A Slice Of Mystery: A light and funny cozy mystery with a female amateur sleuth who’d rather solve murders than do small talk.

by Sophie Maddon

When socially-awkward IT consultant Abigail Palmer is sent to work on a local factory’s new computer systems, she’s looking forward to daily get-togethers with best friend Hannah and cozy nights with Jasper the cat—not being blackmailed into investigating a threatening note by nightmare boss Lynn, who vanishes after an odd phone call.

Between managing the IT project, untangling lies, being the prime suspect, and trying to decode a cute colleague’s attentions, Abigail’s plate is full—though there’s always room for Giuseppe’s insanely delicious pizzas.

Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries and awkward heroines with a side of tech. may cause cravings for artisan cheese and late-night pizza.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Crime, Fiction

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2026

About the author

Sophie Maddon is a neurodivergent author who has always been tagged as weird (but why be normal when you can be weird?) and universally acknowledged as a troublemaker.
She's currently living in the UK and is owned by a cat (half-panther if you ask the vet).

Join the newsletter to stay in touch:

https://beacons.ai/smaddonwriter

Reviews

[Leonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 very solid stars)

I want to start out by asking if anyone else thought Abigail was soo unfiltered and kind of weird but in a kinda cute way too?

I have to admit, right after finishing this book, I felt kind of let down but also kind of like it met my expectations all along. It’s really hard to describe because I certainly really liked the story itself and the mystery part was done SOO very well!!! I was actually hooked as soon as Abigail tried to figure out who killed Lynn. And speaking about the characters, they all felt nicely written and thought out. And the pacing was certainly very nice too!
However, I somehow feel so at odds with this book. I felt like Abigail was a good main character but I think I spent more than half of the book trying to decide whether I like her or not. Because she did seem very unlikeable especially in the beginning. She did manage to grow on me in the other 50% of the book but overall, I felt like something was missing still. I also think that her relationship with Millie was a good idea but handled more like an afterthought than an actual connection the two built over time.
Nevertheless, and I want to underline this, it is a good story still. The writing was great and I surely laughed a hundred times at the things Abigail thought, and I adored how she was so obsessed with Sherlock Holmes. So I want to give the book that. And I would recommend the book to everyone who likes mystery and a very well thought out mysterious storyline.
It just wasn’t it for me.


Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in return for a honest and voluntarily given review.

[Andrea (looseleftlesbian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I’d give this a solid 3.75 ⭐️

This is an ARC, so hopefully it will go through some edits before being published. I found some errors and misspellings throughout the book. There was an instance of using the wrong “to” and a couple times where the author referred to
the wrong character. For example, the character was talking to Frank and then the author said Sam scratched his head. Sam was not in the scene. There was also some confusion on my end when I saw that the MC said her name was Abigail but then on multiple occasions of dealing with the police the first time, she said her name was Adelaide. The police referred to her as both names throughout the scene. Hopefully this will be resolved before it is released. This would be something that would cause me to drop a star, but since it is an ARC, I won’t.

I really liked the mystery aspect of the book! While it took a minute to get into, especially liking Abigail, it was great after the first 10%. Abigail is very neurodivergent coded and at first, seeing her though other characters and not getting too in depth with her own thoughts and reasonings, it was a little hard to like her. But after you got to know her, I actually really liked her and how her mind worked!

The mystery aspect of the book kept me on my toes and I was able to read this fairly quickly due to the length of it and because it was hard to put down. This is classified as a mystery on GoodReads and I feel like that is accurate. There is a little bit of romance but it’s not the main plot point.

[⋆˚ Pamela ♓︎˚⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to win this book in a giveaway, special thanks to Storygraph and Sophie Maddon!

3 ⭐ -  I loved the mystery aspect of the story and getting to eventually figure out who the culprit was. I struggled to connect with Abigail, something was just off about her. But overall a fun cozy mystery.

