📚Book Review: Death and Croissants by Ian Moore

I am very partial to a light-hearted, cosy mystery, so I was very excited to hear about the brand new Follet Valley series, of which Death and Croissants is the first instalment.

This series features unlikely sleuth, Richard. A middle aged, expat, film buff, who names his chickens after leading ladies from the Golden Age of Hollywood. As part of a mid life crisis, he is running a B&B in the Loire valley. Life is quiet and monotonous and he loves it that way. At least he thinks he does.

One day his life is turned upside down by the mysterious disappearance of one guest and the earth-shaking arrival of another. Monsieur Grandchamps seems to have scarpered without a trace, except for a bloody handprint on Richard’s expensive wallpaper. Vivacious Valerie, has just arrived and is so intrigued by the mystery that she draws Richard, reluctantly, into a page-turning murder investigation.

After reading the blurb, I was expecting something along the lines of The Thursday, or even The Marlow, Murder Clubs. That’s very much what I got only much more over the top and a whole lot sillier.

With a cast of characters that includes swingers, mafioso, bounty hunters, warring twins, and an actor whose current role is playing a chicken, you can see how this quirky tale might occasionally descend into farce. It does this with great style though and I found myself giggling along to the unlikely escapades.

I loved the way Richard’s inherent Britishness was constantly at odds with the outrageousness of some of the other characters. I also found his film obsession and the many great movie references very endearing. It was really enjoyable to see Valerie teach Richard to find excitement in life again.

Overall, this is an amusing, entertaining and easy read, that will keep you puzzling out the clues until the very end.

Richard is a middle-aged Englishman who runs a quiet B&B in the Loire Valley in France. His life is uneventful and that’s the way he likes it, until one day, his peace is interrupted by the disappearance of an elderly guest and the appearance of a bloody handprint on the wall. Another guest, the undeniable Valerie, persuades Richard to investigate the disappearance with her.

Death and Croissants is one of the best comedy/cosy mystery novels I’ve read. It’s twee, funny and has a genuinely good plot. Richard is a brilliant protagonist for this kind of story. He’s timid and reluctant, but the way he gets sucked into Valerie’s investigation is entirely believable and he gradually came out of his shell as the plot progressed.

There were a few points where I started to lose track of the plot a little bit, but that honestly didn’t matter. There are a lot of moving parts, but it didn’t get too over the top and did succeed in making it impossible to guess what was really going on. However, the best thing about this book was definitely the humour. The characters are genuinely funny and I really enjoyed their antics.

Also featuring swingers, the Italian mafia, and a chihuahua named Passepartout – what more could you want?

Ian has created a vast cast of eccentric, fun and loveable characters. From swingers/nudists, Italian Mafia to cleaner's that would run any good business into the ground.

Richard finds himself drawn into this murder mystery in a bid to solve it despite his unwillingness.

The description of the Loire Valley is amazing never been but I can picture it so clearly.

Death and Croissants is a fun read with that British humor that all will recognise. I look forward to seeing the next installment in this series.

3,5 ⭐️

Death and croissants is the first installment in the Follet Valley Mystery series. I’ve read lots of cozy mysteries but none set in France so, that and the gorgeous cover (a croissant and a dead hen?!) convinced me to give this one a chance.

It stars Richard, a British ex-pat running a B&B in the Loire Valley turned reluctant amateur sleuth when one of his guests goes missing and another one, Valérie D’Orcay, compels him to investigate.

The characters are the strong point in this story. They’re eccentric, witty, quirky…Some of them were a bit OTT but that was part of their charm. Richard’s British sarcasm made me chuckle more than once. The whole cast of characters was well drawn and they made a really interesting bunch.

With some surreal characters and situations (Richard’s hens are named Lana Turner, Joan Crawford and Ava Gardner) the humor is one of the main ingredients of the novel. The weakest part in my opinion was the mystery itself. For a cozy mystery it was a bit convoluted at times and the fact that sometimes the reader is just told some crucial facts of the investigation without knowing or seeing how the characters found out about them did not help.

Entertaining mystery with some charming and crazy characters that results in a lighthearted and amusing read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrago Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an hones review.

