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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Well-paced, loveable characters and a unique, twisty-turny plot - highly recommended for crime fiction lovers!
I've read a lot of crime fiction and this is definitely up there with my favourites now! I enjoyed the multi-POV approach of the numerous characters, only one of whom is actually a detective. The characters are all great, and it's quite a diverse cast too, each with their own interesting back stories. There's just the right amount of character progression, it doesn't distract from the main plot.
The book is very meta, as well - sort of poking fun at itself - and that gave it a fun, light-hearted feel.
I've read a lot of crime fiction and this is definitely up there with my favourites now! I enjoyed the multi-POV approach of the numerous characters, only one of whom is actually a detective. The characters are all great, and it's quite a diverse cast too, each with their own interesting back stories. There's just the right amount of character progression, it doesn't distract from the main plot.
The book is very meta, as well - sort of poking fun at itself - and that gave it a fun, light-hearted feel.
A charming and cozy read with quirky characters. The plot is great, and I enjoy reading about writers and writing, and the mix of professional detective work and amateur sleuths. It is also nice that there are people of different ages, nationalities, and backgrounds. It’s an eclectic mix of for example an ex-monk, a Ukrainian immigrant, and a lesbian DS with an Indian heritage living with her parents.
90-year old Peggy is found dead, and her carer fears she was murdered. Peggy was a murder consultant, she helped crime authors come up with new ways to kill off characters. Many authors acknowledged her in the dedications. Peggy sounds like an old lady I’d like to know. We would probably discuss books for hours.
Elly Griffiths is a talented author, and I enjoy her books very much. This one did not disappoint. Looking forward to reading more books in this series. I received an advance copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
90-year old Peggy is found dead, and her carer fears she was murdered. Peggy was a murder consultant, she helped crime authors come up with new ways to kill off characters. Many authors acknowledged her in the dedications. Peggy sounds like an old lady I’d like to know. We would probably discuss books for hours.
Elly Griffiths is a talented author, and I enjoy her books very much. This one did not disappoint. Looking forward to reading more books in this series. I received an advance copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Natalka, the Ukrainian carer gets suspicious when 90 year old Mrs Smith passes away. Mrs Smith who happens to be a “murder consultant” - someone who helps crime novelists by coming up with clever ways of getting people killed in their novels. And thus begins the journey of the 3 most ill-assorted people into the literary world searching for a serial killer on the loose.
Written in POVs of characters, this book is smart, witty and keeps you on the edge. The characters are loveable, quirky and intelligent. It definitely is a cosy murder mystery - the kind where you suspect everyone and yet in the end exclaim - “who would have thought!”
Written in POVs of characters, this book is smart, witty and keeps you on the edge. The characters are loveable, quirky and intelligent. It definitely is a cosy murder mystery - the kind where you suspect everyone and yet in the end exclaim - “who would have thought!”
Excellent audiobook narrator!!
Second read: just found out there's another one in the series coming yayyyyyy
Second read: just found out there's another one in the series coming yayyyyyy
What a great read. Only the 2 books in this series so far but both really good. In this one DS Harbinder Kaur is assisted by a motley band of younger and elderly locals to solve the murder of Peggy, a murder consultant to authors. They take it upon themselves to help her and have a fine time in the process. I love how this band of amateur sleuths are all so colourful and are a great part of the story. Highly recommended.
Loved it! Pulls you in from the start. Likeable funny characters. A good 'cosy crime' read.
The death 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 . . .
A fabulous book with a great story and terrific characters, I could have read on and on and was sorry when it ended. Loved it!
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 . . .
A fabulous book with a great story and terrific characters, I could have read on and on and was sorry when it ended. Loved it!
This book was very meh for me. It didn’t feel cozy, the characters were largely quite annoying, and the relationships were not well-developed. The worst offense, however, was that the entire book told you how something occurred after the fact rather than show you what was happening as it happened. I was especially disappointed I did not get to learn more about Peggy and the plots she thought up or about her past life or even what was going through the detective’s mind as the case unraveled. This book just felt unfinished to me.
Elly’s new book is listed as a stand-alone however, it’s the second book featuring Detective Sargeant Harbinder Kaur, the 36-year-old, Sikh, single, and closeted lesbian detective! This new novel is a blast. Set in a seaside town near Brighton (England), DS Kaur is investigating a number of connected but mysterious deaths at a senior’s residence. Her investigation takes her to a literary festival in Aberdeen, Scotland where a number of authors have also come to a tragic end. There are quite a few comical characters aiding DS Kaur in this story. It’s a fun page-turner with humour and intrigue!