Mystery

Bleeding Heart Yard

Bleeding Heart Yard

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  • Create Date：2022-09-19 00:52:42
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Elly Griffiths
  • ISBN：1529409950
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Summary

DS Cassie Fitzgerald has a secret - but it's one she's deleted from her memory。 In the 1990s when she was at school， she and her friends killed a fellow pupil。 Thirty years later， Cassie is happily married and loves her job as a police officer。

One day her husband persuades her to go to a school reunion and another ex-pupil， Garfield Rice， is found dead， supposedly from a drug overdose。 As Garfield was an eminent Labour MP and the investigation is high profile， it's headed by Cassie's new boss， DI Harbinder Kaur。 The trouble is， Cassie can't shake the feeling that one of her old friends has killed again。

Is Cassie right， or was Garfield murdered by one of his political cronies？ It's in Cassie's interest to skew the investigation so that it looks like the latter and she seems to be succeeding。

Until someone else is killed。。。

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Reviews

Sarah ，

Harbinder Kaur is a wonderful invention – a true original。 This is Elly Griffiths’ third novel featuring the diminutive British Asian detective and， in some respects， it is the best so far。 Harbinder has been promoted to DI; she has moved to London， a far cry from sleepy Shoreham and life with her parents。 Her eccentric， warm-hearted friends have been left behind and Harbinder is feeling homesick。 When the call comes for her to head up an investigation into an MP’s murder， she knows that she wil Harbinder Kaur is a wonderful invention – a true original。 This is Elly Griffiths’ third novel featuring the diminutive British Asian detective and， in some respects， it is the best so far。 Harbinder has been promoted to DI; she has moved to London， a far cry from sleepy Shoreham and life with her parents。 Her eccentric， warm-hearted friends have been left behind and Harbinder is feeling homesick。 When the call comes for her to head up an investigation into an MP’s murder， she knows that she will have to prove her worth。The narrative centres round ‘The Group’， six thirty-somethings who have reconnected at a school reunion。 When one of them dies that evening， they all have to confront the past。 Elly Griffiths’ greatest strength is in her characterisation。 Whether major or minor players in her story， all of them come alive through credible dialogue， understandable motives and the apposite domestic details with which she surrounds them。 Her use of spiky humour is very entertaining too！So why isn’t this a 5-star read when it brought this reader a lot of enjoyment？ Mainly because the final reveal borders on the farcical。 Nevertheless， I’ll be back to read the next in the series， such is the draw of Griffiths’ detective and her team。My thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review。 。。。more

Nina ，

This third book in the Harbinder Kaur series is as good as the previous books。 Kaur has moved to London and has a new job and new room mates。 The change of scenery is good for the series I think since it helps Kaur to gain independence from her parents and gives her love life a chance。in this book Kaur investigates a murder that happens in a school reunion。 The book has three protagonists: Kaur， Cassie who is in the school reunion and a suspect in the murder inquiry but who also works with Kaur， This third book in the Harbinder Kaur series is as good as the previous books。 Kaur has moved to London and has a new job and new room mates。 The change of scenery is good for the series I think since it helps Kaur to gain independence from her parents and gives her love life a chance。in this book Kaur investigates a murder that happens in a school reunion。 The book has three protagonists: Kaur， Cassie who is in the school reunion and a suspect in the murder inquiry but who also works with Kaur， and Anna who is Cassie’s classmate and also a suspect。 The constantly changing narrator took me a bit of time to get used to but I think the narrating style worked in the end。 Elly Griffiths’ writing style has a light humour which I enjoy very much， and I can’t wait to have a chance to read more Elly’s books。Thank you Netgalley for a chance to preview this book。 。。。more

Karen ，

I'm a long-time fan of Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series。 Now Harbinder Kaur is quickly winning me over。 Bleeding Heart Yard was a fantastic mystery。 It's also deeply ingrained in London -- or maybe vice versa。 :） I really appreciate the normatization of LGBTQ+ storylines and major characters， too。 A win on all fronts。It was a bit funny to read a novel whose characters graduated from high school the same year I did。 It felt very current -- but I think it underscored that we're getting on in l I'm a long-time fan of Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series。 Now Harbinder Kaur is quickly winning me over。 Bleeding Heart Yard was a fantastic mystery。 It's also deeply ingrained in London -- or maybe vice versa。 :） I really appreciate the normatization of LGBTQ+ storylines and major characters， too。 A win on all fronts。It was a bit funny to read a novel whose characters graduated from high school the same year I did。 It felt very current -- but I think it underscored that we're getting on in life！ ;）Highly recommended。 。。。more

Karen ，

Harbinder Kaur is now a DI in London， sharing a rented flat while leading a Murder Investigation Team of the Metropolitan Police （Homicide and Serious Crimes Unit）。 Harbinder is thrilled to be out of West Sussex and into the multicultural spaces of the teeming metropolis。 It's been a little boring at work though so Harbinder is excited when the phone rings and DS Jake Barker calls her in to an "unexplained death。"The unexplained death turns out to be Garfield Rice， posh MP， attending a class reu Harbinder Kaur is now a DI in London， sharing a rented flat while leading a Murder Investigation Team of the Metropolitan Police （Homicide and Serious Crimes Unit）。 Harbinder is thrilled to be out of West Sussex and into the multicultural spaces of the teeming metropolis。 It's been a little boring at work though so Harbinder is excited when the phone rings and DS Jake Barker calls her in to an "unexplained death。"The unexplained death turns out to be Garfield Rice， posh MP， attending a class reunion at posh Manor Park school with all his posh classmates。 The case gets upgraded to a murder enquiry when the pathologist finds evidence of poisoning and the game is afoot。 Which one of the old school chums did the deed？My interest waned here。 I'm not emotionally invested in some random Brit millennials and their naughty high school deeds。 And I must say this trope has been done and overdone recently （If We Were Villains， The Secret History）。 I did enjoy Harbinder's chapters as she persevered on to a satisfying conclusion。 Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more

