The Pie and Mash Detective Agency - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  The Pie and Mash Detective Agency by J.D. Brinkworth

Rating:  Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  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…

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  The premise looked fun and I liked the idea of a fresh take on a cozy mystery.

My Impression:  This book had a bit of a rough start.  It was definitely quirky and young but for the first half or so of the book Jane and Simon read like school children on a massive sugar high and incredibly overstimulated.  Their actions were all over the place and the banter had a bit of a frantic feel to it.  There's also some timeline jumping between modern day and 1997 that took me a bit to really understand.

The book settles quite a bit in the second half.  While still a bit erratic, Jane and Simon have a bit more strategy and the plot starts building a bit better.  Through it all the mystery was fascinating.  How did Nellie Thorne disappear multiple times over the years and why was the description always the same?  I was hooked and couldn't wait for the reveal.  I flew through the last quarter fascinated as it all played out.  

This book is a bit uneven but it was always a fun read.  The characters grew on me once they had a chance to settle into the story.  If this becomes a series I would definitely continue with it.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I would.  Overall, I enjoyed this one and I'm looking forward to seeing what this author does next.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Yes, with reservations.  The story is a lot of fun but the beginning is a bit of a fever dream.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books on My TBR with Numbers in the Title

 

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is Book Titles Featuring Ordinal Numbers which is where the number defines the book's place in the series.  However, after much looking around the only books that I could find that meet that requirement are the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series which is one I stopped reading back before she hit number 15.  Because of that I'm just going to go with books with numbers in the title in general.  I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone else's lists to see what series/books I missed!

1.  One Foot in the Grave by Kelly Lane - This cozy mystery series has been on my TBR for ages and looks really fun.

2.  The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benedict - I have loved everything I've read by this author and I'm looking forward to this one.

3.  Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews - I love this cozy mystery series and the Christmas ones are always so much fun.

4.  Seven Girls Gone by Allison Brennan - This author is on my Must Read list for this year and this looks like such a good mystery.

5.  Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill - I really enjoyed another book by this author and I'm looking forward to reading this one.

6.  I Saw Three Ships by Elizabeth Goudge - I want to read this one around Christmas time this year.  

7.  The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware - I've loved some of the books I've read by this author and I'm so curious about this one.

8.  The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand - I could use a Five Star Weekend and I've really enjoyed what I've read by her.

9.  Between Two Strangers by Kate White - This looks like a good and creepy thriller.

10. One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan - I have really been loving Sarah Morgan's fiction and I'm really looking forward to reading this one.

Do you know of any series that use ordinal numbers in the title?  

Death at a Firefly Tea - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Death at a Firefly Tea by Laura Childs

Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  As fireflies dazzle like tiny glowing lanterns, tea maven Theodosia hosts an elegant evening tea on the patio of the Tangled Rose B and B. But in this gentle darkness an intruder has made their way in and slipped deadly drugs into the baked Alaska of Mrs. Van Courtland, one of Charleston’s local grande dames. Shocked by this brazen act, urged on by Mrs. V’s grieving son, Theodosia begins her own shadow investigation. Soon, she finds herself at odds with a greedy developer, the questionable residents of Honey Badger House, a vengeful ex-daughter-in-law, ne’er do well relatives, and a housekeeper who knows all the secrets. As Theodosia hosts a Moulin Rouge Tea and a Queen Victoria Tea, her tea sommelier Drayton is assaulted by a masked stranger and the fiancé of Mrs. V’s son is kidnapped. It’s only at the Starry Starry Night black tie ball that Theodosia stumbles upon the killer and gets pulled into a dramatic life and death chase.

Genre:  Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read a number of books in this series and always enjoy a trip to Charleston - plus the cover really caught my eye.

My Impression:  I've been reading this series for years and while I have missed a number of them it is always easy to immediately slip into Theodosia's world for a visit to Charleston, South Carolina.  This was a fun read with an unlikely victim - and yet with somehow a decent number of suspects.  

The mystery is an intriguing one and disasters keep befalling the Van Courtland family - as well as Theodosia and her staff - as the book goes on.  The real star of this series is Charleston and Theodosia's tea shop.  I love the descriptions of the themed teas, the food, and Drayton's special blends.  I'm not the biggest tea drinker but the descriptions always have me wishing that they really existed as they sound delicious.  As well, Childs does a good job of making Charleston feel like a character with the feel and look of the city beautifully described.

This isn't my favorite series as Theodosia is just a bit too perfect and too nosy but the books always provide a fun read.  This book might be my favorite yet.  I enjoyed the twist and all the tea mentions.  If you're looking for a light cozy mystery to enjoy and a virtual trip to Charleston this is a great series to pick.  There are a decent number of characters which can make just jumping in a tiny bit confusing but for the most part this is an easily standalone series.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would. This isn't the top of my list of cozy mystery series but I enjoy the mysteries everytime I read them.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy light cozy mysteries I would recommend this book and this series as a whole.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Reading Recap - What I Read in February 2026

Monthly Reading Total: 20 - This total really surprised me but I've really been enjoying my reading so I'm hoping this is a good sign for a great reading year.

