Definitely at the cosier end of the cosy/gritty spectrum, this is a murder mystery for book lovers. An author is murdered, a book contains a vital clue, writers are frequently discussed and a key scene is set at a crime writers festival. What’s not to love?!

It begins with the death of a ninety year old woman, whose hobby had been advising crime writers on ingenious ways to kill off their characters. Her Ukrainian carer Natalka is convinced that Peggy’s death was suspicious and she ropes in local barista Bernard and Peggy’s elderly friend Edwin to help her investigate. They make an odd, but very likeable trio. At the same time DS Harbinder Kaur, whom we first met in The Stranger Diaries is also investigating.

It’s all very enjoyable: there are lots of clues and some red herrings, there are several interesting locations but best of all is the wonderful cast of characters. As always, Elly Griffith’s writing is warm, observant and often quite funny. If dark and realistic crime is your thing this is not the book for you, but if you want some light hearted escapism this is perfect.

I was delighted to have the opportunity to read this Elly Griffiths murder mystery.

This story starts with the death of a 90 year old woman with a heart problem.This would seem to have been the cause of her death.Her carer Natalka , who works in the private home for the elderly, thinks this old lady did not die of natural causes. Peggy Smith the old lady had been a "murder consultant" for lots of authors plotting murders for their books.

Take note of the old ladies initials and read on and enjoy as much as I did.

#ThePostscriptMurders #NetGalley

As ever, Griffiths utilises her skill at writing the crime genre with a multifaceted and intriguing offering here = it's slick. It must be said that this does not really compare to some of her other, darker thrillers, yet has some merit here within it's contemporaries and the lighter side of this ever-popular genre.

Moving away from the more mainstream set ups of the mystery/crime thriller, where Griffiths finds success here, is in setting up a cast of diverse characters into an original and at times unexpected scenario. The death of an elderly lady - or is that the murder? And more follow, each leaving a new jigsaw piece as a connection towards uncovering truths about the deaths of the authors within the book. Always intriguing, Griffiths walks a fine line between too much fragmentation of evidence, but more often than not steadily stays the course, bringing readers to an unforeseen, but wholly believable conclusion,.
The premise of the crime is really about how well we think we know people, and often how little we actually know. Thus, the crime and mystery element of this works on a level above the thriller component of murder. It's about Peggy - her history, her heritage and acquaintances and the way it all shapes the crimes committed.

All hinges on discovery in this story, and it comes to work well as a familiar theme. As readers we work alongside the detectives, the amateur investigators and even potential suspects in the narrative to get answers. This is a particularly enjoyable element of the book - you never feel on the periphery, but right there at the core of the action. Griffiths acknowledges the need for twists and turns, continually adding unexpected pace in moments of quiet, or utilising the element of surprise with regards to characters you think you've got sussed.

If there were to be critique here it is only that it retains a somewhat formulaic concept, meaning nuance or depth sometimes go by the wayside. At times the pace sagged or the character study was repetitive in its output. Then again, that's just the beauty of being able to pick up certain book-types of this genre when. needed. A familiarity, that, when done well as it is here; equates to comfortable, but engaging reading from cover to cover.

I am a huge fan of the Ruth Galloway series so I was delighted to get this as an ARC.. This is a very different read. More humour, more book references and a gentler way of writing that remains incisive. The one about the 80 year old man, the Ukrainian carer and the ex monk sounds like the beginning of a joke but actually they are very well formed, three dimensional characters at the heart of the novel. In my experience elderly people are often a fount of knowledge and expertise and have a fascinating story to tell. Peggy Smith was no exception. Her demise was recorded as suicide but there's something rotten in the state of Denmark as our intrepid threesome set out to prove. I loved the way the characters gelled together. The denouement being equally satisfying but a little sad. Highly enjoyable read




Some typos (eg toto instead of to and a few others) and layout needs adjusting

I'm a huge fan of Griffiths' work, and that included her seemingly 'standalone' novel, the 'Stranger Diaries' - and I was so relieved to hear that there would be more from DS Kaur.

