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.

I felt like the novel needed tighter editing and pacing, but then paradoxically, more backstory to make the plot believable and less shoehorned in. The novel starts off pretty slow for the first 70%, then gallops along towards the end. The issue is that the first 70% doesn't set enough background/motivation for the murders to really make that last 30% land. So as such, the story takes wildly unbelievable twists and turns (specifically the Russian plotlines) in which you have zero backstory or investment. I think the novel has the typical wonderful characters and humanity you see in all Griffiths' work, but the plot just simply doesn't work.

Murder and mayhem ensues amongst the crime writing community and when 90 year old Peggy is found dead in her chair in Shoreham by the Sea by her care worker something sets alarm bells ringing that this is not a case of death by natural causes and instead Peggy may have been killed by someone she saw up to no good

Second in the DS Harbinder Kaur series which is promising to get better and better

I had no idea this was a sequel to The Stranger Diaries, but I was so excited to find out because I love DS Kaur so much! This book is probably the closest I have read to what would be a cozy mystery, which of course is the point without saying too much. I adored every character, who were fleshed out perfectly. I was guessing wrong at every turn, because I am a terrible detective. I am also a fan because it's a book about books and murder! I do need to get on with reading. I am also pleased, considering the recent events with white authors and microagressions, that Griffith treats Kaur well and dives into the racism she experiences on a daily basis.

The death of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition should not be suspicious. Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur certainly sees nothing out of the ordinary when Peggy’s caretaker, Natalka, begins to recount Peggy Smith’s passing. And so starts the second Detective Kaur mystery. Elly Griffiths has rapidly become one of my top favorite authors and whenever I see she has a new book on the horizon I cannot wait to read it. This its incredibly well plotted, a handful of red herrings and an ending that I am not sure I saw. I can't wait for the third in this series! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

#ThePostscriptMurders #NetGalley Thanks to Houghton Mifflin. NetGalley and Elly Griffiths whose writing I adore! I am ReReading Ruth Galloway series for the 3rd time!!

"Murder leaps off the page when crime novelists begin to turn up dead in this intricate new novel by internationally best-selling author Elly Griffiths, a literary mystery perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Agatha Christie."


That being said, this outing of Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur was not my favorite and I give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Why? Well I enjoyed Harbinder in the Stranger Diaries, perhaps she works better with mysteries involving teenagers? Was it rushed out what with our present worldwide issues?

I was happy that in the end she came out to her parents and some selected people and that was good. Perhaps less so was how they arrived at "solving" the murders.

The Postscript murders is the sequel to the Stranger Diaries, as DS Kaur investigates a number of suspicious deaths that all seem to be linked to the postscript dedications in books.

This is a fun a quirky read that I really enjoyed, mainly due to the wonderful cast of characters that help out our lead detective. Ron and Natalka were wonderful and I just think Benny is a complete cinnamon roll who I just want to protect. In the main, I had a strong connection to all of the characters throughout this book, and their POVs were wonderfully individual and well written.

In terms of pacing, this is again really well done, I was hooked from start to finish. I think the pacing lost its way a little in places but this is quickly sorted and I was once again whisked along. It can also be a tad repetitive but the core information is easily missed - meaning that when presented with the solution I was thinking "yes I was told that - why did I dismiss that?" A tad rushed at the end with the solution but ultimately satisfying.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review

This is my favorite kind of book. Murder mystery and detective work. I finished in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down because I needed to know the ending! I loved the first book The Stranger Diaries and this is a perfect second. I love Elly Griffiths.

The Postscript Murders is the second novel by author Elly Griffiths featuring DS Harbinder Kaur who is self described as “The best gay Sikh detective in West Sussex”. The novel centers on the death of an elderly woman living in a sheltered housing complex who, while originally thought to have died a natural death, is determined to have been murdered. There is a wonderful casts of characters...fellow occupants of the senior housing, published authors, a former monk now running a coffee shack and the immigrant women who worked as carers to the murdered woman. While the murder plot held my interest the best part of the book is Elly Griffiths observations, dialogue and laugh out loud moments. She is truly a gifted author. If you have not read this author i urge you to check out all three of her series. I sure hope there will be another DS Kaur book.