Type:

Print: 8

Ebook: 5 

Audio: 7

Genre:

Mystery - 16 

Fiction - 3

Romance - 1 

Favorite Books of the Month:

The Homefront Sleuths Mystery by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley - I really wanted to finish this series by the end of the month so I could cancel my Audible subscription without having to pay for another month.  I'm typically not a series binge reader.  I tend to start getting annoyed with characters or writing styles after a couple of books by the same author in the same series close together.  This was absolutely not the case with this series.  I loved the characters and I thoroughly enjoyed how they worked together.  If there's another book in the series I would buy it full price without hesitation.  

The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti by Jennifer Probst - Audiobooks were definitely the star of February though I did like the bulk of what I read this month.  This was probably my favorite of all the print/ebooks that I read.  While it does have love letters in the title it isn't really a romance but instead focuses much more on the sisters and their relationships - both with each other and themselves.  I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Rereads:  

I'm trying to make sure I get some rereads in this year as I always enjoy it and I was in the habit of not letting myself pick up some old favorites.  Here is what I reread in February:

The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Mathews - This was the first book in the quartet I read and I really wanted to revisit it after reading the first book.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading book 3.

Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie - This was the February pick for the Read Christie challenge and it was a delight.  This is one of Christie's books that I always forget about but always enjoy.

Armchair Travels for February

Domestic Travel:  I visited Wyoming, Connecticut, New York, Oregon, and Georgia for the first time this year.  All domestic travel was to new states for the year which is fun.

International Travel:  I visited England 10 times - half of which was during the 1940s, Canada, early 1990s Jordan, Italy, Scotland, and Wales.

How was your reading in February?  Where did your reading take you?

Friday Fives - March TBR

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. Since this is the first Friday in March, I'm planning my January TBR.  Here are 5 books I plan on reading in March. 

1.  The Barn Identity by Diane Kelly - This has been such a fun cozy mystery series and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind structure Whitney and her cousin are flipping this time and what kind of mystery they're going to stumble into.  

2.  The Secret of Terror Castle by Robert Arthur - I had never heard of this series until I read a series by Gigi Pandian where she talked about this book and it sounded so fun.  I'm looking forward to reading it!

3.  Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews - I love this cozy mystery series but I didn't love the previous book so I'm hoping this one is better.

4.  A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson - I read a book by this author last year and loved it.  This one looks fantastic and I've been really wanting to read it.  This is the month!

5.  A Skeleton in the Family by Leigh Perry - This series has been on my radar for years.  It looks kind of bizarre but lots of fun.  I've been collecting the books but I need to read the first book to make sure that I really want to continue with this series.

What are you hoping to read in March?

Books From the Backlog - The Library of Lost Dollhouses

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper

Blurb:   Tildy Barrows, Head Curator of a beautiful archival library in San Francisco, is meticulously dedicated to the century’s worth of inventory housed in her beloved Beaux Art building. She loves the calm and order in the shelves of books and walls of art. But Tildy’s uneventful life takes an unexpected turn when she, first, learns the library is on the verge of bankruptcy and, second, discovers two exquisite never-before-seen dollhouses. After finding clues hidden within these remarkable miniatures, Tildy starts to believe that Belva Curtis LeFarge, the influential heiress who established the library a century ago, is conveying a significant final message.
With a newfound sense of spontaneity, Tildy sets out to decipher the secret history of the dollhouses, aiming to salvage her cherished library in the process. Her journey to understand introduces her to a world of ambitious and gifted women in Belle Époque Paris, a group of scarred World War I veterans in the English countryside, and Walt Disney’s bustling Burbank studio in the 1950s. As Tildy unravels the mystery, she finds not only inspiring, overlooked history, but also a future for herself, filled with exciting possibilities—and an astonishing familial revelation.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  It sounds amazing and I love the dollhouse angle.  

What I'm Reading - March 4

I always have a few books going.  Here is what I'm reading and what I'm thinking about them.

Ebook

The Pie and Mash Detective Agency by J.D. Brinkworth - I just started this one and am only about a chapter in so I don't have an opinion on it yet, but my hopes are high.  

Print Book

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths - This one I haven't really even started but I moved my bookmark over to it so it counts as my current print book.  I am really looking forward to getting started with it tonight.

Audio Book 

I'm taking a short break from audiobooks to get caught up on my podcasts but will start a new one at the end of the week.  I'm not sure what I'll start so I might just let my TBR Jar pick for me.  I am currently obsessed with How Did This Get Made? and DNA:ID podcasts.

Slow Read

Pinot Read or Dead by J.C. Eaton - I really enjoy another cozy series by this author team but this one isn't quite living up to the enjoyment of the other books I've read by them.  I'm about 40% done with it so I'll finish it but won't be jumping to get the rest of the series unless it gets much better quickly.  

What are you reading today?