Comedian turned novelist to bring Gallic flavour to festival

Ian Moore will take to the stage on Friday, February 4 at Wolverhampton Art Gallery to discuss the inspiration behind his new book "Death and Croissants" a funny murder mystery book set in the Loire Valley in France.

The book tells the story of Richard, a middle-aged Englishman who runs a B&B in Val de Follet, who ends up joining in a search to find a missing guest, with a bloody handprint left on the wallpaper.

Ian said he had wanted to create an homage to Hollywood and the screwball comedies of the 1930s and 40s and said the idea came from his life as a B&B owner.

He said: "I wanted it to be one of those kind of back-and-forth stories between a man and a woman and have a really convoluted plot, which I'd always wanted as I was fascinated by Raymond Chandler not even understanding the plot of his own book 'The Big Sleep'.

"I liked the fact that he kept writing in circles and didn't know the plot, and the idea for the main character came because, unlike Richard, who finds running a B&B a comfortable experience where he can hide, I just find it ineffably dull.

"Once I've served Breakfast, I find my imagination runs away with me and I'm making up back stories of visitors who are there at the time, so I wanted to create a world that I would like to live in as a writer."

The book is the fourth one Ian has written, after writing "A la Mod: My So-Called Tranquil Family Life in Rural France" and "C’est Modnifique!: Adventures of an English Grump in Rural France" as well as a thriller called "Playing the Martyr".

He spoke about how, like a lot of comedians, there has been the thought that to be taken seriously, they have to write a novel.

He said: "I think a lot of comedians would almost bridle at the prospect that they are not thought of as writers as we are a very over-sensitive, thin-skinned bunch.

"Ironically, I think a lot of comics have been told 'You've got a great mind, why haven't you tried to write something?', but with the stand-up, that becomes all-consuming and you need the discipline to be able to both.

"I'll be surprised if there's not a huge amount of half-finished novels written by stand-ups during lockdown flooding the market in six months but, you know, I got there first and I guess I planted my flag."

Ian has appeared on TV and radio programmes such as Dave’s satirical TV show Unspun and Channel 5’s topical comedy Big Mouths and BBC Radio Five Live's Fighting Talk and said he hoped the festival would open him up to a newer audience.

He said: "I hope that a lot of people who know me for stand-up and other things will come along as the humour is still there, but I find that being on Five Live doesn't sell books, but Radio Four does, so I want to open up as much as I can as I want to sell books.

"I'm really looking forward to the festival and said the publisher that I want to do as many of these as I can as I want that experience because it took me a long time to get down and do the work as an author, so I want to hit that stage.

"What people can expect is a good time and a lot of laughs and I think that, like the book, you will sit down, relax and go away with a smile on your face and I think everyone needs that right now."

Ticket to see Ian Moore on Friday, February 4 are free to book and can be booked at eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-conversation-with-ian-moore-tickets-209829925957

"Death and Croissants" is available to buy by going to amazon.co.uk/Death-Croissants-hilarious-mystery-Thursday/dp/1788423569