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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!

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…


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

'Fans of Richard Osman will love it!' Jonathan Ross

'Like the dish in the title, I devoured it in one sitting' Sue Perkins

‘A blissfully cozy mystery packed with funny moments and delightful little pleasures on each page’ Kelly Mullen

‘A really funny read, with two very endearing detectives' Faith Martin


© J.D. Brinkworth 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026