This is the first book that I’ve read by Greg Moses and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love his writing style which was at a great pace and engages the reader. The descriptions of the French countryside especially the little village near Aix en Provence were very appealing.. I love dogs so was pleased with the inclusion of Russell, who had a great personality. I also love books so enjoyed the description of the bookshop. I remember the launch of the treasure hunt book, Masquerade in the UK in the late 1970s and thus made the story about the Vulturists particularly interesting.
I would recommend this book and am pleased to have discovered that Greg Moses has written many more, which I’m looking forward to reading.

The setting deserves its own mention — cozy and vivid, whether it was a sleepy village, a charming bakery full of secrets. It’s the kind of place you wish you could visit in real life (minus the murder, of course!)

Delightful..
Zoe Pascal made a decision - to live her dream, in France, opening a quaint bookshop in a tiny village. Life is good - until she unwittingly and unexpectedly becomes prime suspect in the murder of a tourist found dead in the local church. Something is badly awry and Zoe needs to work hard to find a killer and prove her own innocence. Delightful cosy crime with a cast of well drawn, credible characters, an atmospheric and beautifully detailed backdrop
and a well paced plot. A gentle mystery.

I loved the charming French village setting, the cosy bookshop, and the delightful touches of food and wine, but the story moved far too slowly for a mystery. There was no real investigation until more than halfway through, and Zoe, the main character, felt frustratingly oblivious and underdeveloped despite being presented as a smart woman. The huge cast of characters didn’t help, and the ending, while wholesome, was predictable. It’s an easy, low-stakes cosy read, but don’t expect a gripping mystery.

This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. The setting was charming and I love bookshop mysteries. The story moved slowly, though, and it took a while for the murder to happen. There’s also a pretty large cast of characters and I struggled to keep everyone straight. Zoe, the main character, had some fun moments, but I didn’t quite connect with her as much as I hoped. I would continue with the series, though, and expect it to get stronger with time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. I made it about 20% in before deciding to set it aside. The writing style wasn’t my cup of tea, and I had a hard time staying engaged.

On a positive note, the cover is very cute and definitely drew me in. I did find it a bit odd that the author advertised his wife’s book within the story.

While I didn’t connect with this book, I know others may enjoy it more.

I was excited to read this because the premise of the book sounded interesting, however it fell flat for me. It was very slow and all the different characters and POVs made it a bit confusing. I did enjoy the descriptions of the settings though, which helped to set the tone of the story.

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy!

Would you up sticks and move to a small village in France? Zoe Pascal does. Here she finds a mysterious collection of residents, a stray dog, a murder and why doesn’t anything grow in her courtyard garden? A joyous read

A cosy mystery set in the south of France which was engaging but a slow burn for me. I love books set around book shops and this was even better being in a wonderful setting.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Greg Mosse’s The French Bookshop Murder marks the beginning of a charming new cozy crime series, blending the allure of small-town France with the intrigue of a cleverly constructed murder mystery. Zoe Pascal, seeking a slower pace of life and the fulfillment of her dream to run a bookshop in Sainte-Catherine, finds herself unexpectedly embroiled in a murder investigation when the body of a tourist is discovered in the local church. Complicating matters, Zoe is the last person known to have seen the deceased alive, making her a prime suspect.

Mosse excels at creating a vivid sense of place, capturing the rhythms of village life, the sensory pleasures of Provençal cuisine, and the allure of the French countryside. The novel balances atmosphere with suspense, providing a puzzle that is both engaging and satisfying. Zoe is a relatable and likable protagonist, whose curiosity, courage, and love of literature drive the narrative forward, while a cast of quirky villagers adds humor and depth.

The mystery itself is cleverly plotted, with just the right mix of red herrings and revelations, keeping readers guessing until the final pages. Fans of cozy mysteries, particularly those set in charming international locales, will be delighted by Mosse’s debut.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A heartwarming, bookish, and intelligently plotted cozy mystery that offers the perfect combination of charm, suspense, and a touch of French flair.

