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

Product Information

Harbinder thinks of her police partner Neil Winston, who doesn't 'get' a lot of things, as a woodland creature - sly, slightly stupid, but ultimately lovable. The Postscript Murders often feels like a classic whodunnit, referencing World War II spies and Golden Age mystery novels as the investigation winds on. But it’s also keenly cognizant of contemporary issues, whether it be sardonic insights into the world of modern publishing, the shadowy frontier of cryptocurrency, or more personally, to our lead protagonist, Harbinder’s identity as a gay Sikh woman with perhaps limited career mobility. She’s often only too aware of things that her white, straight counterparts hardly even notice, and while that’s sometimes beneficial in her line of work, it can also feel discouraging, as here where she and her partner, Neil, are driving out of town to interview a person of interest: 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. My favorite part of this book is the scenery – I so want to visit Shoreham and Edinburgh after reading this book. Maybe I could hire a driver though to take me on the route?

At the centre of it all is Harbinder Kaur, a 30-something gay Asian cop who lives with her parents. I really like this character. She’s such an intriguing mix with one foot in the traditional Asian community of her parents while the other is firmly planted in her modern reality of being a cop. Several characters take turns narrating from their POV but hers is the primary voice. And it’s one full of intelligence, determination & dryly observant humour. The ultimate gripping murder mystery to curl up with, from the bestselling author of The Stranger Diaries and the Dr Ruth Galloway MysteriesAlthough this is #2 in the Harbinder Kaur series, unusually for a series, the detective is not the focus of the book. The murder/s are firmly front and centre, with an ill assorted cast of amateur detectives playing the major role. Always an expert in building tension and creating atmosphere in her thrillers, Elly Griffiths' latest is no exception * Woman's Weekly * Griffiths’ sense of humor is still intact. When Natalka and Benedict, coffee shop owner and ex-monk, decide to investigate, they are confronted by a gun wielding masked man. “But he can’t deny it’s the most interesting thing to have happened to him since Brother Giles forgot the doxology in Matins.” 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!

At first, Natalka believes that Peggy Smith died of natural causes. What makes her change her mind and go to the police? What does DS Harbinder Kaur think about Natalka’s suspicions? What kinds of “evidence” do Natalka, Edwin, and Kaur discover that suggest Peggy may have been murdered? Does all of this evidence ultimately help them to determine what happened to Peggy? Why do you think that Natalka, Benedict, and Edwin are so invested in helping to solve the crimes being investigated by Kaur? I had the pleasure of listening to this on audio. It was wonderful. The narrator, Nina Wadia, did an absolutely fantastic job. In fact, going forward I will be listening to the stories instead of reading them because she was able to give Harbinder and the others personality that I wasn't able to get from just reading alone. But more importantly, I really enjoyed the mystery and story in general. The characters were quirky, but also fleshed out with stories and issues of their own. Plus, there were lots of red herrings for me to fall trap to. Harbinger Kaur is a very interesting character, she seems to have a rough exterior but she shows another side of herself in this novel

Summary

Overall, this is a very enjoyable read with an intriguing and well thought out plot that keeps you guessing. Recommended. 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. I mention this in hopes that no one goes in and is immediately disappointed. The Postscript Murders is a terrific murder mystery, but it does not carry over several elements that made The Stranger Diaries unique and memorable. It can be jarring. Once or twice, I thought to myself that it almost felt as if it were written by a different author, or was part of a different series.