This, the second Harbinder Kaur novel is a great read. I think Elly Griffiths is an excellent writer and I always look forward to a new book from her.

A ‘cosy crime’ novel of the highest order - the description comes from the book itself and fits it perfectly. Murder is a messy business, but the appealing characters and tightly wound plot here do sanitise it a little - in the most charming way of course! There is also some thought provoking, sensitive writing on the themes of casual racism, sexism and attitudes towards homosexuality. This is a book to read on a cold, wet day, somewhere warm and comfortable - just make sure you have time to finish it, because you will get sucked in!

DS Harbinder Khan can’t find anything sinister in the death of ninety year old Peggy Smith until she is told of her secret heart condition by her career Natalka.
Peggy is a murder consultant to several authors and her death seems to be something she would have come up with herself.
DS Khan is soon convinced something’s afoot when a masked gunman appears at Peggy’s flat looking for a book. Then one of Peggy’s former clients is murdered and a classic whodunnit is on the cards for Harbinder and her amateur sleuths that leads them from the seaside town of Shoreham-By-Sea to Aberdeen and back again.
A wonderfully written novel that has charm, elegance, humour and enticing characters that draws you in and doesn’t let go until the dramatic end.
In my opinion Elly Griffiths is the best crime writer in the business. She has a silky class other authors would kill for. Her writing is intelligent, witty and sumptuously elegant and The Postscript Murders is a perfect example of her writing prowess. I absolutely loved this book.

I downloading this without realising that it was part of the 'Brighton' series. I have read most of the Ruth Galloway series and enjoyed them immensely. Although I did appreciate this story, I had avoided the first book as the setting and timeline didn't appeal personally to me. It's still an entertaining detective story but wasn't quite what I was expecting. I'm sure this will appeal to many as the storytelling talent of the author does ultimately shine through.

I was really disappointed with The Postscript Murders which surprised me because there are so many really good reviews out there for this book. I don't know if it's because it's the first of this series I've read (although it can be read as a standalone), I just couldn't warm to the characters or the plot. I found it all a little unbelievable and stretched. The writing is good but I found the plot lacking and not particularly enjoyable. The climactic ending I thought was coming was a huge letdown for me... I honestly thought, "Was that it?!".

There are lots of really good reviews out there for The Postscript Murders so I think this must just be down to my personal preference!

Thank you to NetGalley, Elly Griffiths and Quercus Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having enjoyed The Stranger Diaries I was looking forward to the second book featuring DS Harbinder Kaur. When care worker Natalka visits Harbinder to say she believes her 90 year old client didn't die from a heart attack, Harbinder starts to investigate. When Natalka and her friends Benedict and Edwin decide to become amateur detectives they end up putting themselves in danger.

The Postscript Murders is an enjoyable crime novel with likeable characters and the return of Detective Harbinder Kaur. The story is intriguing – Peggy is a ‘murder consultant’ – whereby she helps authors with murders in their crime novels. One day she’s found dead in her nursing home, and some of her friends – Edwin and Benedict- and her carer Natalka set out to try and find out what happened to her.

I really enjoyed the mix of characters and the fact that it’s not just Harbinder, as a member of the police, investigating. The plot takes them from the Brighton area to to Scotland and, because the book is about authors and their books, there is lots of fun references to crime novels and the publishing world which I enjoyed.

I have to say that as I got through the book I got a little confused as to who had done what it was responsible for what – and why. I am a huge Elly Griffiths fan so this didn’t quite measure up to her other novels, in particular her Ruth Galloway series, but that’s partly because of the such high standard they set. I think The Postscript Murders perhaps just lost its way a bit, but it’s an entertaining read all the same.

The characters and the crimes aren’t particularly gritty, so I’d say this is quite a cosy crime read but with more bite – if you want something really hard hitting this may not be for you. However it’s a fun read, and the odd-but-sweet collection of characters and their interactions made me smile throughout.

Enthralling and enchanting from beginning to end with curious characters. Postscript Murders is mesmerising and captivating.
Thank you to Hannah Robinson at Quercus who went to great lengths to get this book for me to review. Please see full review below:

Review
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.

My thanks to Quercus Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Postscript Murders’ by Elly Griffiths in exchange for an honest review.

This was excellent! A well plotted whodunnit that combined a modern police procedural with the amateur sleuthing so beloved of Golden Age detective fiction.

This is the second novel by Griffiths to feature DS Harbinder Kaur. While ‘The Stranger Diaries’ was quite Gothic in its themes and ambiance, this is closer to a cosy mystery, though like ‘Diaries’ has a literary theme running through it.

