I love cycling, France, and a good mystery, so I loved A Cyclist's Guide to Crime & Croissants. The main characters were likeable. The "crimes" were a little clunky and all over the place, but it didn't take away from a surprising and satisfying ending. It's ultimately a book about friendship, old and new. I hope it turns into a nice little series.

I’m not a cyclist, but I am a Francophile, so I was willing to give this book a try. And I’m certainly glad I did. A Cyclist's Guide to Crime & Croissants is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Ann Claire. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read it.
After the hit-and-run death of Gemma, her best friend, Sadie Greene, the first-person protagonist, gave up her orderly, predictable life as an actuary in a Chicago suburb to buy a bicycle tour company, Oui Cycle, in southern France. It was a dream she and Gemma once shared, and now Sadie is living it alone.
When the story opens, Sadie is about to lead a new tour from her quaint village, Sans-Souci-sur-Mer. Her former boss and his family have joined, and they have an agenda to persuade Sadie to return to the company back in the U.S. The group also includes twin sisters from Scotland, a lone German philosopher/cyclist, and a renowned, caustic British critic known to make or break a business through his reviews.
Each chapter begins with a paragraph from the tour brochure cheerily describing the scheduled activities for the day. Then onto the real story… and how much goes wrong. Including a murder on Day 3. And another one on Day 6.
Suspicion falls on every member of the group, as well as Sadie’s two employees who are handling the tour’s logistics. The company has recently been the target of a local vandal, and Sadie wonders if pranks and property damage could have escalated to violence.
Each day concludes with an entry in Sadie’s journal, where she rehashes the events with Gemma and speculates on the investigation.
The writing is excellent. The author did such a great job describing the gorgeous setting and the delicious French food and wine; I felt like I was there. She slips in interesting facts about the history, flora, and fauna through Sadie’s tour guide lectures in a way that advances the plot without feeling like an info dump.
The mystery was well done, and I didn’t figure out the killer until the end.
Sadie is a likable heroine, and I look forward to reading more of her adventures in this series. Highly recommended!

I liked the chatty style and the fact she follows her dream and sets up her own business. A solo cyclist falls off the cliff and enter the detective. Mystery and intrigued and possible sabotage. An interesting read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

I was excited to read book #1 in a new cozy mystery series by this author. The cover was so cute - and the fact that it takes place in France were the reasons why I requested the ARC. It was such a fun read. Loved the French setting, the culinary delicacies and the bike tour was a dream. The characters were fun and quirky and the suspect pool large, which kept me guessing until the end.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series - what will happen next?!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I love this new series! What a fun new format, opening each chapter with the description from the tour brochure. And then the chapter shows how everything goes awry, contrasting with the lovely description.

The writing is smart and witty. The plotting is logical and surprising. And the characterizations are terrific. I love Sadie and her relationships with the Appletons, her employees, and her late friend, Gem. And although the message is never heavy-handed, Sadie has some very relatable and meaningful internal debates and introspections.

I can't wait for the next book in this series. I think this series might turn out to be one of my favorites!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Solid cozy mystery. This is the second series I have read by this author. Although I prefer the other due to literary connections, I guess you could say this has culinary connections - including a recipe in the back. At times the mystery takes a back seat to characterization - and croissants. For the record, I didn’t guess the culprit. 🧐 This is for fans of the “enclosed characters” with a finite suspect pool dwindling down. Also liked the lack of a romantic storyline. There is a set up for future installments which I will also read. Has me obsessing over all things French. Book releases in May. Keep your eyes and noses ready! Off to get a croissant now…

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Pack your bags (and your bicycle helmet) because this utterly charming cozy mystery will take you all around some of the most beautiful parts of the French countryside! Be prepared to stop for: croissants, historical features, and an unexpected murder (or two). I loved everything about this book (not just the sumptuous descriptions of French food), the main character was clever without being pompous, the murders were intriguing and kept me guessing the entire book, and the cast of characters were exceptional!

If you're craving a European vacation without the budget, and also don't mind a little mystery thrown in, THE CYCLIST'S GUIDE TO CRIME & CROISSANTS is the perfect choice!

