Elly Griffiths does it again. This is a stand alone novel and well worth a read. It’s a mixture of a crime caper and a cosy mystery. The plot is intriguing and the characters are a mixed bunch. It starts with the death of Peggy, an elderly lady living in sheltered accommodation. Her carer thinks her death is suspicious, and this sets off events that takes some of the characters on a road trip to Aberdeen. After Peggy’s death, two authors also die and Natalka, the carer, Harbinder the police officer, Benedict, the former monk, and Edwin, a neighbour of Peggy’s, are trying to find out if the deaths are linked. At times, it reads a little like an episode of the Keystone Cops and seems quite unlikely, but overall it is well worth a read. I have read all the Ruth Galloway series by this author and this is a refreshing change. I want to read more about these characters and find out what they get up to next.

I read this shortly after reading Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club and feel both are strong in this genre of sort of cosy fiction but actually not that cosy after all. Peggy Smith dies and at first, nothing seems to be amiss. She was 90, living alone, and had a heart condition. But her carer Natalka is adamant that something has gone wrong, and that Peggy had more life left to live. This is especially given the life she had led, one of secrets and glamour that led her to be dubbed a ‘murder consultant’ to a handful of crime authors. Natalka teams up with unexpected friends to piece together the puzzle that will result in the truth to Peggy’s passing. It is light in part, full of humour and warmth, and the reader can join in with figuring out what happened. I thoroughly enjoyed it, it made me laugh and smile throughout, and the characters - there’s one called Benedict who I think should have his own standalone book - are well rounded and believable. I feel it’s a standalone but I’d love for there to be more about them.

I love this kind of book. It is a profoundly satisfying reading experience fro someone like me who likes crime, but not so much violence for the sake of it. It delivers a good mystery with books at the centre of it and characters that get more familiar as you go through the series. Elly Griffith's latest one continues the tone and motives found in the "Stranger Diaries" and she introduces us to a bunch of unlikely heroes who are very likeable characters. It's nice to see elderly people take the stage for once and Edwin is a great representative, but also Natalka and Benedict, who are much younger, add a lot to the story. The plot is well-crafted and keeps you guessing for quite a while but in my opinion it's the characters that really make the story. I hope there will be more Harbinder Kaur novels in the future.

This is the 2nd book in the Harbinder Kaur series by author Elly Griffiths. I really enjoyed this fairly gentle murder mystery. I hadn't read the 1st book but having enjoyed this so much this one so much quickly purchased 'The Stranger Diaries'.

This is an enjoyable read with some great characters that I am sure will get even better with familiarity. Elly Griffiths books always have a great synopsis and this was no different. A 90 year old woman living in a retirement home named Peggy Smith dies with a heart condition. That doesn't sound strange until DS Harbinder Kaur is told by her carer Natalka that Peggy lied about her heart condition and that she had been sure someone was following her. Another strange point was that Peggy had been a 'murder consultant' who plotted deaths for authors, and knew more about murder than anyone ever imagined. Following her death, Natalka is held at gunpoint while clearing out Peggy's flat. This is enough to give DS Harbinder Kaur a suspicion that Peggy's death may be suspicious after all.


This is a lovely light murder mystery more in the style of Agatha Christie than the more gruesome thrillers authors like Tana French. Great characters that I found endearing and even funny at times. A clever plot that kept you guessing and very well written.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Quercus Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

After finishing a very disappointing book, reading The Postscript Murders was like relaxing in a warm bath with a nice glass of wine. I loved this book. I am a big fan of Elly Griffiths anyway, and this book is definitely up to her usual standard. A fun and gripping plot with great characters and witty dialogue - I couldn't really ask for more! I hope that we will be meeting Harbinder Kaur again.

#ThePostscriptMurders #NetGalley
A good read.
The death of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition should absolutely not be suspicious. DS Harbinder Kaur certainly sees nothing to concern her in carer Natalka's account of Peggy Smith's death.
But when Natalka reveals that Peggy lied about her heart condition and that she had been sure someone was following her...
And that Peggy Smith had been a 'murder consultant' who plotted deaths for authors, and knew more about murder than anyone has any right to...
And when clearing out Peggy's flat ends in Natalka being held at gunpoint by a masked figure...
I waa shocked when I read its characters. Really great.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for giving me an advance copy of this awesome thriller.

The death of a 90 year old lady in a Sheltered housing should not usually be cause for concern, but when Peggy Smith dies her carer Natalka decides there is much more to it. The fact that her flat is full of books dedicated to her, and that there is a card with her name on it saying 'Murder Consultant' causes her to go to the police and DS Harbinder Kaur. This should be the beginning and the end of the story, but when Natalka is held at gunpoint by a masked figure stealing a book from Peggy's flat, the real possibility that Peggy might have been murdered starts to be considered. Is it a one off crime, or is there something in the fact that several authors who have credited Peggy in their acknowledgments, have received postcards in books saying 'we are coming for you'?

I got into Elly Griffith's with her Brighton Mysteries series (I've still yet to read a single Ruth Galloway book – sorry!). Griffith's has an effortless easy writing style that, like most things that seem that simple, obviously requires a lot of writing skill. This book is another example of this. She has created another likeable lead in DS Harbinder Kaur (Is this a stand-alone book or the beginning of a new series featuring DS Harbinder Kaur?), who is aided and abetted in this instance by a team of amateur sleuths: carer Natalka , coffee shack owner and ex monk Benedict, and ex BBC pensioner, Edwin .

This is a fun read. It distracted and entertained me for a few hours, which is exactly what I want from this type of fiction. I also failed to solve the mystery in this instance too, which made for a change. Another winner from Griffiths.