The Marlow Murder Club season 2 review: Takes cosy crime to new heights of cosiness

The author himself had even said that where Death in Paradise was his take on Hercule Poirot, The Marlow Murder Club was his take on Miss Marple, tying the two shows together even more firmly.

This time around, no external comparison is necessary – we've already seen the first season and know what to expect.

Instead, fans will ask how it stacks up with season 1 and, really, the answer is that it's more of the same.

Season 2 sees the central cast all return, with Samantha Bond's Judith, Jo Martin's Suzie and Cara Horgan's Becks now operating as an almost official trio, notable in the local area and investigating more murders after their success in season 1.

Natalie Dew is also back as DS Tanika Malik, the acting lead investigator for the local police, who over time becomes more and more willing to not only take advice from the trio, but actually let them do official work on cases.

The biggest change-up this time around is the structure. While season 1 was made up of two hour-and-a-half long episodes telling the story of one case, season 2 is made up of six hour-long episodes, with every two focusing on a new case.

It's a structure which suits the series. When dealing with amateur detectives in the present day, there's naturally slightly more wrangling when it comes to setting up the plot and getting it rolling. In Death in Paradise, the cases kick off when the police are called. Here, it's not quite so simple.

Having that extra time not only allows for these narrative requirements, but it also allows the scenes to breathe. The character moments are a large part of the show's appeal and its USP. The dynamic between the central trio is key, otherwise they're just a crime-solving team like any other, so its good that this new structure allows for those quieter moments to live and be developed.

This time around, there are two new writers on board, with episodes 3-4 being written by Lucia Haynes and 5-6 being written by Julia Gilbert. Thorogood takes the first story, which is based on his own novel Death Comes to Marlow.

In truth, his is the strongest chapter, with the mystery being the most compelling, extravagant and finely crafted. The others aren't bad, but the puzzles they offer up feel slightly less engaging, and they tend to feel more as though they're trying to fit things into the real world, with all the implications and explanations that brings. Thorogood understands that he's operating in a heightened reality and the plotting reflects that.

Regardless, throughout all three there is a key tonal similarity. This is seriously cosy crime, with the emphasis very much on cosy.

The murders themselves are barely dwelt on, the locations are all quaint and chocolate-boxy, and everyone's doing pretty well for themselves by the look of things.

The biggest problems most of these characters have, besides the ones who end up dead, tend to be incredibly low stakes and difficult to engage with beyond a cursory level of interest.

Side plots revolve around characters going to art classes or dealing with difficult townspeople – it's all very nice, but also a bit artificial and sometimes a little dull. The first season at least had a bit of jeopardy, when Judith became the target of a murderer herself. There's very little of that nature here.

As already noted, the heightened tone works for the plot, but the dialogue can also feel quite mannered and unnatural at times.

This is perhaps where the Agatha Christie influences are most evident. At times, characters talk as if they're in one of her novels, but not one which has been transplanted to the present day – one set firmly in the mid-20th century.

The comedy in particular is somewhat stilted. Beyond one brilliant mobility scooter chase sequence and a couple of other moments of physical comedy, it largely boils down to some rather cliched and lacklustre moments of 'banter'.

However, in spite of any of these reservations, there's no doubt this second season gives fans what they're looking – some fun, intricate murder mystery puzzles brought to life by a very game cast.

Bond, Martin and Horgan continue to prove their dedication to their roles, putting in warm, likeable performances and clearly having fun while doing so.

Meanwhile, Dew remains the stand-out as Tanika, bringing a greater sense of realism, gravity and charm to proceedings, and therefore proving to be the easiest character to root for.

The series has also attracted some big name guest stars this time around, with Tom Stourton, Samantha Womack, Patrick Robinson, Nina Sosanya and Hugh Quarshie all popping up for case-of-the-week appearances.

Episodic crime dramas still clearly remain the a draw for TV actors, and it's not hard to see why. Everything about this filming experience seems fun, from the gorgeous, sunny suburban locations which really pop on screen to the lightness of the material.

You can tell everyone here is having fun, in a way that's so infectious as to often override any doubts or critiques of the show's flaws.

All this to say, if you tuned into The Marlow Murder Club season 1, enjoyed it and are hoping for a successful follow-up, then you're in luck.

The quality of the cases may vary, but there's no doubt that the show has effectively transitioned from a one-off novel adaptation into a continuing, episodic formula, and thus set itself up for the future.

In other words, it seems likely we'll see plenty more jobbing character actors paying a trip to Marlow over the next few years – and for some, it will no doubt be a deadly visit.

The Marlow Murder Club season 2 will air on U&Drama and U from Wednesday 19th March at 8pm, while season 1 is available on U now.

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