This excellent book kept me reading until the early hours of the morning, the tension builds towards the end. The sense of place is fantastic, a real feature of the book, making it a perfect read for anyone heading for France (but it was great to read at home too). I would have liked to know more about Zoe’s backstory, and I’m really looking forward to reading more books in this new series.

Zoe has decided to pursue her dream of opening a bookshop in a small French village, but she finds it harder to fit in than she’d anticipated. When a body is found and it appears that Zoe is the last person to see the victim alive, she becomes the primary suspect. Determined to clear her name and to learn who the actual murderer is, she begins her own investigation.

Although this author has another series out, I haven’t read any of his work. When I requested this book from NetGalley, I wasn’t aware that this is apparently a spin-off from his other series. That explains the near-constant references to Maisie Cooper, and the lack of explanation about who Maisie is and how she and Zoe ended up being involved in so many murder cases. No wonder the police were suspicious about Zoe’s background!

I love the depiction of Sainte Catherine, the village in France where Zoe’s new shop is, but I can’t imagine walking up and down that hill every day, especially carrying large items like furniture. Most of the village residents seem like decent, friendly people (with a few notable exceptions), but I had a hard time warming up to Zoe herself. She seemed scattered and unfocused, easily distracted while in the midst of her investigation. For someone who has supposedly learned a lot from her friend/mentor Maisie, she’s not very good at solving a murder. Although she had narrowed down the pool of suspects to just a few people, she didn’t figure out the identity of the killer until she nearly became a victim herself. Even I knew before then who the culprit was, but the motive wasn’t quite clear in my mind.

Several other readers commented on the mysterious Vulture that plays a major part in this story, but I was somehow able to piece together the bits of information provided to realize what it was and its significance to the village, so that was a nonissue for me.

The Goodreads blurb implies that this is the first book of a new series. If there are indeed additional books to come, I doubt I will search them out. I don’t know if it’s the author or the story, but this book just didn’t work for me.

To me, a lengthy character list at the front of a novel, betokens a future confusing read. Happily, this was not really the case with this story but the novel’s overpopulation did serve to make it difficult to generate a great interest in the characters.
The central mystery had the markings of a Science Channel’s sub-par documentary on the eccentric stylings of a puffed-up eccentric. Excessive exposition, such as the offensive justification of female objectification by the male, in both deed and word, shines a spotlight on the problems some authors have when presenting a viewpoint from a different gender’s perspective. Sadly, this was a slog for me but others might enjoy this mystery set in Provence.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free ARC. All opinions here are wholly my own.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton for the advanced reader copy!

If I could describe this book in two words it would be cozy and charming. This book begs to be read beside a fire with a cup of coffee, hot cocoa or what every your poison is!

The entire vibe of the book is delicious French cuisine, books, and mystery! An English women named Zoe decided to open a bookshop in a quaint French village only to find herself the main suspect of a murder. Not only that, but another mysterious decade old puzzle is at play and if Zoe can solve the puzzle, maybe it will lead her to the real murder and she can clear her name.

I enjoyed the cultural aspects of this book so much! I have never been to France before, but being fascinated by the culture from afar, I loved how immersed this book was. I also loved that the plot of this book had some complexity to it unlike other cozy mysteries I have read as many tend to fall flat in this area.

The only reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 4 or 5 was because is did drone on quite a lot at times and it did find myself losing interest at certain points in the story. I am someone who personally enjoys something with a faster pace, however, if you are someone who loves a lot of details and wants to tuck in for the long haul, I could see this aspect of the book being very appealing!

I'd had high hopes for this, but in the end it didn't live up to what I'd imagined it would be. There were aspects I liked - the French countryside, food and wine descriptions, and the sound of the bookshop. But I struggled to find Zoe likeable...I haven't read the author's other series of books, in which it seems she also plays a role, so perhaps that would have improved the situation. But as it was, she seems incredibly stupid! There is quite obviously a mystery in the town, and everyone is looking for something, but Zoe seems absolutely determined to be utterly ignorant until really quite late in the book. I just didn't buy it! She's meant to be a smart woman, but somehow she missed what everyone is going on about?! And she set up a business in this town but has somehow not done any research about the place and what happens there? I just didn't buy it, and so unfortunately that had an impact on how I felt as I was reading.
There is a huge cast of characters as well, which can feel overwhelming, and the pace felt slow to me. It is a cosy crime, so I'm sure there will be some readers who are happy to amble along. But unfortunately I felt frustrated as I read.