A murder mystery but quite a slow one for me - it just never really feels like it gets going - there is no murder until nearly half way through the book. The character of Zoe Pascal is not really engaging, in fact she is quite irritating at times. In addition, there are an endless list of characters, making it hard to keep up with everyone. There are some endearing moments and it’s an easy read overall, but it just lacks the power to really hold the attention enough. The ending comes very quickly and a little obviously too.

The French Bookshop Murder is a charming and atmospheric cosy mystery that introduces Zoe Pascal, a woman who has left behind her old life in England to open a bookshop in the South of France. Zoe dreams of fresh starts, croissants and afternoons surrounded by books, but her idyllic new chapter is quickly overshadowed when the body of a tourist is discovered in the village church. As the last person to see the victim alive, Zoe finds herself under suspicion and drawn into a mystery that threatens her peaceful new life.

The setting of Sainte-Catherine is beautifully evoked, full of warmth and small-town intrigue. The bookshop itself is delightful and adds a comforting anchor to the story, making this a perfect read for book lovers. The murder investigation is cleverly woven into a subplot involving The Vulture, a puzzle tied to a local book that has both villagers and tourists obsessed, adding an inventive twist to the mystery.

Greg Mosse writes with ease and flair, blending suspense with charm and a sense of community. There is a large cast of characters, and while it takes a little time to place everyone, the promise of an ongoing series suggests future books will deepen these connections. The story balances intrigue with atmosphere, ensuring the mystery is engaging without losing its cosy appeal.

The French Bookshop Murder is a delightful start to a new series, perfect for readers who enjoy mysteries set in picturesque locations with bookish themes and a touch of danger.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

An okay cozy, but the mystery seems to have taken second billing to a lot of descriptions of the bookshop and the town. I also found the main character, Zoe, incredibly naïve. From early on, it is clear that there is something shady going down in her new town, but she doesn’t seem to catch on until deep into the book. This is book one of a new series, but is a spin-off from another set of books. Perhaps it would have been more enjoyable with more of Zoe’s backstory, because some of it was lacking.

I loved the synopsis of this book and was eager to read. Zoe who moves to a small French town and opens her bookstore. I was expecting a good cozy mystery but found this one hard to read. The pace was incredibly slow and not much happened u til 60-70% through. There were a lot of characters and sometimes it was too many names and I forgot who was who. I personally didn’t relate or warm up to Zoe herself which also made it hard for me to read. The ending was predictable and I see this is the first in a new series but I think this one was enough for me

🦄Book: The French Bookshop Murder

❤️Rate: 5 Stars!!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

💕Praise: You want my favorite thing besides books is?! Finding a new cozy mystery author! I have found that author! It's one thing to always escape with a book! It's another thing to escape with a book and have it stay with you long after reading it! Cozy croissants and murder oh my! I can see it now!

☕Picture it! A character in a book moving to a little town to start over and live her dream and then......DEAD BODY??!! Well..... Life isn't perfect LOL...... But this book definitely is!

📚 I definitely kept guessing who could be the culprit right until the very last minute! The author did a great job layering out each moment and connecting it to each question and solution. But he layered everything with such personality!

💗Characters: Each character was definitely crafted with lots of imagination and such entertainment that it garners the best kind of reaction!

💋Extra: This book is everything I needed to definitely jump into the holidays and the cozy autumn vibes! Now I want to go to Paris!!

🌸Bravo!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Greg Mosse for the ARC!

This was a cozy little escape to the South of France, complete with croissants, cobbled streets, and a bookshop I’d happily get lost in. The setting was absolutely charming and I loved the premise of Zoe starting fresh with her new shop. And the mystery of the tourist found dead in the local church was a solid hook!

That said, while I had fun with it, the story didn’t completely sweep me away. Some of the characters blurred together, and the mystery felt a bit slow and not as demanding as I hoped.

That said, I still loved the atmosphere and the “Vulture” puzzle aspect was a lot of fun once I learned more. I’ll happily check out more in this series when I want that easy, charming mystery vibe and will be looking into the authors other books!

