What an absolute hoot! I have been off my game when it comes to mysteries recently, and this book was a very welcome win. It's a bit of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club, with its own interesting twists and turns. Highly recommened.

An enjoyable enough first in a new series, set in France. Richard is our rather hapless, slightly morose English B&B owner, stuck running the business after his wife has left. He does his best to do as little as possible, preferring to remain in the background and let things drift past him.

Enter Valerie D'Orsay, a guest who inserts herself into his life - alongside her delightful pooch Passepartout - shortly after he discovers a bloody handprint on the wall of a room, along with a pair of glasses, after another guest has disappeared. Then there are the slightly suspicious Italians...and the death of one of Richard's beloved hens, Ava Gardner.

There are some definite stereotypes here, which I think are intentionally done, especially between the vibrant Valerie and the pale-in-comparison Richard (certainly there were times when I was saying to myself, 'he's SO English!' - I'm Canadian but live in England and was raised by English parents so feel confident with my seeing the stereotyping here). She drags him out of his comfort zone and into the mystery of what happened to the missing guest. This turns into a murder and a substantial amount of missing money, as they race around the French countryside in search of clues.

There were a couple of loose ends - who killed Ava Gardner? The Italians? - and we never really find out about the bloody handprint, either, although it's set up to be the whole reason behind the guest's disappearance. The ending was a bit unsatisfying as well, as I didn't think there were really enough clues to point to the killer.

Despite that, I did enjoy it and most of the characters and will keep it on my TBR pile. It's light and entertaining and sometimes that's all you need!

New author alert and I just love a new author especially ias he lives in rural France just like me. So this was a great treat to find this author and a comedian as well. Double whammy! Death and Croissants by Ian Moore is the first in a new series its set in the fictional Val de Follet Valley in the Loire Valley. It's a great mystery But a little crazy and very quirky, but, slightly over the top cosy mystery, and I loved it. It was a fun book to dive into!

We meet Richard Ainsworth, who is a middle-aged Englishman who has moved to the Loire Valley where he runs a Bed and Breakfast or rather a chambre d’hote in his words. Richard is, very boring even, and his only interest and passions are to live in the life of old movies and his dream is to call his establishment under the names after actresses—Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, & Rita Hayworth. He is estranged from his very stylish wife Clare who hates France and has found there's nothing here to keep her here! and has gone back to England!
But, life goes on for him, and most days are the same........Pretty boring and only has his cleaning lady, Madame Tablier for company. OHHHHHHH, until one morning Richard's life goes Bang and turns upside down, when one guest at his B&B goes missing a old Grand chaps, who has left a bloody handprint on his rooms wall - Christ thats gonna be a pain to clean!!! Richard want to do something about this and get to the bottom of where Grand chaps has gone?

It sounds pretty boring bit this book is fun and this is where the fun begins! However, it took me a while to get into it but I am glad I stuck with and hoping to read more books from Ian Moore in the future.

Unfortunately I didn't love this one, I found it a little slow to be honest.
I chose the book based on the title. In my opinion I found it set to be similar to the Richard Osman books. Sorry

This is a great cozy mystery. I loved the setting and characters. I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

I initially requested this book for the title alone. I thought to myself - ok this sounds like it could be good! I’m usually a huge sucker for a cozy mystery but this one missed the mark for me. I don’t like leaving bad reviews but this one wasn’t for me. Sorry.

This felt like self insert fan fiction for a mix between a cozy mystery and a film noir, and not in a good way.

There were a lot of stereotypes that were questionable at best, the main character was a dud that was far from relatable, and the story, plot, and mystery left a lot to be desired.

This light, humorous, cozy mystery is set in the Loire Valley. Richard owns a B&B and after the mysterious disappearance of an elderly guest, he is pulled into an investigation by another guest. The first in a new series, I look forward to other entries.

"Death and Croissants" by Ian Moore receives a 3-star rating from me. While the novel offers an interesting blend of mystery, humor, and a charming French countryside setting, there are certain aspects that left me with mixed feelings.

The character of Richard, the middle-aged Englishman running a B&B, is endearing, but at times, his reluctance to get involved in the mystery felt a bit overdone. The humor in the story is enjoyable, but there were moments when it seemed forced, and the pacing of the humor felt uneven.

The plot, involving the disappearance of a guest and the murder of Richard's beloved hen, Ava Gardner, has its moments of intrigue, but the execution could have been tighter. Some elements of the mystery felt a little convoluted, and the resolution was somewhat predictable.

