Richard owns a b and b in France.
One day he discovers broken glasses in the bin and a bloody handprint on the wall - the guest, Monsieur Grandchamps, is missing - gone without paying his bill.
Richard and another guest Valèrie try to hunt him down or hunt down his killer.
Good little story with humour and mystery.

Death and Croissants by Ian Moore is the first in a series featuring Bed and Breakfast owner Richard Ainsworth and is set in the fictional Val de Follet in the Loire Valley.

Richard is enjoying retirement, running his B&B and watching old films, until his cleaner Madame Tablier spots a bloody handprint in one of the bedrooms though there is no sign of the guest. Convinced by another guest, Valérie Dorçay, another guest with a dog called Passepartout, to investigate he soon finds himself embroiled in all manner of shenanigans...

I found Death and Croissants a fun, lighthearted read with a fabulous mystery at its core. Told entirely from Richard’s point of view, I loved the humour it contained. Richard is a put upon 53-year-old Englishman and I would certainly pick up the next instalment in the series. This novel is well-plotted and has a definite sparkle with some clever dialogue. The double-crossing, secrets and various motives all result in a delightful, engrossing, highly comedic caper. Death and Croissants is a super-duper, worthwhile read that I recommend very highly.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Farrago Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is so funny that I couldn’t decide what I liked more - the plot, the characters or the dialogue. It’s a good mystery, too, but I just loved the writing style and the pace and flow of the story. The title made me think it would be a “cosy mystery” but it doesn’t really fit any genre!

With thanks to Farrago Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

I Loved this book. Its funny, clever and twisty.

I'd never came across Ian Moore before but I will look out for him in the future without a doubt.

Richard Ainsworth runs a B&B in a quiet corner of the Loire Valley, he is boring, dull, uninquisitive and, well just really boring.

When a guest in his B&B appears to have been murdered, he's only mildly interested until another guest, the formidable Valérie Dorçay pulls Richard into investigating the mystery.

This could be classed in the same genre as Richard Osmans 'Thursday Mystery Club'.
Its funny, erudite and very very clever with that little bit of 'je ne sais quoi'

Highly recommended.

A fun start to a new cozy series set in, sigh, France. Richard, an ex-pat Brit, has been living a small quiet life running a B&B in the Loire Valley. The great joy in his life are his hens. Suddenly, it all turns a bit nuts when one of his guests disappears, another convinces him to investigate, and then, worst of all, Ava the chicken is murdered. What's going on and why on earth would anyone hurt a hen? There's a lot of quirkiness and some of the humor misses the mark but points for the setting and the hens. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A quick read (it's short) and I'm curious where this will go next.

So sorry that I could not get on with this relentlessly chirpy cosy crime, despite great hopes for a light read. I think the author perhaps tries a little too hard with his jokes and upbeat tone, as I found it too grating to continue beyond the first few chapters, which is a shame, as I may have missed out on a good read, having read other reviews. However, this one was not for me.

This is a really cosy mystery.

It has everything from intrigue to extremely humorous plots.

The characters and likeable and really comic.

I understand there is another book to follow .. it will definitely be read!

Could it get better than a tangle of a mystery, a femme fatale-esque woman, and a more-than-reluctant film historian for a protagonist? Probably not, but writers usually display their flair in the mystery genre when setting up the story at hand.

Ian Moore goes a step further with Death and Croissants - he delivers what is, for the most part, a compelling story. A suspicious crime scene in the BnB run by our hero Richard Ainsworth in France and the meddling of a guest, a beautiful, enigmatic woman, triggers a dekko into what exactly it is that has gone down. Richard remains reluctant throughout but is compelled to go along for the ride when one of his beloved hens Ava Gardner is murdered.

Moore has the lightness of the novel down pat: it's both quietly funny and outrageously so. He caters to stereotype by reinforcing them, first through Richard's eyes and then, when he needs to, through his prose, focusing the reader's attention on the British expat hero, himself a collection of tropes if there ever was one.

In the mystery department, though, he comes up well short, never quite managing to pull the reader into the story the way it should ideally happen. At no point does there seem to be enough at stake, rendering the narrative lacking in urgency even after the protagonist becomes more actively involved in the proceedings.

The characters are fun to follow - there's something about Richard that makes one empathise with him, especially when he gets pulled into events a man like him would much rather stay away from; in Valerie, there is a unique twist put to the femme fatale, and Moore writes her particularly well, shedding the misogynistic values the femme fatale was "traditionally" given and making her a more believable and slightly more badass character.

While the lack of mystery, rather the lack of interest it generates, Moore is more heavily reliant on that of his writing that works, which would be reason enough to give him another chance. That chance, however, cannot have its potential squandered like Death and Croissants.

