The first in the author's new cozy mystery series was so much fun, with amazing descriptions of cycling the French countryside. Count me in for Book 2!

This was a delight to read! I love Ann Claire's sense of place in her Christie Bookshop series and she did not disappoint in this new series! I loved learning about the region in the story and all the facts sprinkled in. The group of cyclists were a fun bunch to tag along with along with Sadie, the American ex pat owner of Oui Cycle. Lots of red herrings abound, but the mystery took a backseat to the scenery, though I did not mind! A great read for those looking to escape this summer to the French countryside with a dash murder!

Sadie is trying to learn to cope with the loss of her best friend. She starts a bicycle tour company located in France. The descriptions of France and it's countryside is amazing. The cast of characters is diverse. Love the story plot of who'd one the murder while Sadie learns to grieve. Thanks #Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

The Characters:

This mystery kept me guessing because while I liked most of the characters, there were definitely some bad apples in the bunch. And besides the bad apples, there were some questionable apples. Like Dom, for instance. He doesn’t seem like a bad guy, but he definitely rubs a lot of people the wrong way. When he turns up dead it’s surprising because although he is annoying, he doesn’t seem annoying enough that someone would want to kill him.

Nigel Fox was another questionable apple that turned into a bad apple. His negative attitude definitely made him seem questionable. He really got a joy out of criticizing Sadie and antagonizing the rest of the cyclists on the tour group.

But I loved the rest of the tour. There was the rest of the Appleton crew (Judith, Lance, and Lexi), Manfred, Philly and Conny (sisters). And then there were the employees who worked on Sadie’s tour. Everyone had a unique back story that was revealed in time.

Tour Groups are No Joke, but they do have a lot of Humor:

I must admit. I did not envy Sadie while she was dealing with her tour group in this story. I used to work in the hospitality industry so I know how difficult it can be trying to please customers and keep things organized.

It was driving me crazy how every time Sadie wanted the group to head out on the next leg of their journey, someone was late. Or just gone? Lol. I feel like that’s a liability issue so the way Nigel and Lance kept being mysteriously absent was bizarre to me.

The logistics of organizing the group was very chaotic, but there were a lot of funny moments in this story which I appreciated.

Would I Recommend A Cyclist’s Guide to Crime & Croissants?:

Yes, I would recommend this book to any of my mystery loving friends. It was a delightful story to read for quite a few reasons which I will share below.

- Sadie was a great character to read about. I really enjoyed her personality. Many people in this book point out how brave she is for moving to another country and buying a business and that is absolutely true.
- Although the main part of this story is figuring out who the murderer is, there is also the interesting backstory of Sadie trying to move on from the loss of her best friend, who passed away the previous year.
- The descriptions of France and the different places they visited were really interesting! I’ve never been to France but the idea of going on a cycling tour there seems so lovely. I think the author Ann Claire did a great job of describing these scenes and planning out the tour that everyone went on.
- The food scenes were pretty great! I consider myself to be a food enthusiast, so I loved all the talk about baked goods. The tour group also has a few nice dinners throughout the story that sounded fabulous.

Ann Claire does it again with a fabulous start to a new cozy mystery series.

Protagonist Sadie Greene has started over by running a bicycle tour company in France, helping her come to peace with her past while also forging forward on her dream path.

This debut introduces the cast of characters making up the Oui Cycle Tour team, as well as an eclectic group of riders on this given tour.

Filled with heart, an amazing mystery that will keep you guessing, and absolutely jaw-dropping descriptions of real French towns, readers will find themselves immediately wanting the next book in the series upon finishing this book. I have to admit that I found myself Googling pictures of these French towns and pretending that I myself was along for the ride.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this book for free and provide my honest review.

I love Ann Claire's Christie sisters series so I was really excited to read this cozy European mystery. It did not disappoint! It was just the right amount of twists and turns to keep me hooked until the very end. As an added bonus, it made me wonder if I should go a cycling trip and start eating more croissants.

I was initially drawn to this one by the book’s title and the cover which I found very appealing. Happily, the story inside these pages also offered an enjoyable read with gorgeous locations, some good characters and an interesting plot.

Sadie was the kind of person who lived a predictable life as exemplified by her position as an actuary. Her life changes following the unexpected death of her best friend, Gemma (not too much of a spoiler as this happens very early in the book).

