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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
I seem to be on a roll with good reads at the moment, but I always had high expectations for Elly Griffiths’ latest novel, a sequel to her previous 2018 standalone, ‘The Stranger Diaries’ which was a rather creepy horror/mystery novel set in my own neck of the woods, dear old West Sussex. Harbinder Kaur was introduced in the Stranger Diaries as a young gay Sikh detective who solves a death at a high school surrounded by literary associations, and she is back in The Postscript Murders, investigating the suspicious death of a 90-year old crime fiction lover in Shoreham-by-Sea, who seems to have been acknowledged in dozens of books and had a business card calling her a ‘Murder Consultant’. As with The Stranger Diaries, this is a murder mystery set within a literary circle, with strong links to the book community, which only serves to make it doubly interesting to a girl like me who loves all things books.
I absolutely loved The Stranger Diaries and in general I’m quite an Elly Griffiths fan, so I went in with really high expectations, but if anything this book is even better than the first. It introduces us to a quirky band of mismatched characters who fancy themselves amateur detectives: Natalka, the beautiful and sporty Ukrainian carer with a secret bitcoin empire; Benedict, the beachside coffee shop owner who used to be a monk; and Edwin, an elderly gay gentleman who used to work for the BBC. Together they set out to solve the ‘murder’ of their friend Peggy before it even seems there’s a solid reason to call it a murder, and along with Harbinder end up on a crime-solving roadtrip to a Scottish book festival. This motley crew were very entertaining reading. The plot itself was intricate and cleverly pieced together; and I absolutely loved everything about it! I also always find it interesting reading about places I know well; Lancing, Steyning and Hove as well as Shoreham make an appearance.
This could be read without any knowledge of The Stranger Diaries, though it was fun to read former protagonist Clare’s cameo appearance in this book!
My thanks to the author, the publisher, @QuercusBooks, and to #NetGalley, for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. The book is out on the 1st October in the UK.
I absolutely loved The Stranger Diaries and in general I’m quite an Elly Griffiths fan, so I went in with really high expectations, but if anything this book is even better than the first. It introduces us to a quirky band of mismatched characters who fancy themselves amateur detectives: Natalka, the beautiful and sporty Ukrainian carer with a secret bitcoin empire; Benedict, the beachside coffee shop owner who used to be a monk; and Edwin, an elderly gay gentleman who used to work for the BBC. Together they set out to solve the ‘murder’ of their friend Peggy before it even seems there’s a solid reason to call it a murder, and along with Harbinder end up on a crime-solving roadtrip to a Scottish book festival. This motley crew were very entertaining reading. The plot itself was intricate and cleverly pieced together; and I absolutely loved everything about it! I also always find it interesting reading about places I know well; Lancing, Steyning and Hove as well as Shoreham make an appearance.
This could be read without any knowledge of The Stranger Diaries, though it was fun to read former protagonist Clare’s cameo appearance in this book!
My thanks to the author, the publisher, @QuercusBooks, and to #NetGalley, for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. The book is out on the 1st October in the UK.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4 Fabulous Stars for this twisty mystery!
Thanks #EllyGriffiths and #Netgalley for this fun read that reminded me of those "Golden Age" mysteries referenced in this book and written by vintage crime writers like Agatha Christie & Dorothy Sayers! This book is my favorite style of mystery with multiple engaging characters, a twisty plot-line, lots of red herrings, more than one mystery happening at the same time, a little romance and a nicely plotted story-line!
The plot goes something like this. Peggy, an elderly woman who lives in an apartment facing the sea, is ultra observant and in fact IS a "murder consultant" helping authors plot fictional murder stories. Ironically, she is murdered and the story begins. Characters include her pretentious son Nigel and his wife Sally, elderly charming neighbor Edwin, local Coffee Shop owner and proprietor Benedict (formerly a monk), nursing carers Natlka and Maria who help care for the aging population, and several mystery authors all housed under the same publishing house. Natalka, who cares for Peggy is sure that Peggy's death is a murder, and reports this to the local police. More murders occur. Detective Harbinder Kaur (this is the second in a series) is a smart, no-nonsense female detective of Indian descent, who still lives with her parents. Her detective partner Neil is also lightly featured in this story.
Elly Griffiths is one of my favorite mystery writers these days. I started reading her Ruth Galloway Series years ago and enjoyed her smart female protagonist, Ruth Galloway, who is a PhD Anthropologist. Those books have no relation to this series, but Griffiths just keeps getting better at her craft of writing. If you just like a GOOD mystery, I HIGHLY recommend this book, this series and any book by Griffiths.
I just reviewed The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths. #ThePostscriptMurders #NetGalley
Thanks again to #NetGalley and #EllyGriffiths for the ARC!!
Thanks #EllyGriffiths and #Netgalley for this fun read that reminded me of those "Golden Age" mysteries referenced in this book and written by vintage crime writers like Agatha Christie & Dorothy Sayers! This book is my favorite style of mystery with multiple engaging characters, a twisty plot-line, lots of red herrings, more than one mystery happening at the same time, a little romance and a nicely plotted story-line!
The plot goes something like this. Peggy, an elderly woman who lives in an apartment facing the sea, is ultra observant and in fact IS a "murder consultant" helping authors plot fictional murder stories. Ironically, she is murdered and the story begins. Characters include her pretentious son Nigel and his wife Sally, elderly charming neighbor Edwin, local Coffee Shop owner and proprietor Benedict (formerly a monk), nursing carers Natlka and Maria who help care for the aging population, and several mystery authors all housed under the same publishing house. Natalka, who cares for Peggy is sure that Peggy's death is a murder, and reports this to the local police. More murders occur. Detective Harbinder Kaur (this is the second in a series) is a smart, no-nonsense female detective of Indian descent, who still lives with her parents. Her detective partner Neil is also lightly featured in this story.
Elly Griffiths is one of my favorite mystery writers these days. I started reading her Ruth Galloway Series years ago and enjoyed her smart female protagonist, Ruth Galloway, who is a PhD Anthropologist. Those books have no relation to this series, but Griffiths just keeps getting better at her craft of writing. If you just like a GOOD mystery, I HIGHLY recommend this book, this series and any book by Griffiths.
I just reviewed The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths. #ThePostscriptMurders #NetGalley
Thanks again to #NetGalley and #EllyGriffiths for the ARC!!
Would have given 3.5 stars if I could. It was ok but didn’t enjoy as much as the first book I read by Elly which is actually the one written after this one. I just felt like this dragged a bit.
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
It is rare that I like the 2nd book in a series more than the first, but this is one of those. I really enjoyed the group of misfits DI Harbinder Kaur gathers around her and, despite her best efforts to the contrary, befriends. I am also deeply, deeply in love with her mom & dad.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I should have loved this but I felt tepid. Glad I finished.
The death of an elderly woman known as the murder consultant to many crime authors brings together a quirky team who set out to determine if she was murdered and if so who did it. A real joy to read. Griffiths has the talent to create interesting, colorful characters that the reader can’t help but adore.