When ninety-year-old Peggy Smith is found dead, seemingly from a heart attack, at first DS Harbinder Kaur sees nothing to concern her in the account provided by her carer, Natalka.

Then as Natalka and former-monk-turned-coffee-stall owner, Benedict, are cleaning out Peggy’s flat, they are surprised by a masked figure, who threatens them with a gun, snatches a book lying on the floor, and leaves. They naturally inform the police.

Along the way they have found that quite a number of crime books in the flat either were dedicated to Peggy or name her in the acknowledgments. It turns out that Peggy had been a 'murder consultant', who plotted interesting deaths for authors, and knew more about murder than most people.

With all this and another murder linked to the case, DS Harbinder Kaur thinks that maybe there is no such thing as an unsuspicious death after all.

Griffiths switches smoothly between four narrative voices: Harbinder, Natalka, Benedict, and Peggy’s neighbour, retired BBC producer Edwin. Harbinder is involved in the police investigation while Natalka, Benedict, and Edwin are undertaking their own sleuthing. Harbinder is aware of their activities and playfully refers to them as the three musketeers.

Recently, I have read a few clever literary murder mysteries and feel that they are perfect fare for crime fiction lovers given a shared appreciation of the genre and enjoying all the references that the author provides in the narrative.

‘The Postscript Murders’ was a delight from start to finish and I have been enthusiastically recommending it widely.

A cosy murder investigation that takes you the length and breadth of the country from Shoreham in the south to Aberdeen in the north. A disparate group of people linked by the acquaintance of the newly deceased Peggy who lived in sheltered accommodation and was a ‘murder consultant’. Was she murdered. The group are joined by Detective Harbinder Kaye set out to solve a series of murders linked to authors.
I did not find it a page turner but had to remember that it was set in the 50/60s and would term it a slow burner.

I have long been a fan of Elly Griffiths, first with the Norfolk Ruth Galloway stories and read the Stranger Diaries featuring Harbinder Kaur, so when a new Harbinder book came out, I was keen to read it.
I was not disappointed. Elly weaves a multi layered police whodunit with unusual but believable characters. Set in Shoreham, it starts with an old lady, Peggy, dying in her sheltered flat. Nothing strange about that - until her carer tells Harbinder that she thinks it's murder. Not all is how it seems, especially as people receiving a postcard with 'We're coming to get you' written on it seem to be dying.
Looking forward to book 3, Elly.
Thanks Netgalley for ARC for an honest review.

The Postscript Murders – A good old fashioned whodunnit

The latest book from Elly Griffiths is everything you would like from one of the best crime writers in Britain today. Her story telling slowly grips the reader around the throat, and just reading one chapter rapidly turns into half the book a couple of hours later. This is a brand new, standalone book, and she has created likable characters, even if some may be rather flawed, but highly enjoyable.

Set in Shoreham by Sea, where watching the bacon slicer in the butchers is considered excitement, there are a couple of murders. Starting with the death of a ‘murder consultant’ her carer who discovered her, dead in her chair manages to get her neighbour, and the local café stand owner involved. With the reintroduction of DS Harbinder Kaur we get an end of the pier show, of odd characters who work well together.

As the intrepid bunch set out to investigate the murder of Peggy the ‘Murder Consultant’ and the death of a writer. The take a drive to a crime festival, in Aberdeen. It is in Aberdeen that things take a turn for the worst, and the plot picks up pace. Where eventually the killer will be revealed when they are all back safe and sound in Shoreham.

Shoreham by Sea has never been so exciting!

I am very fond of the Ruth Galloway series and it was good to read something else by this excellent writer.

The characters were excellent and the plot sufficiently interesting to keep me reading. I'd like to have known the truth about the former lives of the "old dears", but it was nice to leave something hanging. Maybe there'll be some more in this series and we'll find out.

Being very familiar with Elly Griffiths ‘Ruth Galloway’ series I really enjoyed this next installment from the Harbinder series.
I thought it really was more of a cosy murder mystery and at times I felt Ruth Galloway’s characteristics came through in Harbiner Kaur’s character but that personally didn’t bother me.
The storyline kept me interested and moved along well and I just accepted it as entertaining easy read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

Harbinger Kaur #2

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 her carer, Natalka's account of Peggy Smiths death. But when Natalka reveals that Peggy lied about her heart condition and she had been sure that someone had been following her. Peggy Smith had been a murder consultant who plotted deaths for authors and knows more about murder than anyone had any right to.