Sadie needs a change and purchases a bike tour company in France (now that sound pretty nice). However, of course, there are problems. These include vandalism and murder. No spoilers so hard to say much more except that this was a fun, cozy read. I hope that it is the start of a series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

A Cyclist’s Guide to Crime & Croissants by Ann Claire is the debut to A Cyclist’s Guide Mysteries. We meet Sadie Green who gave up her financial career after her best friend was killed by a hit and run driver. Sadie now owns, Oui Cycle in Sans-Souci-sur-Mer, France taking tourists on cycling tours. It is certainly a change from Sadie’s office job. There are a variety of characters that includes Sadie’s employees, the villagers, the cycling tourists, and people they meet along the route. It can be challenging to keep track of all the people. I enjoyed the picturesque descriptions of the Sans-Couci-sur-Mer and the places they visited as they visited. I felt like I was cycling along with them (I would prefer to be with a different group though). I like the tidbits that Sadie shares about the flora, fauna, and local history. Each chapter begins with information from Oui Cycle’s tour brochure. The story is broken down into the days of the tour. At the end of each day, there is Sadie’s journal entry. The mystery includes vandalism and murder. Sadie asks questions and searches for clues. The whodunit can be solved before the reveal if readers picked up the clues that were dropped along with other details that were mentioned. I was left with a couple of unanswered questions at the end of the book. The pacing is leisurely. I wish it had moved as fast as an ebike. The food and wine descriptions will have your mouth watering (and searching for your nearest French bistro). I love croissants as much as Sadie (the delicious buttery, flaky pastry). I can certainly understand why she loves to stop for one or two (I prefer mine without chocolate). I did not understand Dom’s aversion to the tasty pastries. A Cyclist’s Guide to Crime & Croissants is a charmante cozy with délicieux croissants, tardy travelers, vexing vandalism, a smelly mess, an alarming murder, and an énigme réglé.

Giving up her ho hum life in Chicago, Sadie follows her dreams to the South of France where she has purchased a bike touring company…without ever stepping foot into the business before purchasing it. With her dream life ahead of her, Sophie sets up a perfect tour for her Chicago friends and former boss.

When her boss ends up dead, and it’s not an accident, Sophie finds herself and her new business under a cloud of suspicion. She’s determined to keep her dream, and herself, alive as she tries to figure out who had it in for Dom. Can Sophie finger the killer before the killer lets the air out of her once and for all?

I love a good cozy. Set it in France and I’m in heaven! This series hits all the high points and I am ready for more in the series!

I love cycling, France, and a good mystery, so I loved A Cyclist's Guide to Crime & Croissants. The main characters were likeable. The "crimes" were a little clunky and all over the place, but it didn't take away from a surprising and satisfying ending. It's ultimately a book about friendship, old and new. I hope it turns into a nice little series.

I’m not a cyclist, but I am a Francophile, so I was willing to give this book a try. And I’m certainly glad I did. A Cyclist's Guide to Crime & Croissants is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Ann Claire. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read it.
After the hit-and-run death of Gemma, her best friend, Sadie Greene, the first-person protagonist, gave up her orderly, predictable life as an actuary in a Chicago suburb to buy a bicycle tour company, Oui Cycle, in southern France. It was a dream she and Gemma once shared, and now Sadie is living it alone.
When the story opens, Sadie is about to lead a new tour from her quaint village, Sans-Souci-sur-Mer. Her former boss and his family have joined, and they have an agenda to persuade Sadie to return to the company back in the U.S. The group also includes twin sisters from Scotland, a lone German philosopher/cyclist, and a renowned, caustic British critic known to make or break a business through his reviews.
Each chapter begins with a paragraph from the tour brochure cheerily describing the scheduled activities for the day. Then onto the real story… and how much goes wrong. Including a murder on Day 3. And another one on Day 6.
Suspicion falls on every member of the group, as well as Sadie’s two employees who are handling the tour’s logistics. The company has recently been the target of a local vandal, and Sadie wonders if pranks and property damage could have escalated to violence.
Each day concludes with an entry in Sadie’s journal, where she rehashes the events with Gemma and speculates on the investigation.
The writing is excellent. The author did such a great job describing the gorgeous setting and the delicious French food and wine; I felt like I was there. She slips in interesting facts about the history, flora, and fauna through Sadie’s tour guide lectures in a way that advances the plot without feeling like an info dump.
The mystery was well done, and I didn’t figure out the killer until the end.
Sadie is a likable heroine, and I look forward to reading more of her adventures in this series. Highly recommended!

