“This droll romp is a latter-day Miss Marple.” —Washington PostMurder leaps off the page when crime novelists begin to turn up dead in this intricate new novel by internationally best-selling author Elly Griffiths, a literary mystery perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Agatha Christie. The death of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition should not be suspicious. Detective Sergeant … of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition should not be suspicious. Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur certainly sees nothing out of the ordinary when Peggy’s caretaker, Natalka, begins to recount Peggy Smith’s passing.
But Natalka had a reason to be at the police station: while clearing out Peggy’s flat, she noticed an unusual number of crime novels, all dedicated to Peggy. And each psychological thriller included a mysterious postscript: PS: for PS. When a gunman breaks into the flat to steal a book and its author is found dead shortly thereafter—Detective Kaur begins to think that perhaps there is no such thing as an unsuspicious death after all.
And then things escalate: from an Aberdeen literary festival to the streets of Edinburgh, writers are being targeted. DS Kaur embarks on a road trip across Europe and reckons with how exactly authors can think up such realistic crimes . . .
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mystery, England, cosy-mystery, sly-humor, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, procedural, suspense*****
The active 90 year old died suddenly and her caregiver finds a business card stating that the woman was a Murder Consultant. She also finds that many authors have referenced her in their Acknowledgements.
So it begins. Exploring the personalities and cultures of an interesting number of awesome characters as together and individually they explore the murders of authors linked to the Murder Consultant is riveting as well as fun. I found it to be a terrific read.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via NetGalley.
Another entertaining novel by Elly Griffiths. The Postscript Murders is a fun peek into the competitive and at times murderous world of writers, literary agents, and book publishers. Toss in a couple of elderly wartime spies and an inquisitive female detective – it’s a fun romp that will keep you turning the pages well past your bedtime. Cheers Lynda L. Lock (Isla Mujeres Mystery series)
The mystery could be condensed into two pages. The most potentially exciting/interesting bit, Peggy and crew, isn’t explored. Instead, the book focuses on a variety of characters which seem to tick off a variety of minority demographics and their personal lives alone and part of a developing group.
It wasn’t unpleasant and the group is likeable, but I was looking for a mystery, not a straight fiction with a touch of mystery.
Last month, one of those Amazon emails came across my desk suggesting I would enjoy “The Postscript Murders,” a new book by Elly Griffiths. I was hooked. I ordered it online at the library and, surprisingly, had it in no time. There must not be that many Elly Griffiths fans in the Atlanta library system.
Beyond the fact that I like everything I’ve read by this author, what attracted me was the blurb that indicated it was a literary mystery with senior characters. “… a latter-day Miss Marple,” proclaimed the Washington Post. When a 90-year-old resident of Seaview Court in Shoreham-by-Sea is found dead, a trio of unlikely amateur sleuths swings into action. One is the victim’s octogenarian neighbor Edwin, who wittily refers to the retirement community as Preview Court. Before you know it, they’ve convinced DS Harbinder Kaur that the elderly woman didn’t die of natural causes, and the detecting begins. There’s even a trip to a literary festival in Aberdeen. Read this gentle romp for the relationships, the intricately woven plot, and the literary references.
I loved this book and the varied cast of characters, from a youngish girl to an elderly man, plus the gay Indian detective who lives with her parents who is at the center of it. The plot involves murder mysteries, which adds to the fun.
Smart, thoughtful cozy mystery in which three amateur detectives (and one police officer!) band together to solve the murder of an old friend. Full of meta references, genre jokes and gratuitous writer characters… and I really enjoyed the four different point of view characters.
This clever mystery novel pokes at the conventions of mystery fiction, with several author characters and an old lady calling herself a ‘murder consultant’ as the victim. The four point of view characters — three amateur sleuths and a police officer — are used really well, with their very different perspectives on life and the case making this a refreshing, original read. Really enjoyed it!
I was glad to see Harbinder was back in another book, but now I hope some of the other characters in The Postscript Murders appear again. Such a quirky story and quirky characters!
I read and enjoyed The Stranger Diaries, but never expected the police detective in the book, Harbinder Kaur, to end up being the focus of a new series by Elly Griffiths. The tone of the series definitely takes a turn with this second book – where the first was a dark and twisty read, The Postscript Murders has more of a cozy feel, thanks to the characters. Harbinder is of course a professional, but in this book she’s surrounded by a motley crew of amateur detectives who are determined to “help” by going off on their own despite her admonitions to the contrary. Griffiths does an excellent job of making each of them feel real, fleshing them out and making them all likeable and relatable. It was another well-written mystery, keeping me guessing until the end. I also wonder – might Griffiths use this series to explore different sub-genres of the mystery novel? Harbinder always at the center, but with the characters driving the feel of the book? That would be interesting indeed. At any rate, Harbinder Kaur herself is a well-written character – professional, prickly, contradictory at times. I definitely look forward to seeing what her next case will be.
