What do readers think of The Pie & Mash Detective Agency by J.D. Brinkworth? Write your own review.

The perfect cozy mystery to read by the fire on a dreary winter day. It is light-hearted and sometimes silly with eccentric characters and an offbeat storyline. The characters were relatable and easy to like, including Simon's eccentric mother and an aging private investigator who is looking to solve a decades old mystery he has not been able to crack. To sum it all up - not too heavy, just plain fun.

The main characters Simon Mash and Jane Pye are aspiring private detectives taking a class with PI Gavin. He gives them an unsolved case about a missing woman as their final assignment. It turns out that Gavin worked on this case himself years ago. Simon and Jane are living together struggling to make ends meet so they are hoping to develop their own PI business. The mystery deepens when it's discovered that the same missing woman has been coming and going over generations.This is an excellent cozy mystery that involves many twists and turns and lots of quirky, lovable characters. You will definitely want to root for Simon and Jane to succeed. If you enjoy cozy mysteries then this one should be on your list.

If fun mystery mash-ups are your bag, this one's a must-read. With a lot of tongue-in-cheek, satirical references to current business culture and equally risable societal tropes, the writing team of J.D. Brinkworth - the nom de plume of writers Jo Dinkin and Catherine Brinkworth - have landed a winner. This original and engaging plot features two protagonists who will clearly seek future sleuthing adventures as their newly acquired skills and low bank balances drive them along their most recently chosen career paths. For many, the reading of such madcap fiction might prove addicting ...

This book was exactly what I expected, an uncomplicated, enjoyable, light-hearted read. The two main characters are charmingly bumbling, and the mystery they are assigned to solve in their entry-level detective class is a missing persons case. They are aided by their teacher, who has absolutely not faith in them, and gave them the case as a throw-away.

Would I read other novels in the series, if written? Probably not; there were many very British colloquialisms and slang, and I didn't particularly like either of the lead characters. But it was a fun, if a bit unprobably story.

Pie and Mash are an unusual duo of wannabe private detectives. In fact, Jane Pie and Simon Mash are students for a beginner class on detective techniques. The teacher for the class gives everyone a different case to work on for a class presentation, but the case that Jane and Simon gets is a real doozy, For years a woman named Nellie Thorne goes missing and is never found. It seems this has been recurring for many decades. The woman's name is always Nellie Thorne and she always disappears under similar circumstances. No one has ever been able to solve this mystery. So why did this teacher think it was possible for Jane and Simon to do what previously trained professionals haven't been able to do? I think this is a great book for a new series.

Pie & Mash Detective Agency by J.D. Brinkworth is a delightful return to the classic amateur sleuth—warm, wry, and far cleverer than it first lets on. From the opening chapters, Brinkworth’s dry humor had me giggling with delight, the kind of understated wit that sneaks up on you and lands perfectly.

The novel lovingly embraces the traditional detective format—eccentric investigators, a tightly wound mystery, and clues scattered with intention—while keeping everything fresh through voice and pacing. I was particularly impressed by how skillfully the plot stays one step ahead: just when I thought I knew what was really going in, the story gently tugged the rug out from under my theories.

The detectives themselves are wonderfully quirky without tipping into caricature, grounding the humor in genuine charm and competence. Brinkworth clearly understands the mechanics of the genre and plays within them confidently, resulting in a mystery that feels comforting and surprising in equal measure.

Smart, funny, and immensely readable, Pie & Mash Detective Agency is a treat for fans of classic British cozy mystery.

This cozy mystery is set in the English countryside and features a cast of fun, quirky characters. While the story kept me engaged, I didn't always connect with the characters. They were cute and entertaining, but not consistently relatable. It is a quick, enjoyable read, and was exactly what I needed after tackling some heavier books right before the holidays.

The premise of this book is quite good and the writing is sharp. But sometimes the plot and key characterizations took a back seat to "the bit(s)" and many characters. This works in a visual, episodic show like Only Murders in the Building, but I found the tangents/coincidences less successful in book form. That said, I devoured it and hope they write more.