The Coffee Shop Detectives

by Louise Mumford, Alison Steadman (Narrator)

Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins

In the quaint streets of South-West London, four female pensioners are about to embark on the heist of a lifetime. Meet the

Delilah, the impulsive mastermind

Orla, the razor-sharp retired teacher

Maz, the anxious caterer riddled with self-doubt.

and Beth, battling a deadly brain tumour

United by forty years of friendship, and desperate to raise funds for Beth’s healthcare, the Crones set about a daring plan to steal a priceless brooch from Hawling House.

But this is no ordinary theft. It's a mission to right a decades-old wrong – the ‘death’ of their friend Ronnie at the hand of the mansion's enigmatic owner, Edgar Hawling.

As the crones navigate secret passages, outsmart security, and showcase some of the most cunning catering skills Twickenham has ever seen, they quickly find themselves in a race against time and tugging at the threads of a far more treacherous tapestry than they ever imagined.

Brought to life by legendary Alison Steadman (Gavin & Stacey, Abigail's Party), The Coffee Shop Detectives is a hilarious and heart-warming celebration of female friendship and the unbreakable spirit of women who refuse to go quietly into their golden years.

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Cozy Mystery, Murder Mystery, Cozy

11 pages, Audible Audio

Published February 5, 2026

Reviews

[Jessica Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg, this book is hysterical! I can't wait to see what happens. Selected it as a palette cleanser & I'm so glad I did!!

[Sonia Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Cute, nice.
I liked the characters were older, it's a nice change of pace.
It lacked action.

[Amber Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun listen! Four post-menopausal women come up with a wild idea to steal a priceless broach from the man who murdered their close friend 40 years ago, and try to sell it to pay for their friend's cancer treatment. Along the way, they make some new alliances in a geriatric mob boss and the man's young actress wife.
Madame Coco stole the show. I loved the little quips and bits of the narrative from her point of view. She's got main character energy for days!!
I don't know if they're planning to make a sequel, but I'm here for it if they do!

[Mil C · Rating 5 out of 5]

audiobook!! TERRIBLE title and artwork nearly put me off but guys I acc rlly liked this. Felt like a marriage of calendar girls / Thursday murder club. Nothing groundbreaking ofc but a lovely listen of lighthearted fun w gorg female friendships at the heart of the story. Cute and feel good!!

[🦋 Shawna 🦋 · Rating 5 out of 5]

These gosh darn ladies where a delight to listen too.. them stealing and etc.. girlllll I supported it! I loved/scared of the fact when you get their age things of importance change from what we worry about today. Makes you truly think about things. Just loved this book.

[Ranada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe it's my advancing age, but I'm starting to really enjoy reading about bad-ass older women! Cute and fun!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s definitely not a 4 star but I clearly have a soft spot for a rag tag group of cuties solving a mystery with a hint of romance

[Margo 1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. A fair bit below mediocre, full of tired tropes. I’ve been half listening while moving house and even partial attention was intolerable. It’s like a really bad beach read for woke older women with poor taste.

[Missy Egelhoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be fair I listened to this on Audible and part of my distaste for the story could have been the reader - I found some of the "voices" to be a bit squeaky and whiny and I wished it would end faster than it did.

Sorry was easy to follow and somewhat enjoyable, although not my preference.

[Miss Rachey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute and funny and easy going.

Similar vibes to Thursday murder club but 4 female friends in their 60s who’ve been friends for 40+ years.

The crones meet every week at Pinkies for coffee and all have very different dramas going on in their life - adjusting to retirement, feeling that they’ve not really lived, or undergoing cancer treatment.

It’s a tale of sisterhood - supporting each other through it all, combined with planning and pulling off a heist, solving a murder and getting involved with the local mafia.

Very much a by the pool on holiday or sitting in the back garden with a cuppa kinda story. Would recommend and hope there will be a book 2!

[Roni · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Billee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a good, quick and fun listen!

[Hayley Grocock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished: The Coffee Shop Detectives by Louise Mumford.

Having read and listened to a lot of pretty dark psychological thrillers lately, I needed something a bit more light-hearted and this definitely fit the bill, helped in no small part by the excellent narration from the wonderful Alison Steadman. It's not quite as frothy as it first appears, though, with several big topics interwoven with the plot, including cancer, dementia, and domestic violence. The charm of this is really in the character development, and given all the main characters are women at or approaching retirement age who have no intention of growing old quietly, I was invested from the start.

I do love a cosy crime, and really enjoyed this. It's not quite The Thursday Murder Club, which I regard as the gold standard of the genre, but it's pretty good!

[Twila Perhus Moen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of potential in the characters but the plot wasn’t all that interesting I stopped about half way through too bored

[Lucy Platt · Rating 2 out of 5]

really slow to start but the ending is great

[Gail Radka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book maybe because I am over 60 and it gives me hope that theres life to be had. The book is full of fun made me laugh out loud. The characters were great and i definitely was in their corner for justice and a positive outcome.

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A breath of fresh air! It is a feminist masterpiece - It was so refreshing to listen to a story about fabulous women after a long stint of male heavy books. I loved the characters and the plot was just the right amount of camp.

[Chantelle Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.4 🌟 (Audible Plus Catalog)

What a delightful production! I LOL many times + also appreciated a happy ending. Thank you Audible for not layering in background noises. The narrator was perfect as she was.

[Jennifer Timko Lofland · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. This book felt a little long winded, it lacked action that would have made the long wilderness more enjoyable. Good character development, an easy listen, enjoyable but not overly engaging. I liked the fierce, ride or die friendships.

[Khris Sellin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook, narrated by Allison Steadman (the original Mrs. Bennett!). Nothing highbrow here. Just a fun story about a group of women "of a certain age" who call themselves The Crones, who decide they're finally going to get their revenge decades after their dear friend was killed.

[Gwen Kubberness · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was such a fun cute book I absolutely adored it the characters are so funny and they wanted to have an adventure I don't want to give too much away but they wanted to have their last adventure together and it's sad and it's funny and it's it's really a wonderful

[Shali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story 😊

[Amy Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ an easy, cosy story and I loved the characters!

[Emma Fenlon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essentially an all girl menopausal group of cronies solving their friends Murder. wholesome.

[Debbie Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such fun!

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little mystery. Predictable

[Beryl Weller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t a bad listen, however I think it was a bit too long! The book itself was average - quite entertaining but not the best I have read, hence the 3 stars.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audible cosy mystery novel. A group of older women that are longtime friends join together to carry out a heist in order to “buy” a much needed cancer treatment for one of the group. Humorous.

[The Green Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much fun - it was an easy, entertaining read. Highly recommend when you need a palate cleanser - make sure to suspend a little belief and just enjoy the ride.