What could possibly go wrong for a ho-hum middle-aged man operating a B&B in the Loire Valley? A bloody handprint on the wall and missing person, of course! Not only that but enter Sicilian mafia, impersonations, housebreaking and chicken capers and Richard's life goes from ordinary to the extraordinary in no time flat. Thank goodness for Valerie who gets investigations going. She cracks me up!

British humour often has me cackling which it does at times in this book (especially Richard's views on "dirty laundry", chicken humour and comical stealth involved). There are witticisms around every corner. However, my wish for a stronger mystery element was a wee bit deflated which did not hold with my expectations. In spite of the humour, something just didn't connect. However, the book was still enjoyable. Clever cover, too.

My sincere thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this whacky novel.

This is a series debut featuring an ex-pat Brit operating a B&B (although he doesn't like that term) in France. Richard is altogether an unremarkable man, tepid in character and appearance. It seems as though it was hoped he would be a Basil Fawlty like figure, but somehow it never quite happens.

Richard is more or less estranged from his wife Claire. He has a mysterious and beautiful Frenchwoman with some interesting spy like skills staying at his hotel. Another of the guests disappears, leaving only a bloody handprint.

It's a bit madcap but doesn't quite succeed. Incidental characters include a neighboring couple who run a naturist hotel with a sideline in bondage and wife-swapping.

For me, much of the humor was forced and dated. It's hard to connect with Richard and the mystery itself is often confusing. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Okay, so I'm a huge cosy mystery fan, so an opportunity to review this could not be turned down. From the blurb, I expected an amazing read. I didn't get amazing, but I got enjoyable. It's an enjoyable book -definitely ticks a lot of the the cosy boxes - but I don't know if this would encourage me to continue with the series.

I did like the main character, Richard Ainsworth. He felt real, well constructed, and he had this low-key approach to things. He was interested, but also felt put out with the need to investigate. That intrigued me. The other character that won me over is the housekeeper of his Bed and Breakfast, Madame Taliber. She felt like real salt of the earth, without a filter. She added something to this book that other characters did not.

Richard's life is about to get exciting after an elderly guest disappears. The only clues are a bloody hand print and broken glasses. Then, somebody cuts out the hand print from the wall and steals the glasses. Richard is drawn into this, not because he wants to be, but because of Valerie d'Orcay. Valerie is flamboyant, she's persuasive, and she convinces Richard that he wants to find the elderly guest who vanished, one Vincent Grandchamps. Is he still alive?

What ensues is a story that feels part mystery and part farce. I'm not sure what other readers will think, I felt the author was heavily influenced by Fawlty Towers and Keeping Up Appearances. I get the feeling this book wants to push the boundaries of the absurd, and I'm not sure if I want that in a cosy. Whenever I see mysteries that need to be absurd, it makes me think of the Stephanie Plum series, which take the prize for absurd over substance. This book has enough to keep it from being too over the edge.

I still have one question after reading this: who killed the chicken? It's never answered, and it makes me question why it's even in the book.

I did like these lines from the book:

"Mornings are the cold, filthy foot bath you're forced to step through before you're allowed into the warmth and relative cleanliness of the public swimming pool"

"He was made to feel like a criminal for having exceeded a motorway speed limit at two i the morning driving through unmanned roadworks"
-I'm not saying I'm for speeding, but so many time there is road works limit, and you think why?

Thank you to Farrago Books & Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of this book review. All opinions in this review are my own

I could not put this down! This had me laughing at points because it was so funny. I absolutely am obsessed with this. I can't wait for the next in the series to come out!!
I just reviewed Death and Croissants by Ian Moore. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book - I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

This book was absolutely delightful from start to finish. Richard is the perfect straight man to the madcap cast of characters in the first of the Follet Valley series.

I can see Hugh Grant playing him - it would be a fantastic series. I couldn't stop guffawing all the way through. There's plenty of action, and twists and turns. Don't try to figure out the whodunnit - it's just too crazy. Just go along for the roller coaster ride with Richard.

I can't wait for the next one.

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review. I found the story trite and predictable and the book not very well written. Thank you for the opportunity.

Quirky and enjoyable whodunnit. Great relatable characters and an easy read. It was an excellent holiday read and would make an enjoyable tv series. Recommended.

In Death and Croissants, middle-aged Richard Ainsworth finds himself embroiled in a mystery when one of his B&B guests disappears.

Cosy mystery with a delightful cast of quirky characters. At a little over 200 pages, Death and Croissants serves as a nice palate cleanser between longer, emotionally heavier, or more prose-dense books. On its own merit, the prose is smooth and simple, and the mystery is comfortably enjoyable.

Although this book wasn’t for me, I found a lot of charm to be had in the atmospheric French bed and breakfast. And who won’t love the chickens named for Golden Age of Hollywood film starlets?

Here we have a promising concept: Richard is a retired middle-aged Brit who runs a bed and breakfast in the "Val de Follet" (fictional) in the Loire Valley of France. He has separated from his wife Clare as their marriage had come somewhat stale and unsatisfying. Richard lives a quiet life with his trio of chickens, Joan Crawford, Ava Gardner and Lana Turner. Life takes a chaotic turn when an elderly male guest suddenly goes missing, leaving ominous clues behind - broken and bloodied spectacles and a bloody handprint on the expensive wallpaper. His flamboyant and glamourous guest Valerie decides to embark on an investigation of the disappearance and drags Richard along for a crazy and hazardous ride.

