An enjoyable read with a quirky cast of characters. My first Elly Griffiths that isn't a Dr Ruth Galloway book. Easy to read with lots of twists and turns and great literary references throughout.

EXCERPT: Natalka turns back to Peggy. She looks at peace, that's what Patricia will say to Nigel. Passed away peacefully. There's a book open on the arm of Peggy's chair. 'Highrise Murder' by Dex Challoner. Peggy's binoculars are on the table beside her. There's also a pen,completed crossword and a pill dispenser, the sort that has the days of the week on it. There's something else too, a piece of paper just poking out from under the crossword. Natalka slides it out. It's a business card, very official, with black, curly writing.

Mrs M. Smith, it says. Murder Consultant

ABOUT 'THE POSTSCRIPT MURDERS': PS: thanks for the murders.

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...

Well then DS Harbinder Kaur thinks that maybe there is no such thing as an unsuspicious death after all.

MY THOUGHTS: 'No one knows the hour,not even the angels in heaven, or the Son himself...' - Matthew 24

There is something almost Christiesque about The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths. It has that feel of a Christie murder-mystery. The slow buildup, rather like a steam train pulling out of the station, the multiple suspects, the red herrings. But Griffiths murders and characters perhaps have a few more teeth than Christie's, and she is not above a bit of sarcasm, which I enjoy.

Although this is #2 in the Harbinder Kaur series, unusually for a series, the detective is not the focus of the book. The murder/s are firmly front and centre, with an ill assorted cast of amateur detectives playing the major role.

Natalka, carer for Peggy and a few of the other elderly residents of Seaview Manor, a residential care complex, has a past, one that she fears is catching up with her. Benedict, ex-Monk, now barista. He left because he fell out of love with God, although his faith is as strong as ever. And Edwin, in his eighties, ex BBC and a gentleman to the core, gay, and very observant. Convinced that Peggy's death was not natural, and that the police aren't taking it seriously enough, these three set out to investigate on their own. Although they do DS (who would love to be DI) Harbinder Kaur the courtesy of keeping in touch by text.

DS Kaur, who is almost 40 and still lives at home with her parents, is in turn frustrated and impressed by the skills and dedication of this group. Kaur is also gay, still hiding it from her parents, and disappointingly single. She has a nice line in sarcasm, and often thinks of her partner, Neil, as a little woodland animal, a cute squirrel who often nibbles at nuts somewhat larger than he is. Neil himself would have preferred to live in the times where detectives trampled all over the crime scene, pausing only to beat up suspects and drink beer, rather than having to worry about all the intricacies of forensics.

Although this series is immensely different to Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway series, she still holds me spellbound with her use of words, both in her character and scenery descriptions, and her setting of atmosphere . . . '...the spaces beneath them. Old mining tunnels. Caverns measureless to man. Death and dread.' and 'ghost cottages with the gardens still in flower.'

I loved The Postscript Murders. I loved the characters. I loved the plot with its red herrings and twists. I loved the solution. It was something that I had not even considered! An altogether wonderful read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.8

#ThePostscriptMurders #NetGalley

'It's such a civilised world; books, libraries, tea and cake.'

THE AUTHOR: Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway novels take for their inspiration Elly's husband, who gave up a city job to train as an archaeologist, and her aunt who lives on the Norfolk coast and who filled her niece's head with the myths and legends of that area. Elly has two children and lives near Brighton.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Quercus via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Elly Griffiths can do no wrong in my opinion. As a huge fan of the Ruth Galloway series this author for me has a natural gift for storytelling and interesting characters along with plots that just grip.
As a stand-alone novel I’d say it’s a great introduction to the author and personally I’d love a follow up.

Peggy Smith, a ninety year old woman living in Shoreham, is found dead in her armchair by her carer Natalka. Natalka is sure that she was murdered as there is a card nearby saying “we are coming for you”. The case leads Detective Harbinder Kaur, Natalka and her two friends Benedict and Edwin into the world of crime novels sees them investigating the deaths of a further two people.

This is the second in the Harbinder Kaur series by Elly Griffiths and was a really enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Quercia Books and Elly Griffiths for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

When elderly Peggy Smith is found dead in her chair, nobody thinks anything of it. But then her friends, whilst clearing her flat, find some business cards for a Murder Consultant and acknowledgements in numerous murder mysteries, they begin to wonder what secrets Peggy was hiding. Add in a gunman who steals only an old paperback novel, and the deaths of a couple of authors, and there’s a case to solve.

