“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!

In what seems to be turning into a recurring theme for me, I came to this book not realising it was second in the series featuring Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur. Luckily for me, this one works as a stand alone novel really rather well!

The novel opens with the death of an old lady in a flat overlooking Shoreham sea front. She is found by her carer, Natalka, who - along with another elderly resident of the block of flats and the local coffee shack owner - become the unlikely sleuths in a case that starts to spiral. The key to the mystery seems to lie in the lady's past and, in particular, her provision of consultancy services on murder methods to writers. DS Kaur leads the investigation into the possible murder and finds herself caught up in a literary puzzle.

This was an enjoyable and light read - very much in the realm of cosy crime as there's nothing graphic or particularly perilous here. Instead, it's a quite lovely tale of how some unlikely characters forge relationships and support each other. In particular, DS Kaur's Sikh family were great - warm and likeable - so I hope they appear more in future outings. I wouldn't say the events were particularly realistic but it's a clever premise and I was happy to be drawn along in its slipstream.

Overall, this is a rather gentle but engaging mystery. For all its cosiness, I'd still say that it has plenty of surprises and twists that make it enjoyable for fans of this genre.

I really enjoyed this book at first, it felt very cosy and I found the character Harbinder to be hilarious! However it rambled on somewhat and got a little confusing. Characters not 100% developed, which is fine for background folk but it just gave the whole book a slap dash feel. I’m sorry, I hate leaving negative reviews.

We’re back in Shoreham, Sussex for Elly Griffiths’ latest DS Harbinder Kaur murder mystery and ‘The Postscript Murders’ is even better entertainment than ‘The Stranger Diaries’! In her latest novel, Griffiths takes many of the tropes of the Golden Age of Detective fiction and gives them a thoroughly modern twist.
Echoes of both Marple and Poirot are evident. We are introduced to Peggy Smith, an elderly woman and ‘murder consultant’ who is known in crime writing circles for her excellent ideas. Her unlikely carer is Natalka Kolisnyk, a glamorous looking Ukrainian woman, blessed with mathematical ability and prone to logical thinking. When Peggy dies, together with Benedict, an ex-monk and coffee shop owner and Edwin, a retired BBC employee, Natalka decides to investigate, certain that the nature of Peggy’s demise suggests foul play. Soon connected deaths begin to mount up and Harbinder Kaur decides that she has to take this disparate band’s concerns seriously.
Events lead them all to Aberdeen’s literary festival where yet more links are made between the crime novelists whom Peggy knew. Just as sinister are the Ukrainian men who appear to be tracking Natalka for a crime committed a decade ago. Griffiths also teases us with plenty of intertextual clues and entertains us with asides on publishing.
Readers are kept gripped by intricate plotting and expected red herrings. However, the author’s real strength lies in her ability to create complex, credible characters: funny, vulnerable, brave and kind. Just as interesting as the solving of crimes are the relationships formed, so much so that I am hoping to meet many of these characters once more in any subsequent DS Harbinder Kaur tales.
My thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

As soon as I can get my hands on a new Elly Griffiths, I drop everything else.

Elly’s characters are always real and three dimensional. We have so much knowledge of them, that I feel I know them very early in a book. Which brings me, as the reader, very much into the book. I really enjoyed the cross generational friendship between the three unlikely friends, and how that develops. The setting of this book, within the book community, I loved. As an avid reader, I happily lose myself in the escapism that books bring.
I really enjoyed getting to know Harbinder more in this book, learning more of her home life. I look forward to seeing more of her in future books, and how her life develops.
I really appreciated seeing the effect of casual sexism, racism and homophobia from the characters perspective. Very subtle, but reading the impact of these assumptions may help some to see things differently.
As a fan of the Ruth books, I loved the passing mention of Hecate as well.

As you can tell, I love everything about this book. Highly recommended, 5*.

The Postscript murders.
The main characters for this book are set in Shoreham and follow the death of a vibrant, intelligent elderly lady who has an avid interest in crimes and crime solutions, working alongside authors to think of interesting and novel ways to kill off their villains.
Following a small group of individuals loosely bought together by the lead , female, Indian, gay lead detective, the plot follows a series of improbable murders and locations, travelling briefly up to Scotland before the final closure.

I read this book eagerly. Keen to see which direction Elly Griffiths had taken with this new book. I was initially interested in the plot and particularly in the lead character, DI Kaur, and the collection of characters making up the rest of the cast. As the book moves on into Aberdeen, my own attention started to wander a bit, the storyline was just too improbable - I felt there was no way that any police man or woman would leak information in the most casual manner to a group of civilians, neither would they give their home mobile number / possibly work number and receive selfies from them.

The actual murders and plots, whilst unlikely, are entertaining and impossible to guess. The final chapter ( no spoiler alert) is a surprise.

Finally, if what you’re after is a high paced, pc book with a great whodunnit line that you are not taking too seriously, this is fine. Compared to other ( equally unlikely) books, this is a paler shadow.

#the postscript murders#netgalley

I really enjoyed this second outing for DS Kaur. I did find the plot slightly improbable but was prepared to overlook this as I really enjoyed the gallery of characters and the relationships between them.

The death of Peggy - a murder consultant - starts a series of unexpected deaths which are investigated by DS Kaur and her colleagues and by Peggy’s friends who are determined to find out the truth about her death.

A good thriller which had me gripped - despite its I probabilities!