by J. M. Landon

This week we have a review of the latest Follet Valley Mystery from mystery writer and comedian Ian Moore. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it on Amazon.

Death and Fromage by Ian Moore
Review by J. M. Landon

Richard Ainsworth, an Englishman transplanted to a small village in France and the owner of a well-rated B&B, gets entangled in a murder mystery in Death and Fromage.

While Richard awaits Valarie, his dinner companion, the Michelin chef of the restaurant announces his famous dessert. All the patrons are impressed with the presentation but disgusted with the taste. Someone substituted the goat cheese with vegan cheese. With a renowned food critic present, the chef’s reputation is ruined and the restaurant plunges into chaos.

Following are a series of seemingly unconnected murders but all within the same circle of restaurateurs and cheese manufacturers. Undisclosed family relations come to the surface as more people are biting the cheese, so to speak. Richard, facing a midlife crisis, and Valarie, a possible assassin/spy try to suss out the mystery. Richard’s soon-to-be former wife shows up and tries to reinvent his life by relocating him to Cambridge to teach film appreciation.

This book is excellent fodder for food connoisseurs. It’s a fast read with several plot twists: full of double entendres, plays on words, and a colorful cast of characters.

J.M. Landon is retired and blissfully at work on the ‘great American novel.’ She’s worn many hats through her career including: wife, mother, piano teacher, middle school teacher, university professor, painter, jewelry maker, and dragon tamer. She has eight published short stories.

The Cozy Mystery Balancing Act

Interview with Ian Moore:

KRL: How long have you been writing?

Ian: I first tried stand-up comedy in 1995 and have been going ever since, so I guess nearly thirty years. My first non-fiction book, À la Mod… came out in 2012.

KRL: When did your first novel come out, what was it called, and would you tell us a little about it?

Ian Moore

Ian: Death and Croissants was published in 2021, a comedy murder mystery set in rural France where I live. Richard owns a small guesthouse and one of his guests goes missing…

KRL: Have you always written mysteries/suspense and if not, what else have you written?

Ian: My first two books were memoirs about my life living in the French countryside contrasted with my working life as a comedian on tour around the world.

KRL: What brought you to choose the setting and characters in your latest book/series?

Ian: The setting came very naturally. My main character, Richard, is an Englishman who owns a guesthouse in France. I am an Englishman who used to own a guesthouse in France. It was something I hated but rather than actually murder my guests, I decided to murder them in novel form!

KRL: Do you write to entertain or is there something more you want the readers to experience from your work?

Ian: The first thought is always about entertainment. If there are any more serious messages in my writing, I like to think that they’re subtle and that the reader can take or leave them. My Follet Valley series, which started with Death and Croissants, deliberately has no current affairs or politics, they are meant as complete escapism.

KRL: Do you have a schedule for your writing or just work whenever you can?

Ian: I try to write early in the morning, but life quite often gets in the way! Children, pets, travel… Because I have spent thirty years on the road as a comedian, I’m able to put my myself in a bubble where noise and people don’t disturb me. I don’t think I’d ever finish anything if I didn’t have that skill!

KRL: What is your ideal time to write?

Ian: Early morning. My brain seems to function better in the early hours, and I’ve probably spent most of the night semi-awake anyway trying to wrestle with some plot issue!

KRL: Do you outline? If not, do you have some other interesting way that you keep track of what’s going on, or what needs to happen in your book when you are writing it?

Ian: There’s always a pen and paper at my bedside, always, just in case inspiration strikes at night. I always do an outline of the story before I write, usually a 10-point story arc which I’ll flesh out when I’m happy. To keep track of notes, changes anything really, I send myself a lot of emails from my phone. If I walk the dogs for an hour, for example, I’ll get home to six or seven emails that I’ve sent.

KRL: Did you find it difficult to get published in the beginning?

Ian: I was very lucky. The timing was right for cozy comedy. Previously I’ve found it a very hard, very slow process.

KRL: Do you have a great rejection/critique or acceptance story you’d like to share?

Ian: My early books about my two lives, rural France and stand-up comedy, were turned into a sitcom script. The script was rejected on the grounds that it was ‘unrealistic.’ How can it be unrealistic, that’s my life?!

KRL: Life is often much stranger than fiction! Most interesting book signing story-in a bookstore or other venue?

Ian: Someone once asked me to sign their Kindle! ‘It’ll ruin it!’ I told them. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ they replied, ‘you’re worth it.’

KRL: What are your future writing goals?

Ian: Quite simply to keep going. I write two crime/mystery series which means two new books a year. I’d like to keep that up as long as I can.

KRL: Who are your writing heroes?

Ian: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie when I was growing up, then P G Wodehouse, Jonathan Coe, and Fred Vargas.

KRL: What kind of research do you do?

Ian: As much as needs doing. Research is important in more serious books, but you have to control it too. Sometimes you read a passage in a book and there’s far more detail than necessary, that’s because the author was very proud of their research and couldn’t bear to cut it! I know, I’ve done it.

KRL: What do you like to read?

Ian: My favorite books to relax with are non-fiction books about the Golden Age of Hollywood, like the ones by David Niven or Garson Kanin.

KRL: What are your favorite TV shows or movies?

Ian: Only Murders in the Building is wonderful, and I love Sherlock, Poirot and Miss Marple adaptations.

KRL: Me too on all of those! Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?

Ian: Just write. Simple as that. The more you do it, the better you’ll get, and your writing and necessary discipline will improve too.

KRL: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

Ian: One of my hobbies is making chutney.

KRL: Do you have any pets?

Ian: Do I?! At the moment, and it seems to change weekly, we have two dogs, two cats, two hens, three goats and a horse.

KRL: Wow that’s awesome! Is there anything you would like to add?

Ian: I’d like to say a big thanks to my North American readers. As someone who grew up loving US culture, it makes me inordinately proud that I’m now ‘over there.’

KRL: Website? Twitter? Facebook? Instagram?

Ian: ianmoore.info
Twitter: @ianmooreauthor
Facebook: Ian Moore – Author
Insta: @ianmooreauthor

To enter to win a copy of Death and Fromage, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “fromage” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 23, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.

You can click here to purchase this book.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.