This had a potential for a great setting and for a type of locked door mystery I normally love to read. Some parts of the story had me engaged, but others felt flat and seemed all too unrealistic for a group of four forty-year- olds who were supposed to be friends. Plus the LBQTQ “twists” are in almost every thriller that I’ve read lately ,which makes them no twists at all. I found it absurd that the women would stay in the same house together after what one of them did to the other. I also don’t like an ending left hanging.
~Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher 2 1/2 stars

Sadly, this did not work for me. The multiple POVs were so similar, I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. Also more of a drama than a thriller.

This book was full of twists and turns I was not expecting. This book was very long and a little dense at times, but the mystery elements were really entertaining and well done. It kept me guessing the entire time and I was very shocked when the big reveal came. The historical elements were really interesting and
Unique.

This thriller was so much fun. From start to finish I didn’t want to put it down and it flowed so nicely with all the different character perspectives.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Four women who have been friends for 20 years are invited back to the French chateau where they spent weekends when they were in college. The chateau is owned by Séraphine, the grandmother of one of the women, and she wants to get them all back together for reasons only she knows. Sadly, before she can tell them why she invited them all back, Séraphine is murdered. Everyone has secrets, so the women all become suspects in each other’s eyes.

There is a lot going on in this book, and for the first 3/4 of it, I thought it was too much, and some of it was a little head-scratching. I was starting to get annoyed by how little was actually happening. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the characters, none of whom are particularly likeable, and because there is so much going on, it felt choppy and disjointed. Finally, all the secrets start coming to light, and the conclusion was everything I could have wanted. My fingers are crossed that this is the first in a series, because I need more!

"The Chateau" by Jaclyn Goldis is an enchanting and captivating novel that takes readers on a mesmerizing journey through the picturesque backdrop of a French chateau. With lyrical prose and richly drawn characters, Goldis weaves a tale of love, secrets, and self-discovery that will leave readers spellbound.

Set against the backdrop of the stunning French countryside, "The Chateau" immerses readers in the beauty and allure of its setting. Goldis's vivid descriptions bring the chateau to life, making it feel like a character in itself. The attention to detail and atmospheric writing style create a sense of escapism, transporting readers to a world of elegance and mystery.

At the heart of the story are the complex and relatable characters who inhabit the chateau. Each character is skillfully developed, with their own hopes, fears, and desires. At first I had a hard time understanding who was who, because they are fairly similar, but once I got the hang of it I started to look forward to each persons perspective.

The central mystery lies in the motive for Seraphine, the owner of the chateau, inviting her granddaughter and 3 friends to come stay for the week. The story is action packed, at times too much so, but was overall atmospheric enough that that stuck with me more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC - The Chateau is out now!

I always love reading new to me authors and was excited to review this book. To start, it had all the right things going for it…multiple POVs, secluded and eerie setting and a killer. I got into it ok; however, was left feeling a little flat. I feel there were no real twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Overall, it’s a decent read but not as heavy on the psychological thriller genre as I usually like.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Initially, I was really excited about the potential of this book. We've got an interesting setting, a collection of characters keeping secrets from one another, a murder; what more could one ask for from a domestic thriller? For me, the answer was characters that I actually cared about. The women all seemed a little petty and stereotypical to me; they lacked the kind of depth that really draws me in and holds my attention in this kind of story. Additionally, there were some really heavy themes designed to be these sort of societal obstacles these women were up against, but it felt erroneous to me. Because of this, it took me a really long time to get through this book. I set it aside for a week and read a few other things, then came back to it.

I would have to say that the majority of the novels I read and review fall into the thriller/mystery category. As such, I am really picky about what I like in my thrillers. Overall, I found the story itself to be unremarkable and the themes to be a little heavy for a thriller. However, even some of my favorite authors have released novels that don't hit the mark for me. As this is the first thing I've read by Jaclyn Goldis, I am holding off on making any decisions on how I feel about the author's work until I've had the chance to consume more of it.

This one wasn't a win for me, but if you like a little exploration of social justice issues sprinkled in with your murder mysteries, then I say give this one a whirl.

This was just fine to me. It was an interesting premise but everything just worked out a little too conveniently in the end. And it felt more like a drama / mystery than a true thriller. If the stakes had been a little higher it might have felt more thriller-esque. Something about it overall just didn't gel with me the way I wanted it to but I can see how a lot of people would enjoy the characters and premise!

I was very skeptical of this because i have a very dim view of most domestic thrillers aimed at women, but I gave this a shot because of the setting. I should have skipped it.

Books like this give me secondhand embarrassment because the quality of plot is so bad and the quantity of pettiness is so high.

