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

Product Information

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 Moore is apparently a successful standup comedian in The UK and once I read that upon finishing the book so many things made sense to me. This was touted for ‘fans of the Thursday Murder Club’, so I requested it as I did enjoy the geriatric romp through the seedy underbelly of life. However, as it progressed, I was doing nothing but punishing myself, when there are so many more worthwhile books out there. Along with Richard, I’m thinking what fresh hell is this, and have a lingering suspicion I’ve wandered into Fawlty Tower’s sister establishment. French is my favourite language and I studied it extensively for most of my life, including the culture, cuisine, history and geography of France, for a complete and complex understanding of the subtilities of the language.

I love main character Richard's vulnerability, it lent his character a depth and completeness that really resonated. Richard's feeling unseen and under-appreciated and having opted for so long to do things he must do rather than what he wanted to, made me appreciate author Ian Moore attributing all that to a male character. Much of the humor here stems from cultural stereotypes, British, French and Italian; done artfully, without offense or exploitation, as perhaps only a professional comedian can pull off best.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. What I did like was the humor. I found sections quite comical and subtle. I love humor that makes me giggle and smile as I read. This book has that. I tried to love it overall, but I just didn't. While I wasn't tempted at any point to not finish this, it did seem like a much longer read than it actually is. I don't think I will be reading any more of this series. Richard is a middle aged man living a quiet life in France. One day, one of his guest goes missing living a bloodied hand print behind and suddenly Richard find himself dragged along femme fatale Valérie who is determined to find out what happened. Richard is more of an outside viewer to the events taking place around him until one of his beloved hens is found dead. You don’t mess with a man’s hen. Death and croissants will take you on a ride with nudists, mafia, old man with a grudge, an other one with a price on his head and secrets. Very minor spoilers: their very softly hinted at ‘will-they-won’t-they’ relationship is what kept me going so that I finished the book in three days, even though I was left a tiny bit disappointed with where Valérie and Richard’s dynamic seemed to be going.

There is humour to be had, with events putting me in mind at times of an Ealing comedy caper with an added je ne sais quoi. It all seems improbable but that is part of its charm - a slice of escapism, shot through with the stoical Englishness of film-lover Richard who blunders into the right answers without even realising, and the indomitable Valérie with her dog Passepartout. 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. Middle-aged Englishman Richard Ainsworth runs a B&B in the Loire Valley, where nothing much ever happens and if he’s honest, he rather likes it that way. That is until a guest goes missing, leaving a bloody handprint on the wallpaper, firmly putting paid to the quiet life.DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Farrago Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Death and Croissants by Ian Moore for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. After reading the blurb, I was expecting something along the lines of The Thursday, or even The Marlow, Murder Clubs. That’s very much what I got only much more over the top and a whole lot sillier. 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.