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The Pie & Mash Detective Agency
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  • Published: 26 February 2026
  • ISBN: 9781804954355
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 368
Categories:

The Pie & Mash Detective Agency

Formats & editions
EBook
26 Feb 2026
Audiobook
26 Feb 2026
Hardback
26 Mar 2026
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Who is Nellie Thorne and why does she keep disappearing? Amateur sleuths Jane Pye and Simon Mash are on the case in this cosy crime mystery novel.

Who is Nellie Thorne and why does she keep disappearing? Jane Pye and Simon Mash are on the case in this cosy crime mystery novel, perfect for fans of Janice Hallett and Robert Thorogood!


'Fans of Richard Osman will love it!' Jonathan Ross
'Like the dish in the title, I devoured it in one sitting' Sue Perkins

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Local schoolteacher Dev Hooper arrives home from work to find his girlfriend, Nellie Thorne, has vanished.

But she's not the first Nellie Thorne to disappear. In fact, she's the fifth in fifty years.

Enter Jane Pye and Simon Mash: a millennial couple who signed up for a private detective night class on a whim. When they're assigned Dev's case for their coursework, they quickly realise they’ve bitten off more than they can chew.

Armed with just six weeks of notes, matching trench coats, and questionable detective skills, they set out to solve a case that has baffled Kent's police for decades.

What links the missing Nellies? And why does everyone keep talking about ghosts!?

Is it an open and shut case? Not on your Nellie…


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‘A blissfully cozy mystery packed with funny moments and delightful little pleasures on each page’ Kelly Mullen, author of This is Not a Game

‘A really funny read, with two very endearing detectives' Faith Martin, bestselling author of the DI Hillary Greene series and the Ryder and Loveday mystery novels
  • Published: 26 February 2026
  • ISBN: 9781804954355
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 368
Categories:

About the author

J.D. Brinkworth

J. D. Brinkworth is the pseudonym of London-based writing duo Jo Dinkin and Catherine Brinkworth. Catherine is a comedy writer and winner of the BBC Comedy Writing Bursary. She has written on flagship BBC shows like the News Quiz and Have I Got News For You. Jo won the 2020 Green Stories writing prize and was nominated for Best Screenplay at the British Horror Film Festival. They both recently graduated as private detectives from a suspiciously cheap online detecting course.
J.D

Praise for The Pie & Mash Detective Agency

Smart, funny and assured debut. Like the dish in the title, I devoured it in one sitting.

Sue Perkins

Gripping and laugh out loud funny, fans of Richard Osman will love it!

Jonathan Ross

A blissfully cozy mystery packed with funny moments and delightful little pleasures on each page

Kelly Mullen

A really funny read, with two very endearing detectives

Faith Martin

A fun romp that sets off at a cracking pace and never lets up.

Ian Moore

A charming idea, packed with relatable characters, plenty of fun and enough twists to keep me guessing

F.L. Everett

This quirky, fun mystery will keep readers guessing while bringing a smile to their faces. The main characters are a hoot

First Clue

Sharp, witty and wonderfully original

L T Shearer

Absolutely delightful! Fast, funny, mysterious and genuinely intriguing, this is classic cosy crime with vivid characters and a baffling conundrum. A delicious debut!

Janice Hallett

A highly amusing debut featuring millennial romance and danger for a couple less clueless than they seem.

Kirkus Reviews

In this sparkling debut, as clever as it is comic, two literally clueless detectives-in-training take on a missing-person case as a class assignment - only to find themselves unravelling a decidedly weird 40-year-old mystery. A smart, funny and fresh take on the classic private eye novel, The Pie & Mash Detective Agency is a welcome addition to any mystery-lover’s bookshelf!

Amanda Chapman

A charmingly quirky cosy mystery with warm humour

Jamie West

A rattling good read

Saga Magazine

Zany

Publishers Weekly

This quirky and witty series starter will be perfect for fans of Janice Hallett and cozy mystery readers looking for something new

Booklist

Calling all cosy crime lovers: this one is for you

Belfast Telegraph

Playful, affectionate and eerie take on cosy crime

i News

The perfect new read for cosy crime fans. Sharp and witty

My Weekly

A really fun read

Crime Scene Magazine

A comedic debut with dry, contemporary British wit

Crime Fiction Lover