Death and Croissants
A Novel
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3.6 • 10 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A witty, wine-soaked cozy mystery for fans of Richard Osman, Agatha Raisin, and anyone who prefers their murders with a splash of charm and a hen named Ava Gardner.
Welcome to the Loire Valley: home to rolling vineyards, sleepy villages... and the occasional dead body.
Richard Ainsworth wanted nothing more than quiet days running his B&B, rewatching classic films, and avoiding confrontation. But when a guest vanishes—leaving behind a bloody handprint and a very dead chicken—his peaceful life is upended in the most ridiculous way.
Armed with only film trivia, anxious instincts, and an exasperatingly glamorous French sidekick, Richard must stumble through a mystery that’s as absurd as it is addictive.
Death and Croissants is the first in the bestselling Follet Valley Mysteries— a cozy crime series full of oddball suspects, unpredictable twists, and sly, irresistible wit.
Praise for Death and Croissants:
"A fast-paced, witty story for those who enjoy dry British humor." ―Library Journal
"Laugh-out-loud caper." ―Shelf Awareness, Starred Review
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
U.K. comedian Moore makes his U.S. debut with a mildly amusing series launch set in France. Richard Ainsworth, the owner of a bed and breakfast in the Loire Valley, spends his days just trying to melt unobtrusively into the background, avoiding confrontation with his guests; his soon to be ex-wife, Clare; and Madame Tablier, his grim housekeeper who's "permanently on the edge of outrage." One fateful morning, he meets a new arrival at the B&B, elegant, "absurdly glamorous," and rather mysterious Valérie d'Orçay. She glides into the breakfast room and announces: "You have a missing guest, an old man. There is blood on the walls and a broken pair of spectacles. I suggest we do something, don't you?" So begins Richard's seduction into a more adventurous life. With Valérie giving the orders, Richard winds up on the trail of the vanished lodger and of a possible killer, while pursuing and being pursued in turn by a pack of Mafia assassins. The plot wobbles along, trailing behind the protagonists as they race hither and thither, but ultimately going nowhere. The book has a nice setup, but mediocre execution. Mystery fans should be prepared for minimal investigating.