I thoroughly enjoyed this second instalment in Elly Griffiths' D.S. Harbinder Kaur series. As in The Stranger Diaries, Harbinder features as one of an ensemble cast of characters, with a major part of the storyline told from the perspective of non-police characters. We do learn more about Harbinder's personal and professional life in this book though, and she is a delightful, complex and engaging character.
The book opens with sprightly 90-year-old Peggy Smith observing and documenting the goings-on outside her Shoreham-by-Sea bay window. That evening, Peggy is found dead, still sitting in her chair, by her agency carer, Ukrainian-born Natalka Kolisnyk. Natalka isn't satisfied that Peggy's death was natural, despite her age, and contacts local police, speaking to D.S. Harbinder Kaur to report her suspicions. It transpires that Peggy was a "murder consultant", and had assisted numerous successful crime writers by devising ingenious methods of murder, garnering her numerous dedications and acknowledgements. Kaur is initially dubious about Natalka's story, but becomes intrigued as additional unusual details emerge and another suspicious death occurs.
From here, the book takes the form of two interconnected storylines, following both Kaur's official police investigation and the activity of Natalka, who teams up with two unlikely confederates to uncover the truth - Benedict Cole, a diffident former monk turned seaside barista and Edwin Fitzgerald, a snappily-dressed octogenarian, who was Peggy's neighbour. Together, and parallel with Kaur's investigation, they probe Peggy's life in and around Shoreham, before setting off on a road trip adventure to the Aberdeen Crime Writers' Festival in Scotland.
This is the second book I've read this year that has used a crime writing festival as a setting (after The Royal Baths Murder by J.R. Ellis, which took place at a thinly-veiled facsimile of the Theakston's Old Peculier festival in Harrogate), and I love that the authors have drawn on their own experience as a crime writer at large in depicting the curious mix of excitement, resentment and one-upmanship that these events entail.
The Postscript Murders takes a lighter approach to crime than Elly Griffiths well-established and excellent Ruth Galloway Series, although in a literary sense it sits above the majority of books in the "cosy mystery" genre. As always with Griffiths, her characters are complex and well-developed over the course of the novel. I particularly loved the quirkiness of the "amateur detective" trio in The Postscript Murders and the relationships that blossomed between them. The plot is enthralling, taking many twists and turns and containing many surprise developments for the reader to savour. The conclusion is fitting and satisfying, tying up many (but not all) loose ends that the story has thrown up. Via the late Peggy's dedication to and encyclopaedic knowledge of the crime genre, Griffiths makes a fitting homage, both to the great writers of the "golden age" and to modern writers pushing the boundaries into new and exciting sub-genres of crime fiction. I'm really looking forward to reading future outings for D.S. Harbinder Kaur.
Highly recommended, both to existing readers of Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway Series and to those yet to discover her excellent crime-mystery books.
My thanks to Elly Griffiths, publisher Quercus Books and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication on 1 October 2020.

4.5★s

Peggy Smith loved to gaze out her window and people watch. She was ninety years old and her mind was as sharp as ever. She loved taking notes and creating murder plots. But the morning Natalka, Peggy’s carer, arrived and discovered Peggy had passed away, still sitting in her chair at the window, would be the beginning of an intriguing and complex mystery.

DS Harbinder Kaur was interested in what Natalka had to tell her, though also decidedly skeptical. Peggy had been classed as a “murder consultant” and the authors who had used her services had recognized her in their books. What were the postcards that were being received, all about? Did they mean anything? When an out of print book was stolen at gun point, Natalka and Benedict were shocked. There was no harm, but Harbinder knew something was going on that needed a full investigation…

The Postscript Murders is the 2nd in the DS Harbinder Kaur series by Elly Griffiths and it was fun, entertaining and filled with charm. All about books, authors, publishers and murder, it felt more like a cosy mystery with Natalka, Benedict and Edwin searching for answers, and Harbinder doing the “gruesome” parts. An excellent read which I recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great murder mystery read ,along the lines of 'cosy crime'. It has an interesting trio of main characters, who together with DS Harbinder Kaur, look to investigate the death of Peggy, a 'murder consultant' in a retirement home in Shoreham.
There's a lot of humor in the story and the involvement of the retirement home, Ukrainian spies, and the literary world works very well.. An entertaining read.

