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Century has nabbed two books in a new cosy crime series by J D Brinkworth — the pseudonym for the author duo Catherine Brinkworth and Jo Dinkin — including The Pie & Mash Detective Agency.
Fiction editor Charlotte Osment acquired world rights to The Pie & Mash Detective Agency and a second novel from agent Daisy Chandley at Peters Fraser & Dunlop, and the first book will be published in spring 2026 as a hardback, e-book and audio.
This novel was originally submitted to Penguin Random House through its WriteNow scheme, designed to give writers from underrepresented communities in publishing "the tools, information and access needed to navigate the publishing industry and launch their careers as authors".
"The Pie & Mash Detective Agency is the first novel in the new cosy crime series of the same name, which follows a young couple, Jane Pye and Simon Mash, who have enrolled in a private detecting class for fun," the synopsis says. "To pass the course, they must solve a case that has haunted the county of Kent for decades: the recurring disappearance of Nellie Thorne, a woman who has appeared, disappeared, and re-appeared in Kent police reports for the last 50 years. Yet the police have never been able to find a scrap of evidence that she even exists…"
Osment said: "It has been a pleasure working with Catherine and Jo for the past year through the WriteNow scheme and I’m so excited to now be publishing this series with Century. The Pie & Mash Detective Agency is warm, witty and finds the perfect balance of mystery and humour. The novel’s stand-out quality is its unique and unforgettable central characters with whom you fall in love."
Brinkworth added: "Quitting the day job to become private detectives has always been a secret dream of ours. That’s why we’re thrilled to share Jane Pye and Simon Mash’s adventures as they dip their toes into this exciting and dangerous world. Penguin’s WriteNow programme has been invaluable in helping us get from idea to manuscript, and we’re over the moon to be working with the wonderful team at Century, especially our fabulous editor, Charlotte Osment."
Louisa Burden-Garabedian, who co-ordinates the WriteNow programme, commented: "Earlier this year we celebrated the 20th WriteNow debut published by a PRH imprint, and we’re so excited that The Pie and Mash Detective Agency is joining that list."