Dorie - Cats&Books :） ，

3 ½ * rounded up to 4Harbinder Kaur has moved to West London after her promotion to DI and is excited to be working in the “big city” and adjusting to life with two flatmates。She is only on the job for a few days and barely knows her team when Garfield Rice， a conservative member of Parliment is found murdered during a class reunion。This was the class reunion for a posh school， Manor Park Comprehensive; this class has a lot of high profile graduates！！ The most “popular” kids were part of “The Gr 3 ½ * rounded up to 4Harbinder Kaur has moved to West London after her promotion to DI and is excited to be working in the “big city” and adjusting to life with two flatmates。She is only on the job for a few days and barely knows her team when Garfield Rice， a conservative member of Parliment is found murdered during a class reunion。This was the class reunion for a posh school， Manor Park Comprehensive; this class has a lot of high profile graduates！！ The most “popular” kids were part of “The Group” which included:Garfield Rice， the murder victimIsabelle Istar， a famous actressHenry Steep also an MPChris Foster， a now famous pop star Anna Vance， a promising writer in town to care for her ailing motherCassie， a member of Hardbinder’s teamSonoma Davies， now the headmaster of Manor ParkFrom the blurb you know “DS Cassie Fitzgerald has a secret - but it's one she's deleted from her memory。 In the 1990s when she was at school， she and her friends killed a fellow pupil”。 This leaves the reader with the presumption that one of the group has killed again！PROS: *A good police procedural， with lots of secrets to discover*The setting of “Bleeding Heart Yard” was interesting and its history quite macabre！CONS:*I’m not sure how I feel about DI Hardbinder， she seems quite insecure for the head of a team involving a high profile case。 *There is a lot of repetition when all of the suspects are interviewed and then re-interviewed。*Switching from past to present tense with many of the suspects was confusing*There is a lot of “telling not showing” which I never enjoyMy expectations were very high as I have loved the Ruth Galloway Series and “The Stranger Diaries”。 These novels were all very intricately plotted while I thought this was a straight up police procedural。 I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss。 It was my pleasure to read and review this novel。 。。。more

Lesley ，

4。25⭐️#3 Harbinder Kaur Harbinder is now a DI working at the Met。 It’s a more cosy police procedural than I usually read， by my favourite comfort read author。 This is a double pronged but joined thread， Cassie a DS working with Harbinder is hiding a secret from her school days。 They are called to the sudden suspicious death of MP Garfield Rice at a 21st school reunion which Cassie attended。 The POV are told by friends Anna and Cassie， also Harbinder’s investigation。 I felt that there was some du 4。25⭐️#3 Harbinder Kaur Harbinder is now a DI working at the Met。 It’s a more cosy police procedural than I usually read， by my favourite comfort read author。 This is a double pronged but joined thread， Cassie a DS working with Harbinder is hiding a secret from her school days。 They are called to the sudden suspicious death of MP Garfield Rice at a 21st school reunion which Cassie attended。 The POV are told by friends Anna and Cassie， also Harbinder’s investigation。 I felt that there was some duplication between the POV as we see the days from the different viewpoints。 I enjoyed the unfolding of the before story， as well as the current story， getting to know the friends and the group dynamic。 It meant that the plot wasn’t over heavy on procedure which meant that I really enjoyed it。 I don’t know if it’s my imagination but this book feels like it has an easier going writing style than the previous one， more in the style of the Ruth books。 There’s a good diversity of characters。 We find out a bit more about Harbinders new team， and her new life。 I’m still unsure about Harbinder， she’s very cutting and judgemental， but I think that she is growing on me。 I was very surprised by one of Harbinders decisions。 Most of ‘the group’ seem a little unreliable which added to the suspense。 I didn’t guess whodunit， despite 2 guesses😂 This is my favourite of the series。 。。。more

