Vive le Chaos

Follow the hilarious misadventures of Ian Moore and his family as their search for serenity in rural France leads them on a journey of chaos, commotion and comedy

Comedian, mod and professional grump Ian Moore has had enough. Tired of being unable to park anywhere near his cramped house in a noisy town he doesn't like, he hatches a plan to move his wife and young son to a remote corner of the Loire Valley in search of serenity and space.

Several years later, Ian finds himself up to his neck in bilingual offspring, feral cats, promiscuous horses, dysfunctional spaniels and needy hens; he's wrestling with electric fences, a foreign language, a mountain of animal waste and a wife who collects livestock like there's a biblical flood on the horizon, all while trying not to dirty his pristine loafers.

But despite the ups, downs and increasing demands of Ian's showbiz career, the Moore family persevere in true Brit style to create a unique, colourful and ultimately rewarding life in their new home - a la campagne!

I hate mods, I hate France and I hate reading but I still loved this book. Lee Mack, comedian and actor
[This book] is everything its author is: immaculately turned out, sharp and consistently hilarious. Mark Billingham, best-selling author and actor
Charming, witty, a brilliant read. Sarah Millican, comedian and author
C'est Mod-nifique. Marcus Brigstocke, comedian and actor
Has all the angry wit of John Cleese in a too tight suit... a farce to be reckoned with! Michael Smiley, comedian and actor
There are a great many comedians who think that they can also write books - myself included - but very few who can rival Ian Moore's immediate warmth and skill with language. I finished it feeling part of the family and can't wait to find out what happens to us next! Jon Richardson, comedian, actor and author
Take one life-long mod and chuck him into rural France, complete with pond-dredging, chutney-making, child-rearing and a horse with VD. The result is funny, revealing and oddly touching. Paul Weller meets A Year in Provence... Miranda Sawyer, journalist and broadcaster
Ian Moore is a brilliantly funny writer and that's all there is to it. Annabel Giles, author and broadcaster
A very funny, charming and honest account of a family's journey by one of my favourite comedians. Shappi Khorsandi, comedian
I've seen Ian Moore on the stage and I'm happy to report that he's just as good on the page. A light-hearted and wry look at life for the Moore family in the Loire Valley, with a passing and amusing nod to Durrell's My Family and Other Animals. Nick Hewer, broadcaster
Plunges you straight in to Ian Moore's strange, endearingly funny world. Zips along with nippy energy, although there are pages you have to read twice, they make you laugh so much. Annie Caulfield, writer and broadcaster
A warm and witty journey into a foreign land. Like much of the produce in the French village where the Moore family shops, the humour is organic. Martin Kelner, journalist
If you are looking for stylish laugh, you need look no further than [this book]. Mark Baxter, co-author of The A-Z of Mod
Wonderfully funny; the sharpest, best-dressed most sardonic Englishman to land on French soil and make the absurd hysterical - this book will serve both as a warning and a temptation to anyone pining for a French idyll. Janey Godley, author and comedian
A hilarious and heart-warming tale exploring the reality of a very English man abroad. Moore's writing is honest, immensely readable and laugh-out-loud funny. Dr Katy Shaw, author and academic
Witty, insightful and wonderfully written, I couldn't put it down. Katharine Merry, Olympic Medallist and Broadcaster
Although this is hardly the first account of expats making a new life in France, Moore's comedy timing gives this a lightness of touch that makes it feel entertainingly fresh. The Daily Mail
A wonderfully funny tale. Connexion Newspaper
This comical depiction of life in rural France will raise a few smiles. France magazine
There is plenty of humour here and he often had me sniggering, giggling and really laughing with his light-hearted look at his life. The French Village Diaries
As you might expect from a comedian, it's highly entertaining. Destination France
Sit back and enjoy the show. French Property News
[This book] is as much about the difficulties of rural life as is it is being a Mod in France - and is all the better for it. The Independent on Sunday

Ian Moore is the best-selling author of the Follet Valley crime series which began with Death and Croissants. He is also the author of The Man Who Didn't Burn, the first in the Juge Lombard series. Ian is well-known stand-up comedian on radio and TV in the UK and a husband, father of three boys, farmhand and chutney-maker in France where he owns a Writers' Retreat.

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