Elly Griffiths is easily becoming one of my favourite authors. It really is the characters who make this book for me. I really like Harbinder and we got to know her parents a little better too, who are just lovely. Then add in Edwin, Benedict & Natalka and you’ve got a brilliant set of characters to tell an interesting and sometimes amusing tale. I really love how Elly manages to make her characters so realistic, they all have their flaws and tiny oddities, which just make them so genuine.
This is at times a slow burner but it did give me great Agatha Christie vibes, especially some of the settings. It focuses a lot on books which I loved and the main plot was really enjoyable. My only one slight issue was I did find the side plot somewhat confusing and unnecessary. Altogether though, a great read!

As ever, Elly Griffiths creates a cast of 'ordinary', memorable, believable characters that draw in you to their domestic dramas as well as the unfolding crime drama plot. I particularly enjoyed Harbinder's woodland animal strategy to cope with Neil! The postscript murders has an engaging an enjoyable plot, enhanced with lots of elements that make it feel very current and believable. A great read - nice to travel with Harbinder again, hopefully not for the last time!

This is a very good thriller. This is the second one with Harbinder Kaur as a main character and I really like this character - and I like that Elly Griffiths obviously understood people might be tired by now of the main investigator being a white middle-aged man who is either divorced or single and smokes all day... I think the Ruth Galloway series already tried to fit more diverse characters, but this one makes the heroine a Sikh, gay young woman who lives with her parents, and I like the choice.
The supporting characters are very good as well - and you get to see characters you know in real life but who don't often appear in crime novels (the Ukrainian cleaner, the Indian parents, the lonely elderly neighbour).
The plot in this one is just as good as I expected - maybe a bit muddled towards the end (many twists in just a few pages) but the author clearly had a lot of fun writing something about crime writers and the writing scene. I found it really pleasant to read, wanted to know what happened, and enjoyed the writing as well.

With thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for a digital copy of this book. A new author for me and a new detective. Although part of a series, it is not necessary to have read the others. I really love crime fiction - for me key ingredients are an interesting setting, a fully fleshed and realised detective with a back story and a crime which is set up and unravelled with equal care and lastly not too much gore. This ticked all those boxes - Shoreham on sea with it’s glistening water, beachside cafe and retirees in their bay windowed flats clustered around the sands was enticing and an innocuous setting for murder. Harbinger, a gay female detective, has not yet ‘outed’ herself to her parents who she lives with and feels undervalued professionally and by her family. Added to this a delightful trio of an ex- monk, a savvy female carer from Poland and a retired gentleman yearning for excitement in his life. These three form an unlikely amateur sleuthing team determined to convince Harbinger that their friend did not die from natural causes. For me this often comic trio, enthusiastically pursuing leads all over the country to Harbinger’s horror, set the book apart from other crime fiction and is at the heart of the success of this book. The crime is carefully established and almost as carefully unraveled with the invariable little twists along the way. Hugely enjoyable!

I have only recently discovered Elly Griffiths (I loved The Stranger Diaries) so was pleased to see that another of her crime novels was listed on NetGalley.

From the sleepy seaside town of Shoreham to the granite streets of Aberdeen, The Postscript Murders is a literary mystery for fans of Anthony Horowitz, Agatha Christie and anyone who's ever wondered just how authors think up such realistic crimes...

Peggy Smith is just another little old lady, whiling away her time in a retirement complex watching the world go by. But when her carer, Natalka, finds Peggy dead in her chair she is convinced something is wrong. And when she finds business cards in Peggy's flat, declaring her to be a 'Murder Consultant', Natalka goes to the police. Frustrated that they don't appear to be taking it seriously at first, Natalka enlists the help of the local coffee shop owner (and ex-monk) Benedict, and another retiree from Seaview, Edwin to turn amateur detective. It's all very exciting at first, but then the murders start. And the team realise that they are in danger too.

Really enjoyed this novel. Lots of nice twists and turns, and references to crime writing and crime writers. And a hilarious literary festival panel scene.

PS: Trust no one.

Good read, likeable characters, original plot, keeps you guessing.
After reading this book, I’m excited to read more by this author.

“Do you think ninety year olds can’t be murdered?”

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”.

DS Harbinder Kaur, Best Gay Sikh Detective in West Sussex (it’s a small field) finds herself involved in the case, along with ex-monk Benedict and retired BBC producer Edwin, as they investigate mysterious goings on in the world of crime writing.

I knew I was going to love this book from the first page - it was right up my street. It’s the second in a series featuring Harbinder Kaur, and I haven’t read the first, but I don’t think this was a hindrance. I’ll definitely need to read it, though.

