The last word by Elly Griffiths

The last word sees the return of Natalka, Benedict  and Edwin, who first appeared in The postscript murders. Natalka and Edwina are now running a detective agency in Shoreham, Sussex and when they are approached by two sisters who are convinced that their mother, Melody Chambers, a local author, has been murdered, they are thrilled to take on the case. Edwin who peruses the obituary pages, notices that Melody’s obit has been written by someone who is already deceased and finds links to other authors who have also died. Benedict and Edwin decide to attend a writer’s retreat which the authors have all attended, hoping to find clues to what has happened. And then another murder is committed and the amateur investigators seek the help of Detective Harbinder Kaur.

Readers wanting to read more of Harbinger Kaur’s investigations, starting with The Stranger Diaries, winner of the 2020 Edgar Award for Best Novel, will be disappointed as she plays a minor role in The last word, but those who enjoyed the quirky natures of Natalka, Benedict and Edwin from The postscript murders will be pleased to see them return. As always Griffiths’ characterisation is brilliant and it is easy to visualise the people she portrays in her story. The plot is very twisty and there are many suspects. I didn’t guess the outcome – which is always a plus in a mystery story. Why would going to a writer’s retreat or belonging to a book club lead to murder?

Although The last word can be read as a stand-alone, better understanding of the characters would come from reading The postscript murders. This was an enjoyable and very clever cosy mystery with snatches of humour to lighten the way.

Themes: Murder, Detectives, Aging people, Authors, Writer's retreats.

Pat Pledger