3.5 cozy stars

My favorite part of this book is the scenery – I so want to visit Shoreham and Edinburgh after reading this book. Maybe I could hire a driver though to take me on the route?

This book marks the return of DS Harbinder Kaur who is on the job investigating a possibly suspicious death followed by a string of murders! Kaur first appeared in “Stranger Diaries” which I really liked!

Peggy Smith, a 90-year-old, has died and her home aide/carer Natalka is concerned that it might be suspicious, especially when she finds an interesting business card stating “Murder Consultant.” Soon we are immersed in the world of mystery book writers, including a book festival in Edinburgh.

There’s a fun trio that is investigating the “crimes” – Natalka, a coffee shop owner Benedict, and Peggy’s neighbor, friend, and snappy dresser Edwin. Though the trio was surrounded by murders, I felt that they were safe from harm in this cozy mystery. I found this one to be reminiscent of Agatha Christie.

An enjoyable read, but I did not like it as much as “Stranger Diaries” and I hope that in future books Harbinder Kaur is a bit more optimistic and happier!

I read this book without knowing it is a sequel and didn’t miss anything. This one is different from the Ruth Galloway series. The story starts with an unsuspected death of a 90 year old murder consultant and proceeds with the death of a couple more authors. There are actually four detectives, one official and three amateurs. What follows is their unofficial ways told with wry humour and some extraneous plots with not much of a connection to the main plot. Though not a hardcore mystery thriller, I could enjoy it and would recommend it.

The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths 

The Postscript Murders gives us a cozy murder mystery, in the style of Agatha Christie. No in your face blood and guts, just a 90 year old woman who is such an expert on how to kill people that authors use her as their "murder consultant". But when Peggy dies, one of her caretakers, Natalka, gets suspicious for a number of reasons. Natalka had seen Peggy that morning and she was just fine, so Natalka, Benedict, the local coffee shack guy, and Edwin, Peggy's 80 year old neighbor, start brainstorming things they've found and become amateur murder sleuths, to the annoyance of DS Harbinder Kaur, who is the official investigator on the case. Peggy's death does seem suspicious, especially when an intruder holds a gun on Natalka and Benedict, while they are looking at crime books in the late Peggy's apartment. 

We get to see things from the viewpoints of Natalka, Benedict, Edwin, Harbinder and others. Eventually Natalka, Benedict, and Edwin take off to an Aberdeen literary festival to do their snooping, and things get more dangerous and perplexing. Both Benedict and Harbinger are the most entertaining to me, with their inner thoughts on everything that was going on. Natalka brings to mind a beautiful spy (I'm not saying she is a spy), Edwin, at 80, is as suave as he was in his younger days, and Harbinder gets so irked by her partner Neil that she imagines he's a small woodland creature, although I don't think this helped her relationship with him, one bit. 

Harbinder played a role in The Stranger Diaries but it's not necessary to read that book to enjoy this one. I hope we see more of Harbinder (and friends) in future books. I'd love to see things from the viewpoint of Neil, Harbinder's partner. As much as she thinks he drives her nuts, I suspect he has a few complaints of his own. 

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for this ARC.

Well this was definitely a surprise of a book coming from this author! I read and loved “The Stranger Diaries” and some of her Ruth Galloway books. I think those books had a more “sinister”, heavier feel to them.

Who has ever heard of a “murder consultant”?? Well in this book you will hear all about Peggy, a lovely woman who was very well liked. She helped authors find unique ways of “killing off their characters” and she was well known among murder mystery writers.

The book opens with her Ukranian caregiver, Natalka, finding Peggy dead at her desk. This is where she wrote her “investigations” and observations of the people passing in front of her bay window overlooking the sea. Her death was thought to be a heart attack, natural causes. She was said to have a known heart condition? Did she??

This starts the beginning of a very novel mystery. The lead detective assigned to the case, DS Harbinder Kaur, gets lots of help from Peggy’s friends in solving this case. There are many different ideas floated around but when others are found dead, supposedly of natural causes, there are suspicions of a possible serial killer?

The characters were amazing, here are some of them; the first 4 make up our murder solving investigators! I love how their relationships changed and how well these four worked together :

Edwin, Peggy’s friend used to frequently do crossword puzzles. He was a very close friend and is shocked at her death. He said he thought she was quite healthy.

Benedict is a former monk, he is a caring neighbor and thinks Peggy’s death is suspicious, he loves murder mysteries

Natalka, is an amazing caregiver, we see her change a lot during the book, in a good way. She found Peggy dead and was the first to suggest this might be murder!

