The debut cosy culinary crime thriller from Suk Pannu, creator of BBC Radio 4's Mrs Sidhu Investigates and writer for Goodness, Gracious, Me and five series of the Emmy Award winning Kumars at No. 42

Mrs. Sidhu - unofficial Aunty to everyone, caterer, and amateur sleuth from Slough - spices up the lives of Berkshire's elite with both her mouth-watering dishes and her sharp detective skills. But when she stirs up trouble among the rich and ruthless, she finds herself an outsider in her own community.

Banished to the kitchen by her boss and sentenced to an endless loop of aubergine bhajis, Mrs. Sidhu seizes the opportunity to whip up a new recipe for success - getting a job as a private chef at an exclusive celebrity rehab retreat. But when a therapist is found dead in the quiet village, Mrs Sidhu's appetite for mystery is rekindled.

As the plot thickens, it becomes clear that the killer is picking victims through a twisted raffle at the village fete. Is a vengeful spirit returning to exact a horrifying revenge, or is there an impostor among the residents hiding a deadly secret?

Praise for Dead and Scone

'Stuffed with warmth and wicked, cross-cultural observations, Dead and Scone is a dollop of cosy crime goodness' Vaseem Khan, bestselling author of The Malabar House series

'I loved it. Suk Pannu stands out as a writer with real depth and insight into human nature. Mrs Sidhu - Slough's answer to Miss Marple - is a wonderful creation' S.J. Bennett, bestselling author of The Windsor Knot

'A terrific read; a tale of dark shenanigans in a quintessential English village...I really love Suk's writing' J.M. Hall, author of A Spoonful of Murder

'Bake Off meets Face/Off. Devilish fun. Mrs Sidhu bakes up a perfect whodunnit' Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series

'An Asian spin on the traditional home-counties cosy, this is perfect for fans of Richard Osman' Guardian

'Red herrings and plot twists abound, but it's the charming Mrs Sidhu who is the real attraction' Mail on Sunday

'A lighthearted and fun cosy crime caper' Observer

A delightful debut culinary cosy crime mystery for 2023 from the the creator of BBC Radio 4's Mrs Sidhu Investigates!

About the Author

Suk Pannu has written for some of Britain's best-loved Asian shows including Goodness Gracious Me and five series of the award-winning The Kumars at No 42. He has also contributed to radio shows like The News Quiz and Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive, and he has had several successful series and pilots of his own.

Suk grew up along the M4, the draughty corridor that connects London to Slough. The son of immigrants, his upbringing was filled with discipline, love and aunties. At an early age, he got his head stuck into books and escaped into other worlds. He has long believed that one of his aunties would be the perfect crime solver.

BBC Radio 4's production of Mrs Sidhu Investigates charmed audiences and won praise from across the national media. The show was pick of the week/day in every national daily and Sunday paper, and earned the top spot on Radio 4's Pick of the Week.

Reviews

'Suk Pannu's first foray into the world of crime fiction, by way of Dead and Scone, features irrepressible caterer and purveyor of aubergine bhaji, Mrs Sidhu. When murder rears its head among the celebrity set of rural Berkshire, the formidable Mrs Sidhu decides to set aside her apron and hurl herself into a private investigation. Stuffed with warmth and wicked, cross-cultural observations, Dead and Scone is a dollop of cosy crime goodness' Vaseem Khan

'I loved it. Suk Pannu stands out as a writer with real depth and insight into human nature. Mrs Sidhu - Slough's answer to Miss Marple - is a wonderful creation. Her 'aloneness' was very moving, and the clues she used to solve the crime were masterful.' S.J. Bennett, author of The Windsor Knot

'A terrific read; a tale of dark shenanigans in a quintessential English village...I really love Suk's writing; the gossipy way he manages to get to the soul of everyone and everything, making observations that either have me smiling or wincing in recognition or both! He claims that Indian Aunties make the perfect detectives, and again Mrs Siddu proves him right!' J.M. Hall, author of A Spoonful of Murder

'Bake Off meets Face/Off. Devilish fun. Mrs Sidhu bakes up a perfect whodunnit' Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series

'Red herrings and plot twists abound, but it's the charming Mrs Sidhu who is the real attraction' Mail on Sunday

'A lighthearted and fun cosy crime caper' Observer

'An Asian spin on the traditional home-counties cosy, this is perfect for fans of Richard Osman' Guardian

'Suk Pannu has given us a splendid debut novel with a unique descriptive voice, the characters are believable. Mrs. Sidhu is here to stay. I look forward to reading more of her adventures' Shots magazine

'Delicious fun' Crime Monthly magazine

'Cosy crime fans will love this charming new voice...A warm, amusing and well-observed tale' Platinum

'A sheer delight' My Weekly

Book Information
ISBN 9780008562922
Author Suk Pannu
Format Hardback
Page Count 352
Imprint HarperCollins
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 560g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 159mm * 34mm