I read this book while staying nearby on holiday and especially loved the descriptions of the various people and places. I enjoyed getting to know Zoe and the challenges to moving to a new country and place to set up her dream bookshop. The level of suspicion shown her by the locals rang true, which added to the suspense of finding out who the murderer was. While this was cosy, it was easy to read and perfect for a book to enjoy while on holiday in France.

A enjoyable cosy murder story set in rural France. Zoe Pascal has decided to leave England to open up a bookshop in a small French village. When the body of a tourist is found in the local church, Zoe begins to appreciate that there are village secrets. As one of the last people to see the deceased she finds herself under suspicion and is keen to find the real culprit.

A slow start but the book becomes more interesting as the investigation takes off - however I did find the issue of them ‘Vulture’ a little perplexing.

I enjoyed learning more about Zoe and liked her appreciation of French village life.

An enjoyable read.

Cosy crime - not sufficiently demanding. Disappointing.

My problem with this murder mystery is that it seems to target the lowest common denominator. It assumes that the reader knows nothing about the French language, village life in Provence, French culture etc… it portrays French village life as an Idyll with friendly neighbours, friendly police, none of which happens in real life (I can testify to that). Our heroine, British but given a French-sounding name, is quite easily accepted into this slice of society. She is evidently a character from the author’s previous works with an interesting background story. The characters are sometimes stereotypical and reasonably well-developed. The plot moves along at a good pace. It’s not a long book and lovers of cosy crime will probably enjoy it. It just didn’t enthrall me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is a delight from start to finish. If you have a cosy reading corner, like new bookshop owner Zoe, you’ll want to curl up in a comfy chair and savour this book from beginning to end. Inside these pages is an irresistible blend of mystery and charm. The atmosphere of this small French town is beautifully evoked, with the thrill of a treasure hunt to uncover and the mystery of a suspicious murder to solve. This is a murder mystery that is heartwarming, cosy and delightfully bookish.

What promised to be a good story, it was disappointing. It was slow read as Zoe Pascal moved from Sussex to the little French village close to Aix en Provence, to take ownership of a bookshop. Interspersed with Zoe’s thoughts, the text rambles as the community seek answers to the whereabouts of the Silver Vulture. In some respects I felt I might have been reading about the infamous UK town of Hay-on-Wye. There is little said about the characters backgrounds, with the author more intent on solving the mystery and the murder of an elderly visitor to the town.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this ARC.

Zoe has worked for years to be able to buy a book store in a small touristy French village. Unfortunately many of her new neighbors do not seem friendly and she feels that there are undercurrents she does not understand. It is only after a murder that the local priest explains about the Vulture that she can move forward solving the murder.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an eARC.

It was a decent cozy mystery. I loved the setting of the village and the bookshop. Zoe's interactions with her neighbours and them warming up to her was nice to read. But given that this was supposed to be a mystery, the pacing was extremely slow, even for a cozy mystery. There was no investigation until 60% of the book and even after that, it was all over the place. I was a bit confused about what the whole Vulture situation was for most of the book, maybe it's in the Maisie Cooper books. That ending was extremely predictable but the interactions were wholesome. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a low-stakes cozy novel set in a French village.

(2.75* rounded up)

This should probably have been a DNF for me, but I'm nothing if not a completionist. While the descriptions of the scenery and locations were lovely, and the care put into describing the bookstore itself was fantastic, the main character remained murky and undefined throughout.

We were told 4 separate times within 20 pages that this is the half-sister of Maisie Cooper, but having not read those books, this didn't mean enough to me to warrant 4 separate notes. 50% of the way through the book, I was still unclear what the Vultures were or what they were searching for. Having that somewhat explained, I hoped the second half of the book would speed up in pacing, but that didn't happen. Nothing was making this feel like there were stakes involved, and as a result, the characters and their backstories were interesting, but it was difficult to care about what they were all doing. I'm not sure if the Maisie Cooper series is similar, but I don't see myself diving into those books to find out.