Thank you, Farrago and NetGalley, for sending me an ARC of this book to review.

This was a splendid book which was genuinely funny. The laid-back main character reminded me of the Charles Paris books by Simon Brett. If you enjoyed them you will revel in Death and Croissants. Apparently there is another in the pipeline so I will look forward to that with relish.

My thanks to Farrago Books and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

Death and Croissants is the first of the Follet Valley Mysteries and is a crazy, quirky, comic, and slightly over the top cosy mystery. In the book, we meet Richard Ainsworth, a middle-aged Englishman who has moved to the bucolic Loire Valley where he runs a Bed and Breakfast or rather a chambre d’hote. Richard is dejected, slightly boring even, and his only interest in life is old movies, so much so that the hens in his establishment are named after actresses—Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth and Lana Turner. He is estranged from his stylish wife Clare who found nothing to keep her in France and has returned to England. Life goes on monotonously for him, most days being pretty much the same, only his cantankerous (but observant) cleaning lady, Madame Tablier for company.

But one morning Richard’s life turns topsy-turvy. A guest at the B&B, old man Grandchaps has gone missing leaving a bloody handprint on his room wall (also broken, blood covered specs as they later find), and while Richard is inclined to leave the matter alone (why should it bother him?), another guest, the glamorous, beautiful and domineering Valerie d’Orcay decides they must investigate, and browbeats Richard into agreement. (He becomes more keen on joining in when Ana Gardner is targeted). At first it seems like Richard is simply being dragged all over the place by the (over) enthusiastic Valerie—trying to track Grandchamps to his village (where an interesting surprise awaits them), following clues, and suspects (among them, an Italian couple), but before long he realises that this is the most fun he’s ever had in his life. But yes, there is a murder to solve, and the danger that can put them into is very real!

This was a fun, crazy read with everything from cranky twins (or at least one crank among them), a not-so-bright (or so it would seem) village policeman, swingers, dubious dealings, the Italian mafia, a mysterious Texan (complete with hat), hens, chimpanzees, and also a chihuahua called Passepartout! As you can well make out, the characters are (as they sound) pretty eccentric, their antics crazy, but at the same time, (as I was glad to see) the mystery is very real. Not only that, there are quite a few twists and turns along the way, a nice fat one particularly that I didn’t see coming, so I enjoyed it very much indeed (some of my guesses was not completely on track either, right but in a different way than I’d thought). But like another reviewer has also said, we never do discover who it was that killed poor Ava Gardener!

Given’s Richard’s love of films, all the references to old movies were good fun and I liked the idea of Richard considering himself the equivalent of IMDB before it existed. I also loved the reference to The Avengers and Mrs Peel, especially because lately whenever I see the Avengers referenced, it ends up being the Marvel Comics one, not the old series and film (that was equally quirky and crazy but one I enjoyed very much but really, I’m digressing now).

The humour and the quirky characters were great fun for the most part, but may be a bit over the top sometimes. Still I liked both Richard and Valerie (and the dog Passepartout) very much, and look forward to their further adventures.

I wish Valerie did like cats though!

This was such a lovely, funny book to read. Very relaxing and it just made me laugh. It read a little like a cozy mystery. This would make a good tv series which I enjoy watching. The characters were so funny even the miserable ones. I hope this is the start of a long series. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, the rather wet British hotel owner gets dragged along by a vampish French female assassin, and discover that the dark side is more fun - as long as he doesn't have to spend too much time with the neighbouring hotel owners!

eARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Farrago Books.

This was an enjoyable, humorous mystery that is perfect for a cosy evening in. There were parts which I found a touch farcical and the humour a bit too daft for my taste, but the mystery storyline was intriguing and the characters very easy to warm to.

I would definitely pick up the next book in the series to see what mess Richard (the reluctant detective) finds himself in next.

I ended up not finishing this book and I was so sad about it! I had heard a lot of people endorse it, but honestly I just think the sense of humor was not for me and that made it very difficult to read and this book just was not for me.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Farrago Books, in return for an honest review. As the first book in this series, you’re introduced to Richard Ainsworth, an ex-pat Englishman whose marriage is effectively over and now runs a B&B in the Loire Valley of France. There only a few problems to overcome – he’s a strong introvert, really doesn’t like people that much, and his cleaning woman is a foul-mouthed, loudly opinionated Frenchwoman. Oh, and a guest has gone missing after leaving smashed glasses and a bloody handprint on the wallpaper. While not particularly interested in solving the mystery, Richard is inveigled into investigating by mysterious and exciting Valerie, another guest who flaunts his rules about animals by bringing her pet dog everywhere. I envision Richard as the John Cleese character in the movie, ‘A Fish Called Wanda’ – somewhat befuddled, a deeply buried sense of adventure that’s brought slowly to life and being constantly pulled into the unexpected by those around him. There’s something for everyone in this book – from hitmen to mistaken identities to identity swapping!

