Having read several of Elly Griffiths' series of the Ruth Galloway mysteries, I was rather disappointed at first by the lighter, cosy-crime style of the writing of this book. However, I stuck with it until I became interested in the characters and their particular stories, all highly implausible but engaging nevertheless. By the end I was keen to know how the stories would pan out, which I consider a success, particularly in these fraught, troubled times. An enjoyable, if lightweight, diversion and well worth the time invested in it.

I have previously read a number of Elly Griffiths' books but had not read a Harbinder Kaur novel. What a lovely surprise: a golden age-style murder mystery, full of sweet characters and without any sex, blood or gore. All those things have their place but right now the 'cosy crime' tone of this was perfect.

The death of 90 year old Peggy Smith seems innocuous enough until her carer, Natalka, voices her suspicions. Queue an oddball group of amateur sleuths, including a retired octogenarian BBC presenter, a former monk cum cafe owner and an actual detective, Harbinder Kaur, investigating.

This feels like a very different type of book to the Ruth Galloway novels but has a great deal of charm, gentle humour and a warmth I have often found slightly missing in the other series. I’ll definitely look out for more of the Harbinder Kaur books.

With thanks to NetGalley, Elly Griffiths and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is my first non-Dr Ruth Galloway book from Griffiths and I was so excited when I discovered I had been granted my request to read it on NetGalley.

Peggy Smith has died but has she been murdered? Peggy is also a ‘murder consultant’ who helps authors with the crime writing. As the story goes on more murders happen and the mystery thickens.

I’m not sure why but I struggled to get into this book and it just did not move along as I would have liked it to. I really liked the characters Harbinder and Neil and really liked their working relationship. However I disliked her repeatedly comparing Neil to a type of animal and thought it was unnecessary and rather mean of her. I also enjoyed the fact Harbinder still lived at home with her parents and the family dog Sultan.

The character that really grated on my nerves was Natalka. She really drove me insane. I found her very arrogant and self centred. I didn’t mind Benedict and Edwin and thought that they were both interesting and rather endearing characters, especially Benedict who was once a monk and now owns a coffee shop. But the whole concept of Natalka, Benedict and Edwin running off trying to solve the crime just came across as ridiculous and really they should have been arrested for meddling in a murder case. I think it was the whole storyline of this book that put me off as it did just come across as all a bit fanciful.

I still liked elements of this book and will admit I did not see the conclusion of the book at all. I will read the first book with Harbinder in and give the series another shot but sadly this book was just not for me. I only give the book 3 out of 5 Dragons.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

A nice, easy, escapist read. I love a 'cosy crime' as is described in this book, and this was a nice casual read. I enjoyed the mixture of characters, and I was kept guessing until the end.

What a lovely book. Using one of the author’s own phrases - cosy crime. Quirky characters, unusual storylines - really enjoyable, original and different. Great holiday or Lockdown reading.

I have loved all the Elly Griffiths books and the Postscript Murders is no exception. Set in the seaside town of Shoreham the story features four seemingly ordinary people brought together by the death of Peggy Smith, an elderly lady who lives at Seaview. All the characters have an interesting backstory and these are slowly revealed throughout the book. A clever plot line with liberal smattering of humour along the way. Thoroughly enjoyable.

When an elderley lady is found dead by her carer, Natalka, her death is thought to be natural causes until, when sorting out her possessions her friends come across a postcard containing a threatening note. Her friends Edwin, Benedict & Natalka set out to investigate who could possibly want a lady like Peggy dead. They discover that Peggy worked with various crime writers helping them find new ways to kill people in their books.
One of the authors Peggy worked with is murdered and DS Harbinder Kaur is called on to investigate. Speaking to Peggy's friends makes her wonder if Peggy’s death was as straightforward as it seemed.
Following the trail from sleepy Shoreham to Aberdeen Harbinder must dig into Peggy’s past to find the key to the case.

An enjoyable romp of a "who done it". Brimming with quirky characters and tongue in cheek moments. Highly entertaining.

I really enjoyed this book and will give it a huge thumbs up. With a great story line and excellent main characters - I would highly recommend this book.

I haven't been able to properly focus on a book in weeks but The Postscript Murders grabbed me instantly with that intriguing business card: 'M Smith, Murder Consultant'. I loved the unlikely bunch of investigators, was constantly second-guessing myself with suspicions, and thought the plot was perfectly paced. And, of course, I always love a novel set in the world of books! I look forward to recommending this to customers and to selling loads.

A surprisingly good light mystery with a delightful cast of characters. Having realised this is the second book in a series I bought and read the first one before this as I am a stickler for reading series of books in order but it is not essential.

The main characters are DS Harbinder Kaur a female gay Sikh. Benedict a former monk and now owner of a coffee shack, Edwin an elderly gay retired BBC 4 TV producer and Natilka a Ukranian care worker with various other characters largely made up of crime authors with varying degrees of success.