Harbinger Kaur is a very interesting character, she seems to have a rough exterior but she shows another side of herself in this novel

Nigel, Peggy’s son who doesn’t seem to be in mourning for his mother, in fact he starts packing the flat up to sell as soon as he could. Why was he in such a hurry, something isn’t right here.

Multiple murder victims whose names I will not mention or that would spoil the surprise :)

I really enjoyed this book, it was a very different side of Ms.Griffiths that I have not read before. I would recommend this book, it was a good mystery, well plotted and had great characters that made me care about them.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley
This novel will be published on March 2, 2021

Will post to Amazon upon publication

I love Elly Griffiths books. I am mostly a big Ruth Galloway fan but really enjoyed this. Totally different to her books I usually read and kept me page turning as we were taken all over the country. Perfect for readers who want a proper page turner and want to stay up late to finish reading! I knocked one star off just because I do feel its weaker than her Ruth Galloway series, but thats possibly just my own personal view. Thanks Elly and netgalley

Having read the previous book in this series, I was excited to see a new Harbinder Kaur book. You can absolutely jump into this one even if you didn't read the previous one, although there are multiple references to Clare, who was the main character in that book. Harbinder is an interesting protagonist, being a female detective who is gay, Sikh, and still lives with her parents. In this book she gets some friends, and they are an interesting assortment for sure: a former monk who runs the local coffee shop, an elderly gay neighbor, and a home-health aide in debt to Ukrainian thugs. They band together to help Harbinder solve the murder of their friend Peggy, an older woman who secretly helped some well-known crime writers plot their fictional murders. I love Elly Griffiths writing and this one just swept me along as usual! Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Unpopular opinion alert!
This was just a 3⭐️ read for me!

I loved “The Stranger Diaries”...the story within the book, the suspense, the hint of the Supernatural...

So, I was excited to receive approval to read an ARC of “The Postscript Murders”!

The death of 90 year old, Peggy Smith, reveals that she has been a “Murder Consultant” for several best-selling crime fiction authors! Her name appears in dedications and acknowledgement pages of several books-apparently she was great at plotting and dreaming of new ways to murder someone!

P.S. Thanks for the Murders
P.S. for PS

And, to me, her collaborating with the authors and brainstorming with them is the book that I wanted to read!

But, alas, we didn’t get to spend time with Peggy beyond the Prologue, and instead join her friends (3 unlikely armchair detectives) and DI Harbinder Kaur (who was first introduced in The Stranger Diaries) in a “COZY” story which at times read a bit like a farce to me because of a white Ford Fiesta which seemed to be in the Vicinity of many of the “Postscript Murders”.

It is not necessary to read “The Stranger Diaries” to read this one, but if you haven’t read it, it was the book which I preferred of the two.

P.S. This will be available in the U.S. on March 2, 2021.

(4.5 stars)

I was so pleased to see that Elly Griffiths has decided to write a series featuring DS Harbinder Kaur, who first made her first appearance in "The Stranger Diaries". Harbinder is an intriguing character herself; she's a Sikh in her thirties, is gay and lives with her parents. She's the no-nonsense kind and she doesn't really care what people think of her, which is one trait I liked most about her.

In this book we follow Harbinder to Shoreham, a West Sussex coastal town, to look into the death of a 90-year-old Peggy Smith. Although Peggy is reported to have died of a heart condition, her carer thinks otherwise. Natalka, an Ukrainian young woman who has some knowledge in cryptocurrency dealing, has been taking care of Peggy for a while and knew about her quiet lifestyle and her health condition. She believes there's more than meets the eye surrounding Peggy's death after finding a postcard tucked in one of her books with an ominous message "We are coming for you". Peggy may be old and wheelchair-bound, but in truth she was a smart woman who had offered some of her ideas to several well-acclaimed crime authors about murder plots and how to kill people in the fictional world, thus earning her the title of "murder consultant" among them and it was no surprise her name was often mentioned in their acknowledgements.

As Harbinder and her partner, DS Neil Winston began their investigation after Natalka's observation, Natalka herself forms her own sleuthing group consisting an ex-monk turns cafe owner (Benedict) and a retired gay radio broadcaster (Edwin) who are all acquaintances of Peggy and living around the area. Their curious probing took a turn when a gunman broke into Peggy's flat and fled away with an out-of-print crime novel, adding more intrigue and suspicion to the already suspicious case. To complicate matters, Natalka thinks she is being followed by two men whom she suspected are Ukrainian mafia for the cryptocurrency fraud years ago. Without any ideas or clues, the two sleuth parties soon find two more authors dead. Both authors knew Peggy and they too had received the same ominous message. Who is targeting these authors and for what reason?

