraderie are central for her. Although she's reticent about opening up some bits of her world to them – she has secrets…”
How did you find the scenes where you had to swim in the Thames?
“Challenging. Judith does it after her whisky but no one gives you a whisky when you are filming! My husband [Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan actor Alexander Hanson] does wild swimming, but it's not something I do. I was literally dumped in the middle of the Thames and it was alarming. I also have a go at punting!”
Finally, have you enjoyed filming in Marlow?
“Yes! I've never been before and it's adorable. Its history is immense, so it’s a place where Judith would be happy. It has charm and is a quintessentially English idyll, but in the show, there’s something sinister going on…”
The Marlow Murder Club airs on Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 March at 8pm on Drama in the UK and on UKTV Play. It will air in the US on PBS Masterpiece later this year.
