The Baguette Murders by Anne Penketh - Book Review - Blog Tour

Series: Brittany Murder Mysteries #3

Publication Date: 28th Jan 2025

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/baguettemurders-zbt

Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222472592-the-baguette-murders-an-absolutely-gripping-cozy-murder-mystery

Genre: Small Town Cozy Mystery

One Liner: Nice!

Book Blurb:

Meet Pippa. She’s feisty, forty-something — and living her best life in the charming little town of Louennec, Brittany.

Not so long ago, she was a corporate career girl. Now she runs her own bakery — and goes home every night to her dishy gendarme boyfriend and a glass of Merlot.

But murder is just around the corner . . .

Pippa is out on her rounds, delivering delicious crusty bread to her most loyal customers. Her first stop is Derek’s remote gîte. Fitness instructor Derek sees carbs as the enemy. But even he can’t resist Pippa’s signature baguettes.

Pippa cycles to Derek’s door . . . only to discover, someone got there first.

Derek is dead! His body lies slumped across the piano, in a mess of blood and — to Pippa’s horror — breadcrumbs.

He’s been bludgeoned over the head with . . . a lethal stick of bread?

Just like that, Pippa finds the finger of suspicion pointing at her.

Can she follow the trail of breadcrumbs to uncover the true killer — before more of her friends and neighbors die?

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My Thoughts:

Though this is the third book in the series, it can work as a standalone (I didn’t read the previous books). However, the town politics might be a bit confusing (even if it is easy enough to follow).

The murder happens fairly early so we are pretty much into the mystery from the beginning. Pippa and Jennifer are the sleuths, though the police (gendarme) have some role. However, neither lady follows the sleuthing template, so I was confused for a while.

The story moves quickly and is a short book (250-odd pages) that works in its favor. There’s an overarching plot with the local politics and dramas as well as the developments in the characters’ personal lives.

The writing is simple and easy to follow. There’s a fair sprinkling of French words and sentences that I didn’t bother to translate. I went with the flow.

There’s a list of suspects and more deaths happen. The case is easy to solve once the clues are in place. However, the reason I couldn’t enjoy the book more was my inability to connect with Pippa. She just doesn’t seem like someone who solves crimes. Cozy mystery is my go-to genre, so I read dozens of such books every year. She didn’t click for me. I think the book will work for those who already enjoy the series or can connect with Pippa.

Despite everything, I’m glad to read a book that discusses the impact of Britishers relocating to other European countries and disturbing the local infrastructure, pricing, etc. It’s not something I’ve read in fiction though I did see quite a few articles on the internet.

To summarize, The Baguette Murders is a quick and easy mystery with a large cast set in a French town. How you enjoy the book will depend on how much you like the main characters.

My thanks to the author, publisher Joffe Books, and Zooloo’s Book Tours for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

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About the Author – Anne Penketh

Anne Penketh is originally from Lancashire, England, and turned to fiction after a career as a foreign correspondent. After writing a series of police procedurals for Joffe books set in Norfolk, where her relatives live, she has now followed her heart to Brittany for some amateur sleuthing. Anne worked in France for many years and divides her time between London and Paris.

Follow the Author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnePenketh

Twitter: https://x.com/annepenketh

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/annepenketh.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/penkaroo/

Website: https://annepenketh.com/

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This is a pitstop on the blog tour by ZooLoo’s Book Tours. Thank you for stopping by!