Once again, I find myself captivated by Ms Griffiths' way of plotting and executing the story, as well as her interesting cast of characters who are unique and unforgettable in their own ways. Natalka, Benedict and Edwin may have nothing in common and their personalities differ, but they've an astonishing chemistry and I enjoyed reading their observations and their theories. Harbinder's character continues to be a delightful read, but I was more drawn to the literary theme surrounding the mystery and the interesting trio that made this book such a fun read despite the dark mood of murders. And oh, if you've read The Stranger Diaries, you may be pleased to see Clare has made an appearance in this book, though she has no connection to the story and each book stand on its own.

I enjoyed this book. I thought it would be slow but the characters make the book. They're very believable and carry the story. I was surprised by the reveal of the bad guy(s). It's definitely worth the read. #ThePostscriptMurders #NetGalley

The death of 90 year old Peggy is at first glance not suspicious to the police or to her friends...except for her care giver. Something doesn't add up.
This follow up to Stranger Diaries finds us dealing with an unusual group of new friends who have taken it upon themselves to find out the truth of Peggy's death.
We have Benedict, the former monk and now cafe owner, Edwin, Peggy's friend and neighbor who needs some excitement in his life, and the ringleader Natalka.
You almost feel sorry for Harbinder Kaur who is fighting a losing battle to keep this group safe and under control and at the same time solve the mysterious death of the "murder consultant".
There are enough red herrings thrown at you in this entertaining adventure that you eventually give up and just go with the flow until the truth comes out. It's never who you think it will be!. I was completely surprised by the big reveal.
My question is, will we get to enjoy this unique cast of characters in future installments of this series??..fingers crossed.
I highly recommend anything by Elly Griffiths. She never let's me down!
Special thanks to #HoughtonMifflinHarcourt and #NetGalley for an ebook of #ThePostscriptMurders in exchange for an honest review.

I often recommend Elly Griffith's Ruth Galloway series for friends who are looking for smart, well-written mysteries without excessive gore. I also adored The Stranger Diaries, and was delighted to learn that it was the first in this lovely new series.

The Postscript Murders is a thoughtful, engaging novel about murder mysteries and the readers who love them. It is equally a story of friendships, of people stepping out of loneliness and into connections with others. Though it is not a "cozy" mystery, per se, there is a comforting, kind quality about it--a gentle humor which always laughs with, and not at, the characters. It was a pleasure to spend several hours with them, from the Shoreham seaside to Aberdeen.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced reader's copy of this title.

Peggy is found dead by her career, Natalka, who is suspicious about the circumstances. Why does Peggy have so many books and why is she acknowledged in so many of them? Natalka becomes friends with Edwin and Benedict and together they go on suite a fun trip to investigate this death and others. Alongside this, Harbinder investigates on behalf of the police. It’s a happy little story which rips along in a merrily implausible way. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC. I’m giving it 3.5 stars rounded down.

It's my first novel of Elly Griffiths and I just found out this is already a Harbinder Kaur #2. It was totally fine to read this as a stand-alone mystery. But I will for sure get the first one now!
I love the eclectic group of murder sleuths! All the characters are well developed and the storyline has a good pace. Definitely one of my favourite cozy mystery!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in return for a honest reivew.

Enthralling and enchanting from beginning to end with curious characters. Postscript Murders is mesmerising and captivating.
Peggy is a peculiar old lady with her diary as she meticulously takes notes of what she sees along a sea front. She is particularly suspicious of a couple of men and is later found by Natalika in her home and the contents tell a story within itself as Natalika starts to go through her belongings and tries to unravel exactly who she was and what she did and why her name appeared in so many books as it becomes curiouser and curiouser. It makes me think of tv series, Through the Keyhole in a way as the deeper you get into the book, the more you wonder "who lives in a house like this" and try to guess just who Peggy really was in Seaview Court, although it takes a more sinister turn. The book in someways, circulates around the many books within what was her flat as the mystery delves deeper. Throughout the book  are many crime fiction titles, but listed to become ingeniously part of the story. There are also other references from other mediums of entertainment too.

Harbinder Kaur is 36, unmarried and still living with her parents, which may be relatable to so many around this age and suits her. She is a detective sergeant, which her parents seem very pleased about. She does have one drawback and that is, she hasn't yet told them that she is gay and it all becomes a bit complicated when the family have guests around and that eternal question that single women get faced with, whether you are gay or not, of if there is a boyfriend on the horizon type of thing is asked. Elly has captured Harbinder's reaction very well.

Benedict Cole is also looking for love, since leaving St. Bedes and has some romantic idea in his head that you actually meet someone whilst walking by the sea or in a library and not online and has his eyes set on someone.

