Ian Moore is a comedian who has written the first of a series of mysteries set in rural France.

Richard Ainsworth runs a B&B (or chambre d'hote) in the Loire Valley. One morning, a bloodied handprint is found on the wall of a bedroom and its owner disappeared. Another guest, Valérie d'Orçay, a formidable Frenchwoman, decides to investigate and Richard finds himself tagging along, not entirely by choice. All manner of farcical goings-on ensue.

A sweary cleaning lady, chickens named after famous actresses, a retired judge who hates his twin brother, a young Italian couple, mafia connections, a tall American with a Stetson, an actor who dresses up as a chicken, a senior policeman, and a kinky English couple straight out of a Carry On film are among the panoply of characters inhabiting Ian Moore's story.

There is humour to be had, with events putting me in mind at times of an Ealing comedy caper with an added je ne sais quoi. It all seems improbable but that is part of its charm - a slice of escapism, shot through with the stoical Englishness of film-lover Richard who blunders into the right answers without even realising, and the indomitable Valérie with her dog Passepartout.

I rather enjoyed it and would be happy to see where Valérie and Richard's sleuthing leads them next.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Farrago Books, in return for an honest appraisal.

British expat, Richard Ainsley, lives a perfectly predictable, mundane life running a B&B in France.

One morning, one newlywed Italian couple, a beautiful French woman, her dog, and a bloody handprint turn Richard’s mundane world upside down.

All of a sudden he seems to be living in one of his beloved film noirs. Murder, mafia, bounty hunters, and more. This book has it all. Moore’s writing style and use of wit and humor make this rather dark story fun and light.

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrago Books for this digital advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

The first book in the Follet Valley series, set in the French Loire, this book is absolutely marvellous, a real happy tonic for these awful days of virus and misery.
Richard Ainsworth runs a B&B in the Follet Valley. He likes the quiet life, doesn’t really enjoy his guests , but adores his hens, all named after classic film stars. He is separated from his wife, Clare, and his only member of staff seems to be Madame Tablier, who is a foul mouthed
cleaner, and critic of the guests, and life in general. Those of you who have been to France, know this type intimately.!!
One day, an elderly gentleman guest goes missing, leaving behind a bloodied handprint on the wallpaper, ‘ that’ll never come out!’, but it later disappeared.! Into this puzzle comes Valerie, a femme fatales, who rips Richard out of his comfort zone as they zip a round the countryside meeting many stereotypical characters.
The Policeman is top notch, I have met several like this during my many years in France, but only when you can actually find an open rural police station!! Disappointingly, I have not met any Echangistes, but I’m sure they exist!!
I shall regard the Loire Valley in a different light when I next visit. The children are still scarred from visiting too many Chateaux and really haven’t yet forgiven me, so this book recommendation will help them lay those particular ghosts to rest!!
An hilarious, crazy, over the top delightful book that exercises the chuckle muscles! So very droll, so English, a perfect combination of English understatement and Gallic exaggeration, perfect for fans of Jonas Jonasson ( Sweet, Sweet Revenge) and Richard Osman( The Thursday Murder Club). I shall be eagerly awaiting the next instalment. Now, who do we get to act in this , in readiness for the film?!!
A five star read. My grateful thanks to Netgalley and Farago books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Richard runs a B&B in the Loire Valley. Its a sleepy place where nothing happens and that is just how Richard likes his life.
Then one day one of his guests disappears leaving a bloodied hand print and Richard is encouraged by Valerie, another guest to investigate.
Will he find out what happened, will his life become more fulfilled and to what cost?

Englishman Richard is running a B&B in France. Nothing really ever happens to Richard, which is just the way he likes it. But with the disappearance of a guest. Things are going to start getting interesting.

A funny murder mystery that had me laughing and kept me guessing.

France, boutique hotel, missing guest, murdered hen, cunning women and brothers, not to forget all the movie references and other jokes.

Death and Croissants is a cozy mystery, with a protagonist whose ex-cinematography teacher, for whom IMDB.com is an insult. After he was made redundant at work, he and his wife moved to France to open the boutique hotel, but shortly after that his wife returned to England and he stayed, irked by his needy guest, but he has time to watch his favorite movies.
Even when one of his guests leaves without paying, leaving behind a bloody handprint, he is not bothered, even if a charming French lady with a doggie, wants him to go looking for the missing … but then somebody is murdering one of the divas from his hen’s flock.

Even if the start is somewhat slow, soon you’ll be giggling and go along with this mad carnival ride and you’ll enjoy this ride. I know I did. :)

Really enjoyed this book! It was the first one for me to read by this author and I can't wait to read more! The characters stick with you long after the book is over.

Richard’s in a bit of a rut, IMDB has made his job as a film historian largely irrelevant, his wife isn’t interested in making a new life in France and his B&B is ticking along and would be perfect if not for the guests.
One of these pesky residents goes missing in mysterious circumstances leaving behind a bloody handprint and a smashed pair of glasses, Richard’s more bothered about the damage to his wallpaper than finding the missing man but then Valerie, a glamorous and rather determined guest prods Richard in to action. Then just to make matters worse someone goes after Richards chickens and that tears it something must be done.
Along side Valerie who isn’t all she seems Richard plunges head first into adventure and intrigue in the Loire Valley.
This was fun and sharp, Richard is just grumpy and reluctant enough and Valerie is his perfect foil. I love that she gets none of his references and doesn’t care. I want to be Valerie when I grow up.

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.

This is a feel-good, easy read and one you can get sucked into from the get-go! This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

When one of Richard’s older guests disappears from his B&B in the Loire Valley in France he is skeptical that there should be any concern – even when a bloody handprint (on the expensive wallpaper, no less!) is the only thing left behind. Nevertheless, another equally mysterious guest, is determined to investigate the disappearance, drawing Richard out of his normal routine and into a much more exciting world.