This book is good fun - in a way. A story about the murder of crime writers and their murder consultant. Is there a serial killer at work? The link between them - other than the death of their murder consultant is that they each received a postcard with 'We're coming for you' on them. A flurry of red herrings, interconnected plots and machinations - with a twist at the end (of course).

Loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

I had high hopes for this book; the plot sounded great but when I actually started reading I was disappointed.

It all seemed a bit too far fetched to me. The additional characters supporting and helping the police...that wouldn’t have happened in real life. The book has a lot of extra detail in that, personally, I felt wasn’t really needed,

I found myself skimming over the middle section as I lost interest when it became more of a cosy read than a gripping murder mystery.

The book takes a while to get rolling, once it does you think that the books Peggy keeps are going to hold the clues as to who the murderer is, but that’s not the case. In the end the plot fell flat for me. The characters are great, but they were let down by the plot line.

It was a good book idea overall, it was just the opposite of what I expected which probably didn’t help my review much.

When 90-year-old Peggy Smith dies at home, her carer, Natalka, is not convinced that it is from natural causes and seeks out the advice of DS Harbinder Kaur. The detective's interest is piqued when it is discovered that Peggy was a 'murder consultant', helping authors to plot the deaths of their characters, and that she was convinced that someone was watching her. When another death is reported and connections are made to Peggy, could Natalka be right? Is there a killer on the loose?

Last year, I read The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths and one of the standout characters was the detective, Harbinder Kaur. I was thrilled, therefore, to see that she would be featured in a further novel, investigating another case of murder. If you have not read The Stranger Diaries, then don't worry as this can be read as a standalone, giving you the opportunity to go back and read it after this one!

In The Postscript Murders, Elly Griffiths has created a superb array of supporting characters, each one bringing something different to the story. Even though her time in the book was short-lived, I thought Peggy was a great character and I enjoyed finding out more about her as her friends investigated her death. These friends were an odd combination of people and you may wonder how an elderly gentleman, a former monk who runs a coffee shop and a Ukrainian care worker come to work together to solve the murder! These unlikely sleuths make a great team, however, contributing brilliantly to the plot.

Although there are several deaths and plenty of intrigue, this is by no means a gory mystery, the book being laced with humour and numerous light-hearted and poignant moments. The Postscript Murders is a very enjoyable mystery story, easy to read and ideal for those long autumn nights. Fans of Elly Griffiths are going to love this and, hopefully, new fans will be introduced to this fantastic writer.

I am a huge fan of Elly Griffiths and couldn't wait to read this so a huge thanks to Netgalley and Quercus for enabling me to read and review this book. Elly has a fantastic way of describing characters and their situations/backstory so I was invested in them from the start. I enjoyed the storyline and felt like this was more of a cozy mystery - which I absolutely love. It was refreshing to read about a group of amateur sleuths taking the lead on this, with the help of DS Harbinder Kaur, and I will look forward to the next in the series.

Overall I enjoyed this book, but I kept thinking that there appears to be numerous books published recently all in the same vien. The elderly living together in sheltered housing, murders and solving the crimes with a smidgen of help from the Police. That this book revolves around publishing and authors was different and the saving grace of this otherwise run of the current mill book.
That said I would read another DS Kaur book if another was to be published.