Thanks to Netgalley and Mariner Books for providing a copy for an unbiased review.
Mystery writers who use a “murder consultant” are being murdered in this clever page-turner.
I have been meaning to read this since it was first released. While not as sharp as the Ruth Galloway books the entertaining characters more than make up for it. Anyone who enjoys reading crime novels will enjoy this book. My only criticism is I felt the appearance of Natalka’s brother didn’t really make any sense and was more of an unnecessary distraction for me than adding anything to the story.
You read Elly Griffiths for the characters. That doesn’t mean that the mystery itself is bad; in fact the mystery here is quite good. However, it’s the characters that keep you coming back for more. Her characters are real, faulty like all humans, doing the best they can to make their way in the world, and honest. I didn’t quite expect the ending on this, but it’s a lovely book.
Elly Griffiths bridges the gap, for me, between just-too-noir and just-too-cozy. Her books, both this new series with Harbinder Kaur and the Ruth Galloway series, are witty without trying too hard, have wonderful characters, interesting plots, and are the perfect-in-bed-with-a-cup-of-tea type reads.
The Postscript Murders involves both amateur sleuthing and a police protagonist, and Griffiths moves effortlessly and believably between the points of view. Each character has a distinctive voice. The plot involves the world of authors and publishing, and as an author, I found the premise witty and satisfying.
I will read anything Griffiths writes because the books are just so enjoyable and satisfy the conventions of the genre without being terrifying, trite, campy, or twee.
I’ve read and very much enjoyed some of the Ruth Galloway stories set in Norfolk, but this is the first of the author’s Brighton series that I’ve tried. Atmospherically, it wasn’t as gripping as the Ruth Galloways, but there’s an adequate sense of place (Shoreham and Aberdeen). Most of all, I enjoyed the engaging characters (representatives of most adult stages of life) and the writing style with its vein of humour. The plot grew increasingly convoluted and somewhat improbable at times but I didn’t feel that mattered. In the way of vintage/ cozy mystery, there was no graphic sex or violence. There was a good sprinkling of literary references, however, largely from the crime genre. I recommend this if you want a pacey, not too demanding read to take your mind off real events. I’m sure I’ll read more of the series when that’s what I’m looking for. I suspect that Richard Osman’s success hasn’t been lost on Elly Griffiths. I’ve begun to think of this type of intelligent, literary cozy mystery as the anti-Covid genre.
if 90 year old Peggy didn’t die of natural causes then who would murder her and why? Did it have anything to do with her talent for helping mystery authors with various methods of murder? Well, at first glance the verdict is heart attack, case closed. Not something her caregiver, Natalka, is willing to accept. She gathers her friends Benedict and Edwin to investigate Peggy’s life and how she seems to have crossed the path of her killer. Added to the case is DS Harbinger Kaur who has her hands full keeping this group out of trouble. If anyone had any doubt about Peggy being murdered they are convinced when an intruder in Peggy’s apartment pulls a gun and the case heats up.
Filled with humor, lots of red herrings and a tip of the hat to Dame Agatha, this is a wonderful mystery set in the world of mystery writers, publishers and mystery lovers. While it is the second in the series it isn’t necessary to have read the previous book, The Stranger Diaries.
My thanks to the publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Oh but I do love an Elly Griffiths novel! Whether it’s these Harbinder Kaur books, the Magic Men series, or her stand-alones, I (generally) just enjoy her writing style and her quirky characters. She spends a lot of effort in creating a cast of characters that don’t feel like the cookie-cutter protagonists and villains that populate other mysteries, and that effort pays off. The result is a set of characters that are endearing, original, and wholly engaging. Add to that a deft hand at plotting out unusual mysteries, with more than a passing nod to the worlds of books and writing, and you wind up with an extremely delightful series!
In this second installment, we see Harbinder coming into her own. I really enjoyed seeing more about her family in this one. I am enjoying watching her work out her interpersonal issues – she feels very real and resonant, even though our lives don’t relate in many ways, and I find her to be a delightful protagonist. She’s just the right mix of focused and awkward to be endearing and relatable.
