The Postscript Murders: A Mystery Paperback – April 5, 2022

It took a while before my husband believed me when I told him that an Amazon gift card is wonderful gift for me. And here is a perfect example: I had a lovely surprise when a new book by Elly Griffiths appeared on my Kindle! Elly Griffiths is on my short list of incredibly special authors. I redeem my gift card and pre-order her books. And promptly forget when it will be released. (Which is why I pre-order.) Surprise! Happy Birthday to me! Elly Griffiths knows how to write a great story. This book is the second book featuring Harbinder Kaur as a police detective in Brighton. The first book with Harbinder was the Stranger Diaries, a spooky mystery with ghost stories and main character Clare. Clare may have been featured in that book, but the introduction of Harbinder was enough to establish her as a character that can carry a series. So far, this series is loosely connected and either of these books could be read as a standalone. (Elly Griffith’s wonderful Ruth Galloway series includes so much of the lives of the characters that it really should be read in order.) Harbinder is a great character. She is an excellent police detective, and a single gay Sikh woman in her thirties who still lives with her parents. The story is told from multiple points of view: Harbinder, Natalka (a caregiver who works with elderly clients), Edwin (a resident of a sheltered living facility for the elderly in Shoreham), and Benedict (an ex-monk who runs a coffee shack in Shoreham). The story begins with the death of Peggy Smith in that same sheltered living facility. Despite the lack of any obvious evidence, Natalka believes that Peggy’s death was unnatural. Peggy is an interesting character even though she dies in the opening pages. Her “business” cards say Murder Consultant. She has given advice to authors about their plots and ingenious ways to kill. Suspects abound as the investigation begins without much concrete evidence of murder. The list of suspects gets shorter as the list of murder victims grows. The amateur team is entertaining. There are humorous moments, especially on their road trip to Aberdeen following some of the writers who have dedicated their books to Peggy or included her in their acknowledgments. It is best to let the story unfold as intended by the author so I will not summarize the plot. But I will encourage you to read any book by Elly Griffiths. I prefer the Ruth Galloway series just because I am so vested in the lives of the continuing characters. In this Brighton series, the “civilian” characters such as Clare in the Stranger Diaries and the trio in this book seem likely to appear in their episode and then move along. If you are a sensitive reader: there are murders, but no gruesome details: the language is nothing you haven’t heard on television (at least as I recall); and there is small amount of romance, but no detailed sex scenes. A mystery story by Elly Griffiths is literary mystery that stands above most of the genre. If you enjoy a well-written mystery with a strong sense of place, you might also enjoy books by Paul Doiron (Maine), Martin Walker (the Perigord), Jane Harper (Australia), Cay Rademacher’s Roger Blanc books (Provence), Louise Penny (Canada), Anne Cleeves (several different series set in the Shetland Islands, Northumberland, and coastal England), and Jean-Luc Bannalec (Brittany). These authors have nothing in common except talent and the stories are quite different.

I didn't even know that this was the second Harbinger Kaur mystery because it read like a stand alone novel and I enjoyed it immensely. I didn't guess whodunit but that didn't matter very much in the end because it was all very plausible with lots of clues that I obviously missed. It was fun to get to know the characters and if none of them are in the next one, I may actually miss them. As she did so very well in the Ruth Galloway series, Griffiths writes characters that are very human and engaging... even when they are sometimes being annoying. And she never leaves her reader with a cliffhanger; she seems to respect her loyal readers too much for that. I guess you could describe The Postscript Murders as a "cozy," not really a thriller. However for me it was a page-turner and never dragged or was dull. I didn't want it to end because it was was able to keep my interest and cause me to appreciate the characters until the last sentence. I already have the first Harbinger Kaur mystery on my to-read list, but I will be keeping my eye out for number three as well.

The author has a knack for developing complex, diverse, and very likable characters that makes me want to read more. Also very well-plotted- and always a few insightful “zinger observations “ that bring a smile to my heart.

I enjoyed author Elly Griffiths' THE STRANGER DIARIES, which introduces Det. Sgt. Harbinder Kaur. THE POSTSCRIPT MURDERS has a similar campy quality to it. But here, three amateur sleuths take the spotlight from DS Kaur as they try to figure out who killed their friend Peggy Smith. Peggy billed herself as a "murder consultant" and worked with mystery writers to craft perfect murders.This has an almost manic pace. It was entertaining but I much prefer Anthony Horowitz's MAGPIE MURDERS or Richard Osman's THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB. This book definitely falls into the cosy category, where the other two do not.

I want to spend more time with these people. Such good characters. I love Harbinder's voice. Pretty spiffy twists and turns. And now I have to find other books in this series, even though I swore I would buy no more books.

