nadinelija's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Postscript Murders is the second book featuring Detective Harbinder Kaur written by Elly Griffiths. Due out 2nd March 2021 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, it's 336 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.
The first book in the "series" was one of my best reads picks for 2019. The author is adept and widely talented with a whatever she sets out to write. The Ruth Galloway novels are engaging and atmospheric, academic, and warmly compassionate as well as intelligent (like the protagonist). The extant novels in this series are altogether different in focus and feel. I use "series" in quotation marks because the common thread between the two books is Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur and in both books, she's almost secondary to the plot. The focus, the main driving force, in the action in this book and The Stranger Diaries, is someone closer to the murders - in the first book an English teacher colleague of the first victim, and in this book it's the first murder victim's carer.
Throughout all the books, both this series and her others, it's the author herself - her well-crafted plots, engaging and intelligent dialogue, prose, likeable characters, and settings which keep everything she writes on my "must read" list. This book works very well as a standalone, and has only secondary connections to the first book. This is an engaging read with a tightly plotted narrative arc and very well rendered characters who are believable and varied.
Four stars. Classic plotting and a wonderful mystery. I loved the crime book and author tie-ins. Highly recommend this one to fans of classic golden age British mystery.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Postscript Murders is the second book featuring Detective Harbinder Kaur written by Elly Griffiths. Due out 2nd March 2021 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, it's 336 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.
The first book in the "series" was one of my best reads picks for 2019. The author is adept and widely talented with a whatever she sets out to write. The Ruth Galloway novels are engaging and atmospheric, academic, and warmly compassionate as well as intelligent (like the protagonist). The extant novels in this series are altogether different in focus and feel. I use "series" in quotation marks because the common thread between the two books is Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur and in both books, she's almost secondary to the plot. The focus, the main driving force, in the action in this book and The Stranger Diaries, is someone closer to the murders - in the first book an English teacher colleague of the first victim, and in this book it's the first murder victim's carer.
Throughout all the books, both this series and her others, it's the author herself - her well-crafted plots, engaging and intelligent dialogue, prose, likeable characters, and settings which keep everything she writes on my "must read" list. This book works very well as a standalone, and has only secondary connections to the first book. This is an engaging read with a tightly plotted narrative arc and very well rendered characters who are believable and varied.
Four stars. Classic plotting and a wonderful mystery. I loved the crime book and author tie-ins. Highly recommend this one to fans of classic golden age British mystery.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
sputniknorman's review against another edition
funny
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
3.75
yvnn's review against another edition
4.0
I am a sucker for cozy mysteries. And this mystery is about mystery writers! I love Harbinder Kaur. Never thought I’d enjoy her more than good old Ruth Galloway. You can see how Griffiths has grown to include a more diverse spectrum of protagonists. One thing she can’t seem to drop is talking about people’s weight and figure in a judging manner. But I guess that’s a thing ‘real people’ do too. It’s just bugging me a bit that it’s there without a good reason. Makes me wonder if Griffiths struggles with body image issues.
That being said: this one was so much nicer than the previous Harbinder book! No snobby Clare (even though she is mentioned a few times) or pretentious quotes and excerpts. I love Natalka, but I doubt she will play a big role in a hypothetical next book.
That being said: this one was so much nicer than the previous Harbinder book! No snobby Clare (even though she is mentioned a few times) or pretentious quotes and excerpts. I love Natalka, but I doubt she will play a big role in a hypothetical next book.
craftsbury's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Picked up at the local book sales; I enjoy the Ruth Galloway series so wanted to read another series/standalone by this author. Enjoyed the story; easy read. Didn't realize it was a #2 so will go back and read #1.
jasonlaw77's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ernis's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
It was fun to follow our amateur sleuths as they tried to solve the murders. For me the ending felt rather random more than foreshadowed throughout the novel. Some clues were misleading in a way that seemed unnecessary to even include them, but I suppose that is more realistic for an actual investigation.
amyhenderson's review against another edition
3.0
Easy read with a good story line but felt a bit ‘copycat’ of the Thursday Murder Club and not in line with Griffiths usual writing style.
avknowshow2read's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0