When you’re voted Most Predictable by your high school class, any life changes are sure to draw comment. This includes commentary which might seem complimentary but actually underscores that you’re usually so predictably dull. You got choppy bangs? You ordered chipotle-lime dressing instead of ranch? You ditched your practical, well-paid accounting job with good benefits, sank your life’s savings into a sight-unseen bicycling tour company, and moved from suburban Chicago to France? At nearly thirty and newly single?

The last part—about moving to France, jettisoning my good job and boyfriend, and buying a bicycling tour company—that’s me, Sadie Greene, Most Predictable, Elm Park High Class of 2013. Yes, it was a very unlike me move that continues to shock friends, family, and random strangers who happened to find out.

I had my reasons, which I don’t usually explain, but I want you to know. Nearly a year ago, my best friend was killed in a hit and run while cycling. I should have been with her. Instead, I was at my office, working overtime on a sunny Saturday. So, there’s the guilt. There’s also our shared dream. My BFF and I fantasized about starting a cycling business someday. Honestly, I never thought we’d do it. Who would?

But here I am, riding solo on a dream meant for two. I’m glad I made the plunge. More than glad. I love my new career and home in Sans-Souci, a gorgeous village on the Mediterranean just across the border from Spain. Wonderful colleagues are part of the deal, along with a storybook cottage with red roof tiles, ancient beams, and a view of the sea. It’s glorious! My biggest problem should be the seagull that just tried to steal my morning croissant.

But there’s more brewing than a determined gull and a chance of thunderstorms in the forecast. Recently, a vandal has been targeting my business. Why me? I run a small touring company that rolls on joy, discovery, personal challenge, and frequent stops for croissants. No time would be good for graffiti threats and sabotaged equipment, but this is especially bad. My new group is arriving in a few hours, and not just any group. A famous travel critic is in the mix. So are friends from Illinois, including my former boss. I need to impress that critic. Even more, I want to prove to my skeptical friends that I made the right move.

Sans-Souci means without worries. Oh, I wish that were true. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m about to roll into even more trouble.

A Cyclist’s Guide to Crime & Croissants, A Cyclist’s Guide Mystery Book #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: May 2024
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

Vicariously tour the sundrenched Mediterranean Coast in this perfectly escapist new cozy mystery series starring American expat-turned-bike tour company owner in Southern France.

Perfect for fans of Donna Leon’s The Commissario Guido Brunetti Mysteries, M.L. Longworth’s Provençal Mystery series, and armchair travel!

Nine months ago, Sadie Greene shocked friends and family by ditching her sensible office job in the Chicago suburbs and buying a sight-unseen French bicycling tour company, Oui Cycle. Now she’s living the unconventional life of her dreams in the gorgeous village of Sans-Souci-sur-Mer. Sans souci means carefree, but Sadie feels enough pressure to burst a tire when hometown friends arrive for a tour, including her former boss, Dom Appleton. Sadie is determined to show them the wonders of France and cycling—and to prove she made the right move.

She hopes her meticulously planned nine-day itinerary will win them over, with its stunning seascapes, delicious wine tastings, hilltop villages, and, of course, frequent stops for croissants. When Dom drags his heels on fun, Sadie vows he’ll enjoy if it kills her. That is, until Dom ends up dead. The tragedy was no accident. Someone went out of their way to bring a permanent end to Dom’s vacation.

As more crimes—and murder—roll in, suspicions hover over Oui Cycle. To save her dream business, help her friends, and bring justice, Sadie launches her own investigation. However, mysteries mount with every turn. On an uphill battle for clues, can Sadie come to terms with her painful past while spinning closer to the truth—or will a twisted killer put the brakes on her for good?

About the author
Ann Claire is the USA Today bestselling author of the Cyclist’s Guide Mysteries and the Christie Bookshop Mysteries, as well as the Bookmobile Mystery Series and the Santa Fe Café Mystery Series written under the pennames Nora Page and Ann Myers. A childhood with her nose in books sparked Ann’s dreams of travel. Ann now calls Colorado home but loves to visit her in-laws in southern France and a village so pretty, it’s a perfect setting for a mystery. When Ann’s not writing, you can find her reading, gardening, herding housecats, and plotting her next adventures. She can be found on Instagram @AnnClaireAuthor or @AnnClaireMysteries on Facebook.