The French Bookshop Murder was a disappointing read. From the title and the blurb, I'd hoped it would be a murder mystery set in France around a bookshop.

The story does have those three elements. But most of the book was focused on Zoe Pascal moving to France to run a bookshop. The murder was a minor part.

As a 'fish out of water' story, it's a gentle, meandering tale. There are copious descriptions of the French village, Sainte-Catherine, the surrounding countryside, the food and the reactions of the local inhabitants to the incomer.

But as a murder mystery, the pacing is glacially slow.

It takes some time before the murder occurs and Zoe's decision to start asking questions comes even later. As a result, the 'murder investigation' is virtually non-existent.

You're introduced to many villagers and each is well-crafted with detailed back stories. They are probably the most interesting part of the story. What's odd is that the one character with little definition is Zoe herself.

Apart from discovering that she's the half-sister/friend of Maisie Cooper (from the author's other series of books), used to work in musical theatre and had a difficult start in life, we don't learn much about Zoe as the story progresses.

Despite all the other characters, too much of the book happens in Zoe's head. She asks herself questions and ponders the motives of the villagers without coming to any useful conclusions.

The book also ends abruptly once the murderer is revealed, but without any explanation for why they did it.

I'm sure there'll be more stories about Zoe Pascal, but I don't feel this series is right for me.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.

The French Bookshop Murder is an utterly charming dive into cozy crime, set against the idyllic backdrop of southern France. Greg Mosse introduces us to Zoe Pascal, a woman who’s ditched English drizzle for sun-soaked croissants and shelves of well-worn novels in the quaint village of Sainte-Catherine. Her bookshop dream quickly spirals into mystery when a tourist turns up dead in the local church—and Zoe finds herself tangled in the investigation.

This isn’t just a whodunnit; it’s a delicious blend of wit, warmth, and red herrings. The villagers are quirky, the prose is inviting, and the plot unfolds like a lazy afternoon—until it twists sharply with suspense. Fans of Richard Osman or Agatha Christie-style puzzlers will feel right at home.

Mosse's storytelling is elegant without being precious, keeping the tone light but never trivial. It’s a tale that invites you to pull up a chair, pour a glass of Bordeaux, and get delightfully lost among secrets, scandals, and second-hand books.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I've not read any of Mosse's earlier cozy crime novels, but I will now. Great characters, a clever plot and a place so beautifully drawn I'd love to visit!

his was my first introduction to Greg Mosse having wanted to read his novels for ages and I was not disappointed.
Zoe move to the Southern French town of Sainte-Catherine to reopen the town bookshop and is almost immediately embroiled in the death of an unusual visitor.

I enjoyed the character of Zoe, I liked her realistic reaction to the situation she finds herself in and I loved the new life narrative. The town of Sainte-Catherine proves to be a character in itself with lush descriptions of the place and it's people. This was a real highlight and the mystery is layered upon itself proving to be twisty until the end.

My only reservation is the idea that one key aspect of the story is known to absolutely everyone else apart from Zoe who, in every other aspect, is an intelligent and knowledgeable person. I found it hard to believe that she wouldn't have come across this key thing whilst buying the bookshop, but this was a fleeting foible.

Overall I really enjoyed this, it felt like going on holiday. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read a good 5*. Now, I'm off to book myself a trip to the South of France

Zoe Pascal moves to a small village to open a bookstore. She soon discovers the body of a tourist and finally learns what everyone is talking about when they talk about the Vulture.
This was a fun cozy mystery full of interesting characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC

The French Bookshop Murder by Greg Mosse is a captivating start to a brand-new cosy crime series that delivers charm, suspense, and a touch of literary flair. Set against the backdrop of a quaint French village, the story follows a determined heroine who finds herself caught in a web of secrets after a shocking murder. Mosse masterfully blends atmospheric detail with clever plotting, creating a mystery that’s both engaging and elegantly paced. With memorable characters and a rich sense of place, this book is perfect for fans of cosy whodunits. A promising and utterly enjoyable series debut.