Marianne ，

Bleeding Heart Yard is the third novel by award-winning British author， Elly Griffiths to feature Harbinder Kaur。 Having made Detective Inspector and moved to London， Harbinder Kaur’s boring Saturday night is livened up by her first case as lead investigator for the Metropolitan Police。 Conservative MP Garfield Rice， a notoriously vocal climate change denier， has been found dead at Manor Park School during a class reunion。What initially looks like a drug overdose is soon revealed to be murder， a Bleeding Heart Yard is the third novel by award-winning British author， Elly Griffiths to feature Harbinder Kaur。 Having made Detective Inspector and moved to London， Harbinder Kaur’s boring Saturday night is livened up by her first case as lead investigator for the Metropolitan Police。 Conservative MP Garfield Rice， a notoriously vocal climate change denier， has been found dead at Manor Park School during a class reunion。What initially looks like a drug overdose is soon revealed to be murder， and her team has quite a task ahead of them， interviewing and investigating the reunion attendees， one of whom， it turns out， is a DS under Harbinder’s command。 Cassie Fitzherbert has to be excluded from the investigation， but Harbinder might rely on her for some inside information about those present。 Wise？Research alerts the team to the death of another Manor Park student back in 1998: David Moore’s fall under a train at a decommissioned tube station was ruled as accidental， but Gary Rice was apparently the only witness。 And he had recently been talking to others about it。 Now he， too， is dead。 And all this time， Cassie has been holding a guilty secret。Of interest are the class of 1998， in particular， members of The Group， a tight clique with a BAFTA-winning actress， a pop star， a teacher， a Labour MP， Manor Park’s headmistress and a Police detective， Cassie， in their number， all but one of whom attended the reunion。 Harbinder assigns her somewhat star-struck team to question them， selecting some to chat to personally。By the time alibis are checked， CCTV footage examined， and each has been interviewed several times， it looks like a number had the means and opportunity to murder their classmate。 And if， as is looking more likely， David Moore was murdered， his murderer or murderers would have a motive too。 Not that this could be the only motive， considering Gary’s political stance。And then， three days later， another of The Group is murdered…Griffiths uses three narrative strands: Harbinder’s perspective can certainly be trusted， even if some of her decisions are a little puzzling; classmates Cassie Fitzherbert and Anna Vance offer different points of view on the events of both 1998 and the reunion and aftermath。 Cassie’s narrative seems reliable， but is Anna’s？ After all， as a classmate tells her: “it’s perfectly possible to convince someone they experienced something they didn’t… all that’s necessary is for someone you trust to tell you that you did something and you start to believe it。”With Harbinder’s move to London， Griffiths introduces a whole new cast of characters: colleagues and flatmates， while not completely abandoning those from earlier instalments。 Not all of Harbinder’s team seem to be on the same page， but she and DS Kim Manning do make a good team。 And one of her flatmates is both entertaining and of a handy stature during a nasty situation。 The reveal will have most jaws dropping: someone not even on the reader’s suspect radar。 Cleverly plotted， Harbinder’s third outing is excellent British crime fiction。This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Quercus。 。。。more

Annette ，

Another mystery featuring Detective Harbinder Kaur who has moved from the South Coast to London and the position of DI。This one is full of misdirections， red herrings and is told from various viewpoints which really keeps the reader on their toes！ There are many characters and any one of them could be the murderer！Bleeding Heart Yard begins with a possible murder at a 21 year school reunion when an MP， Garfield Rice， is found dead。 Cassie， one of Harbinder’s team is present and she calls the pol Another mystery featuring Detective Harbinder Kaur who has moved from the South Coast to London and the position of DI。This one is full of misdirections， red herrings and is told from various viewpoints which really keeps the reader on their toes！ There are many characters and any one of them could be the murderer！Bleeding Heart Yard begins with a possible murder at a 21 year school reunion when an MP， Garfield Rice， is found dead。 Cassie， one of Harbinder’s team is present and she calls the police。 Some of the story is told from her viewpoint and there are some surprising revelations and secrets from her right at the beginning of the book。The story goes back to the day a particular group of students finished their A levels when a terrible tragedy occurs， something that none of them will get over， even Cassie who joins the police out of a sense of guilt。， hoping to do some good in order to make amends。 Anna， Izzy， Henry ，Chris and Garfield himself were all present at the time but their memories of the event are rather scrambled。 It is clear that the present day murder is connected to events of 21 years ago and all are therefore suspects in Garfield’s murder。 Elly Griffiths who is definitely one of my favourite authors has written a really clever page turner。 She certainly knows how to keep the reader guessing right until the very last page。 However just as in the Ruth Galloway books there is also a fair amount of humour to lighten the serious subject matter of murder。 This comes in the guise of Scandinavian Mette， Harbinder’s new flat mate and possible love interest。 She’s a great character and I look forward to reading more about her in subsequent DI Kaur novels。 Even Harbinder shows the same self deprecating humour that Elly Griffiths fans will recognise from reading the Ruth Galloway novels！As you can probably guess from this glowing review this is definitely a five star read for me and highly recommended。Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for my advance copy。 。。。more

Alysa Ellis ，

Are you kidding？！？ This was so good！ Hooked me from the get go， loved the back and forth storylines and omg the characters！ Great thriller！ I will definitely check out other books from Ellis Griffiths。 Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Sharyn ，

Another good story from Elly Griffiths。 I am enjoying the Harbinder Kaur series， she is such a great character。 This story is full of twists and turns and false starts and dead ends。 A great read。 With thanks to NetGalley。 the publishers and the author for a e-ARC to read and review。

Mary Johnson ，

The prologue caused me some confusion as I thought the new DI had been the speaker…。The story overall was good and as usual with this author， the characters came to life。 The end was satisfying （if the realisation of the passive/ aggressive nature of the perpetrator was all too sudden for his partner）。Not as ‘smooth’ as the other books by the author as some of that was undoubtedly the poor formatting of the ARC。 Finally， I loved the tie-in to The Postscript Murders and touching base with those c The prologue caused me some confusion as I thought the new DI had been the speaker…。The story overall was good and as usual with this author， the characters came to life。 The end was satisfying （if the realisation of the passive/ aggressive nature of the perpetrator was all too sudden for his partner）。Not as ‘smooth’ as the other books by the author as some of that was undoubtedly the poor formatting of the ARC。 Finally， I loved the tie-in to The Postscript Murders and touching base with those characters。 I always thought they were good enough for their own series and hope that may still be on the cards at some point。 I will re-read The Postscript Murders and buy the published version of this book to read before its sequel is published。 。。。more

