A Pocket Full of Pie

What a cute cozy mystery! It was a fast read full of action and adventure. A *must read* for animal lovers. This is a new-to-me author and I really enjoyed this book. Thank you Duckworth Books via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love this series and this book is equal to all of the previous ones.
Tilly is preparing herself for her stint as a DJ on Whiskers FM, the local radio station run by Wilco Wonderfluff. After the surprise party thrown for her afterwards, Hettie and Tilly are called back to the radio station by Wilco as he has discovered the body of one of the other presenters there..
Amid the Bake Off to be judged by Fanny Haddock, preparations for film night and the start of the cricket season, Hettie and Tilly carry out their investigations into murder and blackmail, aided of course by plenty of sustenance supplied by the Butter Sisters.
These books are so cleverly written that you don't have to be a cat lover to appreciate them.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Farrago for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “A Pocket Full of Pie.” All opinions are my own.

Hettie Bagshot and Tilly Jenkins are both famous detectives, operators of the No. 2 Feline Detective Agency. So famous are they that Wilco Wonderfluff, the local radio station owner/manager has Tilly hosting a show on crime fiction. She’s a little stressed about it, but with Hettie’s expert help, it’ll work out.

Add in an Easter-time Bake-Off with a famous judge (whose name will sound “very” familiar), a “Sound of Music” showing, and a village cricket match, well it’s happy families all around. That is, until the bodies start piling up. Hartley Battenberg is the first to go, strangled at the radio station with his own headphones. Is there a cat on the prowl against these… cats? Because cats they are, as readers of Mandy Morton’s engaging and amazing series well know. Other than the fact that we’re told that Hettie and Tilly have “a murder case on their paws.” Sure, there are plenty of other references, but, hey, who’s counting.

Hettie and Tilly do all the work; one thing there isn’t, and that’s a police force. They do follow detective procedures, it’s the key to their success, interviewing witnesses, doing searches. Which nasty cat is it to be, then? One candidate sticks out immediately, but is that too pat?

Soon another feline goes to the great litter box in the sky. This one apparently “knew something,” but didn’t get a chance to tell. Did he know, as the girls also find out, that the first victim was a blackmailer and all-around bad cat? A lot of the locals have a motive for murder. Hettie and Tilly have their work cut out for them.

In between all this talk of dead bodies and whodunnit, we’re treated to the meals and menus that are a hallmark of the series (did I mention this is book #9?). Hettie and Tilly never stint their readers in this regard. If you were hungry before starting to read, you’ll definitely be hungry after a chapter or two.

You can bet your next order of jammie dodgers that our ladies figure out the culprit. It’s just dogged – pardon the expression – investigative work that clinches the case. Past bad deeds come back to haunt, and a murderer decides on a fitting form of justice.

Hettie and Tilly have one final case to solve before they can truly call it a day, and go home to “a girls’ night in, a steak pie, crisps and an iced custard slice each.” Luckily, they do a lot of running around solving cases, or they would be chonky cats indeed. Oh, and two thoroughly despicable cats get their comeuppance, the girls see to that.

One last thing – it helps to have a wee bit of knowledge of cricket. But victory needs no explanation. “A Pocket Full of Pie” will keep you entertained from the first page to the last.

This is one of my favorite series and it never disappoints.
A fun, entertaining and engrossing story that I read in one sitting.
I was happy to catch up with Hettie and Tilly, meet again the great cast of characters and be entertained.
The character and plot development are excellent and the solid mystery, full of twists and turns, kept me guessing.
Even if it's the 9th book in this series it can be read as a standalone but you will surely appreciate it more if you read the rest of the series. In any case this is an addictive series and once you read a book you will read the others.
Excellent and highly entertaining, it's highly entertaining.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Another fantastic addition to the series. Hettie Bagshot and Tilly Jenkins are the best (cat) sleuths in the whole (cat) world.

Mandy Morton is a fantastic author. Creativity at its best. We cat lovers might have a lot of cozy mysteries (featuring cats) to choose from, but with No 2 Feline Detective Agency, we have not just cats featuring in the story - the whole story is based in a cat world! Definitely the kind of world cat lovers like me would like to live in.