I'm about to drop the biggest compliment possible - this reads like a Kate Atkinson novel: the asides, the observations, the moments where you feel they're breaking the fourth wall - alongside the wonderfully 'real' characters. On paper a Ukrainian carer, ex-monk and 80 year old gay man, could come across as caricature-ish, but these three especially are real, are flowed, are WONDERFUL, and their friendship is the star of this book IMO.

You honestly don't need to have read Stranger Diaries to read this one - I'll be honest, I'd forgotten most of the plot of it myself, and didn't feel I was missing anything.

Thank you for Net-galley for this book to review, but the thoughts and words here are my own, and uninfluenced by the fact this is for review. And I've still got this on preorder for the paperback :)

I thoroughly enjoyed the first DS Harbinder Kaur novel, The Stranger Diaries, so I was very excited to be given the opportunity to read the follow up book, The Postscript Murders. I was not disappointed.

Ninety year old Peggy Smith dies in her chair overlooking the Shoreham seafront, but her carer Natalka thinks that her death was not natural. Peggy was well known as an intelligent observer of the world and “murder consultant” to local mystery writers. Did she see something that caused her to be murdered or was it related to the many crime fiction novels she had in her flat?

The book is full of engaging characters, including the amateur sleuths Natalka, Edwin and Benedict. Harbinder Kaur herself is a great character and I enjoyed finding out more about her in this book.

Bravo Elly Griffiths, I’m already looking forward to the next book.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

‘7 x pensioners: 2 couples, 3 singles'.

From the upper floor window of her flat in Seaview Court, 90-year-old Peggy Smith spies on the people below, and records everything in her Investigation Book.

When Natalka Kolisnyk from Care4You discovers Peggy dead in her armchair, there is nothing to suggest that the elderly woman died from anything other than natural causes. But while packing up Peggy's crime novels Natalka notices they are all either dedicated or include an acknowledgement to the 90-year-old, and when she stumbles across a business card with the words ‘Mrs. M. Smith. Murder Consultant' on it, her suspicions are aroused. What exactly is a murder consultant? Natalka, along with Peggy's 80 year-old neighbour Edwin, and the owner of the coffee shop across the road from Seaview Court, Benedict, are on the case.

The Postscript Murders was an enjoyable, puzzling cosy mystery even though it lacked the creepy foreboding tension and gothic-ness of its predecessor, The Stranger Diaries. I was thrilled to see the return of DS Harbinder Kaur, as well as a handful of other characters (and pets) from the first book. Note, this a completely separate mystery from no. 1 in the series, so can definitely be read as a standalone, however in my opinion The Stranger Diaries is not to be missed. I wouldn't call this one fast-paced or gritty but there was enough happening to hold my attention, and it fitted with the word ‘cosy'.

The amateur trio of investigators eluded equal parts warmth, savviness, and hilarity. The only thing that bothered me was Harbinder’s sometimes unprofessional behaviour, and how much she chose to share with people outside the police force meant the plot occasionally became unrealistic and a tad ridiculous. But I appreciate that as soon as Harbinder realised what she was doing she reined herself in. Okay, so she’s flawed, but I still love her.

As an expert on everything bookish I devoured the numerous book references and familiar terminology – authors, writing, world of publishing and promotion, thriller genre, and even a literary festival. Even better, just like Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders series, there's a potential clue in a murder mystery novel, but with a clever original twist to separate it from those stories.

If you are searching for a light, entertaining read with quirky, diverse characters, then look no further. Fingers crossed there's a third book in the pipeline.

I'd like to thank Netgalley, Quercus, and Elly Griffiths for the e-ARC.

Publication Date: 1st October 2020 (the perfect Halloween read for those who don't like to be too scared).

The Postscripr Murders probably what the book itself would describe as "cosy crime".
It reunites the reader with Harbinder Kaur, a police officer we first met in The Stranger Diaries and introduces us to Benedict, an ex-monk Natalka, a carer and Edwin, an octogenarian.
This seeming disparate group were all friends of Peggy Smith and her sudden death and subsequent events make them question who is was and how she really died.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to meeting Harbinder again.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's the perfect thing to settle down with on a rainy day for a few hours. I read the whole thing within days.

