Ian Moore is a British comedian living in rural France decided to write a mystery series called Follet Valley. Book one in the series, Death and Croissants, is delightful. Richard Ainsworth a beige sort of English man is living in the Follet Valley and running a B and B after being made redundant ( that means laid off for us Americans). His wife Clare missed the UK so she headed back home leaving Richard in limbo. He doesn't know where his marriage stands but at least he has his chickens named for 40s movies leading ladies. He stands around fading into the wallpaper, getting drunk on wine and watching old movies. He was a film historian until IMDB came along.

When a guest goes missing and a woman checks in that reminds Richard of Doris Day from a Rock Hudson movie, Richard's life seems to take a turn. Next thing he knows he is breaking and entering, helping kidnap Italian assassins and wearing a chicken costume in a dungeon while taking a FaceTime from his daughter.

I can't wait for book two. This series is absolutely amazing!!!!!!

I approached this book with an open mind.
I made it to the end.
The big question is will I read another book fthe series?
Thermust be something about the story which I enjoyed because my answers to the question is 'yes, probably'.
I found it rather difficult to get into the story. Perhaps this is because it is billed as the first in a series.
I think it hard for an author to establish the characters who are to feature again, whilst maintaining the interest of the reader in the narrative.
Itis the prospect of discovering how the central characters develop which might lead me to read the next book in the series.
I give my thanks to Netgalley and Farrago Books for a copy of this novel in exchange for this review.

I went for this book because it is set in France (which I love) and I like Ian Moore's writing and it didn't disappoint. It is set in a B & B in the Loire run by Englishman Richard whose marriage is on the rocks. It is a mystery/thriller written in detail with some laugh out moments. A great summer read especially if you are lucky enough to read it whilst enjoying France!

A cosy crime mystery set in beautiful rural France. Unfortunately, the style of writing, pace and genre were not for me but other readers will enjoy the characters and the escapism.

Calling it a day on this one. It just wasn't holding my interest. It happens. 🤷🏻‍♀️ On to my next read!

I wanted to like this cozy mystery more, as I enjoy reading mysteries set in other countries, and a valley in France is a good spot to pick. Richard as an owner of a B&B is a reluctant investigator of a bloody handprint and a missing guest, but he's chivvied along by another guest, the alluring Valerie. My favorite character is his grumpy housekeeper, but she does little here. These characters meander around, trying to figure out the location of the missing guest, and they encounter a twin brother judge, chickens named after old film stars, competing b&b owners who are also swingers, and various other small town characters. This one wasn't for me...

New author alert and I just love a new author especially ias he lives in rural France just like me. So this was a great treat to find this author and a comedian as well. Double whammy! Death and Croissants by Ian Moore is the first in a new series its set in the fictional Val de Follet Valley in the Loire Valley. It's a great mystery But a little crazy and very quirky, but, slightly over the top cosy mystery, and I loved it. It was a fun book to dive into!

We meet Richard Ainsworth, who is a middle-aged Englishman who has moved to the Loire Valley where he runs a Bed and Breakfast or rather a chambre d’hote in his words. Richard is, very boring even, and his only interest and passions are to live in the life of old movies and his dream is to call his establishment under the names after actresses—Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, & Rita Hayworth. He is estranged from his very stylish wife Clare who hates France and has found there's nothing here to keep her here! and has gone back to England!
But, life goes on for him, and most days are the same........Pretty boring and only has his cleaning lady, Madame Tablier for company. OHHHHHHH, until one morning Richard's life goes Bang and turns upside down, when one guest at his B&B goes missing a old Grand chaps, who has left a bloody handprint on his rooms wall - Christ thats gonna be a pain to clean!!! Richard want to do something about this and get to the bottom of where Grand chaps has gone?

It sounds pretty boring bit this book is fun and this is where the fun begins! However, it took me a while to get into it but I am glad I stuck with and hoping to read more books from Ian Moore in the future.

Big Thanks to NetGalley and Farrago Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review

This book starts out promisingly enough, and I loved the idea and the locale. Finding a dead body in a B&B, typical cozy, so far so good. Then more characters started getting added, and what went from a being a fun read to being annoying. I was so irritated with the characters and actions, that I had to put the book up. I kept trying over and over, but I kept having the same issue. Maybe it will appeal to others, just not my cup of tea.

