Murder leaps off the page when crime novelists begin to turn up dead in this intricate new novel by internationally best-selling author Elly Griffiths, a literary mystery perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Agatha Christie.
We chat with Elly Griffiths about The Postscript Murders, book recommendations, writing, and more!
Hi, Elly! Tell our readers a bit about yourself!
Hi! I’m the author of the Dr Ruth Galloway books and the Brighton Mysteries. I live just outside Brighton, on the south coast of England, with my husband, Andy, who’s an archaeologist. We have two grown-up children and a very spoilt cat. When I’m not writing I like to read, go for walks and swim in the sea. I try to swim all year around. It’s very cold but so exhilarating.
After the chaos that was 2020, have you set any goals for this year? If so, how are they going so far?
I’m contracted to deliver two books so that’s first on my list. As soon as it’s safe to do so, I want to see my family and friends and go to a crime-writing festival. Oh, and get a hair cut.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
First book – Alice in Wonderland
Made me want to be a writer – To Kill A Mockingbird. At first it made me want to be a lawyer, like Atticus, but then I realised that the heroine was the author (fewer exams too).
Can’t stop thinking about – The Secret History. Can’t believe it was published 30 years ago!
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I used to make picture books even before I could write. I wrote my first full-length novel when I was 11. It was called The Hair of the Dog and it was set in the village where I now live. At secondary school I used to write episodes of Starsky and Hutch. I remember writing one where Starsky died and it made my friends cry. I have to admit I liked that feeling…
The Postscript Murders is the follow-up to The Stranger Diaries and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Literary murder road trip fun.
What can readers expect?
The Postscript Murders is partly set in Shoreham, a seaside town a few miles away from me, and partly in Scotland. It features Harbinder Kaur, the detective from The Stranger Diaries.
When ninety-year old Peggy Smith dies, it’s assumed to be from natural causes. But then her carer, Natalka, finds that her apartment is full of crime novels, many dedicated to Peggy and saying ‘thanks for the murders’. It turns out that Peggy specialised in thinking up gruesome plots for writers. But did someone murder the murder consultant? Natalka and her ill-assorted group of friends must find out the truth.
Where did the inspiration for the storyline in The Postscript Murder come from?
It came from my Aunt Marge! She recently moved to a seaside apartment and something about the location seemed to give her lots of ideas for murders, which she passed on to me. I started to think: what if there was an elderly lady who was a ‘murder consultant’….
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing the sequel and how you were able to overcome them?
I wanted to make Harbinder a main character in this book but felt slightly nervous about featuring a character whose cultural background was so different from my own. Luckily I have a friend from a Punjabi Sikh family and she – and her mother – were vital consultants.
If it’s not too spoilery, are there any favourite moments that you really enjoyed writing and exploring?
I loved writing about the road trip. Natalka drives to Aberdeen accompanied by ex-monk Benedict and Peggy’s eighty-year-old neighbour Edwin. The unlikely trio laugh, bicker and find out some surprising truths. I love going to new places and, although I was stuck at home in lockdown, I felt lucky to be able to travel in the book.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
Best: you can fix a bad page but you can’t fix a blank page. Start writing!
Worst: show your work-in-progress to friends. I’m firmly of the opinion that too many cooks spoil the literary broth.
What’s next for you?
I’m writing the 14th book in the Ruth series. It’s called The Locked Room and takes place in 2020.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
The Kopp Sisters books by Amy Stewart. Wonderful series based on the lives of pioneering women law-enforcers in the early 1900s.
The Auntie Poldi books by Mario Giordano. You’ll fall in love with Auntie Poldi and Sicily.
We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper. The fascinating story of a real-life murder at Harvard.
