Death and Croissants

U.K. comedian Moore makes his U.S. debut with a mildly amusing series launch set in France. Richard Ainsworth, the owner of a bed and breakfast in the Loire Valley, spends his days just trying to melt unobtrusively into the background, avoiding confrontation with his guests; his soon to be ex-wife, Clare; and Madame Tablier, his grim housekeeper who’s “permanently on the edge of outrage.” One fateful morning, he meets a new arrival at the B&B, elegant, “absurdly glamorous,” and rather mysterious Valérie d’Orçay. She glides into the breakfast room and announces: “You have a missing guest, an old man. There is blood on the walls and a broken pair of spectacles. I suggest we do something, don’t you?” So begins Richard’s seduction into a more adventurous life. With Valérie giving the orders, Richard winds up on the trail of the vanished lodger and of a possible killer, while pursuing and being pursued in turn by a pack of Mafia assassins. The plot wobbles along, trailing behind the protagonists as they race hither and thither, but ultimately going nowhere. The book has a nice setup, but mediocre execution. Mystery fans should be prepared for minimal investigating. Agent: Bill Goodall, Bill Goodall Literary (U.K.). (Mar.)