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

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But while there are differences between the two Harbinder stories, there are some similarities. Most importantly - Harbinder is still not the main character. That belongs to Natalka, Peggy's caregiver, Benedict, who owns a local coffee shop, and Edwin - Peggy's elderly neighbor. We know they are main characters, because they actually tell us so at the end of the book! When Natalka learns that more than one author received a note saying "We are coming for you", the three amateur sleuths decide to help Harbinder out and go to a crime writing festival and start asking questions. I loved “The Stranger Diaries”...the story within the book, the suspense, the hint of the Supernatural... 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. The amateur sleuths attend Peggy's funeral, because the 'murderer always goes to the funeral', after which Natalka and Benedict search Peggy's apartment for clues. While the duo are looking through Peggy's things, a masked figure enters the residence, points a gun at them, grabs a book, and runs out.

The search for the truth will take the sleuths from the south of England to the north of Scotland and before we get to the truth there will be a plethora of red herrings to confuse you every step of the way. 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. But when Natalka reveals that Peggy lied about her heart condition and that she had been sure someone was following her…

Summary

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. I loved every minute of this book! It is smart, witty, and full of wonderful book-related gems. I had so much fun reading it. The mystery has many layers, and all is not what it seems. The characters are developed, intelligent, and each lovable in their own way. I hope to see all of them again in future books! 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. Natalka then shares her concerns with two friends who knew Peggy: Benedict - a thirtysomething former monk who now runs a coffee shop;

Harbinger Kaur is a very interesting character, she seems to have a rough exterior but she shows another side of herself in this novelEdwin is an elegant gentleman who once worked for the BBC, and still has connections in the entertainment industry. Edwin is bored with his retirement life, and longs for interesting things to do. The chance to look into a crime is pure fun for him. 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. This is a book about books and their authors, publishers and literary agents. There are also retired wartime spies spending their time creating new ways for book characters to die, Ukrainian refugees out for revenge and an aged care nurse working the bitcoin market in her free time. All good fun and written so nicely it never becomes too over the top. 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.