Two RJs are killed; Hettie and Tilly are asked to investigate. The only link that connects the two victims is the radio station. Easter is around the corner and there's a bake off in town. Pies stuffed in victim's mouth and pockets are not how the cats imagined the bake off to be... Oh my meow!

A Pocket Full of Pie is no doubt an engrossing and entertaining mystery. If you are a cat lover (you better be!), Mandy Morton's No 2 Feline Detective Agency series should certainly be on your must-read list.

Death Of A D.J.....
The death of a local radio DJ is the latest case for the No. 2 Feline Detective Agency - Hettie and Tilly are on the case. Can they separate the wood from the trees to catch a killer? Entertaining and rather charming cosy mystery which, as always, is jolly good fun.

My thanks to Duckworth Books and NetGalley for a review copy of this one.

A Pocket Full of Pie is the ninth in a cosy mystery series—the No. 2 Feline Detective Agency but was my first time reading the series. What caught my attention as you might be able to tell was the play on Agatha Christie/and the nursery rhyme in the title of the book and on Alexander McCall Smith’s series in the series title (so so cute). A cosy mystery in an English village is pleasant reading but what makes this one special is that it is set in no ordinary world but one populated by cats (as also I’m sure you can tell from the cover and series) and this was what made me jump at it.

Here we have Hettie Bagshot and Tilly Jenkins, two tabbies who live in a bedsit above a bakery (run by the Butter sisters) and also happen to run the No. 2 Feline Detective Agency. As the book opens, we find Tilly a bundle of nerves for she has been offered a slot on the local radio station, Whiskas FM, to present a show Tea Time with Tilly, on crime fiction and true crime. Hettie agrees to help her with the technical side of things, which is what scares her the most and things go off without a hitch. Whiskas FM is an up and coming under its new manager/owner Wilco Wonderfluff, who is full of plans but he is also getting some presenters’ hackles up by replacing them or moving them to less coveted slots. Trouble really begins to seep in when one of the station’s star presenters, Hartley Battenberg is murdered. While Hartley seemed like a jolly enough person, Hettie and Tilly, charged by Wilco to get to the bottom of things find that there was much more to him than first meets the eye. Soon another murder takes place. Complicating things further, both victims have pies stuffed into their pockets!

Meanwhile alongside, it is around Easter and the village is organizing all sorts of festivities. There is to be a bake-off (judged by a TV cook, no less) in which many of the cats are participating and the energetic Bunty Basham is planning to have cricket start early that year. With the radio station currently operating out of the cricket pavilion, tensions also rise between the three groups.

This was such good fun. I loved the cat-world that Morton has created—a good mix of all things cat and our own. I liked that she’s used a mix of cat touches (like the village’s name Much-Purring-on-the-Rug), some fun (but not necessarily cat) versions of real-world characters (like Pussy Parton, Agatha Crispy, and James Blond), and also some popular culture as it is, like The Sound of Music (a long time since I have seen it but it was fun to be reminded of all the songs).

I loved the two main characters Hettie and Tilly, and thought them very likeable. Each has their strengths and also their own approach towards handing problems and people and it is the combination that helps get to the bottom of things.

The mystery itself was a surprise, and in a good way. Because here there are no puns nor does it belong to the cat world but rather sits very much in the human realm. There is unpleasantness, blackmail, cheating and theft (and of course, murder), so the mystery becomes one that one can really enjoy. As far as whodunit is concerned, one can sort of guess (not immediately, though), but still there are plenty of other secrets and twists that one doesn’t so there were some surprises right up to the end.

Another element I really enjoyed was the sheer amount of food in the book. It isn’t only that Hettie and Tilly live above a bakery which also supplies their meals, but they are pretty much always eating from sandwiches, grills and roasts to teas and snacks, reading the book does make one very hungry, indeed (even more than Enid Blyton, believe it or not).

All-in-all this was a really fun read which I enjoyed very much, and I’d love to explore the other titles in the series as well.