The characters in Death and Croissants are varied and somewhat quirky, although all have some charming qualities. Overall, it is a gentle mystery that, at times seems to move rather slowly. Often Richard feels fairly clueless as he is being dragged along to solve the mystery. As the reader I sometimes felt this way as well. Death and Croissants is a debut book and it has definite possibilities. It will be interesting to see how this series develops.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Ian Moore wrote a madcap mystery with his new novel, Death and Croissants. After reading the description, I thought this would be a more cozy British mystery taking place in France. Instead, we get a humorous adventure with Richard, Valerie, and the rest of the motley crew that try to solve a mysterious disappearance of one of Richard's guests at his B&B. The adventure started early in the novel and felt a little rushed, but as the story gets further along, we learn more about the characters and the plot. I found it hard to follow at times, but loved the ending and Valerie's intrepid self! Interested to see what they get up to next!

I enjoyed this very light detective story. Totally unbelievable but enjoyable anyway. Richard is a middle aged owner of a French B&B to whom nothing ever interesting happens! Until he becomes embroiled in a mystery when a guest disappears leaving a bloody handprint and a broken pair of glasses. Add bounty hunters, the Mafia and various French locals and you have an entertaining tale.

It was a fun light hearted read and I will be interested to see where the author takes it next.

A gentle and slightly old fashioned feel to this whodunnit and although not laugh out loud funny it is amusing. It is a great antidote to the tense thrillers I normally read and I always try to read novels like this as a sort of sorbet between courses, equally as important but lighter on the palette. Ian is a very good writer and the story moves along nicely with a satisfactory ending, a little in the way of the Wodehouse comedies I used to read in the sixties. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This first entry into a new mystery series from comedian Ian Moore is fantastically fun but frequently uneven.

This novel is perhaps best described as Clue meets Gilmore Girls, but with a fancy French twist.

Ian Moore’s oddball characters seem just charming enough to live in Stars Hollow, if Stars Hollow was in the French countryside of course.

From the leather fetishists who run the bed and breakfast down the road to the brassy maid more likely to swear like a sailor than to leave a mint on your pillow, I could just see Babette and Miss Patty gossiping away about these townies.

Not to mention the clever references to film history were nearly Palladino-esque in nature. And the first half of the book had me in stitches.

After the halfway point, however, things started to go off the rails.

I often felt from chapter to chapter that I had missed some important piece of information. On many occasions I went back to reread sections of the book, only to feel equally as confused thereafter.

I had that feeling that I was missing out on an inside joke. Maybe you just had to be there?

Nevertheless, the balance between comedy and cinematic intrigue makes me excited for the next entry into this clever series.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc copy.

This book is about a man named Richard who retired and decided to run a B&B. One day he finds a bloody handprint on the wall in one of his bedrooms but no guest. He obviously decides to investigate and this begins a crazy story with hitmen, breaking and entering all with his busybody guest Valerie.

This book is very slow and takes a while to get into but overall it did have a good mystery plot but it was an easy one that you read not one where you're in suspense trying to figure it out. I also didn't really appreciate Richard's humor as much as I thought I should.

Set in the Loire Valley, this light-hearted murder mystery makes for pleasant, escapist summer reading. The main protagonist is a very English guesthouse owner whose mid-life crisis is mercifully alleviated by his exciting and glamorous guest Valérie, who quickly involves him in her mysterious schemes. Packed full of humour there’s a sketch-like quality to the writing such that I feel I would have enjoyed it more as a mini-TV series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Farrago Books and NetGalley for providing a review copy, in return for my opinion.

I could not wait to read this book as I thought it would be just my thing. I love a little cosy crime for my relaxation reading, and Death and Croissants was exactly that. It’s an undemanding read, with an array of slightly odd characters. The hero Richard finds running a B and B in rural France provides him with an income whilst allowing time to indulge his interest in classic films. His wife has left him to return to the UK so he is free to become involved with the mysterious Valerie d’Orcay as she investigates the disappearance of another guest.
The plot is madcap; a bit like a comedy film where the clueless hero stumbles on the solution by accident. It didn’t quite work for me, although I can’t quite put my finger on why.
That said, it was an enjoyable read and I would certainly take a look at the next in the series.

This review is posted on Goodreads.

A charming book! It plays to all the expected things that we expect from an old man story about someone living in England. The cover of the book is charming with the colours. However, the minute the Sicilian mafia gets into the picture - it gets quite exciting! Smart to bring a bit of thriller and mystery to a book that I thought was more about nostalgia.

Richard a middle age English man is running a B & B in the Loire Valley. When one of his regular customers is found missing with just a bloody hand print on the wall. Richard is dragged into an exciting mystery by mysterious Valerie d’Orcay. Richard is a man who time has passed by still living in the past reliving old Hollywood movies. Taking a break from his wife and daughter who don’t understand him does he really want to fall into Valerie’s world. This is a fun cozy mystery with Richard being dragged along really not knowing what’s going on but still pulling out the answers by accident that will eventually lead to the killer.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Death and Croissants by Ian Moore is the first in the Follet Valley series and it’s simply hilarious.
In short, Richard Ainsworth, a film historian who runs a B&B in the Loire Valley, discovers that one of his guests is missing after finding blood on the walls of his room and a broken pair of spectacles. He then finds himself in a rollicking manhunt with another of his guests, the exotic Valerie d’Orcay.
I thoroughly enjoyed this romp, full of brilliant characters creating so many laugh out moments...the comedy just so typically British worked well in the French setting.
It’s bonkers but fabulously entertaining, I most definitely recommend this read if you want a good laugh...I’m so looking forward to the next adventure in the Follet Valley.
Big thanks to Ian Moore, Duckworth Books and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.