Death and Croissants: The most hilarious murder mystery since Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club (A Follet Valley Mystery)

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The weird french names (You can tell that maybe the author tried a little bit too hard to made them sound french)

This] charming mystery, released in 2021 in the UK, is a fast-paced, witty story for those who enjoy dry British humor." — Library Journal From the Publisher France, boutique hotel, missing guest, murdered hen, cunning women and brothers, not to forget all the movie references and other jokes.Valérie is glamourous, confident and potentially deadly. She is never knowingly underdressed, has hidden “skills” and has the makings of camouflage in her bag, so what if it’s actually a very expensive face mask. She also happens to have a dog more often than not in the bag too. She doesn’t ask Richard to get involved, she more or less tells him and he just goes along with it. Disclaimer: Please note I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

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.

Death and Croissants' is a brilliant title (great cover too!) and I was immediately drawn to the book and its premise – I love the idea of living in France and have toyed with the idea of running a B&B in the past. So to be fair, I was predisposed to look favourably on this novel. And with the myriad accolades offered by a 'who’s who' of British comedians and writers it can only mean that either this is a remarkable book or the author has a lot of very influential friends… Well, it turns out it might possibly be both. Ian has created a vast cast of eccentric, fun and loveable characters. From swingers/nudists, Italian Mafia to cleaner's that would run any good business into the ground. Richard is a middle-aged English man running a B & B in the French countryside. He lives a mostly mundane life. until one day, he finds a bloody handprint on the wall and one of his guests missing. Death and Croissants is such a relentless rollercoaster ride of laughs and twists, it should come with a height restriction and health warning.’ Matt Forde One of the best descriptions of Richard comes from Valerie. He is a man, who perhaps comes across as older than he really is because he is tired of life. He is indeed like ‘an old hunting dog’, looking for a quiet life. However, I was convinced that there was something left in Richard that indicated he hadn’t quite finished with the excitement of life yet. He is completely bewitched by Valerie from the start and I had no doubts that he would follow her on any adventure she chose to have him on.