Just as the mystery is something readers can enjoy delving deeper into, so are the characters lives as time passes by. Author, Dex Challoner is also one of those intriguing characters within Shoreham to get a look inside his life and a glimpse into Millionaire's Row.

There are twists and turns as more deaths occur, throwing up more into the mystery in what becomes a book that delves into not just the mysterious character of Peggy, but also the world of authors, publishers and literary festivals, such as the one in Aberdeen. Then there's also Natalika from Ukraine, who is also embroilled in crypto-currency from when she lived there and there may be Ukranian mafia after her. All this is enough to wonder even more what the connections are to Peggy and to keep the pages turning.

Letters are found between Peggy and Joan, which seem poignant and particularly pertinent to their life stories, at least in part, going between many topics and reading letters is often fascinating.

It is an absolutely enthralling book acknowledges a lot, from books to tv creations to cities to festivals, all weaved in and out of a mystery of very intriguing characters.

An elderly woman is found dead, but her carer thinks it may be murder rather than a dodgy ticker. A ragtag bunch of friends teams up to find her killer, but they get more than they bargained for. DS Harbinder Kaur tries to rein in their enthusiasm while also keeping them alive. Light, humorous, and gently suspenseful.

Elly Griffiths has a great writing style. It feels effortless to read and comes across very conversational. She also creates great characters that really come to life through her writing. She also throws in a pretty good murder mystery. What isn't to like?? This, the second in a series featuring the same detective, had great pacing and lots of dead bodies with many different angles of misdirection throughout the read. Definitely kept me guessing and thoroughly entertained.

Thank you Netgalley for The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths. I liked the odd combination of characters in the story. The story is written with multiple points of view. It was hard to follow at first, but I did finally get it and really enjoyed the book.
A 90 year old woman, Peggy, dies and everyone thinks it's a natural death, except for the caretaker, Natalka. She convinces her friends, Benedict- a cafe owner, and Edwin- Peggy's neighbor at Sea View. They bring in Harbinder, a DS. A few more deaths occur and they try to solve them too. The 3 amateur detectives and 1 detective inspector go on a road trip to Aberdeen, where an author dies.
I enjoyed reading another book by Elly Griffiths. Her descriptions of people and places are very good. It is a book that holds your attention.

Ecstatically lucky to get this ARC from NetGalley, having loved the first in the series, THE STRANGER DIARIES. As in that first book, I'm enamored with Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur and her work on the strange mystery of the suspicious death of a 90 year old "Murder Consultant." Elly Griffiths truly writes books for those of us who LOVE books, and I felt that heart of every page of this novel - I felt seen! Griffiths deftly maneuvers this novel with a melange of quirky characters, long roadtrips, and a number of very questionable deaths. I loved this book oh so much, and hope that you will love it too. BUT do start with the first in the series; you'll appreciate DS Kaur so much more when you have more backstory on her.
Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the digital ARC.

4.5 stars

“If I’m ever killed, my TBR pile will be the murder weapon.”

The Postscript Murders is a tautly written murder mystery centered around the death of a 90-year-old woman who happens to have been a murder consultant.

When Peggy Smith, a 90-year-old woman, is found dead, no one believes foul play had a role in her death….that is no one but her Ukrainian carer, Natalka. Upon the discovery that Peggy served as a murder consultant, thinking up unique ways for characters to die, for popular and critically acclaimed authors, Natalka teams up with Edwin, an 80-year-old “ancient TV producer," and Benedict an “ex-monk-turned-coffee-shop owner” to investigate Peggy’s death. Detective Harbinder Kaur is brought into the fold.

Investigating Peggy’s death changes the lives of this motley and eccentric group of armchair detectives. It also makes an impact on Harbinder’s life.

There are multiple narrators, all of whom offer a unique perspective on the investigation. Natalka was my favorite character, followed by Benedict. But really, I loved all of the characters.

This is book two in the Harbinder Kaur series but can be read as a standalone. Clare and a few others who played a role in The Stranger Diaries make appearances, but it is not essential to read these books in order.

The Postscript Murders is a book for mystery lovers, especially those who are fans of jazz-age mysteries, as well for those who love to play the role of armchair detective. Clues are found in books, and I love the idea of a 90-year-old woman being credited with thinking up original murders for novelists to use in their books. My only gripe was that I wanted to know more about Peggy.

I loved every minute of this book! It is smart, witty, and full of wonderful book-related gems. I had so much fun reading it. The mystery has many layers, and all is not what it seems. The characters are developed, intelligent, and each lovable in their own way. I hope to see all of them again in future books!

“Is there really a world where people care so much about books that they write to the authors and consider them friends?”

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to #NetGalley, the publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and the author Elly Griffiths 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.