One Little Faux Pas

by Iain Benson

In 1995, Stuart and Maria Phillips are ready for the adventure of their a meticulously planned six-week caravan trip through Europe. Joined by their old friend Ruth, fluent in French, perennially late, and brimming with enthusiasm. What could go wrong?

Everything, as it turns out.

From a smuggling mishap at the ferry to a tragic, and highly inconvenient, incident with Ruth, Stuart and Maria entangled in a spiralling series of disasters. Suspicious French police, a stolen caravan, and a shadowy criminal plot, and their dream holiday becomes a nightmare of hilarious misadventures and mounting tension.

With Stuart’s dry wit and Maria’s pragmatic determination, the couple must navigate a journey filled with grief, absurdity, and unexpected revelations. Can they salvage their holiday, or at least survive it? Like a precarious domino line, all it takes is one slight mistake to topple them all.

One Little Faux Pas is a darkly comic tale of resilience, friendship, and the chaos that ensues when well-laid plans collide with life’s unpredictable twists.

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 28, 2025

About the author

Iain is a fifty-something computer programmer from Manchester. He writes mainly thrillers, dashing in sprinklings of science-fiction, psychology and humour. Although he's written novels and shorts since childhood, he only got into indie publishing on turning forty, when the other choices for a mid-life crisis looked too expensive. Successes in short stories almost translated into becoming a traditionally published novelist in 2010. Instead, he moved into indie publishing with the well-regarded "Fakebook.con". He refuses to admit how much research he did in writing it. Fifteen books later, he shows no sign of slowing.

Reviews

[David Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant dark comedy by an author who seems to shine in whatever genre they choose to write in!

This book was a perfect homage to One Foot in the Grave with the Meldrew-like Stuart and his suffering wife. Ruth was the Mrs Warboys of the story and the Detective aspect reminded me of A Touch of Frost.

And dare I say a touch of Only Fools with the Miller (Driscoll) brothers.

I thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish, and it made me nostalgic for my childhood with reminders of old shops long gone, the Ford Sierra my dad used to own and the simpler days when coffee shops were still expensive but not every other building.

If you want a good comedic read with a hint of the Dark realities of life, this is without doubt the book for you.

Take it from Doozer himself 😉

[Keyla Damaer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iain Benson's "One Little Faux Pas" was an absolute blast to read – I had so much fun with this one! If you're looking for a thriller that doesn't take itself too seriously and delivers plenty of laughs alongside the suspense, then you've come to the right place. Benson, an indie author, really hits a sweet spot here.
The premise itself, hinted at with "suspicious French police, a stolen caravan, and a shadowy criminal plot," sets the stage for a wonderfully chaotic adventure. From the get-go, I was hooked by the unfolding escapades and the witty dialogue. Benson has a knack for creating situations that are both genuinely tense and laugh-out-loud funny, a combination that kept me eagerly turning the pages. The story zips along at a great pace, and I found myself thoroughly entertained by the characters' predicaments and their often-comical reactions to them.
I'm giving it a strong 4 stars.
Given the author's indie background, "One Little Faux Pas" is a fantastic find. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers with a strong comedic bent, or readers who appreciate a story that can make them chuckle even as the suspense builds. I'm certainly keen to check out more of Iain Benson's work after this delightful "faux pas"!

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of dark humour and Iain Benson’s ‘One Little Faux Pas’ is deliciously dark and very funny. It’s near perfect in that respect.
There’s a lot going on in the story. You have a body – one that turns out to be a different body than the one originally discovered. You have a smuggling ring and a suspiciously large amount of self-raising flour. You have Stuart and Maria, a retired couple who’ve been planning their French caravan holiday for ages and can’t wait to get on the ferry and start their travels. And you have Maria’s best friend, Ruth, coming along with them. Ruth speaks French, whereas Stuart and Maria’s fluency in this Gallic language is around ‘Allo ‘Allo level. I loved that series!
The scene with the car rental guy who was terrified of computers was hilarious and one of many scenes I loved along with the Butch and Sundance gunfight. And let’s not forget about Officer Michael, she says as she fans herself. I agree completely, Maria. He’s a hottie. Even Stuart fancied him a little, lol.
This is a well-written, entertaining book from a terrific author and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Little Faux Pas by Iain Benson is a delightful read. The story starts with an English couple taking a vacation. The adventure continues with unexpected twists and turns. The unfolding storyline provides surprises and is quite funny. It is not slapstick funny, but an endearing humor. Benson uses clever dialogue to allow the reader to really understand the characters. The characters are witty and amusing – you can picture people you know who resemble each person – and these make the book so good.
I would love to see the story turned into a movie – it would be quite good – but this would undoubtedly not capture Benson’s storytelling skill which makes the book so good. For anyone looking for an amusing easy read, you will not find a better book that One Faux Pas. I highly recommend it. In fact, I want to reread it already. Before I do though, I have to go fix something on my caravan!

[Alexia Muelle-Rushbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark comedy thriller that will leave you smiling.

I love all of Iain Benson's novels so I knew this one would be no different, regardless of genre, but this book is a nostalgic hug, comedy, and thriller all wrapped into one 213 page turner.

Maria and Stuart are an endearing, if not slightly, bumbling couple who just want to enjoy a six week holiday caravaning across Europe. They take their friend, Ruth, for companionship and her French speaking skills. What they end up with is a nightmare holiday and a string of bizarre events that have them quickly wishing they'd stayed at home.

I don't want to give spoilers so won't go into the plot more, but if you lived in the 90s, the nostalgia is strong and the comedy unquestionably from that era. That said, there's no reason why anyone younger won't love this thriller as crime, coincidence, and a simple error join together and go so horribly wrong.

[Elle Sie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was going to be somewhat like National Lampoon's European Vacation, but it was at times much more thrilling with the crime/drug heist aspect, but still had humour mixed in. Stuart and Maria, a couple on a French adventure in their caravan were a likeable pair, and I felt for them what with the misfortune early on involving their friend along on the journey, Ruth followed by their caravan getting stolen. The book also followed the gangsters involved in the theft of the caravan and the drug sting storyline. I probably shouldn't have liked Doozer, aka David Adams, but some aspects of his character made me laugh, like absurdly listing his address as Alton Towers and his fake French 'Allo Allo' accent when pretending to be Eduardo. All in all, this was an entertaining read and I'm glad that Stuart and Maria got to enjoy a do over at the end, albeit with Ruth's photo rather than poor Ruth herself.

[Rowan Rossler · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book from Iain Benson and what a joy to read.

Premise: A six caravan week tour of Europe goes awry for a couple and their tag along friend.

Memorable characters and some great descriptions that had me laughing out loud.

“You’re sighing like an antique church organ." :)

A short, fun read, and if you love to travel in Europe like I do, this one is extra special!