If you can get through the first third, you'll find it to be a good mystery.

I requested and received an EARC from Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books via NetGalley.

This is one of those books where I absolutely loved it, but I almost don’t know what to say about it because I don’t want to give to much away about it. It’s best to go into it not knowing too much about it, because each revelation then becomes more and more exciting and suspenseful, building up to the climax. And it’s totally worth the wait to get to the big reveals in this one.

But it’s wealth, the French countryside, murder, wine, ooh la la!

This book is, in turn, told from each of the four girls’ POVs, and we get to know each of them and their personalities and stories intimately. Each is keeping major secrets and dealing with some major issues, which means that each is a good candidate for the killer, something that makes the book that much more exciting. The author is great at creating and maintaining a very high level of suspense and throwing out some amazing twists and turns. There’s also some really heavy subjects that the author deals with very well.

For example one of the major plot points deals with inter-generational trauma from the Holocaust. Gold is, Jewish herself, does a good job handling this. It didn’t feel gratuitous and she was able to use it to talk sincerely about issues that our community (I’m Jewish as well) is dealing with now - how do we address rising antisemitism now? How do we learn about our past without offending those who suffered in it? I really appreciated how she handled it.

Overall, this book was just a great story, top to bottom. If you like mystery/thrillers, don’t miss out on this one!

This book was for sure worth the read. Four best friends get invited to the chateau of one of the grandmother's. She informs them all she has big news the next morning, but before that can happen she ends up being found dead. Each friend has a different secret and they have to decipher who committed the crime. I did not see the twist coming at all and it was quite the twist. If you want a who dunnit read, this is it.

Wow, that was such a fun ride!! I really enjoyed this book!!! Okay ,first of all can we talk about that cover??? Absolutely stunning and drew me in right from the start. But come on, a creepy old castle in Provence, France with murders on top of it??? Oh my gosh right up my alley!! And it did not disappoint! I just loved the characters’ different POV’s and the surprise reveals along the way, it really had me guessing, and even though I had a massive work project due, I stayed up late twice and polished this off in two days!!! I will definitely be reading this author again. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC!!!

Sooo many thoughts about this one.

Rating: 2 ⭐️

I’ll first begin by saying this is a quick read- very fast moving chapters with a lot of main POVs throughout. The writing was a little cheesy! I don’t typically let that take away from my rating of a book, but this one had a lot of random analogies that didn’t seem to fit within context, and the dialogue between characters didn’t seem like a natural-flowing conversation at times. On top of this, there were a lot of inconsistencies throughout the book…the book states that one of the main characters were married on Mackinaw Island in Michigan, yet another chapter references their wedding in Traverse City, Michigan??? The 4 main POVs sounded very familiar and it was hard to distinguish all the characters. The book also had way too much context and backstories that I felt didn’t develop the characters in a purposeful way. There was also a lot of inner dialogue and I still didn’t care or root for any of them! I was a little frustrated by this one, since things were happening to the characters and they weren’t seeking out answers for themselves. The ending was underwhelming and seemed a bit too convenient.

Pub date: May 23, 2023

Thank you Atria Books / Emily Bestler Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"A dream girls trip to a luxurious French chateau devolves into a deadly nightmare of secrets and murder in this stylish, twisty thriller for fans of Lucy Foley, Ruth Ware, and Lisa Jewell.

Welcome to picturesque Provence, where the Lady of the Chateau, Séraphine Demargelasse, has opened its elegant doors to her granddaughter Darcy and three friends. Twenty years earlier, the four girlfriends studied abroad together in France and visited the old woman on the weekends, creating the group's deep bond. But why this sudden invitation?

Amid winery tours, market visits, and fancy dinners overlooking olive groves and lavender fields, it becomes clear that each woman has a hidden reason for returning to the estate after all these years. Then, following a wild evening's celebration, Séraphine is found brutally murdered.

In the midst of this shocking crime, a sinister Instagram account pops up, exposing snapshots from the friends' intimate moments at the chateau, while threatening to reveal more.

