Book Description 

Jane Pye and Simon Mash are a millennial couple with a little extra time on their hands. Jane was recently let go from her position as a back-end programmer, having never been quite sure what that meant. And Simon’s career as a corporate collaboration consultant seems to be less collaborating and more scrolling the internet in search of matching velour tracksuits and well-balanced charcuterie boards. When they sign up for a private detective class on a whim, they quickly realize they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. 

Their instructor, having a feeling his two worst students don’t have a chance of solving anything beyond finding the classroom, assigns them the case of Nellie Thorne, a woman recently reported missing. But she’s not the first Nellie Thorne to disappear. In fact, she’s the fifth in fifty years. Jane and Simon set out to solve the case, armed with just a few days of notes, matching trench coats, and a feeling they should have enrolled in a different class. The investigation leads the newly minted Pie and Mash Detective Agency to places they never thought they’d go, including haunted woods, mysterious archives, and, most terrifyingly for Jane, Simon’s mum’s house. 

As clues emerge, more questions than answers begin to pile up. What links the missing Nellies? Why do locals think she’s a ghost? Is their teacher hiding something? So what if they’re heavy on heart but light on experience. Jane and Simon are determined to uncover the truth in time to pass the class and save the day.

My Review 

I’ve been on a mystery/thriller kick lately, so I was excited about the opportunity to read this book. This was a lot cozier than many of the recent books that I’ve read from that genre, so it was a refreshing experience. 

Simon and Jane throw themselves enthusiastically into their assigned case, only to discover it’s a lot trickier than they anticipated. Undeterred, they pursue all sorts of leads, which leads to numerous zany situations. 

An interesting aspect of the book is that the timeline shifts between the present day and 1997. Eventually, the timelines converge as everyone gets closer to solving the Nellie case. 

I would recommend The Pie & Mash Detective Agency. This is a strong start to a new series. Well, I’m assuming it’s going to be a series based on the way things ended. It ought to be a series because Simon and Jane work well together, and I can see their timing get even better in subsequent books. I’m looking forward to seeing Simon and Jane tackle their next case. 

I received a digital ARC of this book from Berkley/NetGalley.