3.5 / 5

"Death and Croissants" details the story of Richard Ainsworth, the owner of a quaint B&B in the Loire Valley, and the intrigue he gets involved in when a bloody handprint and a missing guest throw his neat, boring retiree life into disarray. He isn't totally inclined to pursue a line of investigation at first, but Valérie Dorçay, the stylish, charismatic femme fatale who proceeds to upturn Richard's life, convinces him that there is something deeper, more sinister that's worth their attention.

The sardonic, self-deprecating deadpan humor laced throughout the book is what gives it its character. It makes so much sense that the author is a stand-up comedian; the book is packed with punchlines and sarcastic quips that exploit stereotypical perceptions of British, French, and Italian folks, but they're also not overdone. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not much of a mystery reader, but the mystery part of this book almost came secondary to the delightful humor I began to look forward to. I think the lightheartedness might have detracted from the overall atmosphere that this genre typically demands, but if readers go into it thinking they're reading a longer comedy sketch rather than a mystery read, they'll be set for a good time. That Richard was a big cinephile affirmed the theatrical, performative pseudo-reality that made it hard for me to take the plot seriously. Part of me thinks that the author was trying to poke fun at the entire genre itself, but I'd never know what he's making a joke out of!

I think the "mystery/crime" categorization might lead people to start the book with mismatched expectations. Go into it looking for a couple laughs and funny characters, and you won't be disappointed.

This was such a fun, caper-y book, very much in the spirit of the late Peter Mayle’s French countryside mysteries.

Death and Croissants protagonist Richard Ainsworth is—sadly and by his own admission—no Cary Grant, a realization that the harassed and slightly defeated B&B owner comes to while he is being driven pell mell through the French countryside by the mysterious woman who enlists him to help her solve a missing persons case that is much more than it at first appears to be.

The mystery is a light one, and the book is full of delightful humorous touches. The whole thing has a very campy (in a good way) feel, from Richard’s references to his beloved classic cinema to the madcap, zany race to solve the mystery.

I would have loved more local color a la Peter Mayle, but otherwise this was a fun and funny romp anchored by a clever mystery and lovable characters. More, please!

Hotel owners must see A Lot throughout their careers. Whether it may be a drunken orgy, an illicit affair, or runaway teens, much of the general public’s private and intimate lives must occur in rented rooms across the world.

Richard Ainsworth is just trying to get through the day as the owner and manager of his bed and breakfast in Loire Valley. If it was up to him, it would seem his ideal guest would be one that checks in and checks out, and in between those two events is never heard from by anyone.

So when one of his guests goes missing from his hotel, leaving behind only a bloody handprint and broken glasses, Richard is less than pleased. He is even less pleased when another one of his guests, Valérie d’Orçay, is determined to solve the mystery, and who is he to say no to all of her French femme fatale-ness?

Death and Croissants is pretty hilarious. The hijinks the characters get themselves into had me snorting as I read it through the night and each little quirk the side characters had made them scene stealers whenever they popped up through the pages. Ian Moore’s career as a stand-up comedian has prepped him well to describe all the nuances with charm and wit, and Death and Croissants is just a taste of what he has to offer on stage.

As mysteries go, Death and Croissants is a lot more lower stakes than I am used to. When the disappearance of Grandchamps is discovered, Richard suggests that the man may have checked out without a word to anyone, embarrassed by the mess he had left in his room. The unspoken rule in all mysteries is that the first hypothesis must always be rejected but as the book progresses, I was half convinced that the original theory was actually the right one.

It is only because Valérie convinces Richard that Grandchamps must be in danger that Ian Moore has anything to write about at all.

My biggest irk with this book is that I found all the characters distinctly unlikeable. I suppose I can’t expect much out of Richard, as he himself readily admits he isn’t exactly detective material. And yet, even with my low expectations, Richard is useless at being any kind of an investigator. His role in his own book seems to be limited to stumbling along behind Valérie and asking the occasional inane question that sparks her brain, allowing her to make another deduction that brings them closer to solving the crime. He is generally spineless and can’t really seem to think for himself.

Despite not being the main character, Valérie is a far more interesting character than Richard ever is. However, she sadly falls into the trap most femme fatales do: she has no real character growth throughout the novel nor did she have any depth to her in the first place. Her main character traits are to be French and to be hot and while I can’t deny that seems like a fun job, I wish we knew more about her past that.

