The Coffee Shop Detectives

By: Louise Mumford

Narrated by: Alison Steadman

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

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.

©2026 Louise Thorn (P)2026 Audible Ltd.

Friendship

This is a cute story of friendship, determination and wits! A great job by the author to pull you right into the book with the main characters.

Excellent narration fun story

-Very well narrated. I will look for other titles with this narrator
-characters are older (60s) and are complex and not treated as infirm,
-also has an animal character which is a plus

the narrator’s acting

I liked the story, the acting,
setting and overall pacing of the plot. The ending was a sweet surprise

Entertaining, engaging, and great narration.

The best compliment for a book is that you hope for sequels-and I definitely do!

Cute story!

Solid friendships kept this foursome group of women together in their crazy plan to steal a brooch, all in the hopes of getting enough money to pay for medical treatment of one of their members. Suspenseful, some humor, and some odd twists that made this an enjoyable story!