A Pocket Full of Pie is the ninth instalment in The No. 2 Feline Detective Agency series, and an exceedingly whimsical tale featuring Hettie Bagshot, a mac-wearing long-haired tabby cat who’s the founder of the Detective Agency and whose whiskers twitch at the first sign of a mystery. Hettie’s also has an able assistant, best friend Tilly Jenkins. Together, they run the agency and nothing will stop them from untangling each brain-teasing case that comes their way – though there’s always time for one of Beryl Butter’s pies along the way, of course. Hettie’s unnamed community is populated solely by cats with careers as musicians, bakers, and plumbers; they own shops and put on fashion shows. Tilly has been recommended to Wilco Wonderfluff, by the town librarian, Turner Page, after Wilco was brought in to host the Catchat radio show when Whisker FM was in financial trouble. He'd managed to convince her to present a two-hour show on Thursdays between four and six, incorporating true crime, book reviews and lots of cheerful music, but she's more than a little flustered about it all. She even suffered a nightmare about it so she's relieved when Hattie says she will help. Meanwhile, the townsfolk are arguing over the use of the local recreation ground and Hattie had agreed to act as mediator; Bunty Basham puts forward a case for starting the cricket season early, whereas Tarquin Flapjack came up with the idea of having The Great Easter Bake Off. Elsie Haddock tried to be the voice of reason by offering her famous sister, Fanny, as a Bake Off judge and agreeing to score for Bunty’s cricket team, but it was still gridlocked. Over the Easter weekend, there would be an egg hunt, bonnet parade and an alfresco showing of The Sound of Music.

Hopefully, they'll be able to accommodate both the cricket match and The Bake Off too in order to keep everyone happy. The day of the first radio show, "Tea Time With Tilly", arrives and Hattie and Tilly hightail it to the cricket pavilion where the Whisker FM studio is located. Receptionist Marzi Pan informs Wilco they're here and he ushers them through, shows them the ropes then leaves them to practice with the equipment. When the time comes everything goes swimmingly and they wave to DJ Hartley Battenberg who has arrived for his show starting at six, just after theirs. They slink back to the Butter sister's bakery and find a surprise party has been arranged in honour of them, the station's new recruit/s. Molly Bloom had even gone to the trouble of making a giant three-tiered chocolate cake in the shape of a radio desk. But a short time later they receive a troubling call from Wilco — Hartley Battenberg has been murdered at the radio station, strangled with his own headphones while he was eating a steak and kidney pie. The pair carry out an investigation by interviewing witnesses, searching the area and following any leads they may receive. Then another kitty dies. They discover Hartley was a blackmailer meaning many of the local cats have a motive to murder. Who is bumping off their own species? This is a captivating, delightful and utterly charming mystery that allows you to escape to a different world for a few hours and immersive yourself in the cats' shenanigans. The food used as sustenance and fuel for their investigative exploits has your mouth watering and humorously it is a constant distraction to both Hettie and Tilly. This is a thoroughly entertaining, engrossing and enjoyable cat cosy with a world that will be irresistible to cat lovers. Highly recommended.

“Winter was a time for snoozing by the fire, and summer offered patches of warm sunshine in which to sleep the day away.” - ‘A Pocket Full of Pie” pg13 - summing up feline life philosophy purrfectly.

My thanks to Duckworth Books/Farrago for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘A Pocket Full of Pie’ by Mandy Morton in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 9th in her No2 Feline Detective Agency cosy mystery series that features anthropomorphic cats that live human-like lives with its leads involved in investigating mysteries. In 2020 I read ‘The Ice Maid’s Tail’ and found it whimsical and entertaining.

It was a pleasure to return for another case featuring Hetty Bagshot and her sidekick, Tilly Jenkins. I was quite moved to learn that these books were written as a way for Morton to honour the memory of her beloved cats.

So in terms of the plot - Tilly is very excited about presenting a show on local radio, Tea Time with Tilly. Yet when one of the station’s DJs is murdered the feline detectives are asked to investigate. Lots of suspects and twists kept me guessing whodunnit.

