This excellent book is very different to the Ruth Galloway series, but fans of Elly Griffiths will not be disappointed.
The eclectic group of individuals that make up the detectives- amateur and professional- are brilliantly drawn. The plot is full of twists and turns but also unexpected and sharp humour. The descriptions of places are sharp, taking you to the seaside at the South coast then up to the granite buildings in Aberdeen. I loved this book, and would love to see another adventure for this group of friends, particularly Harbinder, Benny and Natalia. And Edwin!

In what seems to be turning into a recurring theme for me, I came to this book not realising it was second in the series featuring Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur. Luckily for me, this one works as a stand alone novel really rather well!

The novel opens with the death of an old lady in a flat overlooking Shoreham sea front. She is found by her carer, Natalka, who - along with another elderly resident of the block of flats and the local coffee shack owner - become the unlikely sleuths in a case that starts to spiral. The key to the mystery seems to lie in the lady's past and, in particular, her provision of consultancy services on murder methods to writers. DS Kaur leads the investigation into the possible murder and finds herself caught up in a literary puzzle.

This was an enjoyable and light read - very much in the realm of cosy crime as there's nothing graphic or particularly perilous here. Instead, it's a quite lovely tale of how some unlikely characters forge relationships and support each other. In particular, DS Kaur's Sikh family were great - warm and likeable - so I hope they appear more in future outings. I wouldn't say the events were particularly realistic but it's a clever premise and I was happy to be drawn along in its slipstream.

Overall, this is a rather gentle but engaging mystery. For all its cosiness, I'd still say that it has plenty of surprises and twists that make it enjoyable for fans of this genre.

I really enjoyed this book at first, it felt very cosy and I found the character Harbinder to be hilarious! However it rambled on somewhat and got a little confusing. Characters not 100% developed, which is fine for background folk but it just gave the whole book a slap dash feel. I’m sorry, I hate leaving negative reviews.

We’re back in Shoreham, Sussex for Elly Griffiths’ latest DS Harbinder Kaur murder mystery and ‘The Postscript Murders’ is even better entertainment than ‘The Stranger Diaries’! In her latest novel, Griffiths takes many of the tropes of the Golden Age of Detective fiction and gives them a thoroughly modern twist.
Echoes of both Marple and Poirot are evident. We are introduced to Peggy Smith, an elderly woman and ‘murder consultant’ who is known in crime writing circles for her excellent ideas. Her unlikely carer is Natalka Kolisnyk, a glamorous looking Ukrainian woman, blessed with mathematical ability and prone to logical thinking. When Peggy dies, together with Benedict, an ex-monk and coffee shop owner and Edwin, a retired BBC employee, Natalka decides to investigate, certain that the nature of Peggy’s demise suggests foul play. Soon connected deaths begin to mount up and Harbinder Kaur decides that she has to take this disparate band’s concerns seriously.
Events lead them all to Aberdeen’s literary festival where yet more links are made between the crime novelists whom Peggy knew. Just as sinister are the Ukrainian men who appear to be tracking Natalka for a crime committed a decade ago. Griffiths also teases us with plenty of intertextual clues and entertains us with asides on publishing.
Readers are kept gripped by intricate plotting and expected red herrings. However, the author’s real strength lies in her ability to create complex, credible characters: funny, vulnerable, brave and kind. Just as interesting as the solving of crimes are the relationships formed, so much so that I am hoping to meet many of these characters once more in any subsequent DS Harbinder Kaur tales.
My thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

As soon as I can get my hands on a new Elly Griffiths, I drop everything else.

Elly’s characters are always real and three dimensional. We have so much knowledge of them, that I feel I know them very early in a book. Which brings me, as the reader, very much into the book. I really enjoyed the cross generational friendship between the three unlikely friends, and how that develops. The setting of this book, within the book community, I loved. As an avid reader, I happily lose myself in the escapism that books bring.
I really enjoyed getting to know Harbinder more in this book, learning more of her home life. I look forward to seeing more of her in future books, and how her life develops.
I really appreciated seeing the effect of casual sexism, racism and homophobia from the characters perspective. Very subtle, but reading the impact of these assumptions may help some to see things differently.
As a fan of the Ruth books, I loved the passing mention of Hecate as well.

