A KILLER. A SAINT. A TOWN FULL OF WHISPERSWhen an English expat is brutally murdered, his charred corpse left on a Loire Valley hillside, the police turn to juge d’instruction Matthieu Lombard to find the killer.Instead, Lombard discovers a wealth of secrets, grudges and feuds in the idyllic town of Saint-Genèse-sur-Loire. He begins to suspect that the remaining members of the Comité des Fêtes know more about the death than they are letting on.But r...

A NEW CHRISTMAS STORY from the author of bestselling murder mystery Death & Croissants - the most hilarious murder mystery since Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder ClubRichard 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 hotfoote...

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 ve...

2024 Lillian Jackson Braun Edgar Award NomineeFrom UK comedian Ian Moore comes another "laugh-out-loud caper" (Shelf Awareness, starred review for Death and Croissants).Middle-aged B&B owner Richard Ainsworth is enjoying his quiet life in the Val de Follet—that is, until the local cheese supplier is found dead in one of his own pasteurization tanks…Running a B&B in the Val de Follet means nothing exciting e...

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 murdering a former fiancé. An accusation which the stubborn old woman refuses to deny.Valérie d'Orçay is having none of it and their investigation leads them to a strange tourist garden village, where backbiti...

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....

After six years in the idyllic Loire Valley, comedian Ian Moore, his family and his ever-expanding menagerie are beginning to feel like they’re on the cusp of the peace and tranquillity they hoped for when they moved from dreary Crawley to la belle France. Their grand project, a writing school called Les Champs Créatifs, is finally complete – only,nobody’s signed up.Natalie and the boys must contend with the ever-colourful locals, including a Sicilian faith healer, threateni...

'An engrossing, slickly plotted policier that will leave you wanting more' TOM BENJAMIN, author of the Daniel Leicester mysteriesA HEADLESS MAN. A MISSING GIRL. A LIFE RULED BY SECRETS.When a decapitated body washes up on the banks of the River Loire in the ancient city of Tours, the reluctant juge d’instruction Matthieu Lombard is brought in to lead the investigation.But when Lombard’s young niece appears, the inquiry chan...

Having emigrated from Scotland to Canada in his early thirties, Ian Moore-Morrans was a Scotsman to the core―despite his love for his adopted homeland―adventurous, humorous, and determined to provide a better life for himself, his wife and two young daughters. In his first memoir, From Poverty to Poverty: A Scotsman Encounters Canada, he shared with his fascinated readers what life was like for him in the early days, from his Scottish roots to his eventual emigration.In this sequel...

Ian Moore-Morrans has crafted a novel of adventure, fantasy and romance set in the Scottish Highlands. In it, twin brothers from present-day Edinburgh hope to witness a “phantom battle” purported to take place annually at northern Loch Ashie. Instead they are engulfed in this battle between ancient Highlanders and Vikings which transports them back to the 12th Century. In their encounters with the local inhabitants they experience hostility, friendship, romance, death sentences and a super...

In 2005, the contemporary oboist, Christopher Redgate, asked me to write a piece for a concert he was performing with Ian Pace (piano) at Kings College, London University. About the same time, I discovered the news concerning the tragic death of my brother (to whom the work is dedicated). Hence the title, “Adieu mon Frère”. Unlike most of my music up to that point, I deliberately exploited the lyricism of the instrument. This is especially evident in the opening phrase of the solo oboe. Ho...

Learn how to effectively access and evaluate aging, buried water pipelinesThis practical guide provides a framework on how to evaluate and estimate deterioration levels and conditions of aging buried water pipelines. Drawing from the latest research, it establishes guidelines and techniques to identify, assess, and evaluate the status of pipeline assets for cost-effective rehabilitation. Readers will find detailed methods and techniques from standards developed by ...