[Swapna Peri ( Book Reviews Cafe ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read "A Slice of Mystery" by Sophie Maddon, and it is a delightful cozy mystery that kept me hooked from start to finish.** The story follows Abigail Palmer, a socially awkward IT consultant who is thrilled to finally land a project in her quiet UK hometown of Winburyton. Her peaceful, highly structured routine is quickly interrupted when her controlling boss, Lynn, blackmails her into using her observation skills to investigate a strange, wobbly note that reads "Tell the truth or I will" alongside a mysterious sun-like symbol.

The plot takes a dark and exciting turn when Lynn suddenly disappears and is found dead in the town park's pond. Abigail is thrust into taking over her boss's high-pressure project manager role, all while trying to clear her own name of suspicion. The stakes rise even higher when Lynn’s husband, Elliott, is also found stabbed and dumped in the same pond. I loved watching Abigail use her unique Sherlock Holmes-inspired deductive reasoning to hunt for clues, especially when she gets a breakthrough after her mischievous cat, Jasper, knocks her papers to the ground.

What truly makes this book special is its wonderful cast of characters and cozy atmosphere. Abigail is a relatable main character whose love for absolute order, detailed lists, and strict lunch rotations contrasts beautifully with the colourful people around her. Her bubbly best friend Hannah, a local hairdresser, and her highly energetic change-management colleague Millie, who slowly coaxes Abigail out of her shell, bring immense warmth and humour to the story. Plus, the constant mentions of delicious artisan cheeses, fresh bread, and Giuseppe's insanely tasty pizzas made my mouth water throughout the entire read.

Overall, I highly recommend "A Slice of Mystery" to anyone who enjoys quirky heroines, lighthearted office drama, and a well-paced puzzle. The ending delivers a sad but satisfying resolution as Abigail pieces together a secret affair and confrontation that led to the tragic double murder. It is the perfect, comforting read for a rainy evening, and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!

[Graeme Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophie Maddon delivers a lighthearted and charming cozy mystery in A Slice Of Mystery, blending small-town intrigue with workplace comedy and gentle suspense. The story follows Abigail Palmer, an introverted IT consultant whose routine assignment quickly spirals into chaos when her boss disappears and she unexpectedly becomes entangled in a potential blackmail and investigation scenario. Maddon balances mystery elements with everyday humor, particularly through Abigail’s awkward social interactions, her reliance on her best friend Hannah, and her comforting relationship with her cat Jasper.

The inclusion of local food culture, especially artisan cheese and pizza, adds warmth and personality to the setting, making the town itself feel lived-in and inviting. While the stakes remain relatively soft compared to hard crime fiction, the narrative thrives on character relatability and situational humor. A Slice Of Mystery is an enjoyable, easy read that will appeal to fans of cozy mysteries with tech world twists and endearing, socially awkward protagonists.

[BookishDogMamaKate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today I finished reading A Slice of Mystery by Sophie Maddon.

Abigail is a young woman who is a whiz at business but socially awkward in life. Her best friend Hannah is a hairstylist who catches all the buzz. Millie, a little bit annoying with her heart always in the right place is coworker of Abigail’s. Lynn is Abigail’s less than popular boss who believes she is being blackmailed and asks Abigail, armchair detective and Sherlock Holmes fanatic, to try to get to the bottom of it.

This cozy mystery is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end! Abigail, Hannah and Millie are endearing and easy to invest in.

Slice of Mystery is a quick and fun read, perfect for the break I needed from the longer darker ones.

Definitely recommend and look forward to the next book in the series! It will be fun to see what Abigail gets into next.

I received a copy of this book. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Julia David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a different kind of heroine. Abigail is very literal and blunt. Not everyone understands her. She constantly says things that hurts people's feelings and then can't understand what she did wrong. But she is very good a deducing mystery. Her boss sort of blackmails Abigail into helping her find out about a note she received. Her boss says she doesn't know what the note is all about, but Abigail doesn't believe her. When her boss disappears, Abigail really starts investigating. She suspects the boss's husband, but no one at the office even liked her, so there are many suspects. When the boss is found dead in the pond, Abigail doesn't quite know what to do as she ends up being a suspect. Abigail is a Sherlock Holmes fan, but can she figure out this mystery?