Loved this book, had some real laugh out loud moments. Richard is a bit like a rabbit in the headlights when the vivacious Valerie is around.
Could be a French farce, mafia, missing bodies, corpses ressurrected, Well written

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I've seen lots of positive reviews so I think I'm in the minority, but while the premise of the story was really interesting it just didn't hold my attention and so it took me weeks to finish. I just didn't have the desire to keep reading.

A rollicking romp set in the sumptuous Loire Valley, "Death and Croissants" combines amateur detectives with sharp humor, delivering a pleasing cosy mystery read. Richard, a shy Brit running a small bed and breakfast amongst the rural French, is catapulted into an adventure with sophisticated Valerie when a guest vanishes, leaving behind only a bloody handprint. The pleasure of this novel lies less in the mild murder puzzle or the hectic uncovering of clues, than in the amusing repartee between Richard and Valerie, and the French ambience. For cosy mystery lovers recently titillated by The Thursday Murder Club (which I enjoyed), Death and Croissants is a pleasurable debut.

A light crime story set in a fictional French village. Richard is British running a B&B in rural France. When a guest disappears he teams up with a French guest to solve the riddle. Their very different views and perceptions allow for many humorous incidents.

I knew I was going to enjoy this debut mystery from the first line - "Is there anything in this world quite as joyless as muesli?" As he later says, it reminded him of "discarded bird silage". Any book that has me wanting to share lines and has me giggling and laughing out loud is going to earn five stars from me.
Richard Ainsworth is fifty-three, retired and the owner of a B&B in the Loire Valley. His marital status is, according to hi daughter, complicated. He and his wife bought the B&B but she found it too, too boring and returned to England. Poor Richard, he who hates mornings but must be the charming host for his guests every morning, he's feeling worn out like his Nan's old brown sofa. One morning all of that changes when the glamorous new guest, Valerie appears at breakfast with her chihuahua, Passepartout. How had he missed that? No dogs allowed, it says so on his website. Before he can figure out the best way to handle that conversation the world tips when the cleaning lady discovers a bloody hand print on the wall of a now missing gentleman. Richard wants it to vanish but Valerie will have none of that and drags him into an over the top murder investigation that had me forgetting all of my stress. As they say, laughter is the best medicine.
The mystery is fun but the number one draw, the reason I give it five stars are the quirky cast of characters and the humor. I'm ready for another Follet Valley mystery starring Richard Ainsworth. According to the blurb at the back of the book there are two more: Death a la Cuisine and Death at the Banquet. (Ian Moore is, in real life, a stand up comedian living in rural France who makes the commute back to England every week.)
My thanks to the publisher Farrago and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Although I don’t read many cosy mysteries, this niche little genre is one that I would love to dive deeper into. I thoroughly enjoyed Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club last year and I’ve been looking for books of the same ilk ever since. This new release seemed to fit the bill.

Richard is an English man of a certain age, who has found himself running a B&B in the beautiful Loire Valley in France. Although he is going through a divorce, nothing majorly exciting is going on in his life and that’s the way that Richard likes it. But when one of his guests goes missing and leaves a bloody handprint on the wall, a beguiling woman named Valerie wants his help in investigating the disappearance and Richard becomes a passenger on the case. And then one of his beloved chickens winds up dead and suddenly, Richard is flooded with fresh inspiration to find out who is behind these very odd goings-on.

One of the best descriptions of Richard comes from Valerie. He is a man, who perhaps comes across as older than he really is because he is tired of life. He is indeed like ‘an old hunting dog’, looking for a quiet life. However, I was convinced that there was something left in Richard that indicated he hadn’t quite finished with the excitement of life yet. He is completely bewitched by Valerie from the start and I had no doubts that he would follow her on any adventure she chose to have him on.

Richard is wonderfully English and the fact that this book is set in France amongst European people means that his innate Englishness really stands out. He would really much rather completely ignore the fact that a guest has left without paying and ruined an expensive piece of wallpaper with a bloodstain than find out what really happened. The English are known for being slightly awkward and hating to make a fuss, which is why Richard is reluctant to investigate the mystery himself. It’s only Valerie’s determination and intense curiosity that causes them to end up taking the case into their own hands.