With the Easter weekend approaching there are plenty of activities on the program, including a bake-off competition, a cricket match, and an outdoor screening of The Sound of Music. So can Hetty and Tilly catch the killer in time?

Again, this was a great deal of fun though Morton also takes the opportunity to address more serious issues along with the puns and playful references to celebrities and events like the GBBO. Plus, my goodness do Hetty and Tilly love their food!

Highly recommended whimsical mystery with cats!

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery set in a feline world with the No 2 Feline Detective Agency. So hilarious. They read Agatha Chrispy novels, and love true crime. In this story, Hettie and Tilly, the two MCs, get involved in a local radio program, and end up finding not one but two murder victims. By investigating with all the other cats, they find out who the murderer is and why they did what they did. I had a great time with these two in the land of feline detectives.

I received an e-ARC of this book by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I was drawn into reading this as it combines mystery and cats – what’s not to love? Plus the cover is super cute with the cats baking. Whilst part of a series, this can definitely be read as a stand-alone story.

This is a very light read and I found myself smiling at some of the small details linking cat life to “real life” - things like their mannerisms, reactions when it rains, sleeping habits, snacks, etc. Whilst the main story is a detective story, all those things are little reminders that all the characters are cats, and it’s woven in really well to make it all believable.

Overall an enjoyable read and it’s tempted me to check the other books in the series out – there’s quite a few.

Sometimes it's good find an author that consistently writes about the same characters (obviously not unusual), and Ms Morton seems to have found her groove. Many cozy fans will like this, even if they haven't read the previous in the series.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the copy.

This was a fun cozy mystery. The characters were entertaining and the story full of action and suspense. This is a part of the series but it didn't affect my reading much. But reading the series in order might have made me enjoy this one more. Nevertheless, a good and light read,

Princess Fuzzypants here: If you have not been introduced to the world of the No 2 Feline Detective Agency, you are missing a treat. The author has created an entire universe that scarcely has any human connections. Hettie and Tilly live in a charming very English village that is populated by cats and only cats. They are very proper cats and I always get the feeling their world is set in the middle of the last Century.

In their village, it is up to them to solve crimes and to bring murderers to heel. They are renowned for getting their man,,, er cat. Hettie, a former musical star and Tilly the former stray live together in a comfy room behind a bakery. They are aided by their friends, Bruiser and Poppa and the assorted villagers. They are a force with which to be reckoned.

Tilly has been hired to do a radio show at the local stations. She and Hettie are chuffed by the results of the first show. But when presenters of other shows seem to be popping off at a fair rate- two to be precise- the two of them are on the case. They will not be denied and they do uncover the killer but not before they discover there are many villains in this piece, not the least of which is the first victim. Rest assured. With these two on the case, no crime is unsolved.

It is all done in an almost Beatrix Potter-ish manner. That is if she had set her mind to mysteries. Light and fun, it is an enjoyable read. Five purrs and two paws up.

This was such a fun read! I was a little worried having started the series midway, but thankfully reading the earlier books in the series isn't a necessity to understanding the characters and plotline. While mystery/thriller novels aren't my usual type of genre, I enjoyed getting to know the main detectives and characters (Hettie Bagshot and Tilly Jenkins) who happen to be two cats! Despite the fact that they're animals, their personalities and characters are well developed and the rest of the cat-centric world has been created and laid out with a great deal of care and humor. The timing was perfect for this time of year with the Easter bake off, a village cricket game, and... murder? Loved all the descriptions and focus on food (don't read this book hungry) as well!

A Pocket Full Of Pie by Mandy Morton

Hettie and very Tilley are called in to investigate the murder of a radio DJ, in another claw-biting case for the No. 2 Feline Detective Agency.

This was a fun, light cozy mystery written in cat form. Very entertaining. Hope there will be another book written in this series.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

This was my first book to read in this series. Even though this is a well established series I was able to enjoy it as a stand-alone. This is an unique book as the main protagonist are felines. The characters are well-developed and full of personality. The mystery is fun with several twists and turns to keep you guessing.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

Loved reading this book and author if you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her books. Happy reading