Honestly, I didn’t even realize the series was focused on her. The first book seemed nearly entirely Clare-focused to me, but the whole series is referenced on Amazon as the “Harbinder Kaur” books, so there you go. Clare has a cameo in here and it was nice to see her again, although it had been a while since I read the first book (The Stranger Diaries) and I didn’t remember very many details beyond liking it a great deal. Griffiths doesn’t make much reference to the first book here, which was fine with me. While I realize I may have missed some things, it meant I could read this book without needing to go back and reread the first, which was good because time is in short supply these days. Which is a long way of saying, if you haven’t read The Stranger Diaries, you could still read this one and enjoy it perfectly fine (although I never recommend reading out of order, sometimes it’s not a problem if you do).
The plot here is intricate and involved and clever. The interplay between the characters really helped build the tension throughout the course of the unraveling. The revelations, red herrings, and secrets were presented with just the right amount of drama. The whole thing came together beautifully and was a wild rumpus of a tale!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy. The Postscript Murders releases in the U.S. on March 2, 2021.
I’m delighted to find that Elly Griffiths appears to have started another series, with DS Harbinder Kaur who featured in The Stranger Diaries. This one is set on the coast of Sussex but heads up to Aberdeen – it’s entertaining and full of unpredictable, memorable characters, not just amongst the book world people. I love Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway series and I’m quite fond of her Brighton series, but this looks like another series I could thoroughly enjoy.
Peggy Smith is found dead in her favorite chair in her apartment at a retirement community in Shoreham, England. The coroner rules she died of a heart attack. Since she is 90 years old, no one questions that her death was anything but a peaceful passing while she slept. Then her caretaker, Natalka, begins raising questions about the ruling because she has found that most of the crime novels on Peggy’s shelves are dedicated to her. Natalka draws in a couple of Peggy’s friends from the community, and even gets police Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur interested. Then authors begin dying and Harbinder is even more interested in the connections between the authors and Peggy.
While I was underwhelmed by the author’s writing style, I enjoyed the mystery and how the retirees and DS Kaur began peeling back the layers of secrecy that surrounded Peggy Smith. The living characters are a bit stereotypical, but Harbinder grew on me as her story unfolded. The ending to the book was satisfactory and a little sad for DS Kaur.
While this is the second entry in the series featuring Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur, you need not have read the first book in the series to enjoy this outing. So if you are looking for an interesting cozy mystery to read, this just might be the book you’re looking for.
My thanks to Houghton Mifflin and NetGalley for an eARC.
The Postscript Murders is a fun read where I laughed out loud, cheered on the DS Harbinder Kaur ( I so love this character) and her helpers (not sure Harbinder thinks they are helpful) as they try and solve the suspicious death of Peggy.
Peggy herself is quite the character even though she is the one dead.
The 3 of them might be armchair detectives helping the police but they are clever and picked up the clues way before I did.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I did Book One in the Series and can’t wait for Book 3.
Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for a clever and enjoyable read.
THE POSTSCRIPT MURDERS by Elly Griffiths combines death and authors within a novel that is a police procedural and almost a cozy mystery hybrid set in England and Scotland. The death of ninety-year-old Peggy Smith seems to be one of natural causes, but is it? One of her caretakers, Natalka Kolisnyk, thinks it is murder. While helping to clear out Peggy’s apartment, she notices the large number of murder mysteries; many of which have mentioned Peggy in their acknowledgement section. Detective Sergeant (DS) Harbinder Kaur doesn’t see anything out of the ordinary initially, but is willing to listen to Natalka. When a gunman breaks into Peggy’s apartment and steals a book, the situation rapidly changes and escalates.
Natalka and friends Benedict Cole and Edwin Fitzgerald decide they have to help Harbinder solve the case and take on the roles of amateur sleuths. DS Kaur seems to interact with the amateurs a little too freely, but it made for an enjoyable read. The characters of Harbinder and Natalka are well developed and showed growth. The supporting characters of Cole and Fitzgerald were not quite as well developed, but were adequate for their role. I felt that Harbinder’s partner, DS Neil Winston took too much of a backseat to be realistic.
The book changes point of view frequently, but the chapters are labeled with the character’s name and it is never confusing. The author did a great job of world-building. A strong sense of place made me feel like I was transported to Shoreham-by-Sea and Aberdeen. The plot is somewhat intricate with several subplots. There are lots of twists and turns and a few surprises along the way. The author’s sense of humor came through in the dialogue. Several themes are woven into the novel including death, murder, loneliness, elder care, religion, cultural differences, racism, and much more. Additionally, it also deals with books, authors, agents and publishers.
Overall, it was an entertaining book that approached an investigation with a serious, hardworking, and kind investigator that was willing to listen to some quirky amateur detectives. This is the second book in the Harbinder Kaur mystery series, and I recommend it to those that enjoy the genre. It was a fun read and I am looking forward to the next book featuring Harbinder as well as other series by this author. This is the first book that I have read by Elly Griffiths, but it won’t be the last.
Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for March 2, 2021.