Compared to other mystery novels that I have read this year with similar themes, like The Thursday Murder Club, Death and Croissants fell flat in what it aimed to achieve. It’s still a lighthearted and humorous novel that is an easy read for anyone but after the books we’ve read in June, Ian Moore’s novel sadly fell short.

Richard is a middle aged Englishman who leads a relatively quiet life, running a B&B in the French countryside. But, the disappearance of one of his guests and of a bloody handprint brings havoc into his quiet life. The beautiful Valerie, one of his guests, drags him into an eventful and surprising search. While I would not say more about the story for fear of revealing too much, I can say that I really enjoyed the book. It is a good mystery, written with lots of humour (of course making a little bit of fun of the French countryside life in the process) and it made me chuckle often. The plot is not complicated but nicely done and I found the whole set of characters really interesting and colourful. I switched between the book and the audiobook, which gave me the added enjoyment of listening to the story read by the author himself. A good, fun and light mystery read.

Well, a very light read. I think this is the first in a series so may be tempted to give the second one a try. A bit too flimsy a read for me despite the gorgeous setting. Seem to be a lot of B&Bs in a very small area! Thanks to Netgalley

The middle aged Richard is an ex – pat Brit, running a small B&B in the Loire Valley in France now, taking a break from his wife and daughter. He likes his life and the routine it brings with itself. Until one of his guests is found missing, leaving a bloodstained handprint behind. Richard wouldn’t think anything about it, but one of his other guests, the glamorous Valerie, has other ideas. And so Richard, albeit reluctantly, is dragged into solving the mystery. Now his life is anything but dull and quiet – but will they be able to find out what has actually happened?

I loved the premise to the book, it was funny and truly promising. However, here it ended, with the premise. Right from the very beginning I had problems with getting into the story, with connecting with the characters – I can’t tell you why, probably just one of the things, or the way it was written, but it didn’t keep my interest and took me a while to get used to. I had a feeling the author tries too much and well, it failed. Sometimes less is more and I think it would work better with this story. It was meant to be amusing and funny, but, I’m afraid, I didn’t find it like this and the humour felt forced. The story was also more on the slow side, which is a shame, I truly had high expectations for this one.

There are many quirky characters in this book but I somehow couldn’t warm to them. Nevertheless, I appreciated them, especially Valerie, who kept the story going! Richard’s highlights is feeding his hens, Lana Turner, Joan Crawford and Ava Gardner and watching old movies and drinking whiskey. Why did he go for B&B, no idea, to be honest. But it’s nice to follow them and there is something in them that made me feel sympathy.

What didn’t sit so well with me was the mystery itself. Right from the beginning it was hard for me to get involved in it, I had problems with it as it didn’t live up to my expectations.

It was enjoyable read, with some hilarious moments and sharp one – liners jumping at us. It’s a pity it didn’t work form e, but if you’re in the mood for something that is light, easy to read and humorous, try this one.

Thanks to Farrago Books, NetGalley and Ian Moore for the ARC of Death and Croissants.

Richard Ainsworth is a 50 year old hotel owner in the beautiful Loire Valley - he's on the verge of splitting with his partner and it's fair to say that life is lacking a little excitement.

This all changes in a flash when Moisseur Grandchamps goes missing and a blooded handprint is left on the wall. Even weirder, whilst Richard, his housekeeper and glamourous French guest Valerie are trying to figure out where he's gone, the handprint is cut out of the wall and two of his other guests leave in a hurry. What is going on?

Before he knows it, Richard finds himself enthralled in a murder mystery like no other. Lighthearted and humorous this book needs to be taken with a pinch of salt as it's not very realistic and more like a light hearted Miss Marple meets Faulty Towers than a traditional page turning thriller or mystery. At times it felt the author was trying a bit too hard to make me laugh and I have to admit as a non film buff I did find Richard's obsession with 1940s movies a little irritating after a while, but overall this was a super easy read that made me smile and I read it in less than 24 hours.

(The cover did remind me a little of The Thursday Murder Club and I did wonder if that was intentional!)

Death and Croissants by Ian Moore ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Publication Day 1st July

Richard just wants a quiet life running his B&B in the beautiful Loire Valley, but when one of his guests goes missing he gets caught up in the action!

