Ann Claire

Ann Clair: A Cyclist’s Guide to Villains and Vines

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Cyclist Guide #2

A Cyclist’s Guide to Villains and Vines is Ann Clair’s second Cyclist’s Guide Mysteries novel. Sadie Green owns and operates Oui Cycling Bicycling Tour Company, and runs various tours throughout France. Sadie is passionate about cycling and France, happy to be fortunate enough to make a living doing what she loves. Having moved here from America, she is striving to fit into the new life she has built for herself, alongside her fellow tour guides and coworkers. It’s not an easy thing to do when murders keep happening on her tours, as it tends to make the wrong kind of reputation for the business. Even though she helped solve the last murder, it seemed to just increase her notoriety and give her the reputation of the detective tour guide rather than just the cyclist tour guide. read more

Favorite Reads of 2024

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This year was a slow burn – sometimes I find a book early in the year that I’m completely passionate about.  This year I didn’t find “the one” until November, when I devoured Christina Lynch’s utterly original Pony Confidential.  I read lots of other great books along the way though, some by tried and true writers – Elly Griffiths, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Ann Cleeves, Anthony Horowitz, Deanna Raybourn and Ragnar Jonasson – and particularly in the historical novel category, lots of wonderful debuts that give us lots to look forward to. These recommendations are divided into categories.  Full reviews for all of these can be found on this website, just search by title or author. read more

Ann Claire: A Cyclist’s Guide to Crime & Croissants

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Series debut

This is a charming debut, set in the French countryside.  As promised in the title, it provides both cycling and baked goods.  The main character, Sadie Greene, has shucked her secure actuary job in Chicago after the hit and run death of her best friend, Gem, and bought a French bicycle touring company.  She’s all in and her little company, Oui Cycle, is about to take off on it’s first tour. Joining her are – let’s be real – the suspects: her hometown almost family, the Appletons (parents, son, and girlfriend); a sleek German, Manfred; two Scottish sisters who can’t get enough of the baked goods; and a supposedly undercover travel writer, Nigel.  In true Murder, She Wrote style, two of the most unpleasant on the tour, Nigel and Dom Appleton, seem targeted for doom. read more