Instead of writing something with a clever plot, or a strong sense of place, or chilling atmosphere, or intriguing characters, the author ignores quality in every one of these categories in favor of a virtual kitchen sink of Things Women Are Insecure About. From the petty (weight, competitive relationships with friends) to the heavy (cancer, infertility), it’s the typical, lazy and formulaic attempt to create dissent among characters by playing on stereotypical problems for women and then using these things as jumping off points to pit them against each other.

This could have been a fun murder mystery with an interesting backstory set in a terrific location, instead, it’s just another embarrassing example of the kind of schlocky unsuspenseful suspense that gets peddled to female readers.

Everyone is an unlikely suspect in Jaclyn Goldis' first thriller, 'The Chateau'. Imagine you're invited to a luxurious french chateau in the provence region of France. All your friends join you, some you've seen lately, some not, and you all have something in common. 
Things seem to be going swimmingly until you realize there's a murderer among you! So many untold secrets in this book and you don't know who is to be trusted!
This is more of a drama I'd say than a thriller. There is more time spent on the backstory of each girl, her relationship to Seraphine, the chateau matriarch, and how they've evolved since they first met. Several have motives to be the murderer but the plot gets thicker as the true nature of Seraphine's family history is exposed with their activity during WWII and their treatment of some Jewish relatives. Parts of this book reminded me of 'Inglorious Bastards', mixed with a traditional locked room thriller.
You know there is a big twist coming, and when it does, it's pretty surprising. I found the motive of the killing somewhat suspect, but then you learn more about the murderer and it makes sense. The ending leaves this book ripe for a sequel to see who will survive the next onslaught.

The most exciting part of this book, for me, was the mystery of the painting at the Chateau. I didn't care who killed whom, or why the killer did the killing. The characters weren't unique enough to tell apart from the others, so the switching points of view got confusing at times.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Book : The Chateau
Author : Jaclyn Goldis
Pub Date: 23 May 2023

Thank you Net Galley, Atria Books and the author of this book for an opportunity to review this ARC.

The book cover is beautiful and so eye catching. Sets the mysterious vibe!!! This book was so much fun! Twists and mystery and such a great ride. I sat down to just read a few chapters when I got this sent to me and before I knew it, hours later—I’d finished it! Wow! Loved it.

Multiple POV is my favorite and the four friends and other great characters through the book made it exciting to read.

I will share this book with my book club and if this book isn’t already on your shelf, TBR or wishlist it SHOULD be! Run!

Four friends are beckoned to the chateau of one's elderly grandmother. After hints of an important discussion, a violent murder sets a dark tone for what will unfold...

Digging into the past and from multiple perspectives, I had a hard time putting this down!

Thank you to Netgalley and to Atria for the ARC.

A digital copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley, Atria Books and Atria/Emily Bestler Books. The opinions are my own and freely given.

Four friends are called to Seraphine's chateau in Saint-Remy France. The friends met 20 years ago while studying abroad and have remained friends since. Seraphine is Darcy's grandmother. She is very very wealthy and extremely proper. She called the 4 to the Chateau as she is nearing the end of her life and she wants to put things straight. Then in the early hours, she is murdered in her bed and all of the friends suspect each other.

This story sounds great, but to me it just didn't live up to it. There is a whole storyline about one of the women's father whose parents were sent to Auschwitz, and he was sent to an orphanage. That was the best story in this book and that storyline is what kept me interested.

To me, the book took a turned and started to get really good at about 80%, when the storylines all came together, and the motive and murderer was revealed.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and Atria/Emily Bestler Books

**3.5

This is an interesting thriller in that it takes on issues such as class, antisemitism, infertility, etc. so if you like your thrillers to have a bit more going on then I think this would be a good one to pick up, though I would say it's more of a drama than an outright thriller. Would highly recommend for a fun, summer read!

When Darcy's grandmother, Seraphine, invites her and her three best friends to her French chateau, it seems too good to be true. But each one of them are hiding a secret. Why does Jade despise Seraphine so much? And where does Vix get all of her income when she only sells two paintings a year? Why is Darcy being a bit standoffish with some of her friends? And what is Arabelle hiding?

After a day of wineries and shopping to celebrate Jade's birthday, the night turns sinister when Seraphine is found dead. Was it one of the women who did it? The groundskeeper, Raph, who does not seem to know how to tend to the grounds? Or was it someone else- perhaps the same person who created the mystery instagram account that has been taunting the women all trip?

I liked this book, though it read as more of a drama than thriller. I also thought the ending was a little far fetched, and while I enjoyed the unraveling of so many secrets, some of which seemed strange to have been kept secret so long. In general I did not find any of the characters to be likeable, so it was hard to connect with them. That said, I loved the alternating perspectives of the four friends, Serephine, Raph, and Sylvie. With each perspective being a bit unreliable, it was fun trying to discern who was lying and actually the killer.