This book has laugh out loud British humour, brilliantly eccentric characters including a pair a English ex pat swingers, a grumpy housekeeper and a mysterious femme fatale!

If you enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club I’d really recommend you give this one a go.
Also pleased to see that this is just the first of a series 👍

Thanks so much to @netgalley and @farrago for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Death and Croissants is the first instalment in the Follet Valley Mystery series set in France and inspired by Moore's very own B&B in the Loire Valley. It's a charming comedy murder mystery featuring reluctant, out of his depth amateur sleuth Richard Ainsworth. Richard is a British ex-pat in his late-fifties who moved to France for a quiet early retirement and is estranged from his wife, Clare, who was once by his side in his rustic Loire Valley chambre d’hote venture but returned home to England shortly after. He also has a disillusioned 27-year-old daughter, Alicia, who has become indifferent to her father's presence in her life. He loves the small pleasures, lives a fairly mundane, ordered existence and has that stereotypical British stoicism in which the stiff upper lip must be maintained at all times. He also has the classic sardonic, self-deprecating humour we Brits tend to favour. Disinterested in many normal hobbies of men of a certain age, Richard has two loves in his life: old movies, and cinematography, especially those from the Golden Age of Hollywood and his beloved girls - a brood of hens who he names after his favourite prominent actresses. For being the old, cantankerous introvert that he is and given his preference for a relaxed and boring lifestyle with few surprises, it makes you wonder why exactly he had chosen the astute, loudly opinionated, profanity-spouting Madame Tablier as the establishment's cleaner given they are like chalk and cheese.

When one of the older guests, Monsieur Grandchamps, vanishes and has seemingly left a worrying bloody handprint on the bedroom wall close to the en suite bathroom and a smashed pair of glasses, surprisingly Richard isn't too interested in solving the mystery and is more concerned about it permanently staining the wallpaper than anything else; that is until the glamorous, dominating presence of femme fatale Valérie d'Orçay compels him to act and he is exposed to a mysterious world of crime. But a short time later, adding to the farcical nature of the plot, things become really serious when someone murders Ava Gardner, one of Richard's hens. The disappearance of a guest is one thing, but you just don’t mess with a fellow’s hens! This is a compelling, madcap and entertaining cosy mystery with a wonderful charm to it and both cheeky wit and humour throughout. It is the perfect summer pick-me-up and pokes some fun at the British in an amusing fashion all set against the searing heat of the French countryside and featuring rich descriptions of the landscape, people and the delicious cuisine. It's a fun and sometimes surreal read and I felt the characters were some of the most quirky, idiosyncratic and beautifully painted I have encountered of late. If you enjoy lighthearted mysteries full of eccentricities then don't let this pass you by. I am already looking forward to reconciling with this delightful, unforgettable cast. Highly recommended.

2.5*

Death and Croissants it's a light and somewhat enjoyable murder mystery, with a hint of humour. Set in France, it follows Richard - a British expat and inn keeper who's deep into problems of the heart and Valerie - a rather mysterious but overly French woman, in their quest of discovering the fate of old man Grandchaps. A bit of an adventure ensues that involves the mafia, some hitmen, a young but rather suspect young couple, a pair of swingers, a typical small town policeman that doesn't seem to be doing any work and let's not forget: some hens!

There's a lot of potential in this novel. With a bit more work it can become a very enjoyable read. But as it is, it's missing something. The start is awkward and slightly confusing. The dialogues are stilted and the chapters end abruptly. Luckily, as the story progressed, the author seemed to have found his footing: the dialogues got better, the chapter blended into each other more smoothly, phrases were less convoluted and the story itself finally started to roll. The characters are well drawn, in particular Richard and Valerie, who I am sure will make quite the pair in the next instalments of this series. But I think the biggest 'problem' that really needs addressing is the humour. The situational humour is not that funny because at times their actions are ridiculous and not necessary believable. Also many of them are cliches and repeated cliches are not funny. As for the sarcasm/jokes, it felt to me as if the author was trying too hard? I could very well see where I was suppose to laugh/chuckle, but sadly nothing made me laugh...

Many thanks for the opportunity to read this!

