Member Reviews
With the warmth of the set-up and lightness of touch of the writing, Ian Moore’s novels have become something I look forward to reading every summer.
Now, maybe it’s just my perception, but "Death in le Jardin" is possibly a little more substantial than the previous 'Follet Valley' novels, both in terms of the length of the novel but also in the complexity of the plot and the characters. None of this, of course, is a bad thing – I have very much enjoyed all of the books in the series so far but as the series progresses, they are becoming more and more ‘proper’ crime novels. "Death in le Jardin" has a little bit less fluff than the previous titles (although there is still plenty of that!) and a lot more of a puzzle, both of which work for me as a crime and mystery fan.
I know some put the 'Follet Valley' novels in the ‘cosy crime’ category (a term I hate!) but I think that is, to an extent, disingenuous. Certainly, the location is bucolic and feels like where you might plan to go for holidays, and the French summer sun practically shines from the pages (rather than the British rain dripping from them…) as you read. And undoubtedly, much of this novel’s length consists of humorous character interactions, puns and one-liners, but the murders, although imaginative and occasionally verging on surreal, are never described graphically and are always integral to the plot. So, treat them as cosy if you like that sort of thing (you will probably not be too shocked) but there is a lot more going on and the writing is a lot better than most of the cosy crime out there, waiting on your hard-earned centimes.
A fun sweet read! Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.
We are back in the Val de Follet and this time Richard and Valerie have to content with the arrest of Madame Tablier for murder! The murder of her sister's husband no less. When they delve deeper to try to prove her innocence they discover a village that is obsessed with perfection., an old colleague of Valerie's and hidden secrets.
As per the previous titles in this series this book is great fun and laugh out loud in places.
Publishing date: 06.06.2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Farrago Books for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
The book as a meal: A dry slice of bread that kept growing in my mouth, with a single piece of cheese on it that I tried my best to taste
The book left me: Sadly, disappointed
Negatives:
Hard to keep up with names
Plot relies on a lot of padding
Resolved way too late into the book
Rushed ending
Returning characters don't feel the same??
Positives:
Some funny circumstances
Felt like an early 2000's comedy in some ways
Movie references galore
Features: A plot that changes places constantly, chapters that almost always end on small cliffhangers, a town of secrets, mix of french and english, tons of "strong" women and "helpess" men, returning cast from the previous books
Why did I choose this one?
I have been a loyal follower of the series since "Death and Croissants", and have been dying looking forward to this book. It returns with a cover matching the rest of the series (that will look really nice on my shelf), and a plot that is very similar once again to the rest.
Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Put-down-able, sadly. I had hoped this would have some "pang", a little bit of a pull, something to have me reading for hours. It didn't. Instead, I had to drag myself through a slog of a plot. Everything felt really messy and detached, and certain plot points are clearly left unfinished for another book. Hopefully the next has less padding and fluff, and more plot like the first book.
What was the vibe and mood?
Like the rest, this is set in a relatively cozy town. A very pretentious cozy town. The characters, the dialogue, and a lot of the happenings feel extremely pretentious. So it loses a little of the coziness.
Instead of coziness, you will get "wannabe" heists, characters switching between being tense and not caring at all, and a little dry humor sprinkled in. As mentioned above, a book feeling a lot like an early 2000's comedy movie.
Final ranking and star rating?
C tier, 2 stars. Really wanted to like this one, but it just misses the mark on what made the first book so great. I will be returning for the next one in the hopes that it is better.
Fans of cozy mysteries that like it "a little on the nose" will like these books. Sadly, will not recommend this one (for now) to my inner circle.
Madame Tablier is accused of murder of a former fiancé, turned brother in law and Richard and Valerie are having none of it so they decide to investigate.
If you're looking for a goofy series to not take seriously then you may enjoy this one but I think this is where I cut my losses with this series and accept it's just not for me. A lot of the "jokes" are recycled and often offensive to different minority groups. I still feel like I don't really know the characters within this story, which is bad crack considering we're 4 books in now. Maybe that's a blessing in disguise because Richard is the adult equivalent of a baby, who constantly needs to be looked after by the women in his life, which is tiring to read about and doesn't surprise me why his wife wants a divorce. Not to mention how all over the place the plot of this book was - it just got absolutely ridiculous towards the end.
The more books I've read in this series, the more that I have questioned how it is a cosy crime novel? My whole experience of reading this series has felt like a fight response as it was constantly high stakes, with even the writing not leading to a cosy vibe. It's as if the author picked the setting which was the only "cosy" thing about this series, thought that was enough and called it a day. I think this is another reason why I didn't enjoy this book as I went into it with the wrong expectations due to how the book has been marketed, which isn't correct.
