I'm enjoying this cozy crime series and loved that this installment heavily featured books and the publishing industry. As with the first in the series I really liked the side characters the detective was involved with and that we got a callback to how the characters from the first book were getting on.

I enjoy the writing style with multiple points of view and will continue with the series.

Mistake number 1 was not reading the 1st book in the series but that often happens on Netgalley.
I love a good thriller/whodunnit so was disappointed to find this was not really of that ilk.
You win some you lose some. I won't be continuing with this series but have enjoyed other stuff by Elly Griffiths

As always Elly Griffith's books are amazing! Gripping from the first page to the last so you will never want to put it down

This is the second book in a cosy murder mystery series
It is extremely well written as Ely’s books always are
The plot is very intriguing and interesting
A great book

I'm sad. Elly Griffiths is an authored author for me but #ThePostscriptMurders didn't come together for me. The usual casual charm was missing, and I couldn't find my footing. I think this is a good (bad) example of why multiple narrators is irritating, especially when every chapter is a different voice. I'll still continue reading Griffiths but I can't recommend this one.

At long last! I have finally got round to reading/audiobooking my first Elly Griffiths. And I knew it had to be Postscript Murders as I didn't know very much about it and the cover intrigued me hugely (the original cover with the bold red background and the ivy on the front).

This is a strange animal for me. Once I found my footing with the story, I whizzed through the audiobook, upping the reader speed because I had to know what happens next. I loved how the mystery starts: an elderly woman dies and her carer believes she was murdered and, when looking through her things, we discover a business card, calling her a "murder consultant". And I grew to love our main leads: DS Harbinder Kaur (the detective), Natalka (Peggy's Ukrainian carer), Benedict, (former monk, now the local coffee maker) and Edwin (Peggy's 80 year old neighbor). I think I stayed with the story because of these characters.

So, why have I given it 3 stars? I really liked the characters, I really liked Elly Griffiths's writing, I did like the mystery (though I wish I knew more about Peggy), and I did like Nina Wadia narration of the audiobook. There's something that I didn't warm to, and I can't figure what it is. Which is a little annoying so this ticks all my boxes.

But I enjoyed myself with this and I do plan to read more Elly Griffiths this year. I have The Crossing Places (in the pretty hardback edition), The Night Hawks and The Locked Room (this one I am hugely intrigued over as I see this EVERYWHERE!).

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. The Postscript Murders is the second novel in the DS Kaur series. I thought it worked as a stand-alone.

Peggy Smith is a curious old pensioner who lives in a retirement flat in Shoreham. When she is found dead, it’s attributed to natural causes. Peggy has a lot of crime novels, many of which are dedicated to her. When the authors start dying too, DS Kaur begins an investigation. She’s not alone, and Peggy’s friends do some amateur sleuthing of their own.

I didn’t mind the characters in this book, but they were a little two dimensional at times. There are quite a lot of names and it was a little confusing to follow who was who.

The book is billed as a “gripping” read, but it was far from it for me. I found the pace quite slow and totally lacking in any tension or suspense. The plot felt a bit all over the place, and I had to suspend belief at some points. The motives for murder were unlikely and they were solved too easily and conveniently. There was too much going on at the same time which I felt diluted any suspense the book could have had.

The frequent mentions of “Panda Pop” really got on my nerves and I didn’t see the need to mention it so often.

I’m not sure I would recommend this book and it hasn’t encouraged me to read more by the author. The cover is pretty, though.

Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for a copy to review.

2.5 stars rounded to 2.

Hhhhhhhhhggfecbiubcdfgyuujbcddbncvgfvv GB hhhhnhhnmfdgjkkhggccvbvhvhc TV Dr hkiElly Griffiths captures the crime novel like no other

This was a good standalone and the detective's persona is developing nicely (from the previous standalone). The roadtrip was fun but the couple rather annoying. Loved the description of the lit Fest in Scotland.

This is my first Elly Griffiths novel and I was pleased to see it was a standalone, meaning I hadn’t missed any previous books.
When 90 year old Peggy Smith dies in her sea view apartment, her friends and carer are convinced there is something more to it.
They discover a link between Peggy and some well published crime writers, they have been asking her advice for their plot ideas.
There follows a reasonably fast paced story of murders, authors, the Ukrainian Mafia and Bitcoin fraud!
This was a different style of writing to books I’ve read before, but one I really enjoyed.
I’d definitely like to read the other DS Kaur book and Elly Griffiths has been added to my authors to follow list.