The Postscript Murders was a fun book. The main investigators, Ukrainian carer Natalka, ex-monk Benedict and Peggy’s elderly neighbour Edwin, are not your usual crime solving team, but they bring a different dimension to the story.. Along with DS Harbinder Kaur, they manage to solve the crimes, but more by luck than judgement. Taking a road trip from Shoreham to Aberdeen to a literary festival, to try and meet an author who knew Peggy, for example, and just happening to witness events, without ever really understanding what is going on, it seems.

Very enjoyable read and one I would recommend to anyone looking for something a little out of the ordinary.

The postscript murders.
3.5* for me which makes it a good read.
Gore score non. No gore
Firstly I absolutely love the cover. I don’t usually comment on the book cover. Although I’m not sure if it has a relevance to the book.
I haven’t read the first in this series.
Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.
This wouldn’t usually be my go to end of the crime spectrum. I prefer dark and disturbing.
Easy chatty writing style, gentle humour. Nice to relax and get settled into.
We are introduced to a variety of colourful characters in this cosy murder mystery who bimble along as amateur detectives a long side the real detective Harbinder. The characters are as integral to the story as the murders. The trio are likeable characters.
For me a bit of a lull at 40% with interviews with Dex’s publisher, and the author references and works.
There’s one unimportant but niggling thread that I hadn’t managed to clarify.
Still non the wiser about bitcoin.
The Ruth Galloway series is still my favourite comfort read.

I started reading this book with the intention to finish the book quickly. I found myself reading sections of the book and then putting it down for a couple of days before carrying on reading. It is not a storyline that fully engross me. Despite this I kept going back to the book and found it enjoyable. in many ways. Lots of diverse and interesting characters and different plots which all come together in the end. I can see why those who have read Elly Griffiths have given very good reviews.

This is my second foray into the works of Elly Griffiths, my first being a book from her Ruth Galloway series. This book, The Postscript Murders is the second instalment in the Harbinder Kaur series, and I found that jumping in at book two did not prevent me from enjoying the story immensely. It is a wonderfully woven crime mystery set in a coastal location in West Sussex, England. From the opening pages, the action never let up and the story unfolded like an uncoiled spring.

In this instalment featuring DS Harbinder Kaur and Ukrainian care worker, Natalka Kolsnyk, 90-year-old Peggy Smith is found dead in her chair by the window, and it seems she died of natural causes... but did she? Natalka, a worker for Care4You, noticed an unusual number of crime novels whilst clearing out Peggy’s flat that were all dedicated to Peggy and each one included a mysterious postscript. When other events occur, DS Kaur begins to think that there could be no such thing as an unsuspicious death.

This story kept me guessing as to whom was responsible for the murder and their actual motives. Yet, for me, the main strengths in this police procedural were Elly Griffiths' wonderful bunch of characters. The Postscript Murders was a neatly plotted and elegantly told mystery and I have been inspired to read the first book in the series, The Stranger Diaries. I am also looking forward to seeing where Elly Griffiths takes Harbinger next.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Quercus via NetGalley at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Ninety year old Peggy enjoyed people watching, she even made notes of those she saw from the window of her seaside retirement home. When she is found dead Natalka (her carer) does not believe that it was from natural causes. Peggy's neighbour & friend Edwin & Benedict, the local coffee house owner agree with her. Whilst clearing out Peggy's flat they are threatened by a man with a gun. Detective Harbinder Kaur becomes involved. Peggy's friends discover that she was 'a murder consultant' & help many authors come up with innovative ways to kill. As Harbinder doesn't seem to be taking their ideas too seriously the trio set off for Aberdeen to a book fair for crime writers.

This was a terrific fun read. The zany characters & their adventures puts this into the 'cosy' mystery category. Having a gay Sikh as a central detective character makes a change- I can't help liking her in spite of her faults. I really enjoyed this book & am already looking forward to the next in the series. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Peggy Smith is ninety years old, living in a small retirement apartment in Shoreham, passing her days with her friends, completing cryptic crosswords, and observing the comings and goings of all the passers by outside her window. She is also a keen fan of crime fiction, and acts as a murder consultant to a number of crime fiction authors. This unusual old lady passed away in a seemingly ordinary manner, but her carer, a young Ukrainian girl called Natalka, believes that there is more to the story and sets off on a rollercoaster of an investigation!

This is a great book, I thoroughly enjoyed it! It’s very well plotted, with lots of twists and turns and interesting tangents. The people investigating the crimes are a random assortment of people, but they way they fall together is plausible, and I enjoyed all the characters and thought they were well fleshed out and well written. I haven’t really read anything else by Elly Griffiths but I’ll definitely be reading more as I enjoyed this so much!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

While it took me a while to find it credible 90 year old Peggy was murdered, by the time I finished , despite some convolutions, I got it, I got it. Adept and with fully drawn appealing characters chasing up clues .. who the murderer is will shock you and our wonderful police detective has resolved home issues by the end, after mistaken love affair. An advanced cosy murder mystery I really enjoyed premise of elderly woman being murder consultant (do I give too much away? ) very enjoyable and kept me reading with its intelligence and real people ..