(I live in Aberdeen, so it was also hard to resist a story partly set there - and I’ve attended events at the Granite Noir crime writing festival, too, which the one here resembles.)

Lovely read, thoroughly enjoyed it.

A second outing from Ellie Griffiths for detective Harbinder Kaur and another treat of a book. An elderly woman dies and it emerges that she was often consulted by detective authors as she was excellent at devising unusual murders. Then the authors begin to die. A motley crew including an elderly man who lived in the same retirement home as the dead woman, a Ukrainian carer and an ex monk who now runs a coffee shop on the south coast band together to solve the murders.

It has the usual touches of humour that make Griffith's novels so good to read as well as a satisfying plot. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy.

As a fan of Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series at first, I wasn't sure about this novel but as the story progressed the characters developed. The death of Peggy arouses suspicions in her carer, Natalya. Natalya teams up with Peggy's elderly neighbour Edwin and ex-monk and coffee shop owner, Benedict to try and find the truth. This motley crew travels to Aberdeen and discovers several helpful clues but it is eventual the police, DI Harbinder Kaur, who finally piece together what happened. However, Benedict, Natalya and Edwin are all enriched by the experience. Having read this second novel I shall probably purchase the first in this series.

I really enjoyed this fairly lighthearted, yet suspenseful book. Very well written, with lots of literary references. Not all the lose ends are tied up in the end, which I'm afraid is a pet peeve of mine. Great cast of characters and well described settings. An enjoyable read.

When 95 year old Peggy Smith is found dead by her carer Natalka in her seaside flat in Shoreham the doctor puts her death down to heart failure but after finding a card which read Peggy Smith Murder Consultant Natalka is not so sure. Taking her suspicions to DS Harbinder Kaur although there is nothing definite it still feels like the right thing to do. Natalka has discussed her suspicions with her friend Benedict and Peggy's neighbour Edwin and they all agreed that she should take it to the Police.
As they probe deeper into the world of crime fiction the body count mounts up and they are taken from Shoreham to Aberdeen on a trip that changes all their lives.
This is the second book featuring DS Harbinder Kaur by Elly Griffiths it is a cosy mystery that brings the characters to life and keeps you wondering who the murderer is up until the end. Very enjoyable .

I love every book Elly Griffiths has written, and this is no exception! With fantastic characters and a driven plot, this second-in-series kept me guessing until the very end!

‘The Postscript Murders’ is the second novel in the Harbinder Kaur #2 series by Elly Griffiths. Having come across one of Elly’s talks at the recent (virtual) LockedUp Festival, I was eager to read some of her work and so I was excited to come across her latest novel on Netgalley. With a tagline such as “PS: thanks for the murders.”, you know that you are set for a good read.

The story concerns the death of an elderly woman called Peggy, who had the rather unusual occupation of “murder consultant”. Officially, Peggy has died of natural causes, but her carer Natalka does not believes this to be the truth and contacts DS Kaur with her suspicions. Along with Peggy’s other two friend’s Benedict and Edwin, Natalka launches her own investigation which sees the trio, travel from West Suxxex to Scotland to unravel the truth.

There are plenty of red herrings along the way in the story and references to the so-called golden age authors Agatha Christie, to ensure that my interest never waned. I enjoyed trying to pit my wits against Natalka and Harbinder as I tried to pickout the false clues and come to the truth. A fun and quick read and one that I definitely recommend. I’ll be looking out for more of Harbinder’s cases.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Quercus for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.

I always had high expectations for Elly Griffiths’ latest novel, a sequel to her previous 2018 standalone, ‘The Stranger Diaries’ which was a rather creepy horror/mystery novel set in my own neck of the woods, dear old West Sussex. Harbinder Kaur was introduced in the Stranger Diaries as a young gay Sikh detective who solves a death at a high school surrounded by literary associations, and she is back in The Postscript Murders, investigating the suspicious death of a 90-year old crime fiction lover in Shoreham-by-Sea, who seems to have been acknowledged in dozens of books and had a business card calling her a ‘Murder Consultant’. As with The Stranger Diaries, this is a murder mystery set within a literary circle, with strong links to the book community, which only serves to make it doubly interesting to a girl like me who loves all things books.