After ninety year old Peggy Smith passed away, her Ukrainian caretaker Natalka finds a series of crime books in Peggy's library. They all have a message written in the acknowledgements. Peggy was a "murder consultant" for a group of mystery writers. Ther was a card a book saying "we're coming for you". Harbinger Kaur is called in to investigate. This is an 3njoyable murder mystery. The characters are intriguing and there is plenty of red herrings. Although part of a series the book can be read as a standalone

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #QuercusBooks and the author #EllyGriffiths for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have read other Elly Griffiths books and have enjoyed them so looked forward to the opportunity to read this stand-alone novel of hers.

I was not disappointed - in fact I had to finish it when I would normally have been doing other things - it was gripping.
It was full of twists and turns and the outcome was totally not what I had expected - which is always welcome when reading a murder mystery.

I wont spoil the story for others that might read this review - just enough to say you wont be disappointed - give it a try !!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the chance to read this book

I really enjoyed reading this book which begins with the death of Peggy Smith, who is in her nineties and her death is initially put down to natural causes but her career Natalka suspects foul play and goes to the Police, asking DS Harbinder Kaur to look into it. More suspicious deaths follow and both the police and Natalka and a couple of other friends of Peggy’s investigate, which includes a road trip to Scotland. Good characterisation, the motives were a bit weak but still a good storyline.

I really love the ‘Dr Ruth’ series of books so I was really pleased that this author has written a second stand alone. I was certainly not disappointed, I really enjoyed this this book. Just the right amount of everything. I couldn’t put it down. 9/10

What a brilliant read this is. It is a rather gentle murder mystery to solve with a band of wannabe super sleuths who are entertaining in their own right. When 90-year-old Peggy is found dead by her carer it seems that the old lady had just simply come to the end of her life but something just doesn’t feel right about it all, especially when a postcard is found.

I was in my element reading this story as it revolved around the world of authors, book signings and crime festivals, as well as solving the crime of course. Peggy has quite a collection of books that have some rather unusual dedications in them to her. It is Peggy’s carer that feels there is something more to her death.

This is the second book in the DS Harbinder Kaur series, who is a 36-year-old gay Sikh who lives with her parents. They don’t know that she is gay and it isn’t something she feels she can talk to them about. She is more than happy to come home to still be pampered, she is definitely not someone that likes cleaning or cooking.

The motley crew of carer, ex-monk and elderly resident that lives in the same sheltered accommodation and was a good friend of Peggy’s, take a trip northwards to do a little more digging. Much to the horror of DS Harbinder, it isn’t long before the murders grow in number, with the same peoples’ names entwining time and time again as well as an identical postcard that they have all received.

Brilliant characters, great storyline and a joy to read.

I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

When Peggy Smith is found dead on her chair everyone thinks that it was an heart attack, but not her carer, not her neighbour and close friend, and not the owner of the shack by her flat. They think she was killed and, to convince the police to investigate, they turn into amateur detectives and start digging into Peggy’s life. A vast collection of crime novels, a threatening note, and an harmed man breaking into Peggy’s flat convince DS Harbinder Kaur to investigate, while, at the same time, she tries to keep the detective trio out of trouble.

The Postcript Murders is the second novel featuring DS Harbinder Kaur who we already met in the gripping The Stranger Diaries. I really like this character. She is fun and smart. I enjoyed reading about her relationship with her working partner and about her personal life, living with her parents, worrying about her love life and life in general. She feels authentic and relatable.

The author did a great job creating the characters of the amateurs sleuths. Natalka is a twenty-something carer from Ukraine with great math skills that allow her not to worry about money and with a bit of a dangerous past. Benedict is a monk-turned-coffee-shop-owner who still struggles with his identity and his character develops really well in the story. Edwin is Peggy’s fellow resident and friend. He is a brisk 80-year-old former TV producer and radio host looking for the truth about Peggy’s murder. We meet the character of Peggy only briefly at the beginning, but her presence is felt throughout the story thanks to the memories of those who knew her and I found her interesting and entertaining. She was considered a “murder consultant” by many crime writers who asked for her help in making up unthinkable murders for their books. She also seems to have quite a mysterious past.

Elly Griffiths is an author who I have been following and reading for years, especially for her Ruth Galloway series, but I also enjoy this new series and the character of DS Harbinder Kaur. I really like her writing style and her twisty plots and the characters feel realistic and well-developed. The Postcript Murders is really a terrific read and I can’t wait to read more from this series.