Carolyn ，

In this third novel in Griffith’s Harbinder Kaur series， Harbinder has been promoted to a DI at the London Met to head up her own team in Homicide and Serious Crime。 She’s clearly come a long way since her early days in the force in Shoreham， West Sussex where she still lived with her parents。 She’s now sharing a flat with two other women， Mette， a rather striking blonde Danish architect， and Jeanne a primary teacher。One of Harbinder’s new team members， DS Cassie Fitzgerald， is reluctantly atten In this third novel in Griffith’s Harbinder Kaur series， Harbinder has been promoted to a DI at the London Met to head up her own team in Homicide and Serious Crime。 She’s clearly come a long way since her early days in the force in Shoreham， West Sussex where she still lived with her parents。 She’s now sharing a flat with two other women， Mette， a rather striking blonde Danish architect， and Jeanne a primary teacher。One of Harbinder’s new team members， DS Cassie Fitzgerald， is reluctantly attending the 21st anniversary reunion of the class of 1998 at Manor Park School， a government school in Chelsea that attracts kids from wealthy families。 Amongst her school friends， an extraordinary number have gone on to successful careers including two MPS， a famous actress and a rock star。 Since she left school， Cassie has tried hard to forget the traumatic event that occurred during her last days there， when classmate David Moore died after falling onto the train tracks in front of an incoming train， something for which Cassie felt responsible。 However， Cassie’s husband Pete， also an ex-pupil at the school persuades her to attend the reunion。 Harbinder is spending a quiet evening alone at home when she receives the call telling her well-known MP， Garfield Rice has died at the school reunion。 A doctor attending the party was unable to revive him。 When she arrives at the school， Harbinder is surprised to see Cassie， but decides her inside knowledge will be useful even though， as a witness， she can’t be involved in the investigation。This is an entertaining read with the narrative told from the perspectives of Harbinder， Cassie and Anna， another school friend。 Insight into the dynamics between various members of the friendship group， brought back together by the tragedy， add richly to development of the plot and the London locations add colour and interest。 The title Bleeding Heart Yard derives from the courtyard where Garfield Rice was a member of a dining club attended by fellow MPs and leading businessmen and is also a real courtyard in Holborn with a gory history of its own。 There are lots of good twists in the plot before we get to the truth of what led to Gary’s death， culminating in a very dramatic scene in a building site。One of the things I most enjoyed about the first two novels in this series was the light touch used in introducing us to an interesting gay policewoman from a culturally diverse background and the slightly offbeat， almost cosy， crimes she investigated。 Harbinder is a wonderful， original character， sensible and pragmatic but with a softer， quirkier side which was delightfully brought out by the crimes she was investigating。 With Harbinder’s move to London， this third novel feels more serious with gory murders at its heart and a more traditional approach to the investigation， although Griffiths does have some fun by planting a DS with a secret inside her team and also with Harbinder’s social life。 It is good to see Harbinder taking on more responsibility and her new team coming to respect her （to the point where they award her a nickname）， but I hope we will also continue to see more of her quirkier side in subsequent novels。 3。5★With thanks to Quercus Books via Netgalley for a copy to read。 。。。more

4cats ，

This is the third in the series featuring Harbinder Kaur and I must say with every outing this series gets stronger， what's also nice is you can read this as a stand alone as there is a slight mention of her backstory but no spoilers so if you enjoy this return to the other 2 in the series， The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders。 I'm going to suggest that this is one of 'Elly Griffiths' best novels in a while， its got character who are interesting， there is intrigue， Harbinder's story a This is the third in the series featuring Harbinder Kaur and I must say with every outing this series gets stronger， what's also nice is you can read this as a stand alone as there is a slight mention of her backstory but no spoilers so if you enjoy this return to the other 2 in the series， The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders。 I'm going to suggest that this is one of 'Elly Griffiths' best novels in a while， its got character who are interesting， there is intrigue， Harbinder's story arc is strong， there's a good reveal at the end and you will fly through it。。 The narrative is told through multiple characters which gives the reader a chance to see the action through different eyes。 Here's to the next mystery featuring Harbinder。 。。。more

4cats ，

This is the third in the series featuring Harbinder Kaur and I must say with every outing this series gets stronger， what's also nice is you can read this as a stand alone as there is a slight mention of her backstory but no spoilers so if you enjoy this return to the other 2 in the series， The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders。 I'm going to suggest that this is one of 'Elly Griffiths' best novels in a while， its got character who are interesting， there is intrigue， Harbinder's story a This is the third in the series featuring Harbinder Kaur and I must say with every outing this series gets stronger， what's also nice is you can read this as a stand alone as there is a slight mention of her backstory but no spoilers so if you enjoy this return to the other 2 in the series， The Stranger Diaries and The Postscript Murders。 I'm going to suggest that this is one of 'Elly Griffiths' best novels in a while， its got character who are interesting， there is intrigue， Harbinder's story arc is strong， there's a good reveal at the end and you will fly through it。。 The narrative is told through multiple characters which gives the reader a chance to see the action through different eyes。 Here's to the next mystery featuring Harbinder。 。。。more

Jemima Pett ，

One thing you can be sure of when reading an Elly Griffiths novel。 Misdirection is forced upon you with every turn of the page。Even the title， Bleeding Heart Yard， could be misdirection， although it is part of the plot， in several different forms。But although Elly Griffiths leads you through a tortuous maze of lies， deceit and forgetfulness （the characters， not mine this time）， the story is brilliantly written。 It never lets you down。 The characters consistently come up with excuses and false me One thing you can be sure of when reading an Elly Griffiths novel。 Misdirection is forced upon you with every turn of the page。Even the title， Bleeding Heart Yard， could be misdirection， although it is part of the plot， in several different forms。But although Elly Griffiths leads you through a tortuous maze of lies， deceit and forgetfulness （the characters， not mine this time）， the story is brilliantly written。 It never lets you down。 The characters consistently come up with excuses and false memories。 Somebody mentions reading Machiavelli。 Did that have a bearing on their life as a politician？ Or someone else’s life？Both Anna and Cassie have memories of the day David died， the last day of their school exams， 25 years ago。 Occasionally I forgot who Anna was， but this may be because she herself is wondering who she is and what she should do in the future。 She is drifting， and easy prey for someone trying to twist her memories。But it turns out to be the author who is twisting all our thought processes， leaving the killer in plain sight。 It even says that on the cover， although I didn’t notice。 Fortunately Harbinder Kaur is prepared for anything。 Although maybe not for her flatmate。 I love Harbinder。 She’s a real person， even if she is a cop。I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next！ 。。。more

