The Murder Mystery Mystery

The brand new hilarious instalment in the Pie & Mash Detective series, perfect for fans of Richard Thorogood, Janice Hallett and Richard Osman. 
 
A murder mystery weekend is meant to be fiction. At Spencer Hall, it’s about to become very real… 
 
When the actor playing the Butler disappears mid-performance just days after his predecessor died in a freak accident, the cast start whispering about a curse: The Butler’s Curse. 
 
Luckily, The Pie & Mash Detective Agency are on the scene. 
 
But with suspicious staff, overenthusiastic actors, and clues that don’t quite add up, even Jane and Simon have to admit something isn’t part of the script. 
 
Trapped in a crumbling country house, Jane and Simon must work together to untangle what’s real and what’s performance – while trying not to unravel their partnership in the process. 
 
Will they crack the case of the 'curse'? Finish the murder mystery they paid several hundred pounds to play? And possibly even . . . solve their first murder? 
 
------ 
 
Praise for the Pie & Mash Mysteries: 
 
'Fans of Richard Osman will love it!' Jonathan Ross 
 
'Compelling and intriguing' J. M. Hall 
 
'Absolutely delightful!' Janice Hallett 
 
‘Sharp, witty and wonderfully original' L T Shearer 
 
‘A really funny read, with two very endearing detectives' Faith Martin

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.

A murder mystery weekend spirals into chaos when the actor playing the Butler disappears on the first night. 
 
His predecessor died in a freak accident less than two weeks ago, adding to a disturbing pattern: every actor who’s taken on the role has either disappeared, quit, or died. Nervous cast members are starting to call it The Butler’s Curse. 
 
Luckily, The Pie & Mash Detective Agency are on the scene. 
 
With a serious lack of cases, and tension building in their relationship, Simon has whisked Jane away for a mini break which is getting less relaxing by the minute. 
 
Will they crack the case of the 'curse'? Finish the murder mystery they paid several hundred pounds to play? And possibly even…solve their first murder? 
 
------ 
 
Praise for the Pie & Mash Mysteries: 
 
Fans of Richard Osman will love it!' Jonathan Ross 
 
'Compelling and intriguing' J. M. Hall 
 
'Absolutely delightful!' Janice Hallett 
 
‘Sharp, witty and wonderfully original' L T Shearer 
 
‘A really funny read, with two very endearing detectives' Faith Martin

J.D. Brinkworth

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

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

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

Playful, affectionate and eerie take on cosy crime

Calling all cosy crime lovers: this one is for you

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

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

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

A really funny read, with two very endearing detectives

A charmingly quirky cosy mystery with warm humour

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!

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

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

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

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

A comedic debut with dry, contemporary British wit

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 
'Fast, funny, mysterious and genuinely intriguing' Janice Hallett___________ 
 
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… 
 
 
___________ 
 
Praise for The Pie & Mash Detective Agency: 
 
'Sharp, witty and wonderfully original' L T Shearer 
 
'A fun romp that sets off at a cracking pace and never lets up' Ian Moore 
 
'A really funny read, with two very endearing detectives' Faith Martin 
 
'A charmingly quirky cosy mystery with warm humour' Jamie West

J.D. Brinkworth

Praise for The Pie & Mash Detective Agency

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Books by J.D. Brinkworth

Series by J.D. Brinkworth

The Pie & Mash Mysteries

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