Shoreham by Sea, where The Postscript Murders is set is an incongruous location for this murder mystery. Don’t be fooled by assumptions that nothing ever happens in this little seaside town, that seagulls stealing your chips is the most excitement you can hope for. Seaview Court, residential home for the elderly is located with perfect views of the beach, providing 90 year old Peggy, crime fiction lover extraordinaire, with ample opportunity for people watching. The novel begins with such a scenario, an innocent old lady casting a beady eye over the comings and goings of dog walkers, cyclists, joggers and on this day in question two suspicious looking men in a white Ford Fiesta.
With the scene nicely set, the drama is quick to unfold when Natalka, Peggy’s Ukrainian carer finds her dead in her armchair, the latest Dex Challoner (famous local crime writer) book by her side. Nothing particularly suspicious about this I hear you cry. Except Natalka discovers a card within said book, inscribed with the words Mrs M Smith murder consultant. Peggy has a great many books either dedicated to her or her name found in the authors acknowledgments, raising Natalka’s suspicions and prompting her to involve DS Harbinder Kaur in the death of this elderly lady that at first appears to be from natural causes. Events seem to take on a life of their own as Natalka and Harbinder are joined by ex monk turned coffee shack owner Benedict and neighbour Edwin to discuss the sudden demise of their friend, their subsequent days leading them on a merry murder trail, their quest to find the culprit.

It’s always an added bonus when a novel is set literally in your own backyard, making it easier to envision Seaview Court and Peggy’s outlook onto Shoreham Beach, with the Coffee Shack in clear sight. I could imagine myself on windswept days, sitting outside the shack indulging in Benedict’s famed coffee whilst passing the time of day with the likes of Edwin and Natalka and Harbinder. This unlikely trio very much reminded me of the Gang of Four in Richard Osmans The Thursday Murder Club in the way they lead their own investigation into Peggy’s death, playing amateur sleuths, sometimes independently of DS Harbinder Kaur, the fourth member of this impromptu gang. This is a novel that plays homage to the golden age of crime fiction, with a narrative that definitely has a cozy crime vibe, a genre that I absolutely love. With its literary feel and references to the world of writing, publishing, book festivals and signings, the reader is treated to an insight into lives where these authors are defined by the success (or not) of their latest book with the solitary nature of this profession also acknowledged. I don’t think it lives up to the likes of Anthony Horowitz Moonflower Murders but I enjoyed this nonetheless, allowing myself to be consumed by this most puzzling of mysteries.

There is some great characterisation in this novel, perhaps to the detriment of the plot. It’s hard to pick a favourite but I probably found Benedict (or Benny as Natalka is wont to call him) the ex monk most intriguing. This being my first read by this author I was unfamiliar with DS Harbinder Kaur but immediately liked her character, a good detective and on the face of it a good Sikh woman, devoted to her parents yet keeping her sexuality under wraps for fear of being alienated. Edwin as a gay ex BBC producer is not to be underestimated as simply someone along for the ride although it’s probably the most fun he’s had in years! I loved his sense of humour, nicknaming Seaview Court Preview Court and admired his sense of adventure. Of course Natalka plays a huge role in the proceedings, a resourceful, resilient young lady with a soft spot for Benedict but I was never quite sure whether to trust her or not.

The turning point comes with a spontaneous road trip to Aberdeen for Natalka, Benedict and Edwin as they search for answers into their friend’s death. It’s here that the author begins to really tie the reader up in knots. There seems to be so much going on, connections to be made that are impossible to guess at that I admit to becoming bamboozled by the intricacy of the plot and the ways in which fictional authors J D Monroe and Lance Foster fit into this mystery. In fact you wonder how all these characters slot into place with the Russian/Ukrainian/Polish elements that conjure up possibilities of espionage. Is Shoreham really a sleepy little coastal town or is it a hotbed of murder and intrigue? It’s easy for suspicions to be aroused concerning the whole cast of characters so despite the complexity of the plot I found myself riveted, wondering how innocent 90 year old Peggy really was and what she may have hidden in her past to necessitate her murder and whether there were any other residents of Seaview Court privy to her secrets?