The Cats’ Mother ，

Bleeding Heart Yard is the third instalment of the Harbinder Kaur series， about a British Sikh CID detective solving complicated murder mysteries， although it would work fine as a stand-alone too。 I loved the first book （The Stranger Diaries） but found the second rather too cosy In style。 However I liked Harbinder enough to continue the series regardless - a good decision as this one is the best to date。 It’s a more conventional police procedural， and change in direction for the series， but work Bleeding Heart Yard is the third instalment of the Harbinder Kaur series， about a British Sikh CID detective solving complicated murder mysteries， although it would work fine as a stand-alone too。 I loved the first book （The Stranger Diaries） but found the second rather too cosy In style。 However I liked Harbinder enough to continue the series regardless - a good decision as this one is the best to date。 It’s a more conventional police procedural， and change in direction for the series， but worked brilliantly in my opinion because of the intriguing cast of characters。 Harbinder has moved to West London following her promotion to DI， and her first case with a new team involves the death of a prominent Tory politician at a school reunion。 Her suspects include the man’s former friends， all part of a popular clique known as The Group， one of whom just happens to be Cassie， Harbinder’s DS - who has been keeping a terrible secret for twenty years…I like the nostalgia of a school reunion plot line - and Manor Park Comprehensive， though fictional， is set very close to where I went to school， so I enjoyed all the geographic references。 Having a cast of celebrity suspects， and the flashbacks to their teen years， had me engaged from the start， and contrasted nicely with Harbinder’s down to earth murder investigation team and comic relief flatmates。 I wasn’t sure how the Bleeding Heart Yard of the title would fit in， with its gory backstory， but when it does the mystery deepens further - I was interested to learn from the afterword that it is a real place。I’m fairly sure that the defunct Imperial underground station doesn’t exist though， as I rode that tube line for six years so surely would’ve noticed。 The story is told from Cassie and Anna’s third person past perspective， and Harbinder’s in third person present， but I was mostly able to tolerate this。 It’s set in 2019， presumably to avoid having to incorporate Covid into the plot。 I didn’t like the jumping timelines where events happen， then we go back half a day to get the build-up to those events from someone else’s POV。 Apart from this minor quibble， I thoroughly enjoyed this and flew through it in a day， wanting to know both whodunnit and how it would all turn out。 I did suspect the killer’s identity but only because they seemed the least likely culprit！ （You can tell I read too much crime fiction。） 4。5 rounded up for good writing and a satisfying ending。Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the ARC。 I am posting this honest review voluntarily。 Bleeding Heart Yard is published on September 29th。 。。。more

Pat on partial hiatus no new friend requests pls ，

3。5 rounded up。Twenty-one years ago Cassie killed a man， David Moore。 She lured him to one of London’s mothballed underground stations promising him he can get drugs there。 Her friends are all lurking nearby。 The plan is kill to him or， at the very least， scare the living daylights out of him。 You see David r@ped Cassie and had tried it on with two of her other friends。 It didn’t seem like he would ever stop this behaviour。 Cassie and David struggle and there’s a loud noise as a train approaches 3。5 rounded up。Twenty-one years ago Cassie killed a man， David Moore。 She lured him to one of London’s mothballed underground stations promising him he can get drugs there。 Her friends are all lurking nearby。 The plan is kill to him or， at the very least， scare the living daylights out of him。 You see David r@ped Cassie and had tried it on with two of her other friends。 It didn’t seem like he would ever stop this behaviour。 Cassie and David struggle and there’s a loud noise as a train approaches and David Moore falls in front of the speeding train。In the present Harbinder Kaur has been promoted to DI in the CID of the MET and is in charge of the MIT at West Kensington。 Apologies for all the acronyms but I’m sure they are pretty self explanatory。 Cassie is now DS Cassie Fitzherbert。 She has a husband and two children。 Cassie attends a reunion at her alma mater， Manor Park school。 Everyone in her friendship group will be thereGarfield Rice - now Tory MPKris （formerly Chris） Foster - lead singer for The CubesIsabelle Istar -actressHenry Steep - now Labour MPAnna Vance - now lives in ItalyAnd Cassie of course， the only friend who doesn’t turn up is Sonoma who is now the school principal。 Before the night is out Garfield Rice is murdered。 Cassie cannot be on the case as she present at the reunion。Suspects are batted backwards and forwards faster then a tennis final。 Red herrings appear and enquiries and interviews yield nothing。 Then， a couple of days later Henry Steep is found dead in Bleeding Hear Yard - a strangely named courtyard outside an old pub。 Harbinder marshalls her troops very effectively。 It is wonderful to see her flourish in the new environment。 She is ably assisted by DS Kim Manning。 Manning is an older woman who has a real skill in calming people down and getting them to talk。 It was interesting to read about some of the more hidden parts of London too。I did not enjoy this book quite as much as the previous two。 It didn’t quite have the same sense of drama， in fact the case itself seemed to go around in circles a lot。 The ending was， however， a very surprising twist。 I enjoyed reading this one but I didn’t love it。 Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly。Thank you for the buddy read Jayme。 Be sure to check Jayme’s fantastic review as well。 。。。more

