The Postscript Murders

“We are coming for you” is the ominous message to a potential murder victim confronting Det. Sgt. Harbinder Kaur in Edgar winner Griffiths’s clever follow-up to 2019’s The Stranger Diaries. The death of elderly Peggy Smith in Shoreham-by-Sea, England, looks unremarkable on the surface, but her devoted associates—home healthcare worker Natalka, café owner and ex-monk Benedict, and former broadcaster Edwin—suspect foul play when they find mystery novels dedicated to Peggy, references to her as a “murder consultant,” and a postcard with a disturbing note that has been sent to the novelists as well. Peggy’s son, Nigel, who seems too eager to dispose of his mother’s belongings, also is of interest. Much to Kaur’s unease, the trio head to a literary festival in Aberdeen to buttonhole the postcard recipients and learn more about Peggy’s relationship to them. Soon writers wind up dead, and Kaur is forced to continue her investigation alongside the enthusiastic amateur sleuths in Scotland. Complex characters, hidden histories, and adept twists enrich the narrative. Readers will be enthralled. [em]Agent: Kirby Kim, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (Mar.) [/em]