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

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He sound finds however that he is actually enjoying running around the countryside looking for villains. There only a few problems to overcome – he’s a strong introvert, really doesn’t like people that much, and his cleaning woman is a foul-mouthed, loudly opinionated Frenchwoman. Moore's French whodunnit is an engaging caper through the Loire Valley with an expat reluctant hero mixed up with a Maigret-like rural cast, a glamorous heroine and a couple of Mafia killers. The whole thing has a very campy (in a good way) feel, from Richard’s references to his beloved classic cinema to the madcap, zany race to solve the mystery. Whilst cosy murder mystery is not a genre I read very often, like many people I read and enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club so this seemed like the perfect book when I was looking for a fun, light read - and it proved to be exactly that.

So when I saw the blurb and realised Death and Croissants is a great Englishman in France kind of story, it was an instant coup de coeur. Ian Moore is a brilliant comedian whose wit is as sharp as his dress sense and he has managed to take that on stage story telling brilliance and put it in his writing. Oh, and a guest has gone missing after leaving smashed glasses and a bloody handprint on the wallpaper. This novel has a sparkle and verve that is appealing, both in the dialogue and the comedic plotting. When one of them manages to disappear, leaving behind a bloody handprint, another of the guests, the glamourous Valerie decides that she has to figure out what has happened, and that Richard has to help her.Thanks to NetGalley and Farrago Books for this digital advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. Rural France setting, croissants, a bossy French lady and a dog named Passepartout - now, doesn't this sound exciting? Right when you think you have it figured out, you're hit with a new twist that leaves you wanting more. There's plenty to love in this story: the quirky characters, the humor (loved the names of the chicken) and the solid mystery. A middle aged, expat, film buff, who names his chickens after leading ladies from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

One day, an elderly gentleman guest goes missing, leaving behind a bloodied handprint on the wallpaper, ‘ that’ll never come out! I started reading this and then for one reason or another, stopped about a third of the way through to pick up something else.A sweary cleaning lady, chickens named after famous actresses, a retired judge who hates his twin brother, a young Italian couple, mafia connections, a tall American with a Stetson, an actor who dresses up as a chicken, a senior policeman, and a kinky English couple straight out of a Carry On film are among the panoply of characters inhabiting Ian Moore's story.

Unputdownable mystery set in rural France, by TV radio regular and bestselling author Ian Moore – perfect for fans of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club, Julia Chapman, or M. But a short time later, adding to the farcical nature of the plot, things become really serious when someone murders Ava Gardner, one of Richard's hens.It is a good mystery, written with lots of humour (of course making a little bit of fun of the French countryside life in the process) and it made me chuckle often. Sure, there are some predictable elements, and the murder is off the page there is no gore to be found. Part quirky Rom-Com, party mystery, with a ton of twists and surprises, this one was just such a fun read. This was such a fun, caper-y book, very much in the spirit of the late Peter Mayle’s French countryside mysteries.

I loved almost everything about it: from the setting to the two protagonists, to the intriguing plot.

Death and Croissants by Ian Moore is the first in a series featuring Bed and Breakfast owner Richard Ainsworth and is set in the fictional Val de Follet in the Loire Valley. Like Richard Osman in his Thursday murder club series, the main reason to read this book is for the sparkling, hilarious dialogue and inner thoughts of its characters.