Death in le Jardin

Prior to reading Death in le Jardin, the fourth in the Follett Valley Mystery series, I had not been acquainted with this series or author Ian Moore. It took me no longer than reading the first page to absolutely fall in love with the characters, the writing style, and the anticipation of what was to come.



Insouciant, middle-aged Richard Ainsworth is living the sweet life in Saint-Sauver in the Follet Valley, a quiet French backwater, puttering around his posh B&B with sidekick gal pal, former bounty hunter, and possible assassin, Valérie d’Orçay and her pampered Chihuahua, Passepartout.

When the housekeeper of their B&B is charged with murdering her brother-in-law, who was at one time her fiancé (gotta love the French) life gets complicated. Their investigation sends them to a rather bizarre garden town/commune filled with a variety of strange and dodgy people.

In addition to being a wonderful and complex mystery, the story is very atmospheric. The descriptions were so vivid and detailed that I felt as if I were there right along with the characters. The characters themselves are rich, well developed, quirky, and strange, you name it, and you’ll find it in this book.

At this point I might add that there is no need to have read the previous books in this series (although you will definitely want to), as this stands quite well on its own.

I can’t remember the last time I had such a good time reading a book. It was a wonderful bonus that I was surprised by the conclusion of the mystery. Wonderful.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Farrago Publishing Co., and author Ian Moore for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

'Death in le Jardin' by Ian Moore.

On the surface, Richard Ainsworth has life where he wants it. Middle-aged navel gazing and Olympic levels of procrastination are exactly what rural life in France should be about.
Then crisis hits his posh B&B when redoubtable housekeeper, Madame Tablier, is accused of murder. Even more surprisingly, it's the murder of a former fiancé, turned brother-in-law. None of which the stubborn old woman denies.
Valérie d'Orçay is having none of it and their investigation leads them to a strange tourist garden village, where backbiting, recriminations and even former colleagues provide a deadly scenario more tangled than knotweed.

I'm a big fan of this series and this book was just as good as the rest of them. It kept me guessing right till the end. I love the relationship between Richard and Valerie. And Madame Tablier is a fantastic character so I am happy she played a bigger part in this book.
If you're a fan of cosy crime then I would definitely recommend this series.
Thanks to NetGallery UK, the publishers and the author for letting me read a copy in return for an honest review.

Perfect for fans of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club books. This is book four in the series, but you can start here. However, you will want to go back and read them all! Cozy and funny!