One of the best things about the book is the characters, which are well-rounded and multi-layered.

DS Harbinder Kaur is pulled into looking at the seemingly innocent death of a 90 year old woman, Peggy, in a sheltered housing block. It turns out that little old ladies can be much more interesting than they are often portrayed.

It turns out that Peggy had helped a number of crime writers with plotting their books, based on knowledge gained from her own fascinating life.

Elly Griffiths introduces us to a myriad of characters who really make the story feel believable and draw the reader into the story. But the main thing I liked about the book is that is refuses to trap its characters in stereotypes.

This is particularly true of older people, who we meet a few more of in the book, and migrants. And each character is interesting in their own right.

It's a good plot and I genuinely didn't guess the solution to the deaths until the end. It was funny to read this at this time as I found it had similarities with Richard Osman's book, The Thursday Murder Club, which also involved a group of people, based around sheltered housing, who took it upon themselves to investigate crimes.

It's a really enjoyable book, well-written, with clever turns of phrase and likeable characters. I will be reading more Elly Griffiths!

I love Elly Griffiths’ series starring Ruth Galloway. This was the first book I read of hers that was written by her outside of that series. I wasn’t disappointed. Her characterisation is superb. The players in this book were all so well drawn I would recognise them in my local supermarket!

DS Harbinder Kaur is a refreshing female detective. She is in her early thirties and she still lives with her parents, which she enjoys as she loves their company. She is also Sikh and gay. How lovely to meet such a modern character.

Bernie owns the local coffee shack which sells the best coffee around. His background is fascinating, as he was previously a monk living in cloisters. Thinking back he states he might have become a monk for the singing, which he enjoys. Bernie is in love with a carer by the name of Natalka, a beautiful Ukrainian woman who was previously studying mathematics. To round off the friendship group there is Edwin, an older man who was previously a TV producer. Edwin is an immaculately dressed gay man who routinely maps out his days so that he doesn’t waste a minute.

The story starts when Peggy, a ninety year old client of Natalka’s is found dead in her chair looking out over the seafront. The Police have no reason to suspect she has died from anything other than natural causes until Natalka finds some strange cards warning “we’re coming for you”. Natalka shares her concerns with her friends over coffee, and so begins an adventure that takes them to Scotland and involves them in murders and peril.

This was such an enjoyable murder mystery. There are lots of red herrings thrown in and many interesting characters become involved in the adventure. I love Elly Griffiths’ writing and will be looking for more of her work in the future. I strongly recommend this book to all lovers of mystery writing at its best.

This is an interesting new premise about an old lady who was a murder consultant. To start with it's a bit Midsomer Murders but soon becomes much deeper as several characters, some in the frame, are introduced as being persons of interest. I thoroughly enjoyed it, more of the a holiday read really, but a very orignal story with a few revelations as the chapters sped towards it's conclusion.

I had previously read and enjoyed the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths so was delighted to find this book. Written in the same warm style, it is full of engaging characters, a twisty plot and some red herrings to keep you guessing along the way. Well worth a read and I look forward to the next in the series.

This was the second of Elly Griffiths’ books featuring new protagonist DS Harbinder Kaur from the West Sussex constabulary. As in the first book we get taken on a magical mystery tour of fascinating characters, surprising twists, hidden clues, murder most foul, danger and heartwarming moments. The cast this time is even more diverse. Meet Natalka - a Ukrainian care worker, Edwin - a gay 80 year old former TV producer and radio host and Benedict - a former monk and current coffee shop owner. And let’s not forget Peggy Smith, the 90 year old murder consultant who, although she is killed early in the book, casts a very long shadow over the story and really binds it together.