As you can tell, I love everything about this book. Highly recommended, 5*.

The Postscript murders.
The main characters for this book are set in Shoreham and follow the death of a vibrant, intelligent elderly lady who has an avid interest in crimes and crime solutions, working alongside authors to think of interesting and novel ways to kill off their villains.
Following a small group of individuals loosely bought together by the lead , female, Indian, gay lead detective, the plot follows a series of improbable murders and locations, travelling briefly up to Scotland before the final closure.

I read this book eagerly. Keen to see which direction Elly Griffiths had taken with this new book. I was initially interested in the plot and particularly in the lead character, DI Kaur, and the collection of characters making up the rest of the cast. As the book moves on into Aberdeen, my own attention started to wander a bit, the storyline was just too improbable - I felt there was no way that any police man or woman would leak information in the most casual manner to a group of civilians, neither would they give their home mobile number / possibly work number and receive selfies from them.

The actual murders and plots, whilst unlikely, are entertaining and impossible to guess. The final chapter ( no spoiler alert) is a surprise.

Finally, if what you’re after is a high paced, pc book with a great whodunnit line that you are not taking too seriously, this is fine. Compared to other ( equally unlikely) books, this is a paler shadow.

#the postscript murders#netgalley

I really enjoyed this second outing for DS Kaur. I did find the plot slightly improbable but was prepared to overlook this as I really enjoyed the gallery of characters and the relationships between them.

The death of Peggy - a murder consultant - starts a series of unexpected deaths which are investigated by DS Kaur and her colleagues and by Peggy’s friends who are determined to find out the truth about her death.

A good thriller which had me gripped - despite its I probabilities!

Elly Griffiths does it again. This is a stand alone novel and well worth a read. It’s a mixture of a crime caper and a cosy mystery. The plot is intriguing and the characters are a mixed bunch. It starts with the death of Peggy, an elderly lady living in sheltered accommodation. Her carer thinks her death is suspicious, and this sets off events that takes some of the characters on a road trip to Aberdeen. After Peggy’s death, two authors also die and Natalka, the carer, Harbinder the police officer, Benedict, the former monk, and Edwin, a neighbour of Peggy’s, are trying to find out if the deaths are linked. At times, it reads a little like an episode of the Keystone Cops and seems quite unlikely, but overall it is well worth a read. I have read all the Ruth Galloway series by this author and this is a refreshing change. I want to read more about these characters and find out what they get up to next.

I read this shortly after reading Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club and feel both are strong in this genre of sort of cosy fiction but actually not that cosy after all. Peggy Smith dies and at first, nothing seems to be amiss. She was 90, living alone, and had a heart condition. But her carer Natalka is adamant that something has gone wrong, and that Peggy had more life left to live. This is especially given the life she had led, one of secrets and glamour that led her to be dubbed a ‘murder consultant’ to a handful of crime authors. Natalka teams up with unexpected friends to piece together the puzzle that will result in the truth to Peggy’s passing. It is light in part, full of humour and warmth, and the reader can join in with figuring out what happened. I thoroughly enjoyed it, it made me laugh and smile throughout, and the characters - there’s one called Benedict who I think should have his own standalone book - are well rounded and believable. I feel it’s a standalone but I’d love for there to be more about them.

I love this kind of book. It is a profoundly satisfying reading experience fro someone like me who likes crime, but not so much violence for the sake of it. It delivers a good mystery with books at the centre of it and characters that get more familiar as you go through the series. Elly Griffith's latest one continues the tone and motives found in the "Stranger Diaries" and she introduces us to a bunch of unlikely heroes who are very likeable characters. It's nice to see elderly people take the stage for once and Edwin is a great representative, but also Natalka and Benedict, who are much younger, add a lot to the story. The plot is well-crafted and keeps you guessing for quite a while but in my opinion it's the characters that really make the story. I hope there will be more Harbinder Kaur novels in the future.

