Meet the Cast & Characters of The Marlow Murder Club
Here’s a clue: Cozy new mystery, nineteen letters. If you guessed The Marlow Murder Club, you win! Meet the stars of the gripping new series, based on the bestselling book series of the same name by Robert Thorogood, and get to know more about their intriguing characters and the unlikely circumstances that bring them all together.
- 1.
Samantha Bond as Judith Potts
The Character: Bond plays the brilliantly sharp Judith Potts, a retired archaeologist living alone in Marlow with her cat Jasper. She writes crossword puzzles for national newspapers, but she’s not just an “innocent old lady” solving puzzles, said Bond — she has a dark secret lurking in her past.
“She enjoys her own company,” Bond explained. “It isn’t really until the murder mystery starts that she begins to meet members of the community… She isn’t someone who says, ‘Come and have a cup of tea.’ But suddenly there are two women on her doorstep, and she wants to talk to them because she wants to know what they have found out. “
The Actor: Veteran actor Bond, whose career — both on stage and on-screen — has spanned decades, includes iconic projects such as (and perhaps most notably) James Bond (1995 – 2002) as Miss Moneypenny; Outnumbered; Silent Witness; and Death in Paradise. MASTERPIECE fans may best recognize Bond for her roles as Lady Rosamund Painswick in Downton Abbey, daughter of Violet Crawley (played by the late Maggie Smith), and as Frances Barden, leader of the Women’s Institute, in Home Fires.
Did Bond Crack the Case?: We had to know — is Bond good at solving mysteries, including The Marlow Murder Club as she was reading the scripts? “All I can tell you is that I wouldn’t have solved this one. As I was reading it, and you are getting towards the end, you still haven’t a clue.”
- 2.
Cara Horgan as Becks Starling
The Character: Horgan plays Becks Starling, a woman who is committed to playing the role of the perfect vicar’s wife and mother — even if her husband Colin and teenage children aren’t always as appreciative as they could be of everything she does for them. But as she continues to create the illusion of a picture perfect life, Becks has started to lose sight of who she is in her own right. When the murder club is formed, she quickly realizes that her position at the epicenter of town life and her keen sense of intuition might make her more adept at catching killers than she’d expected.
The Actor: Horgan’s many roles span from film to television to theater. Her recent work includes Netflix’s The Sandman, Alex Rider and Flack, Channel 4’s Traitor and the Ron Howard produced Genius. On the big screen, Horgan appeared in Death of Stalin, My Week With Marilyn, Disobedience, and The Boy In The Striped Pajamas.
Why She Loves the Series: At the heart of this cozy mystery is a story of sisterhood — something the cast, including Horgan, admire about the story. “Everything in The Marlow Murder Club passes the Bechdel test,” she said. “The four leads are not talking about men. As Becks, Judith, Suzie and Tanika, we are women working towards a common goal. We are not there discussing the male protagonists’ interests. We’re talking about something external that is of interest to us all. I love the scenes where we are piecing clues together.”
Fun Fact: The sisterhood seen on-screen in The Marlow Murder Club didn’t just exist when cameras were rolling — it extended off-screen, too. Horgan revealed that the “four of us girls” of the series have a WhatsApp group chat together. “Jo Martin has a tendency to leave voice-notes rather than texting, so we all got into leaving voice-notes for each other,” she admitted. “It’s really sweet. It’s also a great way of making arrangements when we want to do something and hang out.”
- 3.
Jo Martin as Suzie Harris
The Character: Martin plays Suzie Harris, a local dog walker and sitter in Marlow whose job means she knows the lives and secrets of the people around town. With a personal connection to the murders, Suzie is determined to help Judith bring the killer to justice, and isn’t afraid to break a few rules along the way. “I think what [Suzie] brings to the table is her openness, her humor, and her honesty,” Martin elaborated. “Also, she is a people person. She can interact with people. She is not shy about stepping forward and getting to the bottom of what’s going on. ”
The Actor: Martin has let her talents shine in a number of roles over the years, including in Batman Begins (2005); as one of the lead actors in the comedy series The Crouches; in Holby City as neurosurgeon Max McGerry; and as the Fugitive Doctor in Doctor Who. She’s also appeared in projects such as Fleabag, Death in Paradise, and Silent Witness. Eagle eyed MASTERPIECE fans may also remember Martin as Hannah in The Long Song (2021).
Why She Loves The Series: When Martin first learned about The Marlow Murder Club, there was one thing in particular that piqued her interest. “It’s unusual to have three strong female leads in a murder mystery. I’ve not seen much of that. You might have one female lead, but to have three who are all carrying big storylines and doing stunts. Hello!” she explained. “Also, I loved how diverse all three characters are and how the writing found a way of getting them all together. It’s really clever.”
Did Martin Crack the Case?: When asked if she was able to solve whodunit, Martin said: “I bloody didn’t. I thought I would. I thought it was going to be easy, but it really wasn’t,” she confessed. “It is so smart the way they’ve done it. They even baffled me. I’m hoping that it will be the same for the audience. But sometimes with a good murder mystery you can know whodunit, but it’s also how we catch them. And this one is clever.”
- 4.
Natalie Dew as DS Tanika Malik
The Character: Dew plays DS Tanika Malik, the bright, young police detective leading the triple murder case in Marlow. With sharp instincts and a steely core of ambition, Tanika is always the most capable person in the room and is determined to prove herself to her dubious team and DI no matter what – even if that means bringing in the eclectic murder club to help catch the killer. It’s what makes her great at her job, according to Dew. “[Tanika’s] good at knowing when she needs help,” Dew described. “She isn’t too proud to say, ‘Ok fine, you think you’ve got something, let’s hear it.’ She’s not stubborn in that sense, which I really liked, especially being a woman in any sort of position of power. She is still listening. She’s never too bull-headed to realize that other people’s opinions might be valued and great.”
The Actor: Dew has worked extensively in the world of British theater, including roles in Arabian Nights, Twelfth Night, Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, and As You Like It. But not only can she act, but she can sing, too! The talented star received an Olivier nomination in 2016 for Best Actress in a Musical for Bend it Like Beckham in London’s West End. On-screen, her work includes Bodies, Alex Rider, Archer, The Great, Bodyguard, and Gavin & Stacey. MASTERPIECE fans may also recognize her from Roadkill (2020) starring Hugh Laurie and the late Helen McCrory.
Did Dew Crack the Case?: Tanika Malik may be a natural crime-solver, but can the same be said for Dew? “No, I’m rubbish [at solving TV murder mysteries],” she confessed. “I’m the sort of person that will not look ahead. People will throw clangers of clues at me, and I will refuse to see them until the exact moment when the writer wants you to see them.” But there is someone close to her who is a natural at solving TV crimes (especially MASTERPIECE Mystery! ones) — her mother. “My mum loves a whodunit. I feel sometimes like I have seen every single episode of Inspector Morse and Poirot that is out there. She is a big fan. Of all the work that I’ve done this will be the one that she is most thrilled about. “