I hadn’t read the first book in this series, but that in no way hampered my enjoyment of this charming, quirky whodunnit! Following the death of 90-year-old Peggy, three of her friends suspect foul play and decide to investigate her death further, alongside DS Harbinder Kaur who is in turn bemused and aided by the trio’s efforts. DS Kaur is a wonderful protagonist and her investigation is nicely paced and packed with amusing scenes.

The three amateur detectives, though, are what makes this book so special! Natalka, a carer / cryptocurrency guru; Benedict, a former monk who has a crush on Natalka; and Edwin, an 80-year-old former BBC broadcaster are not the likeliest of friends, let alone investigators, but they are so brilliantly and sensitively portrayed that you can’t help but be drawn into their stories. Each brings something unique to the investigation, and are so loveable that I was completely behind them from the very first page.

I also loved all of the literary references throughout the book, as well as the cryptic clues scattered throughout for the armchair detectives to solve. The plot is very clever and interesting, with just enough twists and red herrings. I will certainly be going back to read the previous book in the series and will look out for more from this author in future.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

The Stranger Diaries was one of my top 5 books last year so I was very excited to get my hands on its follow up book, The Postscript Murders (thanks Net Galley and Quercus Books). I was a little surprised, however, how different this second book turned out to be.

The biggest difference between the two books, for me, was the tone. The Stranger Diaries had a very gothic thriller feel to it. In fact, I’d almost class it as a horror in places. The Postscript Murders instead was a cosy mystery with a colourful cast of characters playing amateur detectives.

One theme which does run through both books is appreciation for writing. The Stranger Diaries featured an English tutor and her love for a classic horror novel. This time nearly all the characters are involved in the writing industry and there are a lot of fun references to famous writers, such as Agatha Christie and Wilkie Collins. In fact, the whole thing is obviously a homage to the Golden Age writers and some of the plot devices they often favoured.

The first murder victim is a classic cliche from many of those older books. Peggy is 90, a cryptic crossword fan who keeps dates, times and descriptions of everyone she observes going past her flat. Upon her death, her friends learn that not only was she a spy in the war but that she also lived a secret life as a ‘murder consultant’ for writers.

The other link between the two books is DI Harbinder Kaur. As in the first book The Postscript Murders features Harbinder’s point of view, along with three other new characters. There’s Edwin, Peggy’s friend and neighbour; Natalka, Peggy’s Ukraine carer; and Benedict, an ex-Monk who owns the local coffee shop.

I remember loving Harbinder in the first book but I didn’t think she had the chance to shine enough in this outing. She sort of had the same issues as in the first book and I thought her development lacked any real forward momentum. Out of the new main characters, I found Natalka a little annoying but both Benedict and Edwin were cute.

There was a lot of humour in the book, which was great. And there’s a plethora of supporting characters lining up to become further victims, red herrings, or the murderer.

I always find I connect with Griffiths’s writing and, for the most, I felt this way again whilst reading The Postscript Murders. I was flying through the book, having a whale of a time, ready to give it 5 out of 5, until I thought everything fell a little flat around the 75% mark. I mean, this really should have been when the action ramped up, and instead I felt like the action plateaued and the characters cruised towards solving the mystery a little too easily. I think this was more noticeable too as Griffiths had placed her characters in precarious positions, using the isolated location and locked in together trope, but then she just wasted the opportunity, letting the characters go about their sleuthing without any great tension or heart thumping moments.

Overall, I felt Griffiths perhaps went too far in ensuring she followed the rules of the classic cosy mystery and the book would have benefited from a couple of edgier touches. There’s still lots to love though and Griffiths definitely remains as one of my favourite authors out there. 4 out of 5

When Peggy Smith dies no-one is surprised, she was ninety after all. However her friend in the retirement flats, Edwin, isn't too sure and Peggy's carer Natalka is adamant that Peggy was murdered. In fact Peggy turns out to be an interesting woman, a 'murder consultant' for crime writers, and when a masked gunman turns up then things get murkier. Joined by an-ex monk who runs a coffee shop and a single gay Sikh detective the investigation is underway.
The plotting sounds mad and the characters sound cliched but as ever with an Elly Griffiths book this is a terrifically entertaining book. The Postscript Murders is at the fluffy end of crime fiction but is actually a sly tale involving Eastern bloc crime and a knowing pastiche of the life of crime-writers. Griffiths is very good at poking fun at institutions in a gently loving way and this is no exception. At its heart is a solid police procedural but the whole is lovingly wrapped in references to the golden age of crime writing and midsomer murders - fab!

