Thanks to Duckworth Books & NetGalley for ARC.
A sleepy Loire town popular with tourists and British ex-pats, causing tensions among locals about whether to preserve traditional ways or embrace the changes. A brutal murder, staged to draw the police into forming quick conclusions. A juge d'instruction with French-English heritage and a terrible burden.
This was a slow burner. I know why the author chose such a stagey and brutal murder scene, but it was not necessary to service the plot, and the twists and turns in the narrative became boring rather than bewildering for me. I felt the characterisation was broad and I don't think I want to spend any more time in this setting, no matter how idyllic the scenery or fine the wines and local produce. I think I'll be in a minority there and I wish the author every success.

Set in the tranquil surroundings of the Loire Valley the ex-pat community are rocked by the murder of one of their own. The killing has all the hallmarks of the death of Joan of Arc whose alleged visit to the area is about to be celebrated. Disgraced Mathew Lombard who has been on leave since his wife died is brought back to investigate the case. His unique approach is not appreciated by some and his investigations are made more difficult by the attitudes of the community and prejudices of his colleagues. When another body turns up, also seemingly with historical links, evidence points to one potential culprit. But is that the case? Thus book really held my interest and kept me guessing until the very end. Loved Lombard's quirky character.....more books please featuring him.

There's tension enough surrounding the expats who live in the Loire valley, but when one prominent expat is found crucified, things take a turn for the worse. It's on the festival that celebrates Joan of Arc, and her history complicates things all the more.

Matthieu Lombard hasn't worked since the death of his wife a year ago and events around that time haven't fully been dealt with. Everyone is walking on eggshells around each other, but they have to just get on and find the killer.

The story has a gentle start, but don't let that fool you; it soon ramps up to become an all-nighter!

Lombard is a juge in France. He likes to be active and participate in any investigation. I haven't read any of the previous books about him but I liked his character. Honest, decent and enquiring.
When a human murder victim is discovered dressed as a scarecrow he gets involved in the first case since his return after his wife died. He is instrumental in bringing the perpetrator to justice. A good book, entertaining read

Right from the beginning I was hooked in. The opening scenes were so descriptive I felt I was really there being a witness.
A small town Saint-Genèse-sur-Loire full of secrets. You think the story is going in one direction, but, oh no the twists and turns come along and off you are sent along a very compelling journey with Juge Lombard who has his own demons he is battling into the depths of a town life, which on the surface is a picturesque tourist destination but do not be fooled!

A very compelling 5 star thriller that will keep you guessing from start to finish!

Cant wait to read more Juge Lombard Thrillers in the future

A police procedural set in a small French town which is investigated by the detectives from the nearby city of Tours. It was interesting to see how differently the police and judiciary work I comparison to the UK
The methods of murder were interesting, there were lots of potential suspects and Lombard the maverick juge d’instruction was a very relatable and likeable character. An enjoyable read.

This is the first book of Ian Moore’s that I have read and what a pleasure it was to read. From the very start the characters were introduced something I very much like to see. There are several murders carried out along the way with suggested a Joan of Arc theme and is carried on throughout the investigation. Being set in the Tours region of France Judge Lombard is coerced into taking on the investigation and having committed a transgression in the past together with the death of his wife his confidence has taken a blow. He is paired with a police inspector who works by the book and wants everything detailed and logged, the interaction between the two becomes fractious at times. However the judge persuades him that he has determined who the killer is and the come together and solve the murders. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend you read this book.

Set in a small village in France, a Fete is ongoing celebrating Joan of Arc. A body is found crucified by 2 girls..Juge Lombard is called in to assist the police with the investigation.Lombard returning to work after the death of his wife Madeleine, adapts an unorthodox ,hands on,approach to this crime,upsetting other Juges and even the police but comes up trumps at the end of the day.

’I’d previously read Death and Croissants by this author so had high expectations of this book which were fully met.

An English man is brutally murdered in a picturesque rural part of the Loire valley. The contrast of the violence and the landscapes and townscapes is a strong theme throughout the story giving it a real sense of place.

The murder scene is staged with the victim having been burnt and crucified on a cross with strong parallels to the death of Joan of Arc. The investigation is overseen by Juge d'Instruction Matthieu Lombard who goes against convention and works directly alongside the police team. Lombard has his own personal challenges and demons and the relationship with Commissaire Aubret is always on a knife edge as they form a reluctant alliance.

The story held my attention from the first page. The characters are carefully introduced with details of past events which sets the scene for an intriguing mix of secrets, jealousies, ambition, corruption and relationships. All set in sharp contrast to the idyllic town and rural surroundings of Saint-Genese-sur-Loire. There are are other victims as the story unfolds with some obvious and less obvious suspects, which adds to the suspense and drama. A very clever story clearly based on detailed research of French policing, the Loire valley and the history of Joan of Arc.

A slow start to the book, not many characters were very likable, and I found out an awful lot about Joan of Arc!

Pace picked up and the ending was a surprise, didn't see the twist.

I'm quite surprised that as someone who was so devoted to his wife, he would suspect her of having an affair without even considering other options. The only note I didn't like in the book.