As they race to uncover who murdered Séraphine - and is now stalking them - the friends begin to suspect each other. Because the chateau houses many secrets...several worth killing for."

Big old chateau and murder? Yes and yes.

The Chateau is a mystery that you can devour in one long sitting.

Four friends from school reunite at the home of the Matriarch, twenty years after last seeing each other. The home itself is a character in this book as important as the five women. Full of explicit language that brings it to life.

Each of the young women have a secret that comes to the light and then the Matriarch is found dead. Are they being stalked by an outsider? Is it one of them?

The twists and turns keep coming and this is a perfect book for a summer read.

Rounded up to 3.5 stars.
What caught my eye was the cover. I mean look that cover, it's beautiful and I thought I was in for a gothic mystery horror thriller. What I got was the Real Housewives of France. I didn't connect with any of these characters at all, I found them a bit vapid. Each chapter was a characters storyline. Too many characters, too many storylines. In the beginning, I kept going back to see what the last thing that happened to that character. I found it a bit odd that lifelong friends wouldn't know their friends dark secrets or much about each others past. Maybe my close group of friends are different. I wouldn't classify this book as a mystery or thriller but more of a drama and a splash here and there of potential mystery. I do love the description of the area and it definitely made me want to rent a Chateau in France! It's not a bad book at all. I went in with different expectations based on the cover. This book reminded me of Luckiest Girl Alive which I was not a fan of but absolutely loved the movie. Maybe a movie would be better for a book like this.

Thank you #netgalley and #jaclyngoldis for the advanced copy of the book.

The past comes back to haunt four friends, all at a gorgeous French estate. They all have something to hide & ulterior motives for showing up. I really enjoyed this book, the writing is lush & pulled me in immediately. It has the perfect amount gothic overtones, like a modern day version of Rebecca or Jane Eyre. As the secrets start coming to light, you truly go back & forth wondering who the guilty party is. The conclusion is fantastic! So much happens & everything is expertly wrapped up & explained. I highly recommend it!

This type of locked room trope is one of my favorites. I wanted to visit this Chateau and take in the splendor for myself. A great book and excellent writing.

The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis

Welcome to picturesque Provence, where the Lady of the Chateau, Séraphine Demargelasse, has opened its elegant doors to her granddaughter Darcy and three friends. Twenty years earlier, the four girlfriends studied abroad together in France and visited the old woman on the weekends, creating the group’s deep bond. But why this sudden invitation?

Amid winery tours, market visits, and fancy dinners overlooking olive groves and lavender fields, it becomes clear that each woman has a hidden reason for returning to the estate after all these years. Then, following a wild evening’s celebration, Séraphine is found brutally murdered.

In the midst of this shocking crime, a sinister Instagram account pops up, exposing snapshots from the friends’ intimate moments at the chateau, while threatening to reveal more.

As they race to uncover who murdered Séraphine—and is now stalking them—the friends begin to suspect each other. Because the chateau houses many secrets…several worth killing for.

Out on May 23.

I really wanted to enjoy this book as I love isolated/locked room/closed circle mystery/thrillers with great atmosphere, people hiding secrets, and fun surprises for the reader along the way. Unfortunately, there were several things that prevented me from really enjoying this story.

The first issue I had was the use of so many POVs in the writing. All the women read virtually the same to me, so it was difficult to distinguish the characters, and I found myself wondering why we needed so many POVs. I felt the story would've been stronger following 1 main POV.

I also didn't find the ending very satisfying, and I didn't find any of the characters likable. That isn't always a problem for me in thrillers, but this felt like the kind of story where you needed to root for your main character. I felt like she read very passive, and couldn't understand why she would allow all the bad things (like her friend sneaking off to sleep with here husband) around her to keep happening.

Overall, not for me.

I have always enjoyed chateau based suspense novels but this felt all over the place. Four women are invited to one of the women's grandmother's chateau where they have vacationed decades ago. But is there an ulterior motive behind why Seraphine might have invited them? But when there is a murder, things go wild and everyone's secrets come to unravel.