There were things I loved about this novel - the contrast of staid and reluctant Richard with the uber-confident Valerie, the quintessential French village setting, and the bewildered but tolerant estranged wife. There were some hilarious lines in here: "but for the love of God, it was a bit rich for one half of a pair of plump, tied-up rubber fetishists with bulldog clips on his nipples to question someone else's choice of evening attire".

Unfortunately, the plot resembled more a plate of spaghetti with storylines going every which way than a crisp croissant. Amusing confusion is the best phrase I can apply to this book. And I am still immensely frustrated and disturbed that I don't know who murdered Ava Gardner!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced copy of this book to review. I wish I could give it a more glowing review.

i would have read more but this was so boring. I wouldn't recommend like other readers I was bored stiff.

Was happy to include this book in my latest “Thrills and Chills” round-up for Zoomer magazine, highlighting winter’s best suspense and mystery reads. (see mini-review at link)

A pure delight and loads of fun. Meet Richard the newly crowned king of cozy crimes. A befuddled and overwhelmed Englishman and perhaps slightly depressed owner of a B&B set in a fictional valley and town in France who will captivate you with his reluctance in becoming embroiled in finding a missing patron of his establishment. Though initially uninterested in finding his missing guest an additional guest, a flamboyant and beautiful femme fatale, convinces Richard to join her in following the clues. After all, it is his B&B guest that is missing. A bit madcap, especially when driving over the countryside ensues, Death and Croissants is a fun trip for those in the mood for a bit of levity and old cinematic references.
As this is book one in the A Follet Valley Mystery, I will be looking out for book 2.
I would rate this 4.25 stars.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for an early copy. All opinions are mine.

I definitely found the title and cover of this lighthearted mystery to be rather appealing. What could be better than a good story accompanied by the classic French breakfast?

I was not familiar with the author who is a British comedian. That explains the tone of the story. Here is a rather hapless hotel owner who gets sucked into an adventure by an exotic guest of his establishment. It becomes a bit crazy with even hints of the Mafia. How will it all get resolved? Read this one to find out. It is a book that shows what can happen when one ventures (way) out of a comfort zone.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately I DNFd this book. I just could not get into it for lack of trying. I just couldn’t enjoy it. But that is my opinion.

“Death and Croissants” (Follet Valley #1) by Ian Moore ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Cozy Mystery/Slapstick Crime Noir. Location: Val de Follet in the Loire Valley in France. Time: Late Spring, present.

QUESTION: What do you get when you mix an old man gone missing more than once, a cranky retired judge, a policeman who doesn’t investigate missing persons, a mysterious Italian couple, 2 nude British swingers, an exotic French widow; a bemused B&B owner, a terrifying housekeeper, an almost ex-wife, and a dead hen?
ANSWER: A screwball comedy full of murder, twists & turns-and mafia.

Richard Ainsworth is a 53-year-old Englishman quietly running his French B&B. Richard likes things just so. His approach to running his B&B: Look approachable, but disengaged. Attentive, but standoffish. An elderly guest disappears, leaving a bloody handprint and a pair of broken glasses. Bored guest Valérie D’Orçay pushes Richard into investigating with her. He reluctantly follows her around. But then, someone murders his beloved chicken, Ava Gardner. Now it’s personal!

Author Moore uses Richard’s eyes to view the events. This paints a picture of a situation out of Richard’s control, thanks to his fascination with Valerie’s antics. Richard’s role is the innocent who sees and comments on things without realizing their significance.

Unfortunately, Richard’s eyes a tiny bit boring. The premise is clever and twisty, but it’s too easy for one’s mind to wander while reading it. Moore plans a series, and I hope the characters bloom a little more in the next book. It’s 3 stars from me. 🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Ian Moore for this early ecopy. Publishes 3/14/2023.

This book was dull. It started off fun and funny but got repetitive. I did not end up finishing this one.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts and comments are my own.

This was a short story following the incident of another guest in the hotel mysteriously disappearing with only a bloody hand print on the wall. The only person in my opinion who seems interest with solving this mystery is the guest by the name of Valerie. Richard didn’t seem much to care, well atleast to me.

I will say this story was a tad boring. For a short story, it took me a bit to read because I just lost interest. Now there were parts in this story that were funny because some of the characters are a hoot and it made me smile but I just didn’t relate much to the characters, so I just couldn’t really “get into the book”. I think though if you like short mystery reads then you would enjoy this book.

All in all the plot was just lacking for me but I don’t think it was a bad book. I think this book speaks to people who love this type of genre and it was just wasn’t for me. I’m not much for cozy mystery type books. I love thriller mysteries, so this just didn’t speak to me personally.

3 stars! And thank you again for an ARC copy!

"Richard is a middle-aged Englishman who runs a B and 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.

Richard remains a dazed passenger in the case until things become really serious and someone murders Ava Gardner, one of his beloved hens... and you don't mess with a fellow's hens!

Death and Croissants is an unputdownable, hilarious mystery perfect for fans of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club."

Anyone who names a chicken Ava Gardner is someone I need to know more about.

A quirky charming read, but it felt like the murder mystery plot took a backseat to the humor. Maybe thats why it took me a while to get into the story, but there are quite a few very funny moments and i really liked the twist at the end.

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am an avid cozy mystery reader and was very excited to read Death and Croissants by Ian Moore .

Sadly , this book was not what I expected.

The characters fell flat for me .

The pacing was so slow and some of the content didn’t seem appropriate for a cozy mystery.

The mystery was quite predictable .