a whole new class of detectives

Jane Pye is currently between jobs, but she is focusing on a new hobby. She and her partner, Simon Mash, are taking a class in private detection, and Jane is so ready to take on a case. She and Simon sit in the back of the room as their teacher Gavin presents information every week. But to finish the class, everyone in the class has to take on a case. When it’s time to pass out the cases, Gavin gives everyone in the class an old case of his, one that he solved already, but he’s one short. So he gives Jane and Simon an entirely different type of case.

Dev had come to the police station to report his girlfriend missing. Her purse and phone were left in the kitchen, but some of her clothes were gone and the front door had been left open. The police were not all that helpful, thinking that she had just decided she didn’t want to be in the relationship anymore. And then he told them his girlfriend’s name.

Nellie Thorne is well known as a missing person. She had been reported missing back in the 1990s and back in the 1970s. Both times before, Nellie Thorne, a pretty young woman with long hair, just disappeared one day and never showed up again. And now, apparently, it’s happening again. The police have been dealing with this case for decades, but they’re not sure if Dev’s case is real or a practical joke of some kind.

Jane and Simon start with Dev and find out his side of the story. From there, they try to find information anywhere they can, finally hitting the jackpot at the local library. But they also find that everyone has a different theory of what’s going on with Nellie Thorne. Some think that she is a ghost, just showing up briefly every twenty years. Others think she is a demon or a succubus. But Jane keeps following her detective lessons and investigates everything she can think of. She is the one who finds the clues that lead them in the right direction.

But will leading them towards the truth end up putting them all in danger?

The Pie and Mash Detective Agency is a clever reboot of the amateur detective series. These young detectives are smart and creative, taking an unusual run at finding the truth while they also try to sort out their lives. Jane is balancing solving the case with finding a new job, and Simon is taking conference calls while he and Jane are out looking for clues.

I especially love how Jane could solve other mysteries while looking for Nellie Thorne, like why Simon’s mother and her friends have been having trouble with people stealing their bank card information. She has a knack for solving crimes, while Simon is charming and good at getting people to talk. They make a really good team, and I cannot wait until it’s time for their next case. Their chemistry is addictive, and reading this book just left me wanting more. It’s pure fun.

Egalleys for The Pie and Mash Detective Agency were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.