I tried to decide if Griffith herself was trying to write in the style of the Golden Age writers so often mentioned in this book. It does share certain Agatha traits, but it's set in modern days so difficult to compare to 1920-30's crime fiction. Still, it's rather quaint, and these murders are also not gory or even violent. Quiet death as with earlier novels. I found it slow moving and filled with the non-essential but still interesting. Mainly what it did was send me on a quest for those Golden Age books just to read a few. And yes, I looked for Sheila Atkins but don't think she existed. Good joke on readers. Well done but far from Griffiths best

This is the first non Ruth Galloway book of Elly Griffiths’ that I’ve read and I love it. The characters are the best aspects of all her novels and there’s no disappointment here. They will enchant you just as much as Ruth and Cathbad and Nelson. The use of the sea to help set the mood is also similar. I can’t wait to read the rest of her books.

I truly enjoy reading these cozy English mysteries. No bad language, no steamy sex, just a good wholesome murder mystery!

The characters are so complete you feel you have met them! Hope El!y Griffiths has many more stories to share!

A great entertaining read.

... new setting - another very fine crime novel masterly written by Elly Griffiths. The author is worldwide known as the creator of Dr Ruth Galloway, an anthropo-pathologist with a nose for solving murders. A series I personally am following for years now.The same of the inclination to investigate the very sudden death of a nice, relatively healthy 90-year-old lady can be said of her new protagonists: an ex-monk, an Ukrainian crypto-nurse, a former BBC radio star and a lesb*an Detective Sergeant. All of them do their best to solve the presumed murder of Peggy Smith, a self-declared "Murder Consultant". Who gave often gruesome ideas of unusual killings to a bunch of British crime authors. But when she and some of her "clients" are getting menacing postcards and strange men are appearing, the crime-solving becomes more sinister. And when the first author is killed, even the Police does not believe in coincidences any more...A really well-written plot with the above mentioned unusual characters acting not properly "mainstream" - and a solution that took me by surprise. Very fine descriptions of the English and Scottish countryside and towns, too. I am hoping to read more of those very special personalities...

Elly Griffiths first standalone mystery, The Stranger Diaries, introduced thirty-six-year-old DS Harbinder Kaur, a gay Sikh detective based in West Sussex who still lives with her parents. In The Postscript Murders, set in the sleepy coastal town of Shoreham-on-Sea and featuring a cast of brilliantly drawn characters, Kaur returns in a sharply plotted mystery that is a joy for fans of crime fiction and full of tongue-in-cheek humour.The death of a ninety-year-old woman in sheltered housing would not normally arouse suspicion but when Ukrainian carer, Natalka, discovers the body of Peggy Smith in her armchair in Seaview Court it concerns her enough to report it to the police. Despite having a heart condition, Natalka remembers Peggy being in fine fettle earlier that day and mentioning her suspicions that she was being watched. The last straw for Natalka comes when she discovers a business card that refers to Peggy as a ‘murder consultant’ and she shares her suspicions with eighty-year-old gay pensioner, Edwin, and Benedict, a former monk turned coffee shop owner, both friends of Peggy’s. A quick glance through Peggy’s bookshelves housing her crime fiction collection reveals that many of the books are either dedicated to her or refer to her in the acknowledgments, concerning Natalka even more. Intrigued by the ‘murder consultant’ reference and mysterious Natalka, DS Kaur attends Peggy’s funeral only to discover that the pensioner assisted several authors on ways to murder characters and overcome plot problems. One of the authors that Peggy often advised was well-known local writer Dex Challoner, whose deceased mother was a friend of Peggy’s at Seaview Court.Two things happen that start to convince DS Kaur that the ill-assorted trio of Natalka, Edwin and Benedict might be onto something with their suspicions. The first is a typed postcard lodged inside Peggy’s current reading book threatening, “We are coming for you”, and the second is when a masked gunman bursts in on Natalka packing Peggy’s possessions and steals a golden age crime fiction book. When DS Kaur finds herself called out to an incident at Dex’s house and her concerns heighten she is alarmed to discover that the ragtag brigade of amateur sleuths have taken themselves off to a crime writing festival in Aberdeen intending to interview two other authors who also knew Peggy. Impulsive Natalka is the unofficial leader of the trio with her own secret to hide, with lonely Edwin and exceptionally well-read and mindful Benedict ably supporting. Prepare for a few farcical moments, some far-fetched scenarios and several murders, all written with Elly Griffiths’ trademark lightness of touch and warmth and prepare to be left in admiration as the full extent of the clever plot becomes apparent. Brilliant reading, great fun and I hope there are plenty more cases for DS Harbinder Kaur to come.

It's cleverly written and I couldn't put it down. It kept me turning pages to see if I could be as good as the amateur detectives in the book. It's true that two heads (or more) are better than one.