Jayme ，

“Memory is a dynamic thing， it’s constantly being updated” …。“ But， is it possible to forget that you’ve committed a murder？” Manor Park’s graduating class of ‘98 was quite distinguished。 “The group” as they were known in school included seven members。 Isabelle Istar， a famous Actress， Kris Foster， a well known Pop star， and two Politicians with opposing views about Climate change-Garfield Rice and Henry Steep。 Anna Vance， now teaching English to students in Italy， was also a member， having date “Memory is a dynamic thing， it’s constantly being updated” …。“ But， is it possible to forget that you’ve committed a murder？” Manor Park’s graduating class of ‘98 was quite distinguished。 “The group” as they were known in school included seven members。 Isabelle Istar， a famous Actress， Kris Foster， a well known Pop star， and two Politicians with opposing views about Climate change-Garfield Rice and Henry Steep。 Anna Vance， now teaching English to students in Italy， was also a member， having dated Chris， as was Sonoma Davies， who is now the Headteacher at Manor Park。Oh， don’t forget Cassie Fitzherbert， who is now a DS on DI Harbinder Kaur’s new “Murder Investigation Team”。 She killed fellow student David Moore， 21 years ago， and got away with it， as she will tell you in the prologue。 And， ALL of “the group” was complicit in the crime。 Harbinder Kaur is back for the third installment of the series （The Stranger Diaries #1 and The Postscript Murders #2） but she is now sharing a flat in London with two other women， and heading her own team， graduating from DS to DI。Her first major case…when one of “the group” is murdered at Manor Park’s 21st reunion， organized by Sonoma Davies。 Cassie who was in attendance has secured the guests in the library， but after overhearing a private conversation， she is afraid that one of the group has killed again to make sure that what they did to David Moore remains a secret from the past， so she tries to steer her new boss away from those at the reunion， suggesting an alternate motive instead。 But then another member of the group is found dead in the legendary Bleeding Heart Yard， a courtyard in Holborn named after the murder in the seventeenth century of Lady Elizabeth Hatton， second wife of Sir William Hatton- and the pressure to solve this case is ramped up！ Lady Elizabeth’s body was found， torn limb from limb， with her heart still beating blood。 And， a heart is found with this body too。These books seem like a “modern” take on a cozy series to me- the stories aren’t “cute” and they touch on the relevant themes of Politics， Privilege， and Prejudice with a unique lead character， but as in cozies-all violence occurs off page。Although “The Stranger Diaries” remains my favorite of the three， I enjoyed getting to see a more mature version of Kaur， as she confidently leads her team which includes new characters -Detective Sergeants Kim， Jake and Tory。 DS Kim Manning is a character I hope we will see more of。 And， now that Harbinder has finally moved out of her parents home， at the age of 38， will she also find the courage to introduce her traditional Sikh parents， to her first official girlfriend？ I look forward to seeing what happens next！ 3。5 ⭐️ rounded up！ A buddy read with Pat-be sure to check out her “always” amazing review！ Available November 15th in the U。S。 from Mariner books who gifted me a copy through NetGalley。 Already available in the U。K。 It was my pleasure to offer a candid review！ 。。。more

Phrynne ，

There is a notable change between this book and its predecessors in that they were both inventive and cunning whereas Bleeding Heart Yard is a straight forward mystery。 It is still a good book but I was expecting something different。Harbinder has moved to London and is starting afresh as a DI in the London Met in charge of a team。 This introduces a parcel of new characters at work plus she moves in with two other women in a shared house。 Her first case becomes very high profile when an MP is mur There is a notable change between this book and its predecessors in that they were both inventive and cunning whereas Bleeding Heart Yard is a straight forward mystery。 It is still a good book but I was expecting something different。Harbinder has moved to London and is starting afresh as a DI in the London Met in charge of a team。 This introduces a parcel of new characters at work plus she moves in with two other women in a shared house。 Her first case becomes very high profile when an MP is murdered。 Most of the suspects are old friends of the victim and they all get opportunities to express their own points of view。 There are red herrings aplenty and the murderer is（view spoiler）[the person you least suspect （hide spoiler）]。 There is a nice romance for Harbinder too which lightens up the action。 It is all very standard mystery writing and there is nothing wrong with that， especially as Griffiths always writes well。 Despite a teeny bit of disappointment in the change of direction I will still be one of the first in line to read the next book。Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more