I absolutely loved The Stranger Diaries and in general I’m quite an Elly Griffiths fan, so I went in with really high expectations, but if anything this book is even better than the first. It introduces us to a quirky band of mismatched characters who fancy themselves amateur detectives: Natalka, the beautiful and sporty Ukrainian carer with a secret bitcoin empire; Benedict, the beachside coffee shop owner who used to be a monk; and Edwin, an elderly gay gentleman who used to work for the BBC. Together they set out to solve the ‘murder’ of their friend Peggy before it even seems there’s a solid reason to call it a murder, and along with Harbinder end up on a murder-solving trip to a Scottish book festival. This motley crew were very entertaining reading. The plot itself was intricate and cleverly pieced together; and I absolutely loved everything about it! I also always find it interesting reading about places I know well; Lancing, Steyning and Hove as well as Shoreham make an appearance.

This could be read without any knowledge of The Stranger Diaries, though it was fun to read former protagonist Clare’s cameo appearance in this book!

My thanks to the author, the publisher, @QuercusBooks, and to #NetGalley, for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. The book is out on the 1st October in the UK.

'If I'm ever killed, my TBR pile will be the murder weapon.'
I think this is one of the best lines in any book, and totally sums up how the #bookstagram community feels most of the time... The struggle is real!! 😂
I loved The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths. Set in sleepy Shoreham (which a quick pitstop in Chichester Waterstones, a place I know and love), this is a fabulous whodunnit, with quirky characters, the Ukrainian mafia, and amateur detectives who are in over the heads. It was totally charming and a great mystery too, very Christie or Anthony Horowitz in style... 2 of my faves. I would have loved to known 'the bay window set', they sound like wonderful ladies with exciting stories to tell, here's to Peggy, Weronika and Sheila. Happy Friday everyone! Thank you Netgalley for the arc.

The death of an elderly resident living in the sleepy seaside town of Shoreham raises questions on whether she died of natural causes or was in fact murdered sparks a small group of amateur detectives on the hunt of a possible serial killer targeting crime novelists. Aided by DS Harbinder Kaur who was first introduced to readers in The Stranger Diaries, the group follow clues up to Aberdeen for an author event and yet another death before reaching a satisfying conclusion.

An enjoyable read!

I’m not usually a fan of novels written in the present tense, but it didn’t take me long to forget that and become immersed in the (somewhat improbable) storyline, a gentle nod to ‘Golden Age’ detective novels. There is a murder in a care home (although it looks like a natural death) and a trio of unlikely amateur sleuths decide to investigate; the victim’s carer, an ex monk and a .lively octogenarian living in the same home, ably assisted in a rather unlikely way by a Detective Sergeant. It is a rollicking tale split between Sussex and Aberdeen and there are lots of bookish clues and a visit to a book festival with an insight into the publishing scene. Wonderful!
This is a second outing for D.S Kaur who appeared in The Stranger Diaries and I had to buy it straight away. That’s how much I enjoyed the Postscript Murders. I do hope there will be more!
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for this early reading copy in return for an honest review.

Sadly, it seems that Griffiths' writing is just not my cup of tea. I previously read two of her other books and wasn't particularly impressed. This sequel is promising to be just as flat as its predecessor. Harbinder is such an unlikable character. She's extremely judgemental towards other women, and for what? She's is 36 thinks but has the mentality of an embittered 90 year old "spinster". She's defensive when someone makes a comment about 'English names being weird' seeing it a some sort of snub. And then she goes on to think all of the most clichéd things about Ukraine. Like, really?
And the HUMOUR. I simply can't stand it. I love that authors Wilkie Collins, Agatha Christie, and Anthony Horowitz write amusing 'very British' mysteries...but with Griffiths...what should be taken as being funny falls flat to me.

The Postscript Murders was one of my most anticipated read of 2020. This was my second book in this series. And to be honest, this was a surprise because I had not expected a second Detective Harvinder Kaur book.

When Peggy is found dead in her flat by her carer, it seems a case of natural death. But she worked as a murder consultant for many crime fiction writers and to Natalka, her carer, her sudden death seems a little abrupt and problematic. And when a masked gunman bursts into Peggy's apartment when Natalka is there with the coffee shack owner Benedict they are sure something is very very wrong. And when a third murder occurs, they both along with Edwin, Peggy's neighbour, start their own sleuthing parallel to the investigation by Detective Kaur. The book takes us into the world of crime fiction writers and festivals, something that i thoroughly enjoyed.

The book was interesting primarily because of the delight it will provide to crime fiction lovers more than the actual mystery. I was very much involved in the life of the 4 detectives- DS Harvinder as well the trio of the book lover turned detectives. So much so, that i was constantly hoping none of them fell victim to the murderer!

While this book wasn't as good as the first one mystery wise (for me) i loved it for all the other descriptions and the insight into crime writer's world. 3.5 stars rounded to 4!

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!