Mostly Murders

Life’s gone from being safely predictable to extremely unpredictable in a very short space of time.

Ad/PR/Patrocinado. Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for this ARC of The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives and a Mystery at Sea by Jenny Kane, publication day today, Sep 3, 2026.

Book 3 in The Fish and Chip Shop Detective Agency series sees Maggie and Ryan taking on a case of Mitch, a young man whose aunt is afraid that he has gone missing. What at first appears to be a simple case of an irresponsible young man not keeping in touch with his family turns out to be far more complicated, involving a potentially stolen boat, potentially stolen goods, and, ultimately, a dead body on the island of St Michael’s Mount, a nearby tourist attraction.

In the first two books in the series, Maggie and Ryan were still getting to know each other and establishing themselves as private investigators. In this installment they have fully found their feet, and it is heartwarming to see how both of them are flourishing in their new professional roles. The setting is cozy with a touch of danger, and dominated by a strong sense of community and found family that could make anyone want to pack their bags and head for the cozy yet deadly Cornish village of Mousehole for a stroll along the harbour and a chip buttie from Robbins’ Fish and Chip Shop for lunch.

With Maggie and Ryan’s characters already established, book 3 leaves room for some of the minor characters in the series to get some more time on the pages. I especially appreciated Harry and David getting more attention, Harry is a wonderfully quirky character who fits in perfectly with Maggie and Ryan and their somewhat unconventional business and methods, and the relationship between Maggie and David and their shared past is intriguing.

If you don’t like books with a lot of dialogue this might not be for you, but if you don’t mind that, and are looking for a cozy mystery with sympathetic characters, a quaint seaside setting, and a gentle sense of humour and strong community feeling, I definitely recommend The Fish and Chip Shop Detective Agency.

Cozy mystery