A witty, highly entertaining and engrossing cozy mystery that made me laugh and kept me reading.
There's plenty to love in this story: the quirky characters, the humor (loved the names of the chicken) and the solid mystery.
It's a first in a series and I hope there will be others as I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

2.5 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2021/06/30/death-and-croissants-by-ian-moore-review/

Richard Ainsworth is a middle-aged Englishman running a bed and breakfast in the Loire Valley of France. He has a fairly boring life—no excitement or mystery ever entering into it. Which is just the way he likes it.

But that’s about to come to an end.

For one day a guest disappears from his B&B in the middle of the night, leaving only a bloody handprint behind him. Enter Valerie Dorçay, an exotic and enigmatic woman that coincidentally happens to be staying the same night that the guest vanishes. Eager to solve the caper, the Frenchwoman drags Richard on the ride of his life as they rove around the fictional hamlet of Val de Follet in pursuit of the mystery that so binds them.

But by the time they find out the truth, will Richard be sick of this life or smitten with it? Or will he instead fall victim to the very murderer he hunts?

Instead of the “Charming, witty, brilliant, relentless rollercoaster” of a read that Death and Croissants was billed as, another term comes to my mind when describing it.

Generic.

A reluctant host is dragged into a murder investigation and manages to solve it in a fun, hilarious, and roundabout way, all thanks to a mysterious and sexy stranger and a ragtag band of misfits blah blah blah. It’s the kind of book that would’ve been better served with a laugh-track and a live studio audience. Sitcoms like this are a dime a dozen, and books even more so. Now maybe if the comedy had been profound, the lead deep and relatable, the setting vivid and unique, or the mystery extra mysterious and immersive—this could’ve been great. But none of these things are the case. The world itself is rather blasé. The mystery itself does feature a few interesting twists, but they’re small and far between. Richard is just some bloke—maybe relatable, but certainly not deep. The comedy simply tried too hard, never really succeeding.

Even a few days removed from this, I’m already struggling to remember it. The characters aren’t exactly bland, but neither are they exciting or unique. The plot isn’t dull, but neither is it particularly interesting. The humor is hit-and-miss. It’s not bad, nor is it terribly good.

TL;DR

It’s as if the book is trying very hard not to take itself too seriously, which it ultimately fails at. Don’t get me wrong—it’s not a bad read. It’s okay. The story shows some heart later on, some character, the mystery does eventually try to avoid being predictable. Which it mostly succeeds at. A rather lackluster finish ruins what could’ve been a decent turnaround, cementing Death and Croissants’ status as okay, if generic and forgettable.

A fun and a bit of a silly read. I enjoyed the humour and the murder mystery aspect kept the story moving at a good pace. The actual murders arent OTT grisly or detailed which I think would make this a good book for just about anyone.

Love this book, it is funny, easy to read with lots of unexpected twist.
Our main character - a movie buff - (which is funny too) gets caught up with contract killers and the mafia. Set in France with a murder, some romance and...........You will need to read it.

This first Follet Valley mystery written by standup comic Ian Moore is competent and amusing. The mystery is a good one although some of the threads do meander from time to time. If you're a fan of a certain mystery series and the words "Loire Valley" and "France" made your eyes light up, you need to settle down a bit. Death and Croissants is not Bruno Chief of Police: Northern France. Far from it. This book is played almost entirely for laughs, and the ex-pat experience far outweighs the French factor.

Everything is seen through the eyes of Richard Ainsworth, former film historian, who has the tendency to utter a movie quote that makes Valérie d'Orçay put two and two together and solve another piece of the mystery. Anyone who remembers a television series called Remington Steele may find this sounding a bit familiar. It's a miracle that Richard can make a go of his B&B due to his attitude and the terrifying presence of Madame Tablier the cleaning lady who would be perfectly cast sitting at the foot of a guillotine with her knitting. It's a good thing this mystery came along to shake things up.

If you're in the mood for something light and fun that will keep a smile on your face as you turn the pages, pick up a copy of Death and Croissants. It may be just what the doctor ordered.

As soon as I saw the title I knew I wanted to read Death and Croissants. It sounded quirky, funny, and that dead hen in the cover meant there was more to this murder mystery than an actual missing man. RIP Ava Gardner (if you know, you know).

Overall, I had an enjoyable reading experience except for the film references where I only was able to get 2. Not a big Hollywood Noir 50s movie buff, but I was able to enjoy it still.

Thank you for providing this book Netgalley.