Follet Valley Mystery

'A very funny page-turner. Fantastique!' Adam Kay, Comedian and author of This is Going to Hurt 'A writer of immense wit and charm.' Paul Sinha, ITV's The Chase THE FIRST NOVEL IN THE ENTHRALLING FOLLET VALLEY SERIES, BY TV/RADIO REGULAR IAN MOORE Richard is a middle-aged Englishman who runs a B&B in the fictional Val de Follet in the Loire Valley. Nothing ever happens to Richard, and really that's the way he likes it. One day, however, one of his older guests disappears, leaving behind a bloody handprint on the wallpaper. Another guest, the enigmatic Valérie, persuades a reluctant Richard to join her in investigating the disappearance. Richard remains a dazed passenger in the case until things become really serious and someone murders Ava Gardner, one of his beloved hens ... and you don't mess with a fellow's hens! Unputdownable mystery set in rural France, by TV/radio regular and bestselling author Ian Moore – perfect for fans of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club, Julia Chapman, or M.C. Beaton. Praise for Death and Croissants: 'Death and Croissants is a far funnier book than a story about a bloody murder has any right to be.' Josh Widdicombe, BBC's Mock the Week 'This is like two great books in one, a tricksy whodunnit, and a really, really funny story.' Jason Manford 'Ian is one of my favourite writers; this is hilarious and a great mystery too.' Janey Godley 'Good food and a laugh-out-loud mystery. What more could anyone want in these dark times?" Mark Billingham '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 'Sharp, slick and surprising – like the author himself – Death and Croissants is the Loire Valley's answer to Murder on the Orient Express. I'd marry him tomorrow (Richard, the protagonist; Ian too).' Cally Beaton 'Though I disagree with the opinions on muesli and the hen naming system that are in this book, I will let those pass and say that it is funny, pacy and very entertaining! It also has short chapters – I find many modern novels take far too long to get to the next chapter, but there's no hanging about here.' Robin Ince 'I'd never connected the words death" and croissants" before, but now they're inextricably linked. It's a rollicking qui-dunnit with as many twists as the Loire itself'. Stephen Clarke, author of 1000 Years of Annoying the French '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. It is finely paced, truly funny and written with a wry detachment that conjures up a gentler age of murder mystery.' Charles Bremner

Joyeux Noël mes amis! Who am I? And who murdered me? A Christmas short story from the Times bestselling cosy crime author Richard Ainsworth is preparing for the Christmas of his dreams: quiet, no guests at his French B&B and his favourite films on the TV. None of which seems on the cards when his rural peace is shattered by the unexpected arrival of a familiar face. Valérie d'Orçay has hotfooted it from Paris with her chihuahua in tow and an invitation to a Christmas themed murder mystery game. Richard begrudgingly dresses up as Father Christmas, but the costume becomes the least of his worries when he realises this isn't a game to everyone. As other guests arrive to join the hunt, can Richard work out who is the victim - and who is murderer?

Richard is a middle-aged Englishman who runs a B&B in the Vallée de Follet. Nothing ever happens to Richard, and really that's the way he likes it. Until scandal erupts in the nearby town of Saint-Sauver when its famous restaurant is downgraded from three 'Michelin' stars to two. The restaurant is shamed, the town is in shock and the leading goat's cheese supplier drowns himself in one of his own pasteurisation tanks. Or does he? Valérie d'Orçay, who staying at the B&B while house-hunting in the area, isn't convinced that it's a suicide. Despite his misgivings, Richard is drawn into Valérie's investigation, and finds himself becoming a major player in solving the crime. After all, the French do take their cheese quite seriously and it's quite clear there's nothing gouda happening in the close-knit, small village that Richard calls home. Praise for Death and Croissants: 'A very funny page-turner. Fantastique!' Adam Kay, Comedian and author of This is Going to Hurt 'A writer of immense wit and charm.' Paul Sinha, ITV's The Chase 'Death and Croissants is a far funnier book than a story about a bloody murder has any right to be.' Josh Widdicombe, BBC's Mock the Week 'This is like two great books in one, a tricksy whodunnit, and a really, really funny story.' Jason Manford 'Ian is one of my favourite writers; this is hilarious and a great mystery too.' Janey Godley 'Good food and a laugh-out-loud mystery. What more could anyone want in these dark times?" Mark Billingham '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 'Sharp, slick and surprising – like the author himself – Death and Croissants is the Loire Valley's answer to Murder on the Orient Express. I'd marry him tomorrow (Richard, the protagonist; Ian too).' Cally Beaton 'Though I disagree with the opinions on muesli and the hen naming system that are in this book, I will let those pass and say that it is funny, pacy and very entertaining! It also has short chapters – I find many modern novels take far too long to get to the next chapter, but there's no hanging about here.' Robin Ince 'I'd never connected the words death" and croissants" before, but now they're inextricably linked. It's a rollicking qui-dunnit with as many twists as the Loire itself'. Stephen Clarke, author of 1000 Years of Annoying the French '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. It is finely paced, truly funny and written with a wry detachment that conjures up a gentler age of murder mystery.' Charles Bremner 'Just like the Loire's other great export, Sancerre, Ian Moore's prose is reassuringly dry, beautifully constructed, and deeply satisfying. The Follet Valley series is a pleasure you'll return to again and again.' Marty Wilson, former Australian Comic of the Year