There felt like there was a lot of plot holes and things not explored properly, like it being said that you can't find who is updating a Wiki page which a quick Google search would show that that is incorrect. One of the characters is accused of murder, held on circumstantial evidence which would never be enough to hold them on and then confesses, which is full of leading questions. Then another confesses to the crimes and they are arrested based solely on this confession, which would never be enough for a conviction to be upheld. The most laughable thing is Valerie saying that Lapierre is a good policeman when he's anything but. The real kicker is the perpetrator isn't revealed until 97% and is concluded very fast after that, which is way too late for a reveal of that magnitude and the justification for the crimes was so weak, that it didn't justify waiting that long to find out who the the perpetrator was. When a book feels like so much of a slog, has a lot of padding which could have been taken out, made more concise and is wrapped up way too fast with a ton of misdirection which doesn't work, that is enough to cut my losses with this series as it shows no indication of improving any time soon.
⚠️ CWs: murder, alcohol use, racism, cultural appropriation, physical assault, misogyny, derogatory language; mentions blood, domestic abuse, cursing ⚠️
Thank you NetGalley and Farrago Books for the opportunity to read this book early, in exchange for an honest review.
Murder Most Foul..
The fourth Follet Valley mystery and a catastrophe befalls the B&B when the housekeeper finds herself accused of murder most foul whilst Richard and Valerie soon find themselves investigating. A veritable tangled web is about to be unleashed. Another wholly engaging and entertaining mystery with an eccentric, eclectic cast, a nigh on perfect backdrop and a fun and frothy plot laced with abundant humour and lashings of atmosphere.
It was ok, the language felt a bit pretentious and I found it hard to keep up with the names at times but the story was over all enjoyable and slightly entertaining
"From the bestselling author of Death and Croissants comes a murder mystery perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Julia Chapman, or MC Beaton.
On the surface, Richard Ainsworth has life where he wants it. Middle-aged navel gazing and Olympic levels of procrastination are exactly what rural life in France should be about.
Then crisis hits his posh B and B when redoubtable housekeeper, Madame Tablier, is accused of murder. Even more surprisingly, it's the murder of a former fiancé, turned brother-in-law. None of which the stubborn old woman denies.
Valérie d'Orçay is having none of it and their investigation leads them to a strange tourist garden village, where backbiting, recriminations and even former colleagues provide a deadly scenario more tangled than knotweed."
I mean, I think Madame Tablier would be totally justified in the killing, but that's just my opinion.
British Cozy-sh Mystery set in France in which an English film historian turned B&B owner and his French partner investigate his housekeeper's former fiance turned brother-in-law's murder.
4/5 stars: This is the fourth entry in Moore's Follet Valley Mysteries series, which is a British Cozy-ish Mystery that features a middle-age English film historian turned B&B owner who teams up with his mysterious French lady bounty hunter partner and permanent guest after his housekeeper's accused of her former fiance turned brother-in-law's murder. With plenty of twists and turns, Moore has crafted a mystery that balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Additionally, Moore's writing and character work is great; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. Richard's a bumbling, go-along type of guy who unexpectedly seems to be able sleuth out killers. It's great catching up with him, Valerie,Madame Tablier and the folks of the Follet Valley. I have to say I love that Richard's a film historian and that Moore liberally sprinkles the book and series with tons of film facts and trivia. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Death and Croissants.
I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Duckworth Books; Farrago Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.
Hilarious as always!
It's just fun to accompany Richard, Valery and Passepartout on their adventures and to experience the change in their relationship.
As a big fan of Madame Tablier, this case was particularly exciting and captivating.
This instalment of the series did not disappoint either and I hope there will be many more to come.
Thank you to NetGallery and Farrago Books for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy.
Death in le Jardin the fourth book in the Follet Valley series of cosy mysteries.
Richard Ainsworth owns a bed and breakfast establishment in rural France, and murder and mishaps keep happening around him. He investigates crime with his long-term guest Valérie d'Orçay. Although Richard has insecurities, he seems to stumble across clues, while Valerie has the experience and knowledge to uncover the mystery and culprit.
On this occasion, to add to the confusion, the B&B’s housekeeper is arrested for the murder of her former fiancé/brother-in-law in a strange garden village. A cast of quirky characters, backstories, old scores, and arguments provide appropriate twists and turns.