I liked the chatty style and the fact she follows her dream and sets up her own business. A solo cyclist falls off the cliff and enter the detective. Mystery and intrigued and possible sabotage. An interesting read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

I was excited to read book #1 in a new cozy mystery series by this author. The cover was so cute - and the fact that it takes place in France were the reasons why I requested the ARC. It was such a fun read. Loved the French setting, the culinary delicacies and the bike tour was a dream. The characters were fun and quirky and the suspect pool large, which kept me guessing until the end.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series - what will happen next?!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I love this new series! What a fun new format, opening each chapter with the description from the tour brochure. And then the chapter shows how everything goes awry, contrasting with the lovely description.

The writing is smart and witty. The plotting is logical and surprising. And the characterizations are terrific. I love Sadie and her relationships with the Appletons, her employees, and her late friend, Gem. And although the message is never heavy-handed, Sadie has some very relatable and meaningful internal debates and introspections.

I can't wait for the next book in this series. I think this series might turn out to be one of my favorites!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Solid cozy mystery. This is the second series I have read by this author. Although I prefer the other due to literary connections, I guess you could say this has culinary connections - including a recipe in the back. At times the mystery takes a back seat to characterization - and croissants. For the record, I didn’t guess the culprit. 🧐 This is for fans of the “enclosed characters” with a finite suspect pool dwindling down. Also liked the lack of a romantic storyline. There is a set up for future installments which I will also read. Has me obsessing over all things French. Book releases in May. Keep your eyes and noses ready! Off to get a croissant now…

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Pack your bags (and your bicycle helmet) because this utterly charming cozy mystery will take you all around some of the most beautiful parts of the French countryside! Be prepared to stop for: croissants, historical features, and an unexpected murder (or two). I loved everything about this book (not just the sumptuous descriptions of French food), the main character was clever without being pompous, the murders were intriguing and kept me guessing the entire book, and the cast of characters were exceptional!

If you're craving a European vacation without the budget, and also don't mind a little mystery thrown in, THE CYCLIST'S GUIDE TO CRIME & CROISSANTS is the perfect choice!

I'm still struggling with my thoughts on this book. While I loved the setting, the cycling, and Sadie herself, the plotline felt very formulaic and very repetitive. The cyclist group would travel, there'd be some sort of vandalism or burglary, and then Detective Laurent would arrive and there'd be some sort of fallout for Sadie. Then they'd move on to their next destination and the same would happen again. I also wish there'd been more investigating on Sadie's part. It felt more like things happened to her than she actually investigated, which made it hard to connect to the mystery because it was near impossible for readers to solve (other than the random guessing game). Overall, I'm a little disappointed in the book as I'd wished there was a little more to the mystery.

What a fun read! I felt like I was in France. I wish I could go on that tour. Well, except without all the murder. Ha ha! Sadly, I didn't even guess who the killer was until the end so that was a good surprise. Now I need a croissant...

I've never read a cozy about cycling until this book. Now, I can't wait to read the next book! Sadie Greene, relocates from Chicago to Sans-Souci-sur-Mer, France to run Oui Cycle and fulfill her dreams. However, dealing with vandals and murder were never in her plans.

I enjoyed the mystery with it's "twists and turns", visit to the French countryside, the delicious food descriptions and the world of cycling. The cycling info did not overwhelm the reader and blended perfectly into the mystery. A perfect cozy!

I received an ARC from Net Galley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved Ann Claire's Dead and Gondola series, it got me on the cozy mystery kick that I'm on. I was so excited when I realized she had this book out!

This was such a delightful read! The French setting added such a charming backdrop to the story and the cycling tour aspect was a refreshing twist. It made me want to sign up for one immediately!

The characters were a real highlight for me. Each one seemed to have their own motives lurking beneath the surface, which kept me guessing until the very end. And let's not forget about Manfred! What a gem of a character. His unwavering positivity was like a breath of fresh air amidst all the drama.

This cozy mystery is definitely worth a spin (pun intended!).