Book 3 in the Times-bestselling murder mystery series, by leading TV/radio comedian Ian Moore! Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Richard Coles or M.C. Beaton 'Cosy, quirky and wry, but most of all, hilariously funny!' JANICE HALLETT –––––––––––– Richard Ainsworth's French B&B has been taken over by a production company shooting a historical film at the Château de Valençay. But everything grinds to a halt with the sudden passing of an actor under suspicious circumstances. To get to the bottom of things, Valérie d'Orçay and Richard offer catering services to the hastily resumed production. There they discover that the vanity, duplicity and murder of an 18th-century French court is nothing compared to that of a 21st-century film set, with more heads yet to roll. –––––––––––– *MORE PRAISE FOR DEATH AT THE CHATEAU* 'What a terrific read! Reading it felt like being sat outside a rural French cafe, the sun warm on my neck and a smell of baking baguettes in the air' J. M. HALL, author of A Spoonful of Murder 'Death at the Chateau combined all my favourite bits of cosy mysteries; great characters, chaotic moments and hilarity!' HANNAH HENDY, author of The Dinner Lady Detectives 'Ian Moore's trademark, witty style had me laughing one moment and trying to pick over the clues in forensic detail the next' JAMIE WEST, author of Death on the Pier

From the bestselling author of Death and Croissants comes a murder mystery perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Julia Chapman, or MC Beaton On the surface, Richard Ainsworth has life where he wants it. Middle-aged navel gazing and Olympic levels of procrastination are exactly what rural life in France should be about. Then crisis hits his posh B&B when redoubtable housekeeper, Madame Tablier, is accused of murder. Even more surprisingly, it's the murder of a former fiancé, turned brother-in-law. None of which the stubborn old woman denies. Valérie d'Orçay is having none of it and their investigation leads them to a strange tourist garden village, where backbiting, recriminations and even former colleagues provide a deadly scenario more tangled than knotweed.

Saint-Sauver, home to Richard Ainsworth and Valérie d'Orçay's detective agency, is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its town twinning with Anglethorp Spa in Lincolnshire. Events are planned, a huge brocante, street parties and the centrepiece, an exhibition boules tournament between the two towns and a team of international boules all-stars. Everything is going well, the sun shines, the wine flows and the entente is very cordiale. Until the mayor turns up dead in an antique dresser having apparently been killed twice. Inevitably Richard and Valérie have very different views on the subject and engage in their own battle: who will solve the crime first?

From the bestselling author of Death and Croissants, a new murder mystery perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Julia Chapman, or MC Beaton Richard Ainsworth moved to rural France to escape, so being voted mayor of the small town of Saint-Sauver comes as a terrible shock. Fortunately bureaucracy has its benefits and he is shipped off to a health spa to recuperate. The Esprit de l'Air is a world-famous venue on an island fort off the west coast of France, and was chosen specifically by his business partner and bounty hunter of international repute, Valérie d'Orçay. Richard should have been prepared then. After a dramatic first night where a bizarre and unfriendly group of guests are pitched against each other, Richard's film-historian mind wanders. Has he seen this all before? And when the first body turns up, he knows he has... ____________________________________ PRAISE FOR THE FOLLET VALLEY SERIES 'Terrific' J M Hall 'Very funny. Fantastique!' Adam Kay 'Cosy, quirky and wry, but most of all, hilariously funny!' Janice Hallett 'I love this series, and goodness knows we need the laughs right now. It's as if Agatha Raisin had moved to France instead of the Cotswolds. Ian's comic touch is as deft as ever' S. J. Bennett, author of The Windsor Knot