Although the plot verges on being too intricate and implausible at times, the characters Natalka, Bendedict, Edwin and Harbinder are the reasons for sustaining my attention. I found them all equally intriguing, their backstories interesting and would absolutely love to see them all in a future book. This was going to be a 5 star read for me, since I think the characters are so well developed but with so many twists and turns left until the end, all piling on top of one another I struggled to make sense of the many strands present in the storyline. Having found The Postscript Murders on the whole a most enjoyable, puzzling read I can honestly say I look forward to delving into this author’s back catalogue. Elly Griffiths you have earned yourself another fan! As I’ve already hinted at, in my opinion this book will appeal to fans of Anthony Horowitz and Richard Osman, to name just two. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

When Peggy Smith dies, seated in the window of her retirement apartment in Shoreham-by-Sea, her friends, carer Natalka Kolisnyk, fellow resident, Edwin Fitzgerald and ex-monk, now seafront café owner, Benedict Cole are surprised to find a business card declaring Mrs Smith’s occupation to be that of “Murder Consultant”. Perhaps they should not be so surprised, given that Peggy has been an avid reader of crime fiction and her flat is testament to her obsession, full to bursting with detective novels. What is even more fascinating is that close examination of the acknowledgment pages of several current publications indicates that their authors might actually have consulted the old lady when inspiration deserted them. Where does her knowledge of the dark art of murder come from? Does she have a past that has never been revealed?

Of more immediate concern to her carer, Ukrainian maths graduate, Natalka, is the cause of Peggy's own death. Given that she was perfectly well the last time that Natalka saw her and that her angina tablets were right next to her, the young woman suspects foul play. Onto the scene comes DS Harbinder Kaur, taking centre stage again after her previous appearance in The Stranger Diaries, still living at home with her parents and still uncertain how to broach with them the fact that she is homosexual. At first Harbinder and her partner DS Neil Winston are sceptical about claims that Peggy was herself murdered, but as sinister notes begin to appear each bearing the legend We are coming for you, and Natalka and Benedict are threatened by a mysterious gunman who bursts into Peggy‘s flat just, it seems, to take a copy of the out of print murder mystery, Thank Heaven Fasting, they have to start to take things more seriously.  

At Peggy's funeral, which her three friends attend not only out of affection for the deceased but also because the murderer always attends the funeral, they meet crime writer, Dex Challoner, one of those who has consistently acknowledged his debt to Peggy. She was, they learn, brilliant at thinking of new ways of killing people and Dex, author of the Tod France novels, was in the habit of sending her copies of his manuscript to read before publication. His own mother, Weronika, had also lived in the retirement complex and she and Peggy had known each other, possibly even travelled together behind the Iron Curtain. Is that somehow linked to the mystery men who Natalka believes are trailing her?

And then Challoner is shot in the head. Whatever the police may think about Peggy Smith’s death, this one is definitely murder. Now they need to track down and offer protection to the other authors who have received the mysterious threat, including Julie (J D) Monroe.  Ms Monroe ought to be relatively easy to contact given that she has a home in Brighton but she, like many other crime writers, is just off to a festival in Aberdeen; she’ll speak to them when she gets back. This is not good enough for our intrepid amateur investigators, Natalka, Benedict and Edwin, who immediately decided to set off on a road trip from England’s South Coast all the way up to the Granite City.

Inevitably, murder and mayhem follow them, because just as The Stranger Diaries played around with the conventions of the Gothic horror story, an example of which was embedded within it, so The Postscript Murders is something of a tongue in cheek exploration of the idiosyncrasies associated with crime fiction. The amateur sleuths, the killer attending the funeral, the murder in a closed community, these and many other tropes are there for the enjoying. And I did enjoy this book very much, in fact rather more than its predecessor, where I found the inclusion of the Gothic short story to be intrusive and if I’m honest rather dull. This moves along at a much better pace and is clearer in its focus. If you had asked me which character Griffiths was going to pick up and run with after the earlier novel, Harbinder or its central figure, Clare, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you.  I’m glad it was Harbinder. She is no Ruth Galloway, but she is still pleasant company and I am interested to see how she is allowed to develop given that, as she recognises, the chances of promotion within her own force are rather limited.  