Peggy Smith is a 90 year old lady with a heart condition but seemingly otherwise well is found dead in her chair in Seaview Court Retirement home that also houses Edwin.

When carer Natalka finds Peggy Smith dead in her chair, it looks like natural causes, but Natalka has her doubts, particularly when she finds a business card describing Peggy as a “Murder Consultant” and a card in a book with the words "we're coming for you". Suspicious, Natilka calls the police. DS Harbinder Kaur attends but initially the death is believed to be natural causes given Peggy's age but ever persistent Natilka, Edwin and Benedict believe Peggy was murdered and decide to investigate.

Other authors with links to Peggy receive the same cards and then other deaths occur leading the amateur sleuths to continue to investigate. This was a lovely easy read not normally the kind of book I would read but I hope the series continues as I will surely read them
Thanks to Netgalley UK and Queries books for allowing me to read this Arc book in exchange for a fair and honest review

I enjoyed this latest advance book by Elly Griffiths, who writes cracking crime thrillers - publication date 1 October 2020.

A ninety-year old woman, Peggy Smith, dies in her Shoreham-by-Sea apartment, and is found by her carer, Natalka. The local police officer, DS Harbiner Kaur, at first sees nothing suspicious in the death. But evidence mounts there was more to the death than at first appeared. Peggy Smith was a murder expert, and was consulted with by a number of thriller writers. So who killed her, and why?

As ever, Griffith's plotting is intricate and clever, and the characters came to life and were likeable. I was a little less convinced by the two settings. In the series Griffith sets in Norfolk, the setting feels comfortable in her hands. Aberdeen and Shoreham-by-Sea seem more lightly drawn.

All in all, a great cast of characters, a pacy plot and interesting twists, both in terms of characterisation and story.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Quercus for the free copy of the book.

I really enjoyed this book. Since reading The Stranger Diaries, I was looking forward to reading more of Harbinder. She's a fantastic character, full of dry humour, and this time she was joined by a cast of similarly intriguing, well-rounded characters.

While I found the conclusion to the mystery a little farfetched, I very much enjoyed the ride.

This latest book from the fabulous Elly Griffith’s is a witty and affectionate tribute to a Golden Age of crime fiction. More Harbinder please!

Ninety year old Peggy, resident in sheltered housing, dies. Nothing sinister in that. But carer Natalka seems to think so.

DS Harbinder Kaur doesn't think so. Not at first. But when Natalka says that someone had been following Peggy, that she lied about her heart condition and that she was a murder consultant with dedications from grateful crime fiction authors. Harbinder has second thoughts.

What an absolutely brilliant set of characters we are introduced to in this book.. I really hope that we get to meet them all again soon in another adventure. Elly Griffiths has surpassed ever her own high standards with this!

I really enjoyed this book, it was fast paced and all the characters were very likeable and believable.. A lot of the story was set in Hove with which I have connections so it was nice to hear of places around the area..

A really readable and enjoyable murder mystery.


Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review

Thanks Quercus books and Netgalley for this ARC!

Peggy is ninety years old and passes away, seemingly naturally....... but those who knew Peggy have their suspicions and alert DS Harbinder Kaur. DS Kaur keeps an open mind when she meets the motley crew of Benedict (previously a monk, now a coffee shop owner), Edwin (the dapper, gay pensioner who was Peggy's neighbour), and Natalka (Peggy's drop in carer and who has a slightly shady background). They discover that Peggy was a 'murder consultant', who helped crime authors with their book plots. Now authors are being murdered, but who is the murderer and are they after them now? 🕵️‍♀️

4⭐- If you're an Agatha Christie fan then you'll enjoy this! An easy to read, crime thriller that is full of worthy characters with a plot that is completely Christie-esque! This was very enjoyable to read and worth picking up a copy when it's out!

Disappointed in this book,not as good as her others. Lots of twists and a good cast of characters but very slow to get going.

The book opens with the death of an old lady who actually turns out to be a murder consultant! What secrets does her past hold that enables her to give advice to authors on what is the best way to murder someone in their crime books! It also throws doubt on whether her death was natural or not.
I found the first few chapters slow to get into and I wasn't sure where the story was going. Once you had been introduced to the main characters, the plot was much better. It's worth a read as it gets going after the first few chapters and has an interesting plot.

Loved this book, partly because I grew up in Brighton, know the wider area and can visualise all the places mentioned (not Aberdeen) and partly because I have enjoyed all Elly Griffiths' books so far. I really wanted to be enjoying a coffee on the front in Benedict's cafe. I didn't guess correctly early on which is a big plus. Enjoyed the multi-generational cast and the fact that they could work together on solving the crime(s). Thanks to Netgalley for an early read.