This is the 2nd book in the Harbinder Kaur series by author Elly Griffiths. I really enjoyed this fairly gentle murder mystery. I hadn't read the 1st book but having enjoyed this so much this one so much quickly purchased 'The Stranger Diaries'.

This is an enjoyable read with some great characters that I am sure will get even better with familiarity. Elly Griffiths books always have a great synopsis and this was no different. A 90 year old woman living in a retirement home named Peggy Smith dies with a heart condition. That doesn't sound strange until DS Harbinder Kaur is told by her carer Natalka that Peggy lied about her heart condition and that she had been sure someone was following her. Another strange point was that Peggy had been a 'murder consultant' who plotted deaths for authors, and knew more about murder than anyone ever imagined. Following her death, Natalka is held at gunpoint while clearing out Peggy's flat. This is enough to give DS Harbinder Kaur a suspicion that Peggy's death may be suspicious after all.


This is a lovely light murder mystery more in the style of Agatha Christie than the more gruesome thrillers authors like Tana French. Great characters that I found endearing and even funny at times. A clever plot that kept you guessing and very well written.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Quercus Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

After finishing a very disappointing book, reading The Postscript Murders was like relaxing in a warm bath with a nice glass of wine. I loved this book. I am a big fan of Elly Griffiths anyway, and this book is definitely up to her usual standard. A fun and gripping plot with great characters and witty dialogue - I couldn't really ask for more! I hope that we will be meeting Harbinder Kaur again.

#ThePostscriptMurders #NetGalley
A good read.
The death of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition should absolutely not be suspicious. DS Harbinder Kaur certainly sees nothing to concern her in carer Natalka's account of Peggy Smith's death.
But when Natalka reveals that Peggy lied about her heart condition and that she had been sure someone was following her...
And that Peggy Smith had been a 'murder consultant' who plotted deaths for authors, and knew more about murder than anyone has any right to...
And when clearing out Peggy's flat ends in Natalka being held at gunpoint by a masked figure...
I waa shocked when I read its characters. Really great.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for giving me an advance copy of this awesome thriller.

i’m not used to mystery novels but this book was a very fun read i loved the characters and the mystery kept me on my toes. i would recommend this!!

At the beginning of the story 90-year-old Peggy is sitting at her window people watching. After she dies it seems that she may have had hidden depths. I enjoyed this greatly. I thought it was written in a style very reminiscent of the ‘Golden Age’ of crime fiction. It is gentle, knowing and funny at times. I look forward to more stories in this series (this is Elly Griffith’s second book with Harbinder Kaur).

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for sending me an advance copy in return for an honest review.

The death of a 90 year old lady in a Sheltered housing should not usually be cause for concern, but when Peggy Smith dies her carer Natalka decides there is much more to it. The fact that her flat is full of books dedicated to her, and that there is a card with her name on it saying 'Murder Consultant' causes her to go to the police and DS Harbinder Kaur. This should be the beginning and the end of the story, but when Natalka is held at gunpoint by a masked figure stealing a book from Peggy's flat, the real possibility that Peggy might have been murdered starts to be considered. Is it a one off crime, or is there something in the fact that several authors who have credited Peggy in their acknowledgments, have received postcards in books saying 'we are coming for you'?

I got into Elly Griffith's with her Brighton Mysteries series (I've still yet to read a single Ruth Galloway book – sorry!). Griffith's has an effortless easy writing style that, like most things that seem that simple, obviously requires a lot of writing skill. This book is another example of this. She has created another likeable lead in DS Harbinder Kaur (Is this a stand-alone book or the beginning of a new series featuring DS Harbinder Kaur?), who is aided and abetted in this instance by a team of amateur sleuths: carer Natalka , coffee shack owner and ex monk Benedict, and ex BBC pensioner, Edwin .

This is a fun read. It distracted and entertained me for a few hours, which is exactly what I want from this type of fiction. I also failed to solve the mystery in this instance too, which made for a change. Another winner from Griffiths.