Martin and Gennie Thompson are an English couple, who also own a B&B in the area. Due to them being swingers with a strong interest in Richard, Richard has naturally avoided them as much as he possibly can. They speak almost exclusively in sexual innuendos and are not opposed to most kinds of experimental sex. Although many of the things they say will make you roll your eyes, they’ll also make you chuckle. I definitely laughed out loud more than once during scenes featuring the Thompsons.

Another fantastic character is Richard’s housekeeper Madame Tablier. She has the air of a Victorian matron but with none of the refined manners. I could picture her so clearly from her very first appearance and I had every faith that Madame Tablier could solve the case before Valerie and Richard had taken the first step. I would have loved to see more of her and for her to have been a more integral part of the resolution because she is certainly a formidable figure!

The missing guest, Monsieur Grandchamps, has a twin brother who appears to be his nemesis. On interviewing him, Richard and Valerie, along with the local policeman Bonneval, they find Monsieur Victor Grandchamps to have very little love for his missing brother. He is very dramatic and tells them why he hates his brother in a very supervillain-esque speech that made me laugh. The fact that he is actually just a very ordinary, dissatisfied and petty old man seems to be completely irrelevant to his deluded mind. The humour comes from the fact that people like this really do exist and their many foibles are a constant source of amusement to the rest of us.

The development of the relationship between Richard and Valerie was so fun to watch. At the start, Valerie comes across as an aloof guest while Richard is a bumbling, confused proprietor but as the narrative progresses, they ease into a very lovely friendship complete with insults that come from a good place. Richard’s adoration of Valerie is evident from the beginning and I think that Valerie learns to care for him in a charming, sexless way that makes them a great team.

Death And Croissants is a fun, witty celebration of small town eccentrics with a very enjoyable mystery alongside it. The characters really are the best part of the book because they are so believable. I know that these people are real and they are exactly the type of people to inexplicably get caught up in crazy situations. The book also does a great job of transporting the reader to the Loire Valley. It’s not a part of France that I’ve ever been to but I really felt that I had been, when I finished the book. Full of both comedy and intrigue, it’s the ideal quirky escape to disappear into.

'Death and Croissants' is a brilliant title (great cover too!) and I was immediately drawn to the book and its premise – I love the idea of living in France and have toyed with the idea of running a B&B in the past. So to be fair, I was predisposed to look favourably on this novel. And with the myriad accolades offered by a 'who’s who' of British comedians and writers it can only mean that either this is a remarkable book or the author has a lot of very influential friends… Well, it turns out it might possibly be both.

I started reading this and then for one reason or another, stopped about a third of the way through to pick up something else. It was only then that I realised how much I was enjoying 'Death and Croissants' – throughout the book for which I chose to set down 'Death and Croissants' (which itself was very good), I couldn’t wait to get back it.

To be fair, and despite the accolades, 'Death and Croissants' is not chockful of jokes, but it is quite good: gently humorous throughout and with a genuine and very entertaining mystery which holds up through the entire novel. But what makes it special is that there is such a feeling of lightness and warmth which really evokes the location in which it is set which makes it a real winner for me, particularly at this time of year, or if you just need a pick-me-up, as many of us currently do. Great fun!

Death and Croissants by Ian Moore is the first book in A Follet Valley Mystery series.

I found this book a mixture of a noir and old fashion mystery. Very quirky and eccentric characters sometimes a bit over the top. I couldn't connect with any of them although I found them interesting.
Even though the premise is interesting this book simply didn't hold my attention. It wasn't fast and absorbing enough for me.
There is a solid amount of humor throughout the book which is funny enough.

Death and Croissants is the first in a new series of Follet Valley mysteries written by the comedian @monsieurlemoore. Whilst cosy murder mystery is not a genre I read very often, like many people I read and enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club so this seemed like the perfect book when I was looking for a fun, light read - and it proved to be exactly that.

Richard is a middle-aged British expat leading a quiet, some might say unexciting life running a B&B in the Loire Valley - but that’s the way he likes it, at his happiest indulging in his passion of watching old films. However all that changes when one day an elderly guest disappears, leaving behind a bloody handprint on the wall. Another guest, the glamorous Valerie, persuades Richard to get involved in solving the mystery - and suddenly he finds himself in all sorts of crazy situations, including dealing with the Sicilian mafia and with the local swingers, dressing as a chicken and breaking and entering to name just a few.