Richard wants the quiet life. He runs a B&B in the Loire Valley spending his days looking forward to his afternoon nap.
When a guest mysteriously disappears leaving only a bloody handprint and some glasses smeared with blood, he gets drawn into finding out what happened. He reluctantly teams up with a guest, the vivacious Valerie, who is much more than she appears to be. When Ava Gardner, one of his chickens is murdered, he decides he needs to find out whodunnit.
With hitmen, bodies and S&M dungeons, Richard's journey out of the mundane is very lively and interesting!

What a fantastic series debut! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Death and Croissants. Quirky characters, a dash of humor and a (murder) mystery to keep guessing till the end, this book is an absolute delight for mystery lovers.
Rural France setting, croissants, a bossy French lady and a dog named Passepartout - now, doesn't this sound exciting? Wait, there's more - do not forget to add Italian mafia, movie dialogs and double crossing to the list.

Entertaining, unique and absolutely marvelous mystery. Highly recommended!

What can one say about a book that has more than ten comments under the ‘Praise for’ section on Waterstones.com? Hopefully I will dredge up something new, but I will agree with the general tone of those comments, and that is that Death and Croissants is brilliantly good fun. It will inevitably be compared to Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club due to timing, style, the cover, and the authors both being TV personalities, but Ian Moore holds his own. He may be riding Osman’s wave, but he does so with style. Death and Croissants has everything I love in a mystery book: a slightly ridiculous yet compelling crime to solve, a quaint setting that hides something more sinister, humour, and a great cast of characters. I think, without good characters, all the other points still wouldn’t hold up the story as well, so it’s lucky that Moore has created quite a cast for his debut.

First there’s Richard Ainsworth, a middle-aged Englishman running a B&B in France, looking at a future as a bachelor after his marriage has come undone. The only things bringing joy to Richard’s life are his pet hens, and his vast knowledge and love for old cinema. He has the typical self-deprecating humour of the English, and a lot of the story involves him trying to find his place in all this chaos, and his character arc is really quite lovely.

Next up is the classic femme fatale, Valérie d’Orçay; she is a guest at Richard’s B&B, and when she learns of a bloody handprint in the room of an elderly gentleman who seems to have disappeared, she insists on investigating, pulling poor Richard along. She is something of a mystery, and both Richard and I, as the reader, felt deeply suspicious of her while inevitably being pulled along by her enthusiasm, charm, and knowledge. The dynamic between her and Richard is great fun to read, and you can’t help but cheer them both on, even when one or the other does something questionable.

Last, but not least, is Madame Tablier, the cleaner at Richard’s B&B, with a mean tongue and an imposing presence. She will leave everything spotless, but grumble as she does it, and I love the touch of her name; Tablier means ‘apron’ in French. She is more of a side character, but I loved the energy she brings to the story, and I hope that future books will hold a greater role for her.

There are, of course, other characters, but I feel that introducing them all might spoil the fun of meeting them on the page, but I must say they all come together to create the perfect murder mystery, and there was even the classic moment at the end, where everyone is present for the great reveal of the culprit, but with an interesting twist!

The other thing I really loved about this story was the backdrop. As a European living in England, it’s amusing to see it the other way round, and though I am not French, I appreciated the way the author made good-natured digs at the differences in culture, and from what I’ve experienced it’s quite spot on. I particularly like the recurring theme of French characters lamenting a member of their family moving away, only for the reader to discover they’ve only moved a town over, but for rural France it’s like going to another country. My only complaint is that the Italians didn’t come out of this book with a great reputation, but as it made for an entertaining story, I shall let it slide!

Overall, a great read, and a perfect book to sit out in the sunshine with!

I would say this comes into the ‘cosy crime’ category rather than serious crime fiction,but it passed a few hours of easy reading and was entertaining in its way.It’s set in the Loire Valley,where the hapless main character, Richard, owns a guest house and becomes involved in investigating the mysterious disappearance of one of his guests, with the help of the glamorous and mysterious Valerie d’Orçay,another guest.There are some very funny moments and the plot moves along at a fast pace.Recommended if you feel like some light reading which is also entertaining.Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a light, well written whodunnit filled with interesting characters and amusing dialogue.
I feel it was written in a similar vein to Agatha Raisin books, but set in France. I would definitely recommend this novel and look forward to reading the next in the series.. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy of this book.