Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
It is my pleasure to share my thoughts about
A Cyclist’s Guide to Crime & Croissants by Ann Claire today!
A Cyclist’s Guide to Crime & Croissants (Cyclist’s Guide Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – France
Publisher : Kensington Cozies (May 21, 2024)
Hardcover : 352 pages
ISBN-10 : 149674568X
ISBN-13 : 978-1496745682
Kindle ASIN : B0CHHGK2Z8
Audiobook ASIN B0CQZ5422F
Nine months ago, Sadie Greene shocked friends and family by ditching her sensible office job in the Chicago suburbs and buying a sight-unseen French bicycling tour company, Oui Cycle. Now she’s living the unconventional life of her dreams in the gorgeous village of Sans-Souci-sur-Mer. Sans souci means carefree, but Sadie feels enough pressure to burst a tire when hometown friends arrive for a tour, including her former boss, Dom Appleton. Sadie is determined to show them the wonders of France and cycling—and to prove she made the right move.
She hopes her meticulously planned nine-day itinerary will win them over, with its stunning seascapes, delicious wine tastings, hilltop villages, and, of course, frequent stops for croissants. When Dom drags his heels on fun, Sadie vows he’ll enjoy if it kills her. That is, until Dom ends up dead. The tragedy was no accident. Someone went out of their way to bring a permanent end to Dom’s vacation.
As more crimes—and murder—roll in, suspicions hover over Oui Cycle. To save her dream business, help her friends, and bring justice, Sadie launches her own investigation. However, mysteries mount with every turn. On an uphill battle for clues, can Sadie come to terms with her painful past while spinning closer to the truth—or will a twisted killer put the brakes on her for good?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Sadie Green is the new owner of Oui Cycle. She purchased the French bicycling tour business unseen after leaving her job in the Chicago suburbs behind to follow a dream she had with her best friend Gemma Gooding. A year ago Gemma was riding her bike when she was killed in a hit-and-run. The driver never came forward but Gemma’s last words to Sadie were encouraging her to take the day off to go cycling with her. “You’ll never get this day back. Remember to live.” An ad she saw on her phone had her making an offer for Oui Cycle and it was accepted. Now she is living her life in the beautiful village of Sans-Souci-sur-Mer.
Sadie is excited that her former boss, Dom Appleton, and his family have arrived in France. She has planned a nine-day tour filled with picnics, wine tasting, views of the sea and hilltop villages, and plenty of croissants as they cycle miles each day to enjoy it all. Dom can’t seem to get his mind off his business but Sadie won’t let his vacation be bogged down with work. But when Dom takes a detour and ends up dead the guilt Sadie feels is immense. When she finds out his death was no accident and was a cold-blooded murder she starts investigating on her own.
Sadie is cycling through the clues as the bike tour continues. Could someone in her group be a murderer? Will they come after her next?
I appreciated Ms. Claire’s detailed descriptions of Sans-Souci-sur-Mer and everywhere the cycling tour took her characters. Her words created imagery that made it easy to imagine the world around them and the people they met. I felt like a butterfly on Sadie’s shoulder taking in all the the splendor. The biking journey is broken down into 3 stages, by the sea, across the plains, and to the mountains. It really reads like a virtual vacay with a side of murder.
I enjoyed the way the characters are introduced and how they develop throughout the story. Sadie Green is a wonderful protagonist. She is enjoying her new life and feels free. Sadie has educated herself about the local history, the flora and fauna that make up the landscapes they tour making her a great tour host. She deals with the loss of her friend every day by keeping a journal telling Gem about each day of the tour and what is happening in her life. She has good instincts and with different theories. She is joined on the tour by her former boss Dom, his wife Judith, their son Lance, Lance’s girlfriend Laci, travel reviewer Nigel Fox, twin sisters, Philomena and Constance, and Manfred, a self-described digital nomad. Her co-guide Nadiya assists her in all aspects of the tours and Jordi travels with the company van to deliver luggage to each stop and he maintains the bikes. We also meet Bea and Bernard the former owners of Oui Cycle who are willing to help Sadie in any way that they can. Detective Jacques Laurent is easy on the eyes and has an interesting way of investigating.
The mysteries were very well-plotted blending all the biking elements with the murder/s. The author drops clues nicely for Sadie and us armchair sleuths. I was wavering in a couple of different directions. Let me just say Ms. Claire served up some nice red herrings. I had such a good time pulling clues together while I escaped away to the French countryside. Most of the clues fell into place for me before all was revealed but I was surprised about the depth of the crimes.
Unlike Dom, I love croissants and craved them from the first time they were mentioned and well beyond the last. All the foods mentioned made me wish I was there to take a big bite.
A Cyclist’s Guide to Crime & Croissants is a charming cozy mystery that takes readers on a marvelous journey with captivated characters and a top-notch mystery to solve. I am excited to take another cycling tour with the “best little bike tour company in Sans-Souci”.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Kensington Cozies, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
About the Author
Ann Claire is the USA Today bestselling author of the Cyclist’s Guide Mysteries and the Christie Bookshop Mysteries, as well as the Bookmobile Mystery Series and the Santa Fe Café Mystery Series written under the pennames Nora Page and Ann Myers. She lives with her French husband in Colorado, but regularly travels to visit family in Southern France. A member of Sisters in Crime and the Pikes Peak Writers, she can be found on Instagram @AnnClaireAuthor or @AnnClaireMysteries on Facebook.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”