The book is written in typical Griffiths’ style, that is with tongue quite often firmly stuck in cheek, and those who enjoy the journeys into Ruth’s very distinctive way of thinking will find much to relish here, my favourite being the (in my mind blasphemous) observation that Marmite is just one reason why the British will never be a civilised nation. And surely Kate would thoroughly enjoy the clock with hands in the shape of carrots which chase sundry vegetables around the dial until such time as it is possible to say that it’s seven-thirty, a carrot past a radish.

Nothing is ever going to replace Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway novels in my affection, but DS Harbinder Kaur is shaping up nicely enough and I hope the series will continue.  Which genre will be the next under the spotlight. I wonder?

With thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for the review copy.

A welcome return for DS Harbinder Kaur from 'The Stranger Diaries', who is this time working with a motley crew of amateur sleuths : the ex-monk turned mindful barista, the Ukranian maths genius & hacker who is now a care worker and an octogenarian former BBC Religious programming consultant! The mystery, & murders, take place within the world of crime writing and publishing with some tantalising forays into the realms of spies & wartime operations.
I found the murders/crimes less interesting than the characters of Harbinder, Benedict, Natalka, Edwin and the very mysterious Peggy, they are so well written and fascinating to read about. If there to be a follow up to this one I would love to read it and find out more about their pasts & see what they are up to now.

Having loved, “The Stranger Diaries,” I was thrilled to receive the sequel for review. This begins with ninety year old, Peggy Smith, found dead in her retirement flat at Shoreham-by-Sea, by her carer, glamorous Ukrainian, Natalka. Before long, Natalka is questioning whether Peggy died naturally and visits the police, where she speaks to DS Harbinder Kaur.

Peggy had a business card, labelling her a ‘murder consultant,’ who helped crime writers to plot their novels and suggest unusual ways of killing off their characters. Before long, Natalka begins to investigate, along with ex-monk, Benedict and elderly ex-BBC radio presenter, Edwin. The trio are a wonderful group of characters and this book will certainly appeal to crime lovers everywhere, as so much of the story takes place during author events and literary festivals.

I like Harbinder too, plus sidekick DS Neil Winston – even if she often compares him, somewhat unkindly, to a small, woodland animal. Griffiths has created a wonderful group of characters and fleshed them out with members of Harbinder’s family, who you come to care about – what’s not to like about Harbinder’s mother, who offers to feed anybody who sets foot in her kitchen?

Overall, a clever, literary mystery, with a great setting, good characters and an interesting storyline. I really hope there are going to be more books featuring Harbinder and would love to see Benedict, Natalka and Edwin reappear too. One of my favourite books of the year – an absolute delight. This can be read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend the first in the series too. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

The Postscript Murders is the second book in the DS Harbinder Kaur series, set in West Sussex, but there would be no problem reading this as a stand-alone and there are no significant spoilers for the first book if you decided to go back to it afterwards.

I read the Stranger Diaries quite recently and loved it, so had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately didn’t like this as much: whereas TSD was a ghost story/mystery, I can’t decide whether this was intended to be a cosy mystery, or a pastiche of one. Both books involve the literary world so are chock full of bookish jokes, quotes and references.

A year after the events of TSD, Harbinder is still living at home with her family. When the death of an elderly lady in a seaside rest home is reported to her by the glamorous Ukrainian carer, Natalka, it seems unlikely that a crime has been committed, but she’s bored so agrees to look into it. Peggy Smith was a “Murder Consultant” who helped various authors with their plots - but then a masked gunman appears in her apartment, and soon after, her best known author client is shot dead. To Harbinder’s amusement/annoyance, Natalka, Edwin - Peggy’s eighty year old neighbour, and Benedict, an ex-monk who runs a beachside coffee shack, form an unlikely alliance to investigate the deaths, which takes them up to a Scottish Crime Fiction Festival. Will the amateur detectives solve the mystery before the police do? Not if grumpy DS Kaur can help it...