The Stranger Diaries remains one of my favorite books of the past few years so I was ecstatic to read another Elly Griffiths novel featuring Harbinder, a character I love. While The Postscript Murders lacked the gothic thriller elements of The Stranger Diaries, it is another highly engaging and well written novel that revolves around works of literature- this time, golden age mystery novels. We learn more about Harbinder in this book as she’s a main character, and she’s joined by a new group of major and minor characters who are all well-developed and intriguing. There was much more to the cebtral mystery than it appeared originally, and Griffiths unfolded her plot masterfully. Highly recommend!

A good read, very cosy, with some twists and turns. I would definitely read more from the author in the future.

I have read and loved all of Elly Griffith's Ruth Galloway series so I was so excited to get my hands on this. And wow, it certainly fulfilled my expectations! I absolutely loved Harbinder Kaur and the story sucked me right in from page one. As with all Griffiths' stories, it is perfectly plotted and rockets along at a decent pace, ensuring the reader keeps their interest. I loved it and immediately purchased the first one in the series!

I really enjoyed my previous DS Harbinder Kaur book (The Stranger Diaries, which is actually second in the series… this is the first!) and so was very keen to try this one.

One of the joys of this series is the literary angle to the murder mysteries, with lots of focus on crime novels, readers, writers, publishers, editors and agents – as a die-hard bookworm it is thrilling in every way, to be so immersed in my raison d’etre.

I did find the plot got a little bit confusing this time round. There is A LOT going on – crypto-currency, foreign mobs, larceny and the obligatory murder – and it seemed a little far-fetched towards the end, as the reveals began to roll out. This is definitely not one of those times when I worked out what was going on before the detective!

Still, I love the characters and how their relationships develop as the story progresses, found the plot entertaining, and was left wanting more from every single character. So this is another author with a firm spot on my wish-list!

It took me a little while to get into this book as the author writes in a different way to other authors I read. However, the storyline was great and I didn't guess the killer at all, so always a plus! Elly Griffiths always writes a good novel without making it too intense, so you can read it when you want something light and fluffy to escape to!

An enjoyable murder mystery that’s full of suspense. If you like easy-reading, detective fiction you will like this and it’ll keep you guessing throughout. With lots of red herrings along the way I must say I was somewhat disappointed with the eventual outcome as there didn’t seem to be enough of a motive, however I didn’t see it coming until I neared the end so props to the author for that. I’m not sure I’d pick up another of the books in this series straight away but I can see how others might really like it.

I loved this book, which is a mystery/crime novel, much like the work of Agatha Christie, but with a modern twist.. A 90 year old woman called Peggy is murdered and is found by her carer Natalka. DS Harbinder Kaur investigates the murder and along with Peggy's friends Edwin and Benedict and carer Natalka, they have an adventurous time tracking down the killer. This is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Having really enjoyed Elly Griffith’s previous standalone mystery The Stranger Diaries back in 2019, I was keen to read more of her work. Unfortunately however her more established Dr Ruth Galloway series didn’t quite gel with me, so I was delighted by the announcement of The Postscript Murders, Elly’s second standalone mystery.

I say ‘standalone’ but Goodreads has this listed as the second in the DS Harbinder Kaur ‘series’. This is possibly a tad misleading. Whilst DS Kaur did appear as one of the investigating officers in The Stranger Diaries, she wasn’t the protagonist and the two novels can be enjoyed entirely separately – the mystery in The Postscript Murders is entirely standalone and DS Kaur now takes centre stage as one of the viewpoint characters, alongside an eclectic cast of amateur sleuths. There are some nods back to The Stranger Diaries – references to Harbinder’s friend Clare, the protagonist of the previous books – but nothing that requires you to have read that novel in order to enjoy this one.

The Postscript Murders sees DS Kaur and her colleagues investigating the death of a 90 year old lady called Peggy Smith. Peggy had a heart condition so, at first glance, there seems to be nothing unusual about her demise. When her carer Natalka and ex-monk friend Benedict are held up at gunpoint in Peggy’s apartment – and when the gunman steals an obscure golden age crime novel – it does begin to look as if there may have been more to Peggy’s death than meets the eye. When it becomes apparent that Peggy acted as a ‘murder consultant’ for various well-known crime novelists – and when one of those novelists ends up with a bullet to the head – Harbinder realises she’s got a rapidly evolving and complex case on her hands. One that she could do really without Natalka, Benedict, and Peggy’s elderly neighbour Edwin getting wrapped up in.