The first half was really slow and I needed to push myself to continue with this one. I expected more happening chapters at the beginning but it was simply alternating chapters for all the women and it took time for me to remember who each was. It was a great premise with an interesting plot and could have had some drama to engage readers more.

First of all, I love that Darcy’s dresses are a running joke throughout the book. For some reason, it made me appreciate the author that much more.

Overall, this was a story that kept my attention even if, at times, it seemed a bit amateurish.

I did have a bit of a difficult time with the story being told in first person by a different character each chapter. (I always do.) I think it would’ve worked better if each character had more flavor and distinguishing characteristics. The characters were also not honest in their first person stories which was odd and deceptive.

The premise of the story and the reveal are solid, and I did enjoy the plot twist and ending.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

PUBLICATION DAY: May 23, 2023

Four women, who are the best of friends, are invited to France to celebrate a milestone birthday. Seraphine, the matriarch of the chateau, has invited her granddaughter Darcy, Jade, Vix and Arabelle for the party - but does she have an ulterior motive for bringing them all together? What secrets lie hidden within this group? And when a murder occurs, what else will be revealed? It’s a dangerous time to be in this chateau…

PROS and CONS:
So well written - I loved the writing style here - descriptive but not overly so. I did get a bit lost in the alternating chapters until I made a concerted effort to remember which character’s voice I was hearing in each. A great mystery, exquisite setting and lots of twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

READ IT?
If you’re looking for…a well thought out murder mystery (with a heck of an ending), then this one’s for you!

4 Stars

In this twisty and quirky locked room thriller, Séraphine Demargelasse invites her daughter and her daughter’s three friends for a sudden and out of the blue visit to her French chateau in Provence. Throughout the course of the trip, secrets get revealed. When Séraphine is found brutally murdered, the girls turn on each other. There are many secrets in the chateau, and some are worth killing for.

This had such a great premise! Things I loved: the French atmosphere, the locked room mystery, and the unraveling of secrets.

Unfortunately something in this book fell a little flat for me. I’m not sure if it was the dialogue or the characters themselves, but I didn’t 100% love this. I still think it would make a good summer read by the pool, however. It was an easy read, and I really do love whodunnits! It was very reminiscent of Agatha Christie books.

The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis is a twisty, atmospheric thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. The story follows four old friends who reunite for a weekend getaway at a luxurious chateau in France. However, their idyllic vacation quickly takes a dark turn when one of them is murdered. As the friends try to piece together what happened, they soon realize that they are all hiding secrets from each other. The Chateau is a well-written, suspenseful novel that will keep you hooked and reading—so try to start it on a Friday so you don’t have to put it down to work or live 😂

Here are some of the things that I liked about the book:

🐚 The characters are well-developed and complex.
🐚 The plot is full of twists and turns.
🐚 The setting is atmospheric and evocative.
🐚 The writing is sharp and suspenseful.

If you're looking for a good thriller to read, I highly recommend The Chateau which is on sale NEXT MONTH!

Wow! What a melodramatic tangle—and I mean that in a good way! This book has interesting characters, an attractive setting, and a very complex story. I really enjoyed it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my honest review. This was such a fun read. If you love Clue, atmospheric mysteries, and plenty of secrets and twists then this book is for you. The author does a great job with really making the reader feel as though they are right there in a secluded chateau in France. It’s not as fast paced as other books because the atmosphere is built so well throughout the novel. It is still so much fun. I love girls trips gone wrong! Thank you so much again to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my review.

I had been looking forward to this book for a while. The cover and description were both super intriguing and seemed right in my wheelhouse. It kind of fell flat for me. I felt it was super slow and had to really push myself to finish.

A pretty good mystery. I can definitely see the Agatha Christie influences in the upper crust characters, posh setting and fact that absolutely everyone has dark secrets and nefarious motives. All in all, a fun read.