This book continues the strong literary theme that started in the first book, The Stranger Diaries. Peggy, an old lady who lived in sheltered accommodation in Shoreham-by-Sea, is involved with a number of crime writers. As Harbinder starts to investigate her death to try and clear up whether her death is natural, she finds herself dealing with the publishing industry. It is great fun to see what a successful writer (Griffiths) thinks of the industry that assists her in getting her books out to her readers – I very much enjoyed the crime writing conference set in Scotland.

However, it wouldn’t be much of a murder mystery if that was the high point of the story. What I loved with this one is the sheer puzzle that initial death poses and what happens subsequently. There is a fabulous cast of characters. Oddly, Harbinder very much takes a back seat during the investigation of this one, but I found that I didn’t mind. Natalka and the odd crew she gathers around her do a reasonably good job of tracking potential suspects. While Harbinder grits her teeth and gets on with trying to sort out the latest death that occurred in Shoreham, not having the freedom to go flitting off to Scotland after a tenuous lead.

I found it difficult to put down this quirky, entertaining murder mystery with an enjoyable denouement that managed to give those caught up in the investigation, an extra dimension to their lives that they had been lacking before the first murder. It’s a neat trick to pull off and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommended for fans of well-crafted contemporary murder mysteries without too much gritty grimness or gore. While I obtained an arc of The Postscript Murders via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10

The Postcript Murders is the second book in the Harbinder Kaur Series by the wonderful Elly Griffiths. Elly has long been a favourite of mine as I just love her Ruth Galloway Series. However I have to say I am falling as much in love with this series as well.

This is an intriguing plot. It starts off with the death of a ninety year old woman with heart problems. Nothing suspicious here I hear you say, however Harbinder’s suspicions start to grow when she finds out the woman lied about her heart condition, has been followed, is a murder consultant who plots out murders for authors and a masked figure with a gun arrives at her flat.

The plotting of this book is excellent and is tailor made for bibliophiles out there as it focuses on authors and books. But beware as the story builds and you encounter some twists, and possibly even bodies along the way. Alongside the police detectives we also have some amateur detectives - help or hinderance?

Put quite simply this book was great fun with its literary connections and a good cast of characters. I recommend this one strongly alongside the excellent first book in the series. I love how it’s written from different perspectives. However if you are after a gritty murder book this may not be the book for you.

I gave this book 5 stars overall, and would like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing a copy of this book to me for an open and honest review. Can’t wait for the next one!

Another great read from Elly Griffiths!! This novel could easily be read as a stand-alone novel, although it does refer to a previous case in The Stranger Diaries (another great read: dark, mysterious and dramatic thriller!)
It’s the same detective Karminder investigating and her character develops more in this novel. I love the cosy family depictions too.
The suspicious death is an old lady called Peggy Smith, who was a murder consultant helping crime writers invent excellent deaths and helping any plotting problems. Then one of her authors dies mysteriously too...
Unusually, the detectives are helped by an electric mix of the victim’s friends- her Ukrainian carer, a former monk turned barista and her elderly neighbour...these were quirky and added something original to this novel.
Events happen at a rapid speed as they investigate leads from Shoreham-on-sea to Scotland. They find themselves in danger but there are unexpected revelations and a surprising ending.
This is not as gritty as The Stranger Diaries or Ruth Galloway series. It’s almost a cosy mystery rather than crime thriller, but it’s very well written and hugely enjoyable. I definitely recommend

3.5 stars
I have enjoyed the first book in the series and was looking forward to the follow up. The Postscript Murders was more of a cosy mystery rather than a gripping crime thriller or a police procedural I expected. The characters were interesting and realistic but the plot was implausible, borderline ludicrous in places. The references to Ukraine were not always accurate but this had no reflection on the story. It was a fun cosy mystery but personally I am not a fan of this genre.

Really enjoyed this book and it kept me guessing until the end. First book I've read by this author and I will look forward to reading more in the future.

Thanks to #NetGalley, the publisher Querus Books and the author EllyGriffiths for providing me with a digital ARC of #ThePostscrptMurders in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way... This is the second book of the series, the first one being "The Stranger Diaries", which I haven't read but did not find it a problem this book works as a standalone. I loved reading this book and did not want to put it down, The plot and characters are so well written and kept me engaged throughout. I do hope there will be more books in this series and I shall certainly read The Stranger Diaries.