Combining the ‘cosy’ amateur sleuthing of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club with the literary mystery of Anthony Horowitz’s Magpie Murders, The Postscript Murders is a wholly engaging read that alternates between Harbinder Kaur’s official investigation and the amateur sleuthing of Natalka, Benedict, and Edwin.

Harbinder really comes to life in this book and makes for an enjoyably cynical narrator and I really liked finding out more about her family and personal life in this book. Living at home with her elderly parents Bibi and Deepak (both of whom are an absolute delight to read about on the page), Harbinder finds it challenging to balance her job with her role as a daughter in a close-knit Sikh household – especially when Bibi falls over the family dog and requires additional care. Harbinder is also hiding the fact that she is gay from her family – and is doubting whether a thirty-something woman with a successful career should really still be living at home and spending her evenings playing Panda Pop. Watching her puzzle through both personal and professional dilemmas was one of the highpoints of the book for me – and I loved that, whilst Harbinder has both family and professional problems, Elly Griffiths didn’t turn her into the traditional ‘detective with issues’. Instead we get a portrait of a warm, loving family, and a respectful – if occasionally frustrating – professional environment – and of a woman working through where exactly she fits into it.

Natalka, Benedict, and Edwin, meanwhile, are a delightfully eclectic set of amateur sleuths. Carer Natalka is witty, confident, and captivating – but is running from painful memories and dangerous enemies back in her native Ukraine. Ex-monk turned barista Benedict, meanwhile, knows he’s fallen out of love with seminary life – but can’t quite find his place within the secular world. And former TV producer Edwin – stuck living at Seaview ‘Preview’ Court – faces a lonely existence without his friend Peggy. As this unlikely trio begin investigating Peggy’s death, they form friendships and bonds that are really lovely to read about. And again, whilst each of the trio have ‘baggage’, this is dealt with in a reasonable and realistic way.

I also really liked the way the plot centred around the literary world and, in particular, the world of crime fiction. There is a knowing and witty portrayal of the bookish community in The Postscript Murders that is sure to delight many readers – even us bloggers get a mention! And whilst there are several deaths in the course of the novel, there isn’t anything especially gory or violent – for the most part, the book stays firmly in the realm of ‘cosy’ crime in a similar way to the Golden Age mysteries to which it pays some homage. Which isn’t to say that there aren’t plenty of unexpected twists and turns along the way to finding out ‘whodunnit’!

Overall, The Postscript Murders is a charming and engaging mystery bought to life by a cast of vivid and endearing characters. Combining a well-plotted and page-turning mystery with plenty of warmth, wit, and humour, it is the perfect read for fans of The Thursday Murder Club or Magpie Murders, as well as anyone seeking a contemporary mystery that has all the hallmarks and charm of the Golden Age.

This is a slickly pacey novel set, largely, in a sleepy seaside town. It shouldn't be suspicious when a woman in her nineties is found dead - she was sitting quietly, in an undisturbed flat, by a window - but her friends think they know better. Peggy Smith was not your usual sort of old lady, with her flat full of crime novels many of which name her in the acknowledgments, and a business card naming her as a 'Murder Consultant'. A mixed bag of people - a Ukrainian carer, an ex-monk barista and a fellow resident of Seaview Court called Edwin - set about investigating her life and death, roping in DS Harbinder Kaur along the way. There are a few more bodies, a lot of authors, the odd road trip and an awful lot of twists and turns. --
This is a crime which tends slightly towards the 'cosy' but not because there is no death, blood or danger. The cosiness in these books comes from the essential normalness of the characters: the joy comes from the fact that, like most normal people, they are all wonderfully individual and a little bit daft. There's plenty of humour among the corpses and a hefty dose of development among all the personalities involved. I hope we catch up with Edwin, Natalka and Benedict in DS Kaur's future cases but, even if we don't, they are probably real enough to have adventures without being in a book...

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I thought I would unfortunately. After really enjoying The Stranger Diaries (& liking the author's Ruth Galloway series), I thought I would love this somewhat follow up (the police officer being the same one), but the tone and characters just didn’t grab me, and it was a bit too light hearted without any substance. As another reviewer has said, I think this book suffers for being compared to The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus for the electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.