I enjoyed this story, having read one of the books in the series before. Being back in rural France was a delight, and I could easily imagine the B&B with wonderfully named chickens and driving around the countryside through quirky villages and towns.
The main characters continue to provide an entertaining story, and we learn more about their lives this time. Overall, it is a cosy read, with the right amount of humour and jeopardy to keep the reader entertained.
I am sure there has been some final editing before publication.
This is the fourth in this enjoyable series. The series is set in France which I enjoy as I like reading about the lovely locations and quirky characters. The storyline is well written and I find it more on the lines of cosy crime as opposed to gritty crime. It's a perfect weekend read which I recommend.
Before reading this, I was unfortunately unfamiliar with the series and the author, but as an existing Thursday Murder Club fan, this book was perfect! It has all the charm with the unexpected twists and turns that always keep you guessing. Anyone who’s looking for a murder mystery and a good time in one book will definitely enjoy this!
While it felt somewhat odd being dropped into the middle of a series (by my own fault, of course), there’s nothing about it that would ruin the other books nor is there any amount of prior knowledge required in order to jump right in. I’m sure there are some character developments and references for people who’ve read the entire series, but even if you didn’t, you can find yourself right at home with this one as well!
Thank you to NetGalley, Farrago Books, and the author Ian Moore for opportunity to read the advanced digital copy!
4/5
Prior to reading Death in le Jardin, the fourth in the Follett Valley Mystery series, I had not been acquainted with this series or author Ian Moore. It took me no longer than reading the first page to absolutely fall in love with the characters, the writing style, and the anticipation of what was to come.
Insouciant, middle-aged Richard Ainsworth is living the sweet life in Saint-Sauver in the Follet Valley, a quiet French backwater, puttering around his posh B&B with sidekick gal pal, former bounty hunter, and possible assassin, Valérie d’Orçay and her pampered Chihuahua, Passepartout.
When the housekeeper of their B&B is charged with murdering her brother-in-law, who was at one time her fiancé (gotta love the French) life gets complicated. Their investigation sends them to a rather bizarre garden town/commune filled with a variety of strange and dodgy people.
In addition to being a wonderful and complex mystery, the story is very atmospheric. The descriptions were so vivid and detailed that I felt as if I were there right along with the characters. The characters themselves are rich, well developed, quirky, and strange, you name it, and you’ll find it in this book.
At this point I might add that there is no need to have read the previous books in this series (although you will definitely want to), as this stands quite well on its own.
I can’t remember the last time I had such a good time reading a book. It was a wonderful bonus that I was surprised by the conclusion of the mystery. Wonderful.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Farrago Publishing Co., and author Ian Moore for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
'Death in le Jardin' by Ian Moore.
On the surface, Richard Ainsworth has life where he wants it. Middle-aged navel gazing and Olympic levels of procrastination are exactly what rural life in France should be about.
Then crisis hits his posh B&B when redoubtable housekeeper, Madame Tablier, is accused of murder. Even more surprisingly, it's the murder of a former fiancé, turned brother-in-law. None of which the stubborn old woman denies.
Valérie d'Orçay is having none of it and their investigation leads them to a strange tourist garden village, where backbiting, recriminations and even former colleagues provide a deadly scenario more tangled than knotweed.
I'm a big fan of this series and this book was just as good as the rest of them. It kept me guessing right till the end. I love the relationship between Richard and Valerie. And Madame Tablier is a fantastic character so I am happy she played a bigger part in this book.
If you're a fan of cosy crime then I would definitely recommend this series.
Thanks to NetGallery UK, the publishers and the author for letting me read a copy in return for an honest review.
Richard Ainsworth is an Englishman who runs a B&B in Follet Valley in rural France. Madame Tablier, a housekeeper at the B&B, is a suspect in the death of her brother-in-law, Duval Cuistot, a stunt motorcyclist who died because of a stunt gone wrong causing his decapitation. I read on to find out why Madame Tablier is accused of murder when Duval Cuistot’s death appears to have been accidental. Valerie d’Orçay, a permanent resident at the B&B with her dog Passeoartout, is Richard’s business partner as a private investigator doing security work. I want to learn what she and Richard find out.
I enjoy the British-style humor and, at times, find myself laughing aloud like when Richard, having been a film historian, names his chickens after actresses from the Golden Age. In my mind, quirky characters are interesting and fun to read about. Thank you…
Perfect for fans of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club books. This is book four in the series, but you can start here. However, you will want to go back and read them all! Cozy and funny!