When Peggy is killed we learn that she knows an awful lot about murder (no, I’m not going to explain that) and a number of crime authors used to consult her seeking advice on new and innovative ways to kill off their characters. Following Peggy’s death, which is initially considered to be from natural causes, Natalka becomes suspicious, Edwin becomes morose (Peggy was his best friend) and Benedict gets ‘detective fever’ and throws himself into research. When some of Peggy’s authors start getting killed off Harbinder starts to take notice and the three amateur detectives follow the clues around the country getting themselves into heaps of trouble, but they do uncover some vital information.

What I love about this series is that the limelight isn’t just on the lead detective. The three friends have starring roles and Harbinder’s friend, Clare Cassidy from the first book, also gets a mention. This might be classed as a ‘cosy’ but it is so well written with wonderfully developed characters and an engaging, complex mystery that it should satisfy the most dedicated armchair detective. A huge thanks to Netgalley, Quercus Books and Elly Griffiths for providing a review copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Wow! I am a huge fan of Elly Griffiths' books, both her Ruth Galloway series and her previous standalone so I was sure I was going to love this and I was not disappointed! Griffiths always delivers fast-paced stories and this was no exception. I DEVOURED IT! Fantastic book, great storyline and well-developed characters. A must-read!

I am a huge fan of Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway series so was very excited to read The Postscript Murders.

In this hugely entertaining literary mystery the death of 90 year old Peggy Smith leads DS Harbinder Kaur from Shoreham to Aberdeen on the trail of a murderer.

I absolutely adored this book and finished it over the course of 24 hours. Although on the surface it could be seen as a cosy crime caper, it is so much more than this with great characterisation, lovable characters that I was rooting for and an engaging and gripping. literary plot.

Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

We may no longer be living in the Golden age of crime writing but we most certainly still have a Queen of Crime. Her name is Elly Griffiths and she reigns supreme. This is a novel for anyone who likes crime fiction written by a Titan of the genre.
The author displays not just her knowledge of all the great crime writers of the past but has found the tropes and humour that made their novels so popular. Her love of writing permeates every page.
The characters are all perfectly formed. The writing is engrossingly beautiful and there's all the cleverness of an Agatha Christie plot. I am filled with admiration.

I was so pleasantly surprised by The Postscript Murders! I had previously read a few of Elly Griffiths' books about Ruth Galloway the archaeologist, and had thought they were ok, but not my favourites. I felt the writing here was quite a bit more engaging, and the characters were so endearing, causing me to become quite attached to old charmer Edwin, kind and brilliant Benedict, savvy but loose-lipped DS Harbinder Kaur, and of course the persistent and loyal Natalka. Though this was a "cosy" mystery, I found it completely and chock full of murder, so it hit the spot for me. I'm keen to catch up on the previous book in this series now!

Thank you to Quercus Books and Netgalley for a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DS Harbinder Kaur sees nothing to concern her in the account of Peggy Smith's death - the death of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition should absolutely not be suspicious.

But the carer, Natalka, reveals that Peggy had been lying about her heart condition and that she had been sure someone was following her...

The reason to be suspicious is heightened by Peggy career (a 'murder consultant' who plotted deaths for authors) and Natalka being held at gunpoint by a masked figure when clearing out Peggy's flat.

Then DS Harbinder Kaur thinks that maybe there is no such thing as an unsuspicious death after all.

This is the second in the DS Harbinder Kaur series by Elly Griffiths after The Stranger Diaries.

I did find it a bit heavy going at points and found it very hard to finish. I did finish it and the plot is well thought out and you do engage with the core characters but it is not as enjoyable as I have found either the Ruth Galloway books or the Brighton Mysteries of Elly Griffiths.

I read half of this book. To say I was bored is an understatement. It is a present tense narrative which is always difficult but I think Ellis is trying to emulate the ‘Golden Age’. I’ve read her previous books and enjoyed them. I feel this is only being published because it’s Ellis. We’re she unknown I doubt if it would appear.

Another excellent book by Elly Griffiths, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The pace was good, I didn’t want to put it down.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review. I will leave a review n Amazon when it’s released.