The Marlow Murder Club episode 1 spoilers follow.
Former Death in Paradise guest star Jo Martin has gone from criminal Rakesha Lorde to an amateur detective for her latest role in The Marlow Murder Club.
The murder-mystery show sees Jo's Suzie get roped into a case that twists and turns from episode to episode.
What to Read Next
Fans of the Holby City star's work will no doubt come to realise the whodunnit series carries a distinct thread of DIP in its DNA. Maybe it's the outlandish nature of the crimes, the quirky hijinks or the idyllic sights of – well, not the sandy beaches of the Caribbean but – a gorgeous riverside town.
Yet, despite the similar tone The Marlow Murder Club leads with a feminine perspective that gives the show its unique flavour.
In an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, Jo opens up about a sisterhood formed both on and off screen that helped give this "classic murder-mystery" its "sprinkling of sass."
When you read the character of Suzie on the page, what made you want the role?
I think it was her. I loved the idea that she's about to have an empty nest-type thing.
There [are] a lot of women my age going through that. I don't think it gets addressed much, and I thought that was really interesting.
The fact that she plays this upbeat character, but there's a kind of sadness about: "What do I do next?" Because she's dedicated her life to having her daughter, and being a single mum.
That she's got a business is really attractive, and it's doing really well.
I suppose the other thing that was really interesting was that I loved her nosiness. The fact that she's so inquisitive. That's a piece of me as well. I am that person by the curtain. I'm that person online going, "I haven't seen a picture of them two together for a while. Are they still together?" I'm that person tracing it all, going, "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God."
The fact that she's so fearless, and throwing herself into the unknown.
How does Suzie's relationship with her ex-husband inform the character?
Well, the dad, he's in Jamaica so when we meet Suzie, her daughter's on vacation spending time with him.
She's feeling a little hard-done-by because she says in one of the scenes:
"I was there, cleaning the bums, and doing all the hard stuff and now he's getting all the glory days."
Now she's about to go to university or whatever she chooses to do – she's fully grown, and needs less support – and he's suddenly the hero of the piece. [Suzie] kind of resents that.
I see that a lot in quite a few of my friends but I think it's really important not to let your children see that or know that, which some people struggle with.
If they were to go again one of these fine days, it'd be really interesting to meet the dad and I think they should cast Denzel Washington.
Ooh.
No, I'm joking [laughs].
That would be great.
Yeah, I think Denzel would be the right fit. He'll have to do a self-tape. We'll have to see.
Test him out. See if he makes the grade.
I would quite like to meet the dad. But he sounds like a bit of a scoundrel.
It would be nice to see how their dynamic informs how you play a side of Suzie that we haven't seen.
Exactly. It might be a bit of love/hate. Do you know what I mean? Because you might still want a bit. I don't know what Suzie's getting, but it doesn't look like she's getting that much [laughs]. I think they need to sort that out.
She could have a little side piece somewhere.
Well, listen, you've got to have a little side something in this day and age.
These three women, they seem very different from the outset, but actually they're all experiencing a feeling of displacement in their own lives. What was it like creating that sense of sisterhood out of their vulnerability?
First of all, I thought it's perfect casting because we really had to get along. You know what I mean? So that was really, really good.
We shared stories amongst ourselves which then would inform the scripts sometimes because sometimes we would improv little things, or insert little bits that maybe weren't there originally.
Our writer and producers were just great like that, as long as it was truthful and it wasn't going too far off what the genre of this piece is.
The thing is, you've got Judith – [Samantha Bond's] character – she's retired, and that's a new thing. We had Cara [Horgan] playing the vicar's wife, who's kind of invisible. There's a scene where she's kind of tucked herself away—
In the little cupboard!
Yeah. Just to get a little bit of "her" time. Then obviously my character. There's that moment when her daughter is meant to be coming home [but] she's having such a great time, she wants to stay with her dad. I'm like, "Ah, right."
I think it's great the way she goes, "Oh, well, if you're having a good time…"
But there will come a point when she will blow. We're human, right? In the episodes we see her in so far, she's holding it down, and trying to do the right thing, and trying to be brave. She's quite vulnerable, you know?
They all are, but it seems to really bind them. Did you feel that on set, a kind of onscreen/offscreen sisterhood?
Absolutely. You took the words out of my mouth. It was a definite on-and-off absolute sisterhood. The thing is, as actors, life is still going on around us, even when we're doing a job. Things would come up in an individual's life that we should share, and we would give advice and try to support as best we could – the same as in the piece. It mirrored that.
As things came up, as events would happen and the story would unfold, we were strong as three. I don't think Sam's character could have done it on her own. I don't think my character could have done it on her own, or Cara.
The show has a similar tone to Death in Paradise. You were only in one episode, but did you feel that as well? And if so, did that inform how you played Suzie?
Definitely. It's a [Sunday-night type] show. Do you know what I mean? It's that kind of vibe. So many people in my family live for Death in Paradise: "When are you going to do Death in Paradise?"
And every time it came up, I was never available. So when the Christmas special came with the dates, I was like, "Woohoo! I'm going to the Caribbean."
What I like are the twists – seeing all these twists and turns which is what we've got with Marlow Murder. You think it's going this way, and then it goes that. We think it's this person…
I love that kind of TV. It harks back to Columbo. Even though you know who's done it at the very beginning, there are these twists and turns, and what he has to go through to find out what it is and what it ain't is a great journey. So I love the Death in Paradise template, and it works really well for Marlow as well.
And with Death in Paradise, the palm trees and the beaches and the sun…
It helps.
But look at Marlow! Marlow is beautiful. As I said, that is the star of the show. That's number one on the call sheet – Marlow. It really is stunning, and they've shot it so beautifully as well.
What I like is that we've got all women in ours. We're running the thing. We're not waiting on a man to tell us what's up. We're going to tell you what's up.
How would you sum up The Marlow Murder Club in one sentence?
It feels like a classic murder-mystery with a healthy sprinkling of sass.
Given that the show is based on the trilogy, do you think there's room for a season two?
Well, if I was a betting lady, I would say that there's a very good chance, especially after seeing the episode yesterday for the first time. It's phenomenal. It's really good.
There are four main women in this piece, and seeing the laughs that it got – the audience reaction – I'm like, "If I was a producer, if I was the person in charge, I would definitely give it another go."
But I'm not in charge, so I don't know [laughs]. You know what I mean? What do I know? I've only been in the business for 100 years.
You know something. You know how to stay in the business.
Oh my God. I've been in it so long now, and I still love it. The down days, the happy days – I'm here for it all.
Episodes 1 and 2 of The Marlow Murder Club will air on the 6th and 7th of March at 8pm on Drama and UKTV Play. New episodes will arrive weekly.
You Might Like...
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