[Jessica Bellemore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be still my cheese and cozy mystery-living heart.

Abigail Palmer is a neurodivergent IT consultant who is excellent at her job, but not so much at the accompanying relational skills. When her boss is found dead, Abigail utilizes her Sherlock Holmes-style skills of deduction to solve the case along with her new colleague Millie and her best friend Hannah.

First off, I have never craved cheese more than when I read about Abigail visiting her local cheesemonger; I need a similar shop in my city.

Abigail is a wonderfully written character who highlights the reality of neurodivergence while having a support system who doesn’t judge her.

The mystery is engaging and I can’t wait to read more of this series!

Thank you to the author for the complimentary copy of this book.

[Michelle Mainer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! The characters are quirky and cute, but oh so relatable, especially Abigail. I loved how this book was such a real and engaging mixture of “real life” and not focused entirely on the mystery - which kept me guessing until the very end! This book hooked me within the first paragraph and I couldn’t put it down. If you’re looking for a fun, adorable, mystery to read, then this book is for you.

Thank you to the author for sharing this book with me in exchange for my open and honest opinion.

[Rachel Stine · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this fun and thoughtful cozy mystery, Abigail--never Abs or Abby--is a consultant helping to set up a new project at a biscuit company who starts investigating a blackmailing after being blackmailed herself. Her love of all things Sherlock Holmes and list making are a both a help and a hinderance on the case. Things go pear-shaped when her boss--the blackmail victim--ends up dead, and only get worse when the police start to suspect Abigail. Can she crack the case and clear her name in time? Read the book to find out.

[Elke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a challenging read for me - while I really enjoyed the crime story with all the guessing and false leads, I did not really like the main character Abigail Palmer. While I recognize her as a special person who struggles with social skills, I did not like her criticizing other people for their unfriendliness while behaving so herself all the time - it just did not sit right with me. Also, there was so much talk about her job, workflows and boring meetings and of course about her eating habits and her preference for cheese - at the beginning it was interesting, but soon I thought it took to much space and pushed the mystery to the background. While her detective skills where so praised in the beginning and compared to Holmes whom she is a big fan of, I would have preferred to see those skills in action more often. The only memorable moment was when she told a detective exactly about his current situation by just taking a look at him. In the end, this was an entertaining cozy mystery, but it also felt a little unbalanced to me, but which I'm sure will improve with the sequel.

[Marney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book and Abigail as a character, I will read the next in the series when it becomes available. However the book needed a more thorough proofreading, spell check is not enough. Many occurrences of misplaced homonyms, waived for waved, fowl for fowl, etc, and lots of dropped or extra 's's on the ends of words. Hopefully the next will be better edited. But a promising start to a new series.

[Korie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Consultant Abigail Palmer is working in her hometown, a rarity for her. She travels most of the time, doesn't like to hang out with her co-workers, and feels she is mostly socially awkward. She also has a reputation as a sleuth, which is how she ends up investigating mysterious notes her hated boss (on this job at least) has received. With her bestie, a new friend, and her local pizzeria and the local cheesemonger, Abigail has created a slowly-widening circle of people she cares for, who, mostly, have her back.

When Abigail's boss goes missing and Abigail takes on her boss's job, as well as her own, the police have their eye on her as the top suspect. Holding down two jobs, while advocating for more staffing and trying to have a work/life balance, Abigail is determined to solve this potential crime, and at least to figure out where her boss has scampered off to.

This was a fun read about a reluctant investigator, at least reluctant at first.

[Susan Ferguson · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

I notice a lot of people struggled with Abigail’s character. I did not. She reminded me of myself at times. I don’t claim to be that smart, but I am rather clueless about people - so she was a recognizable character type. She is quite neurodivergent, organized and logical - something she recognizes, but it’ll the recognition doesn’t always help her cope. But an interesting mystery.

[Douvonté · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25