I good cozy read

Graham Singleterry is an English expat living in the idyllic French town of Saint-Genèse-sur-Loire. Seemingly very involved with village life, and known by everyone, it is a shock when he is found murdered. Even more so that he was crucified on a hill overlooking the Loire valley, his body burned while on the cross.

Juge d’instruction Matthieu Lombard has not been working since the death of his wife. He is not quite sure if he has quit or if he is suspended, but either way he doesn’t care, as he is content to drown in his grief. With this gruesome murder, he is pulled back into work, and forced to work with the commissaire (senior police officer) Guy Aubret. Guy doesn’t trust Lombard, as it was not only his wife's death that has cast doubts over his suitability to act as a juge d’instruction, with rumours of evidence tampering floating around.

Lombard starts to dig into the case and as he unearths more clues and pieces of evidence, more and more links turn up with connections to Joan of Arc. As the body count starts to rise, Lombard has to quickly figure out what ancient history has in common with murders in their small village, and how this can help him catch the killer before it is too late.

This was an interesting read, with a different take on the usual police procedurals. Lombard as a juge d’instruction is a different role to what we commonly see in stories like this. Having a different take on a justice system than the usual UK or US system was a nice touch, and brought in a bit of added interest to the story. We were introduced to a wide range of characters, each with their own interesting backstory, and each was quite well drawn, to give us good insight into potential motives. Lombard himself is a complex, odd and unique character. His relationship with Guy is tense, and I did find myself wondering why Lombard didn’t just simply explain the situation about the evidence to put things to end. I won’t say any more so as not to ruin the story, but it did seem at times that Lombard was just causing issues for himself out of spite or contrariness, when a simple conversation could have cleared much up!

The story was good, with complex enough plots to keep you guessing for most of the book. After the initial body discovery, the story moved slowly and took some time to get going. Other points were a bit belaboured at times, and the history elements drawn out and somewhat stretched. Once the pace picked up at the end the story got to page turning tempo, with the race to solve the mystery before a final murder. Overall a good read, and I would probably read the next in the series. Hopefully with a little less drawn out history, and a touch less angst from the lead character!

*I received this book from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

A promising start to a new series.
A good bunch of characters and some incredible background was a great start though the story was a little slow.
However, the pace picked up and became quite a page turner.
The book has a good few surprises with twists and turns to keep you enthralled.
I will start the other series from this author now ai have read this. And look forward to next book in the series.

A Formidable Start..
A murder mystery in traditional vein in this first in the Juge Lombard series of mysteries set in the stunning Loire valley. The brutal killing of an Englishman and the discovery of his charred corpse prompts an investigation by juge d’instruction, Matthieu Lombard. A true whodunit in every sense with an intriguing, clever and immersive plot populated with a deftly drawn and credible cast of characters, red herrings aplenty and a well described and scenic setting. A formidable start to the series

I was a bit unsure at the beginning, I loved the scenery and characters, but the pace was quite slow. However, after a short while it did pick up, and the book became quite unputdownable!
Nice and twisty, and well written, with a wide cast of characters yet they were easy to keep track of.
I will happily read more by this interesting author, who has evidently done a lot of research.

This is a story of two, and nearly three, murders in a village in Lyon. Some the residents are of English birth. The story starts with a corpse crucified in an attempt to reflect Joan of Arc’s connection to the neighbourhood. It can take bit of time to absorb how the French investigative system works and to remember who has authority over whom. The lead investigator has recently lost his wife and he has doubts about her faithfulness. He is clearly a disturbed character. There are many suspects and as the story develops it becomes a bit confusing. The best of the book is the French context. That is well portrayed.

Great detective mystery! I chose this book ahead of a trip to France and I absolutely loved it.
Great story

An original premise, well executed and with believable – if somewhat unlikeable – characters. It got off to a slow start, after the shocker of a prologue, but as it picked up speed, it became worthy of five stars. I received an advanced coy o this book in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Definitely a slow burner started off very gently & quite confusingly but then as the pace increased it became quite un-putdownable!

A murder mystery set in beautiful scenic surroundings, an unusual brutal death leads the investigation to uncovering a wealth of secrets, lies and feuds. English expat Graham Singleterry is the singed corpse and Matthieu Lombard the investigator of this foul deed that sullies the beauty of this part of the Loire Valley and the picturesque town of Saint-Genèse-sur-Loire. Compelling and exiting with well defined characters and story and even Joan of Arc! Excellent read.

I can best describe this murder mystery, set in the beautiful Loire Valley in France, in one word - magnifique! It has all the ingredients I look for in a classic whodunnit - a cast of interesting characters, a complex and clever plot, a shoal of red herrings, a smattering of jeopardy, a sprinkling of clues as to the identity of the murderer (which I missed) and a satisfactory denouement with all loose ends tidied up. The unusual setting in the Loire Valley is beautifully described and captured my imagination from the outset. The characters, including the relatively minor ones, are very well drawn and allowed this reader to inwardly cheer for or boo them as appropriate. The central characters, juge d’instruction (investigating magistrate) Matthieu Lombard, and his sidekick commissaire (senior police officer) Guy Aubret are superb creations and I would love to see their somewhat reluctant partnership feature in a series of books.