On the positive side, the book captures the essence of the French countryside beautifully, providing readers with a vivid sense of place. The quirky characters, including the exotic Valérie, add depth to the story and keep it engaging.

I unfortunely didn't love this one. I had a hard time relating to the characters and if I don't relate to the characters I tend to not be interested. The characters were quirky and there was some light humor that I enjoyed. It just wasn't for me.

A compulsive page turner with wit, and oh what a cast of characters! I loved it.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

DNF~20%

I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley and was excited that it was compared to The Thursday Murder Club series since I’ve really enjoyed that. I started this in February and keep trying to go back to finish it and I just can’t.

This started strong with a character immediately being missing but there was nothing to keep my attention. What little I saw of Valerie she was very obviously a female hero written by a man and it feels like there was too much effort into making all the characters quirky and it fell flat.

Death and Croissants is a nice cozy mystery with multiple layers of whodunnits, some excellent film noir references, and even a slightly disturbing pair of swingers!

This book contains references to both death and croissants, and only one of which I consumed while reading it. A funny and delightful tale of pastries and patsies.

I enjoyed the premise and the setting, but the pacing was a bit dragged out and it took me longer than necessary to finish the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

The idea was interesting, but I got bored and couldn't focus on it because my mind kept getting distracted. I really liked Madame Tablier, the strong and unconventional housekeeper. The jokes and the unique characters were really enjoyable, but they might be too much at times. The story is confusing and has many problems that are easy to notice. There is a puzzle that has been partly figured out, but it doesn't match the clues we had in the beginning and still has many unanswered questions. I enjoyed reading it, but I think the story could have been more clever and the characters could have been more well-developed.

This was just a mild read and lacked plot and was hard to get through. Was not to thrilled with the way the writer described the characters. There was parts that made it hard to finish the book. I would be willing to see what else the author has to offer

I've read the reviews of how this first book in the Follet Valley series was uproariously funny. How fans of Richard Osman would love it. Well, this Richard Osman fan found this book only so-so. Yes, this mystery set in a French B&B had its moments and some chuckles but it was a slog for me to carry on with it. Maybe the humor is just not my kind of humor. I was bored with it.

I did not care for the plot at all. The two leading characters, Richard and Valerie, grated on me at first, though they did grow on me just a bit.

I see that there is a novella in this series. I may (or may not) give it a second chance. It's quirky but, for me, not very entertaining.

Death and Croissants is the first in Ian Moore's cosy mystery series featuring British expat Richard Ainsworth, the middle-aged proprietor of a chambre d'hôte (B&B) in the (fictional) Follet Valley - a "quiet corner" of the popular Loire Valley region in France.

Recently-separated Richard is trying to hold things together as he manages the running of his accommodation business, Les Vignes. A former film historian who loathes IMdB with a passion, Richard likes nothing better than to commune with his chickens, avoid sexually-adventurous fellow Britons and B&B proprietors Martin and Gennie Thompson, and live a relatively ordered life. With the assistance of his irascible and formidable femme de ménage (domestic help) Madame Tablier, he's just about coping. Then all hell breaks loose - an elderly goes missing from his room, leaving only a bloody handprint and a broken pair of spectacles. Worse, Richard's favourite chicken is senselessly slaughtered in her run soon afterwards. Is this a warning, and who exactly is - or was - the mysterious M. Grandchamps?

Another guest, the rather fabulous Valérie d'Orçay sashays onto the scene on cue, encouraging Richard to buck up and solve the mystery. Ripped from the rut in which he'd been existing, Richard finds he's secretly revelling in the adventures Valérie leads him on, as their madcap adventures take them on a chase through the streets of Tours, on a Loire Valley pleasure cruise, an escape from a pleasure dungeon and into a confrontation with a pair of mafia assassins.

Death and Croissants is a light and entertaining romp, which I'd characterise as Peter Mayle meets Agatha Raisin. Featuring diffident Richard and flamboyant Valerie as an unlikely detecting duo, this promises to be the start of a great series.

I'd recommend Death and Croissants to any reader who enjoys action-packed cosy mysteries, especially those with Francophile tendencies and a love of classic cinema.

My thanks to the author, Ian Moore, publisher Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

"Death and Croissants" by Ian Moore is a delightful and entertaining novel that takes readers on a humorous journey alongside the eccentric characters. Richard, the B&B owner, finds himself unexpectedly caught up in a mysterious disappearance, and his life takes an exciting turn. With witty storytelling and quirky charm, this book is a delightful escape into a world of intrigue and croissants. A must-read for fans of comedic mysteries!