I'm still struggling with my thoughts on this book. While I loved the setting, the cycling, and Sadie herself, the plotline felt very formulaic and very repetitive. The cyclist group would travel, there'd be some sort of vandalism or burglary, and then Detective Laurent would arrive and there'd be some sort of fallout for Sadie. Then they'd move on to their next destination and the same would happen again. I also wish there'd been more investigating on Sadie's part. It felt more like things happened to her than she actually investigated, which made it hard to connect to the mystery because it was near impossible for readers to solve (other than the random guessing game). Overall, I'm a little disappointed in the book as I'd wished there was a little more to the mystery.

What a fun read! I felt like I was in France. I wish I could go on that tour. Well, except without all the murder. Ha ha! Sadly, I didn't even guess who the killer was until the end so that was a good surprise. Now I need a croissant...

I've never read a cozy about cycling until this book. Now, I can't wait to read the next book! Sadie Greene, relocates from Chicago to Sans-Souci-sur-Mer, France to run Oui Cycle and fulfill her dreams. However, dealing with vandals and murder were never in her plans.

I enjoyed the mystery with it's "twists and turns", visit to the French countryside, the delicious food descriptions and the world of cycling. The cycling info did not overwhelm the reader and blended perfectly into the mystery. A perfect cozy!

I received an ARC from Net Galley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved Ann Claire's Dead and Gondola series, it got me on the cozy mystery kick that I'm on. I was so excited when I realized she had this book out!

This was such a delightful read! The French setting added such a charming backdrop to the story and the cycling tour aspect was a refreshing twist. It made me want to sign up for one immediately!

The characters were a real highlight for me. Each one seemed to have their own motives lurking beneath the surface, which kept me guessing until the very end. And let's not forget about Manfred! What a gem of a character. His unwavering positivity was like a breath of fresh air amidst all the drama.

This cozy mystery is definitely worth a spin (pun intended!).

recipes, France, ex-pat, new-series, first-in-series, journaling, actuary, small-business, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, local-law-enforcement, murder, hospitality-industry, foodie, scenery****

After the unexpected death of her BFF, Sadie Greene has moved from the Chicago suburbs to the coast of southern France where she bought a bicycle touring business. On this particular tour, her old boss and more have come along, but not all are in a festive mood. Then one of them is patently murdered and the race is on.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Books, Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 21 May 2024 #CyclistsGuideMysteriesBk1

I am a fan of author Ann Claitre's Christie Bookshop series, so I was excited to receive a copy of A Cyclist's Guide to Crime & Croissants on NetGalley. In this new series, Sadie Greene has moved to beautiful France and purchased a Cycling Tour Company. This cozy mystery took in so many lovely locations in the French countryside and described good food that it made me want to book a trip immediately. With her tour group in tow, Sadie has to survive vandals, an unhappy critic, and a murder or two. The story is short but it is a page-turner that had me guessing who the murderer was until the reveal.

First, I want to thank Kensington Books and Ann Claire for granting me this ARC.

Overall it was a captivating story. I was completely hooked until the end and genuinely didn’t figure out who it was until the end. It is a nice, short book that you’ll fly through. I also like the aspect of the little history facts at all theirs stops. All the descriptions of food did make me hungry though so it’s handy to have some snacks on hand HAHA. I would have loved to hear a bit more about the lives of the rest of the group, it would have made me connect with the characters more.

Final rating: 3 stars

An interesting take on a cozy mystery. I did like Sadie, but must admit felt like there were a lot of characters to keep track of, and struggled a bit at times. Could just be me. Still enjoyed it though and would recommend. If nothing else to see the French country side through the eyes of the cyclists.

#ACyclistsGuidetoCrimeCroissants #NetGalley is a new book featuring Sadie Greene, an American who has relocated to France, purchasing Oui Cycle, and giving amazing bicycle tours in out of the way places.
Sadie left her old life behind after the tragic death of her best friend Gemma, the victim of a hit and run, while bicycling alone.
Sadie feels guilty about her friend's death, and journals about it throughout the book.
Sadie has an odd crew on this tour, her old bosses, their son and his girlfriend, as well as a supposed critic and another gentleman.
When random accidents turn deadly, Sadie teams up with a local policeman, hoping to save her business and herself from the disastrous trip.

I really enjoyed this book, the cycling tours is a fresh source for a cozy mystery series and Sadie is a very likable character.
I'm looking forward to reading more in this exciting, new series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.