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The Pie & Mash Detective Agency
by J.D. BrinkworthPublished by Berkley on March 10, 2026
SubGenres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery
Format: eArc
Pages: 368
Source: the publisher via NetGalley
Audience: 18+/Adult
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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.
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 - 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 a lot of enthusiasm, they set out to solve a case that has baffled Kent’s police for decades.
What connects the missing Nellies? Why do locals whisper about a ghostly presence? Only the Pie & Mash Detective Agency can uncover the truth behind this eerie urban legend.
Is it an open and shut case? Not on your Nellie…
DNF at 70%
I was excited to read this debut novel from J.D. Brinkworth because I love mysteries, but unfortunately, I don’t think I’m the right audience for The Pie & Mash Detective Agency. It’s a cozy mystery where the two main characters are on a case to find a woman named Nellie Thorne who has disappeared. The twist is that women with the same name have disappeared several times in recent years, and it’s up to Jane and Simon to find out what happened to the present-day Nellie Thorne while also uncovering the other disappearances.
This book had an interesting premise that kept me intrigued until about 70%, when I lost interest. The main issue was that I didn’t connect with either character, Jane Pye or Simon Mash. Simon, in particular, didn’t seem to want to help Jane with the case, and Jane had some trust issues with Simon and his actions. Another issue was that the story shifted back and forth between the present day with Jane and Simon on the case, and 1997 with Gavin investigating another Nellie Thorne. Gavin is Jane and Simon’s teacher, a former PI who gave them the present-day case.
I’m sure if I read past 70%, the story would pick up and I would find out what happened to the present-day and past Nellies, but I wasn’t interested enough to finish.
I wish I had enjoyed this book more, but it just didn’t keep my attention. Just because I didn’t enjoy it doesn’t mean I won’t recommend it. It may appeal to readers who enjoy cozy mysteries. I need more action-packed, dangerous scenarios in my mysteries and thrillers.
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