The Postscript Murders: a gripping new mystery from the bestselling author of The Stranger Diaries

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Although this series is immensely different to Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway series, she still holds me spellbound with her use of words, both in her character and scenery descriptions, and her setting of atmosphere . . . '...the spaces beneath them. Old mining tunnels. Caverns measureless to man. Death and dread.' and 'ghost cottages with the gardens still in flower.' The characters were amazing, here are some of them; the first 4 make up our murder solving investigators! I love how their relationships changed and how well these four worked together :

I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with this quirky, diverse cast of characters as they took their individual approaches to mystery-solving, resulting in an extremely satisfying ending where all plot threads were neatly tied up. Clues were seeded so carefully through the proceedings that I was absolutely chagrined that I hadn’t come up with the solution before our intrepid investigators did. I blame it partly on being so charmed by grumpy Harbinder, headstrong Natalka, awkward Benedict, and perhaps most of all by Edwin, who uses this adventure to keep at bay his fears of decrepitude. 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 Kaur, who is almost 40 and still lives at home with her parents, is in turn frustrated and impressed by the skills and dedication of this group. Kaur is also gay, still hiding it from her parents, and disappointingly single. She has a nice line in sarcasm, and often thinks of her partner, Neil, as a little woodland animal, a cute squirrel who often nibbles at nuts somewhat larger than he is. Neil himself would have preferred to live in the times where detectives trampled all over the crime scene, pausing only to beat up suspects and drink beer, rather than having to worry about all the intricacies of forensics. This starts the beginning of a very novel mystery. The lead detective assigned to the case, DS Harbinder Kaur, gets lots of help from Peggy’s friends in solving this case. There are many different ideas floated around but when others are found dead, supposedly of natural causes, there are suspicions of a possible serial killer? 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.

All the different POVs made the story pretty dynamic and when you thought that all was said and done there was a final twist that, truth be told, hurt a little. Well then DS Harbinder Kaur thinks that maybe there is no such thing as an unsuspicious death after all. Author Griffiths told NPR that she was inspired by her own Aunt Marge, who provides Griffiths ideas and plots for murders. Griffiths wondered if there was such a thing as a murder consultant; if so, her aunt would be the perfect murder consultant.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a very different side of Ms.Griffiths that I have not read before. I would recommend this book, it was a good mystery, well plotted and had great characters that made me care about them. DS Harbinder Kaur, a female detective in a male dominated work place. She is also gay; a Sikh and in her mid thirties is still lives with her mum and dad. I hope Elly Griffiths is planning to write more books with at least a few of these characters appearing again. Harbinder played a role in The Stranger Diaries but it's not necessary to read that book to enjoy this one. I hope we see more of Harbinder (and friends) in future books. I'd love to see things from the viewpoint of Neil, Harbinder's partner. As much as she thinks he drives her nuts, I suspect he has a few complaints of his own. 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.And wow, is it. This is solidly real, with no supernatural atmosphere. It does revolve around literary connections, just as the previous book did, so that seems to be the niche for this series. And this one is written in multiple third person/present tense POVs. (A writing style I generally detest. However, this was some of the least annoying, most seamless present-tense writing I’ve read, with none of the jarring slips into and out of past tense that I find in most present-tense novels.)

From the sleepy seaside town of Shoreham, to the granite streets of Aberdeen and the shores of Lake Baikal, The Postscript Murders is a literary mystery for fans of Antony Horowitz, Agatha Christie and anyone who’s ever wondered just how authors think up such realistic crimes… 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…DS Harbinder Kaur is a gay Sikh woman who still lives with her folks. Harbinder's parents run the family store, and her mom is a wonderful cook who serves delicious Indian cuisine. Benedict is an amiable man who loved the spiritual life of a monk but came to yearn for 'a normal life.' Benedict is shy about meeting women, but hopes a special lady will miraculously walk into his life. The café owner loves to read mysteries, and turns out to be a clever detective.

Plus, Griffiths admits there is nothing cozy about murder, but there are avid readers who find comfort in a great murder mystery, sans blood and guts. Mysteries that are puzzles, that engage the reader in solving said puzzles are a must in creating a cozy mystery. Peggy Smith, a 90-year-old, has died and her home aide/carer Natalka is concerned that it might be suspicious, especially when she finds an interesting business card stating “Murder Consultant.” Soon we are immersed in the world of mystery book writers, including a book festival in Edinburgh. I wanted to hear about how Peggy collaborated with the authors and brainstormed with them! I wanted to hear her ideas, and to get to know HER. Peggy could have been one of those characters that we never forget! How does the book also create a conversation about sexuality and LGBTQ culture in contemporary society? What does Edwin reveal about his experience living as a homosexual man during the height of AIDS? How does he say that things have changed since his youth? What secret does Harbinger keep from her parents and how does this affect her life? What does Natalka reveal about her own sexuality? To whom does she reveal it, and how do they respond to this? In 2018 this author gave us The Stranger Diaries, a creepy & entertaining story that introduced DS Harbinder Kaur. She was more of a secondary character but with the arrival of this book, she steps into the shoes of MC. Not only is she up to the task, her unique voice is one of the most enjoyable aspects of this literary murder mystery.Bernie, who until recently lived a cloistered life as a monk but know is the barista in his own coffee shop. Bernie also has the hots for Natalka. Griffiths assembles a vivid cast of characters, offering an enjoyably modern take on an old genre * The Sunday Times * That being said, I don't have to like a character to love the book and everything else was sublime. But when Natalka reveals that Peggy lied about her heart condition and that she had been sure someone was following her... THE AUTHOR: Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway novels take for their inspiration Elly's husband, who gave up a city job to train as an archaeologist, and her aunt who lives on the Norfolk coast and who filled her niece's head with the myths and legends of that area. Elly has two children and lives near Brighton.