This would be a good book to read if you are on a plane for a long trip. I had trouble getting back to it after I put it down. The characters just didn't draw me in to the story. I did like the cast of characters page in the front. I'm sure this is a fine book, but it just wasn't for me. Sorry.

The cover of the book and the blurb made me want to read it. The story and the plot seemed to be interesting.
We have Zoe Pascal that moves to a small village in France, from England, and opens a bookshop. But a few days later she discovers a dead body in the church and she became a suspect. Later to find out the motive why she is the suspect.
And also, in the story there are people looking to find a vulture statue, and everything is suspicious and full of secrets.

I really wanted to love the book, but the writting style, all the characters and their povs felt too much. And kind of took from the ideea of the mystery murder and it feel like a secret hunting adventure.And in the end it seemed all to rushed up, I didn't understand why all happened at all.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read the book in advance. This is my honest and only opinion.

Zoe has the right vibe- city girl trying her best to fit into a slow country life, even though her thoughts, behavior and impatience still comes from her experience in the city. In the beginning I was smiling at Zoe's inner monologue comments, as she slid into the country life slowly and got busy trying to make something of it. However, that aspect falls into a backdrop when a tourist is murdered.

I loved how the treasure was introduced through other's perspective before Zoe even found out about it. The intrigue surrounding it kept me hooked from the beginning. The characters, though weren't always easy to remember, all contributed in their own way. Something between a treasure hunt and puzzle solving, the story had a couple plots intertwined. The slower pace was acceptable to establish all that could have been confusing about the story (characters, plots and development) but the let down was that it never really sped up.

Now if it was only a cozy mystery, the slow and steady pace of the book would have been comfortable. But it was also a murder mystery and a sleuthing story. Instead of a rush, or a twist or something more, it was, we get a soft landing.

The story is also a sensory travelogue, in some ways which contributes and piles on the cozy part of the story, making the murder mystery aspect a little softer.

In the end, I loved Zoe, as one would a budding investigator and see a lot of potential in her.

A month or so back I saw an advert for a little bookshop in rural France complete with a little flat above. And it was little. You may even say cramp and uncomfortable in fact. But it also felt like a wonderful escapist daydream. A friend and I chatted about it and imagined the fun of such a life before returning to reality. But then I saw The French Bookshop Murder and it brought that daydream back. The cover has that simple cosy mystery font too. I was sold already!

The premise of the book is even better. A little statue of a vulture has been hidden and the clues to finding it, and claiming the prize, are in a book, so of course our new bookshop owner find herself drawn into both the puzzle, and also the murder of another treasure hunter. A plot like that is ideal for me, of course I love a puzzle and an amateur sleuth solving a seemingly random murder. And the book was fun in that regard, it just never hit the heights I had hoped for though.

When a book feels such a perfect match then it can be disappointing when it turns out, well, anything less than perfect. There remains a lot to enjoy here, but I wanted more. That cosy feeling went too far and felt twee at times. The literary references should roll fluidly in a story about a bookshop yet they often felt forced. And the final riddle? Well, there are two. The vulture? There comes a point where the solution becomes obvious. Now I love to be kept guessing until the last moment, even if it's just fighting a niggling doubt, but this was pretty clear for a while before the reveal, however it wasn't really an issue here because it was so tied to the reveal about the murderer. And the solution to the murder was... underwhelming. Not bad I hasten to add, just rushed and empty. There was no Scooby Doo reveal laying out a motive and walking through every step of the crime, just a quick "That person did it and you already know why. That's all folks." For a story that had some enjoyable writing about savouring food, drink, and books, the conclusion was a fast food hamburger - yeah, it did what you needed at that moment and you're happy enough, but you're not going to be looking back fondly and telling everyone you know how satisfying it was.

The whole book feels like the start of a series, and there's still a lot to work with. A few side characters who you know could bring more to future stories, and a lot of opportunity to build on a decent enough foundation that this book lays out, but at the moment, as a standalone book, it feels like those extra stories are missing. I plan to return to any series that comes from this, I think a couple of books in will round it out and make everything a little more enjoyable.