Full of madcap adventures and quirky characters with lots of personality, this is a fun easy read that will keep you guessing as you follow the clues and try to solve the mystery. Moore has created a fabulous cast of characters and I look forward to revisiting them and reading about future no doubt equally crazy escapades.

EXCERPT: 'So what have you decided?' She sat down on the bench and he sat back down beside her.

'I've decided that I don't like being pushed around.'

'Who's pushing you around?'

'You are.'

'I am not.'

'Yes you are.' She looked hurt. 'Look, it's not your fault, not really. I'm very easy to push around, but it's Ava Gardner here who's paid the price.'

'I don't think I've pushed you around at all.'

'Oh, you have. You and everyone else I know.' He sighed wearily. 'All I want is a quiet life, but what happens is you end up just being dragged along by other people's whims. I don't blame you as such, but in a very short space of time, I've lost a guest, very possibly murdered - in your opinion - possibly more than once, if what the Thompsons told you is correct. And two Italian killers - in your opinion - are sending me hen-based mafia death warnings.'

ABOUT 'DEATH AND CROISSANTS': Richard is a middle-aged Englishman who runs a B&B in the fictional Val de Follet in the Loire Valley. Nothing ever happens to Richard, and really that’s the way he likes it.

One day, however, one of his older guests disappears, leaving behind a bloody handprint on the wallpaper. Another guest, the exotic Valérie, persuades a reluctant Richard to join her in investigating the disappearance.

Richard remains a dazed passenger in the case until things become really serious and someone murders Ava Gardner, one of his beloved hens ... and you don’t mess with a fellow’s hens!

MY THOUGHTS: There is considerably more death than there are croissants.

I loved the setting of this humourous cosy murder mystery. Set in a B&B in the Loire Valley. A hapless ex-pat Brit is drawn into a search for a missing guest after finding a bloody handprint on the bedroom wall, and a pair of broken spectacles. He is aided and abetted, or rather bossed about and led by a beautiful and strong willed Frenchwoman, Valerie de Orcay.

My favourite character was Madame Tablier, the indomitable and irreverent housekeeper, followed closely by Richard's hens, Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, and Katharine Hepburn. I also enjoyed Richard's obsession with vintage movies, but there were times that I felt the author had 'overdone' the characters, making them more caricatures than relatable people. And that, I think is part of the problem. I really didn't care about any of the characters, and at times Death and Croissants read more like a 'Carry On' novel than a cosy murder mystery.

I have read a lot of this genre lately and unreservedly enjoyed them, but I am afraid that Death and Croissants fell a little short of the mark in comparison. I have to disagree with its description as an unputdownable mystery. I put it down several times, sometimes for days on end.

While I wasn't tempted at any point to not finish this, it did seem like a much longer read than it actually is. I don't think I will be reading any more of this series.

⭐⭐.6

#DeathandCroissants #NetGalley

I: #ianmoore @farragobooks

T: @MonsieurLeMoore @farragobooks

#contemporaryfiction #cosymystery #murdermystery

THE AUTHOR: Ian is an English stand up comedian who lives in rural France and spends most of his time travelling grumpily between the two while his family grows and his wife adopts every maladjusted animal in the area.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Farrago Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Death and Croissants by Ian Moore for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, and my webpage

This book is the first in a new series (A Follet Valley Mystery) by this author. The setting was picturesque and the main character is interesting. I especially liked that he named his hens after big screen movie stars back in the day such as Lana Turner, Joan Crawford and Ava Gardner. I think this could definitely be classified as somewhat of a cosy mystery and while I enjoyed the character and setting, the plot wasn’t really my cup of tea. While I would definitely recommend it to Cosy mystery readers, I will not continue with the series.

First things first: I studied in Tours for a year, so I was frankly delighted to see my old home in a book (and a book in English!) and be able to really genuinely picture what the town looked like when the characters were there, as well as being familiar with the area. So that was charming. Otherwise, I liked a lot about the idea of this, but found it took a bit of time to get into. It is amusing though and the mystery is fairly twisty. Fun enough that I would read the sequel if it comes my way.