The best thing about this was the characters, a well drawn and endearing cast who refuse to conform to the usual mystery stereotypes, and I enjoyed their evolving friendships and budding relationships. This is told from four different perspectives, which unfortunately got confusing at times, and slowed the pace right down. I would’ve preferred to have Harbinder’s chapters told in her own voice, as in the last book, whereas unfortunately this is all third person present narration. Harbinder is an intriguing personality and I would continue this series just for her. The plot got overly complicated, and required too much coincidence to resolve the various threads - on the plus side it means I didn’t guess whodunnit, but it all felt completely implausible - especially the police tolerating such a degree of interference into their investigation.

I generally dislike cosy mysteries because they all tend to follow the same plot, trivialise murder and invariably have the amateur sleuth completely upstage the professional - fortunately this doesn’t conform to those tropes, and in fact it gently mocks them. I did enjoy all the literary in-jokes and longed to be able to attend a crime book festival - it could be a long time now, since they’re rare in New Zealand anyway and the British ones have all moved online thanks to Covid-19 - I don’t think it would be the same without all the banter in the bar. I would however love to become a Murder Consultant - a perfect plan for my retirement one day!

Overall I liked but didn’t love this, 3.5 stars rounded down for the present tense narration. Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review. The Postscript Murders is published on October 6th.

The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths is a very slightly quirky but extremely enjoyable murder novel that was a joy to read and kept me turning the pages.

The amateur sleuths and other characters were well sketched out which made them easily identifiable and enabled them to keep the story moving along

A definite recommendation

Can a misfit group of people find the true criminal? Peggy is dead but was it a natural death? Her carer Natalka doesn't believe so but how can she prove? She knows that she needs help so she turns to Benedict the cafe owner and Peggy's friend Edwin but can they keep themselves out of trouble? DS Harbinder Kaur knows that she doesn't have much to lose at the moment so she decides to attend Peggy's funeral especially now that Natalka has put doubts into her mind. No one them realise that this isn't going to be a quick simple case and that others will get hurt along the way. Will they be able to find out the truth about Peggy & her life? A good interesting read enjoyed it. I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley & the publishing house in exchange for my honest review.

A really good read with great characters and a great storyline.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

ust finished reading The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths (was given a review copy by #NetGalley) ; I enjoyed it a lot. It's an unusual storyline, and a good one.

Another great Harbinder Kaur book, I'm really happy Elly is carrying on this series. I liked the back up characters too, including the ex monk. The seaside setting is so good, and the murder was a good mystery

This is the second outing for DS Harbinder Kaur, a gay Sikh based on the South coast of England. As with the first novel in this series, the story is told from the point of view of four of the characters, including Harbinder. Peggy Smith a ninety year old living in sheltered accommodation, is found dead in her flat. The death isn't regarded as suspicious apart from by her carer Natalka, who sets out with two of her friends to try to solve the mystery.
This is a light and easy to read novel. The writing flows so well, it's a nice quick read. The characters are very endearing, not just the main characters but the supporting charcters, including Harbinder's parents. There is plenty of humour and it gives the story the feel of a cosy mystery. A delightful series.

I received a free ARC of this via NetGalley and Quercus in return for an unbiased review. This is the second Kaur book, and keeps the same police characters, but all new features characters who are connected to the victims and trying to solve the murders. A former monk coffee shack owner, a Ukrainian maths whizz carer and a gay octogenarian BBC Radio 3 presenter join in this story of murder involving authors and a literary festival. Vividly, humorously and sensitively written by Griffiths, who’s one of my favourite authors - you root for two of them to get together, and you’ll have something in your eye at Kaur’s Dad telling her she can bring friends over - boyfriends or girlfriends, telling her that her Indian parents accept their gay, sergeant daughter as she is. Lovely. More please!