This first Follet Valley mystery written by standup comic Ian Moore is competent and amusing. The mystery is a good one although some of the threads do meander from time to time. If you're a fan of a certain mystery series and the words "Loire Valley" and "France" made your eyes light up, you need to settle down a bit. Death and Croissants is not Bruno Chief of Police: Northern France. Far from it. This book is played almost entirely for laughs, and the ex-pat experience far outweighs the French factor.
Everything is seen through the eyes of Richard Ainsworth, former film historian, who has the tendency to utter a movie quote that makes Valérie d'Orçay put two and two together and solve another piece of the mystery. Anyone who remembers a television series called Remington Steele may find this sounding a bit familiar. It's a miracle that Richard can make a go of his B&B due to his attitude and the terrifying presence of Madame Tablier the cleaning lady who would be perfectly cast sitting at the foot of a guillotine with her knitting. It's a good thing this mystery came along to shake things up.
If you're in the mood for something light and fun that will keep a smile on your face as you turn the pages, pick up a copy of Death and Croissants. It may be just what the doctor ordered.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
Everything is seen through the eyes of Richard Ainsworth, former film historian, who has the tendency to utter a movie quote that makes Valérie d'Orçay put two and two together and solve another piece of the mystery. Anyone who remembers a television series called Remington Steele may find this sounding a bit familiar. It's a miracle that Richard can make a go of his B&B due to his attitude and the terrifying presence of Madame Tablier the cleaning lady who would be perfectly cast sitting at the foot of a guillotine with her knitting. It's a good thing this mystery came along to shake things up.
If you're in the mood for something light and fun that will keep a smile on your face as you turn the pages, pick up a copy of Death and Croissants. It may be just what the doctor ordered.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