Alison Alice-May ，

This is the third outing for Harbinder Kaur who has been promoted to DI in the London Met。 Her promotion has necessitated a move from her parents home to a house share in West Kensington。 She is sharing with two other female professionals as housing is way out of her financial reach。 She finds herself in charge of her own team and nervous about her acceptance， both professionally and personally。 It’s not long before she finds herself leading her team in a high profile case where an MP has been f This is the third outing for Harbinder Kaur who has been promoted to DI in the London Met。 Her promotion has necessitated a move from her parents home to a house share in West Kensington。 She is sharing with two other female professionals as housing is way out of her financial reach。 She finds herself in charge of her own team and nervous about her acceptance， both professionally and personally。 It’s not long before she finds herself leading her team in a high profile case where an MP has been found dead of an apparent drug overdose。 All is not as it seems however， and DI Kaur is soon in charge of her first murder。 The Conservative MP had been found dead at the local exclusive Manor Park school as part of a school reunion。 The MP had been part of a close knit group of friends who had all attended the school in 1998。 Now all aged 38 the group includes a famous actress， beautiful Isabelle Ishtar; Sonoma Davies the current head of Manor Park; foreign language teacher Anna Lance; Labour MP Henry Steep and a member of DI Kaur’s police team， DS Cassie Fitzherbert。 The narrative moves backwards and forwards in time and is told mainly from Cassie， Anna and Harbinder’s perspectives。Some of Harbinder’s team are clearly star struck by the celebrity status of some of the suspects but this clearly doesn’t bother Harbinder。 The team start to focus on other angles such as the threatening bleeding heart notes sent to Garfield Rice before his death and they are drawn back to the death of one of the group of friends in 1998 when they were celebrating the end of their A level exams。 David Moore had died after falling onto the railway tracks in front of a speeding train in what has been judged a suicide。 The London setting including the House of Commons and Bleeding Heart Yard is vividly brought to life by excellent writing。 DI Kaur need not have worried about how she is seen by her team as they are all impressed by her。 The team all have nicknames and Harbinder eventually finds out hers is “Suzi” - she doesn’t mind in the least being thought of as Suzi Quattro， feisty rock star。 The DI is capable， professional and she doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty。 Who wouldn’t appreciate a boss line that？This is such a well written story and all the ends are nicely tied up in the conclusion。 It is full of twists and turns and has lots of intrigue。 There is enough information to allow readers to guess outcomes but also enough red herrings to make it complex。 It’s a joy to read and I can’t wait for the next in the series。 。。。more

Martha Brindley ，

This is the third book to feature DI Harbinder Kaur， I have read the previous two and enjoyed them but this one， not so much。 The pace was slow and steady， not much tension and it failed to grip me。 Just another average police procedural with a plot which centred around a school reunion and old friends。 I failed to connect with any of the characters， I liked the location but the ending left me disappointed。 Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC。

Natasha ，

DI Harbinder Kaur returns in Bleeding Heart Yard， but this time the setting has shifted to the heart of London。 The plot centres around the death of MP Garfield Rice at a school reunion， seemingly from a drug overdose。 One of Harbinder's officers， DS Cassie Fitzgerald attended the school reunion。 Cassie was part of Garfield's group of friends at school， and it is revealed that the group are harbouring a secret that they have kept hidden for over 20 years。 Further deaths follow within the same gr DI Harbinder Kaur returns in Bleeding Heart Yard， but this time the setting has shifted to the heart of London。 The plot centres around the death of MP Garfield Rice at a school reunion， seemingly from a drug overdose。 One of Harbinder's officers， DS Cassie Fitzgerald attended the school reunion。 Cassie was part of Garfield's group of friends at school， and it is revealed that the group are harbouring a secret that they have kept hidden for over 20 years。 Further deaths follow within the same group of schoolfriends， and it becomes apparent that there could be more to the secret than Cassie could have imagined。This is book 3 in the Harbinder Kaur series， but it could be read as a standalone book; however， there is a welcome return of the delightful trio that featured in the previous book， The Postscript Murders。 If you enjoy crime fiction， a good thriller， or if you're just in need of new reading material， I highly recommend this book！Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the ARC。 。。。more

Brompton Sawdon ，

We're really lucky in the crime/mystery genre to be blessed with so many great writers。 Liz Mistry， Peter James， MW Craven to name just a few of the greats。 Then there's Elly Griffiths。 More known for her Ruth Galloway and Brighton Murders series， she's also blessed us with another series， the Harbinder Kauf crime series。 I remember reading the first one， The Stranger Diaries。 It was brilliant。 It was the Christmas book I bought everyone I knew。 Now it's a series， and we're on the third instalme We're really lucky in the crime/mystery genre to be blessed with so many great writers。 Liz Mistry， Peter James， MW Craven to name just a few of the greats。 Then there's Elly Griffiths。 More known for her Ruth Galloway and Brighton Murders series， she's also blessed us with another series， the Harbinder Kauf crime series。 I remember reading the first one， The Stranger Diaries。 It was brilliant。 It was the Christmas book I bought everyone I knew。 Now it's a series， and we're on the third instalment of a series I hope goes as far as Ruth Galloway。Bleeding Heart Yard starts with Harbinder moving to London and the Met police。 She has to make new friends， forge a new team of detectives， as well as remember her family。 Straight away she's into a murder。 One of her detectives is at the scene when it happens。 A school library， scene of the 21st anniversary of the class of students。 The victim is a controversial Tory MP， found in the bathroom with cocaine on his nose。 Is it a simple overdose or is it a murder？ Harbinder and her team must find out as time ticks down。The book starts with a murder confession， but as is always the case this might be a gigantic swerve ball or perhaps it's true？ The book is told by many characters from the story。 This way you get their points of view and their inner thoughts。 It's a wonderful way to tell this tale of rivalry between former students。 Sometimes it can be confusing， but in this case the author has excelled herself。 The story flows with no lull in the middle。 In some ways it's a closed room mystery as you know all the suspects， yet is it ？I'm used to Elly Griffith's style of writing through her previous works， yet this book seems different from the rest。 Don't get me wrong， it's good， but it seems Elly has adopted a new style of writing。 It works really well。 I loved the hesitation in Harbinder's character， the doubt in Cassies mind。 A group of former friends thrown together， and what a stellar group it is。 A BAFTA winning actress， a pop star （I had him pegged as Chris Martin of Coldplay）， two MP's， the headmistress of their former school， a police officer and a teacher。 The story unfurls before your eyes and hits a frentic finale。A five star book and Elly Griffiths go together。 Yep she's managed it again。 。。。more