The premise of this book did feel a bit overdone (friends head off to vacation, they all have secrets, someone ends up dead) I did enjoy it. I would certainly give this author's next book a shot.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Chateau is a thriller set in Saint Remy de Provence, a perfect location for a novel where past and present collide. Three friends (Darcy, Jade, and Vix) had become friends twenty years prior while in a study abroad program in Avignon, where they spent weekends in a chateau owned by Darcy’s grandmother, Seraphine Demargelasse. Seraphine invites the three women, along with her housekeeper’s daughter Arabelle, to return to the Chateau for unknown reasons, although Darcy knows Seraphine would like to discuss her will with her. However, Seraphine is murdered the evening before this meeting can take place. Everyone has secrets which may or may not have anything to do with Serafine’s death. And to what extent are a missing necklace, and a Van Gogh painting involved, along with French collaboration with the Nazis in sending Jews to concentration camps?

The book keeps you guessing, which is unfortunate in this case as the main clues you need to solve the mystery are only divulged towards the end when the killer tells the reader what happened. Nonetheless, I give the book 4.0 out of 5.0 stars for the location and historical facts alone.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary advanced readers copy of this book.

Darcy, Arabelle, Vix, and Jade met decades ago while studying abroad in France and spending time at Darcy’s grandmother’s chateau. Out of nowhere, they are all invited back to the chateau for one final trip. The trip is already tense and full of secrets and that is before Darcy’s grandmother is found murdered! Have the secrets of their past caught up to them?

What I loved:
-complicated relationships between the women
-the setting/descriptions of France
-forced proximity
-lots of twists and turns!

This was an elaborately written book full of surprises! The multiple POVs kept me on my toes and engaged in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the advanced reading copy!

When Jade turned 40, the last of the group to do so, all four women went back to where it all began for them, to Darcy’s grandmother’s house in Provence to regroup and celebrate. They had stayed close since that summer in their 20s, when they spent time together in France. Darcy and Jade and Vix all live in New York, and Arabelle visits often, usually to meet with her publisher or to promote her cookbooks. They are best friends.

And they all have secrets from one another.

Darcy has a husband she adores and two adorable children who came to her after many years of struggling with infertility. While she loves her family with all her heart, it came with a price. And that price is a debilitating amount of debt that means the life she constructed so carefully with Oliver is about to come crashing down. But her secret is small compared to the secrets of those around her.

Vix is struggling after a very difficult battle with breast cancer and the breakdown of her relationship. She is broken physically and emotionally, but when Seraphine called and invited her to France, Vix knew she had to go. She had to do whatever Darcy’s grandmother asked, no matter how strange it seemed. Vix feels obligated, since Seraphine had been supporting her and her art for 20 years.

Jade went to France with a purpose all those years ago. Yes, she was studying at Avignon, and when she met Darcy, she made her a friend. But she also had an agenda. Her Jewish grandparents were betrayed horribly by a family in the region, and Jade went to France on a fact-finding mission. But when she found more than just facts, when she located the family, she started thinking about revenge.

Arabelle grew up in France, spending her summers with her grandmother Sylvie. Sylvie was a chef back then, and later a caregiver, for Darcy’s grandmother Seraphine. Arabelle met Darcy when they spent summers together at the house. And later, when Darcy came back to France to study at Avignon, she introduced Arabelle to her new friends from school, Jade and Vix. Arabelle also became a chef, and she worked hard, sometimes several jobs at a time, to become a successful businesswoman and social media darling. And while she is happy to spend time with her grandmother and Seraphine again, she has her own secret that could devastate one of her best friends.

Everything is picture perfect at first, the women enjoying the beauty of Provence and the luxury of Seraphine’s grand home. But then a creepy Instagram account tags them with captions that feel almost like threats, and the women can’t understand who would be photographing them in the house and posting it online. But things get so much worse, when Seraphine is murdered.

As the women grieve and try to figure out who could have killed Darcy’s grandmother, they realize that while they all have secrets—including Seraphine, as it turns out—one of them has a secret they’re willing to kill for.

The Chateau is a chilling slow burn thriller about the secrets we carry and how they eat away at us, set in the opulent mansion of a French grandmother in the beautiful region of Provence, France. The relationships that define these women encourage them, define them, hurt them, enrage them, heal them, and break them. As the secrets slowly emerge, and the women find out just who knew what about whom, the knife twists as they wait for a killer to be unmasked.

I thought that The Chateau was a fun summer book. All the descriptions of France, the sunsets and the food and the fields of lavender felt a little like a vacation. I liked the premise of the book a lot, but I did think it was a little slow. The chapters are told from the perspectives of several different characters, which added some tension as I realized how the stories all came together. The characters were intriguing, the story was strong, the setting was gorgeous. I just wished it had moved at a faster pace.

Egalleys for The Chateau were provided by Atria Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.