Sometimes, you’ve got to just relax and let yourself read.

https://www.the52book.clubThis year I’ve been trying the 52 Book Club Challenge, which is a structured way to get a lot more diversity into your reading diet. The challenge has 52 prompts to finish, many of which requiring exploratory reading. When I started the year, I thought that I’d write a blog post for every single one of the reads. After all, I routinely read over 100 books in a year, so how hard would it be to write these posts on 52 of them?

Well – it turns out – quite difficult, as it happens.

I came to this conclusion when I realized that, despite having owned it for months, my copy of Elly Griffith’s The Last Word lay unread on my shelf. I knew I wanted to write about it for the blog, but I also had this big backlog of book challenge related posts to theoretically deliver first. And I realized that – if writing about the challenge was going to stop me from reading fun books, I should just stop writing about the challenge.

While I’ve been reading at pace (I have 12 prompts left, so a decent showing even if I don’t finish them all), I have over twice that in blog backlog. It turns out that what I love is reflecting on the books I loved, whether or not they satisfy some challenge. And so, I’ve decided that I’m going to stop trying to tie the two pursuits together. I will read what I want, ideally some of it related to this challenge. And I will write about whatever inspires me, whatever I want to share with all of you.

And in that spirit, here’s why I loved The Last Word.

Old meets young…

The Last Word is a sequel to The Postscript Murders, and follows our amateur sleuths Natalka and Edwin, turned PIs. After their adventures in Scotland, the two have opened a detective agency, and continue to solve minor cases in Shoreham-by-Sea. They’re contacted by the daughters of a local writer, recently deceased, who are suspicious about her death (and her will). In the course of investigating, they find themselves wrapped up in a conspiracy that spans a writing retreat, a book club, and more…

I enjoyed The Postscript Murders in part because of the character dynamics between Edwin, Natalka, and local barista (now boyfriend) Benedict. Griffiths brings these dynamics to the fore in The Last Word. Edwin is eighty-plus years young, always looking for adventure. His age and essentialness British-ness ground the story, though he sometimes misses the emotional dynamics right in front of him. Then there’s Natalka, a Ukranian caregiver (and capable businesswoman), whose no-nonsense attitude and bias for action drive the investigation forward. And finally Benedict, the former monk, is the stable worrier – a critical part of any murder trio. It’s a classic set of characters that perfectly balances action and consideration, knowledge and instinct. And Griffiths gets the balance right every time.

It is difficult, when writing this, not to compare to That Other Book Series with a beloved set of elderly detectives and their Slavic friend. Griffiths chooses a different balance between youth and experience here, and Natalka is quite well-rounded. Natalka is more than her contacts or her detection – she’s a daughter, and a sister to a soldier in the Ukrainian war. Griffiths also alludes to the impacts of COVID on the trio and their relationship; in general, it’s clear they inhabit our, real world. YMMV on this, but I appreciate the grounding.

Details, details

A cozy mystery set in a small English town featuring a cute elderly detective was already on the path to winning my heart. But The Last Word also continues the literary theme from the prior novel… And it’s pretty hard for me to say no to that combination. As a self-titled connoisseur of the literary mystery, the best of the bunch feature a love of the written word that goes beyond a mere theme. It’s not enough to be a “bookish” story, and characters ideally do more than just declaim their love of reading.

In The Last Word, Elly Griffiths delivers a tour of some less-explored parts of the bookish industry. The characters attend (and participate in) a writing retreat, where Griffiths captures the emotional complexity of workshopping. That leads to an exclusive book club invite, with its own social dynamics and drama. Griffiths makes these sessions engaging and interesting while embedding real clues in the scenes. And it’s somewhat unique that she actually has her characters attend the sessions rather than simply hearing about them ex-post.

It’s this attention to detail that sets The Last Word apart from so many other literary-themed mysteries. The novel is packed with characters – other retreat attendees, book club attendees, police investigators, the detectives’ friends and family. One would think it would be easy to lose track of such a packed act, or the attendant plot. But Griffiths excels at the memorable details that bring each of the characters to life, driving the plot forward without losing fidelity.

Cozy, puzzly, perfect

The Last Word is just what I wanted and needed to read, and my only regret is in having waited so long to do so. On its face, the book may seem like a pastiche of favorite modern cozy mystery tropes – elderly sleuths, bookish content. Yet Griffiths pulls off the blend in a way that cements memorable characters in an engaging plot for the perfect fall mystery read. Just the thing to get me out of a blog slump…

As Thanksgiving comes upon us in the States, I’m excited to get some more topical reading done (and maybe – maybe! post about it). What are your favorite Thanksgiving season reads?

Until then – stay cozy, and stay curious!