Misty （Reds Romance Reviews） ，

DS Cassie Fitzgerald has been carrying a secret for the last thirty years， a secret she hopes stays buried until she is long gone。 But when her high school reunion rolls around and her classmates start to drop， that dreaded secret threatens to find the light of day！Bleeding Heart Yard is a thrilling page-turner that will keep you on your toes， every page is littered with action， drama， and twists and turns you won't see coming！ People are dropping like flies， truths aren't being told， and there DS Cassie Fitzgerald has been carrying a secret for the last thirty years， a secret she hopes stays buried until she is long gone。 But when her high school reunion rolls around and her classmates start to drop， that dreaded secret threatens to find the light of day！Bleeding Heart Yard is a thrilling page-turner that will keep you on your toes， every page is littered with action， drama， and twists and turns you won't see coming！ People are dropping like flies， truths aren't being told， and there is a killer to be found。。。 it's the kind of case DI Harbinder Kaur has been dying to solve。 Watching DS Kaur sort through thirty years of history， interview classmates clearly hiding things， chase down leads， was so enthralling， I couldn't help but get wrapped up in the words！ I have to say this is one of the most impressive first reads I've had this year， I'm definitely coming back for more！！ Highly recommend！I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher， and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion。 。。。more

Vicky Hughes ，

The third instalment in this series has a new location and a new promotion allowing more scope for new mysteries。 Uncovering a spate of murders linked to a school and events of twenty years ago Harbinder Kaur must prove herself in her new role and to her new team， among the bright lights of London。 This book was punchier than the previous one but stuck to the same style of moving between characters viewpoints thereby keeping the reader on their toes。 Thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader The third instalment in this series has a new location and a new promotion allowing more scope for new mysteries。 Uncovering a spate of murders linked to a school and events of twenty years ago Harbinder Kaur must prove herself in her new role and to her new team， among the bright lights of London。 This book was punchier than the previous one but stuck to the same style of moving between characters viewpoints thereby keeping the reader on their toes。 Thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader copy of this book。 。。。more

Heather ，

I don’t know how Elly Griffiths manages to keep so many series going at the same time， and yet make each book fresh and interesting。This is the third Harbinder Kaur （mid-thirties， lesbian， still living at home， but now a DI） book， and she has now relocated from Sussex to London。At a reunion at a London comprehensive school， an MP is murdered。 Think Holland Park， not sink estate。 The reunion year had produced a rock star， a famous actress， the current head of the school， and two MPs， as well as a I don’t know how Elly Griffiths manages to keep so many series going at the same time， and yet make each book fresh and interesting。This is the third Harbinder Kaur （mid-thirties， lesbian， still living at home， but now a DI） book， and she has now relocated from Sussex to London。At a reunion at a London comprehensive school， an MP is murdered。 Think Holland Park， not sink estate。 The reunion year had produced a rock star， a famous actress， the current head of the school， and two MPs， as well as a detective。 The murder seems to be connected with the death of a pupil 21 years previously。As this is Harbinder’s first case with a new team， and it is high profile， there is a lot of pressure for a result， and the final result is unexpected， and very clever。The book addresses serious issues of coercive control， end of life care， as well as the nuts and bolts of detection， and Harbinder’s new life in London， but is always done with a light touch。And I love her reaction when she discovers her nickname。Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the opportunity to read this book。 。。。more

CJ Eve ，

So this was a first in this series for me and I really enjoyed the book one I will now be defiantly be looking out for。 The main character in the story DI Harbinder Kaur is a genuine likeable character and the author has brought her to life in this story and you see her confidence gaining as the story develops 。 The story is told from several different view points which I really enjoyed as it sees the different points of views and reactions to the same situations。A satisfying read。

Shelbycat ，

Another excellent book by Elly Griffiths。 Recommended。

AndiReads ，

I am a huge Ruth Galloway fan and becoming slowly enamored with DI Harbinder Kaur （previously DS）。In the 3rd installment， Harbinder has moved to London for her promotion。 I really enjoy her new police team and the confidence she has。 Right away she is thrown into her first case when there is a murder at a very posh school reunion。The Group was a collection of friends attending a private school in the early 90's。 The IN GROUP really。 Most have gone on to become moderately to incredibly successful I am a huge Ruth Galloway fan and becoming slowly enamored with DI Harbinder Kaur （previously DS）。In the 3rd installment， Harbinder has moved to London for her promotion。 I really enjoy her new police team and the confidence she has。 Right away she is thrown into her first case when there is a murder at a very posh school reunion。The Group was a collection of friends attending a private school in the early 90's。 The IN GROUP really。 Most have gone on to become moderately to incredibly successful but all remember a death at the end of finals that tied them all together。 At this point， all of the group members have different memories about what went down， but someone is now enacting revenge。 Can DI Kaur get to the bottom of it all before more people die？ Will she muck up her first London case？ Read on to find out！ If you like British murder mysteries， strong POC heroines， or just might want to see the IN Group get their due - Bleeding Heart Yard is for you！#marinerbooks #BleedingHeartYard #EllyGriffiths #netGalley 。。。more

Cayla ，

Thank you for having sent me a copy of Bleeding Heart Yard。 This one was crazy but a good read！ Not as good as the first two but still I enjoyed it。 The story plot was great and definitely kept my interest the whole way through。 I always can count on mystery crime books！ It had a good twist towards the end as well。 Thank you again for the copy！

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Bleeding Heart Yard

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Bleeding Heart Yard&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Bleeding Heart Yard&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0