If you like Lisa Jewell, Lucy Foley, or Ruth Ware you will easily fall into this book. I prefer Lucy Foley over Ruth Ware's tendency to be predictable and this book did not disappoint. A dream girls trip to a luxurious French chateau devolves into a deadly nightmare of secrets and murder in this stylish, twisty thriller. Jaclyn Goldis does a great job immersing the reader in the French lifestyle. At times I really felt I was there!

What a ride! I felt like I was in this chateau with these best friends. Everyone has a secret, and NO ONE can be trusted. If you think you know who did what, trust me you do not. This book transported me to France and I loved every second of it!

The Chateau - Jaclyn Goldis
Four best friends hold their memories of the Chateau dear to their heart. When Darcy’s grandmother Séraphine invites them back for a chance to reconnect, the best friends don’t hesitate. Each girl arrives with some baggage that they hesitate to share with their friends, they put on brave faces and hope to fool each other.

What the girls don’t know is that each girl had their own personal reasons for accepting the invitation that had nothing to do with reconnecting. There is a lot of money and history at play, and the girls all feel they deserve what they’re entitled to.

When Séraphine is found dead, the girls feel unsettled knowing that only certain people had access to the Chateau. They begin to second guess everyone’s movements, and as the truth starts to come out, no one could have imagined the world of hurt they were walking into.

I was so looking forward to this book. Stories that happen in creepy looking chateaus typically have a certain eerie vibe, a vibe I felt this book was lacking. It was a very slow-moving story. I feel it spent so much time tip toeing around, showing how unlikeable the characters were, and taking it’s good ol’time to get to the point. The climax of the book and the resolution did make up for a lot of the slowness, but I had a hard time pushing through. I wish the beginning of the book had a better hook to get me excited. In the end, I sadly just wasn’t a fan. ⭐⭐/5.
Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books

I love, love, loved this! T he writing was luminous and evocative. The setting was beautiful, while also being gothic. The friendships were deeply nuanced and more than a little messed up. Several plot twists and a red herring. The mysteries were many. Everybody had things to hide and the ending while it did not end neatly, was extremely satisfying in its ambiguity. Rounding up to 4.5 stars. Thank You Atria books and NetGalley for an ARC of this

This is a true murder mystery! If you love Clue, then you will love this book. Four friends are invited to the Chateau in France by the grandmother of one of the attendees, namely Darcy, but before they can find out the reason why Darcy's grandmother Seraphine has summoned them to the Chateau, she turns up dead, Just who killed her and why? There are multiple suspects and many twists, turns and history all rolling down a steep hill. I really enjoyed reading and trying to solve this mystery. Vix was my favorite of the characters. I felt all the characters story lines were well developed and each storyline had proper closure at the end. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and bookstagram friends. I would have given it 5 stars if not for two chapters, the first being the ending of chapter 41, I have had physics in school and I find the physics behind the ending of that chapter a bit hard to believe. The second thing that I found incredulous to believe was that Vix would just give away money when that was far from the personality of her character, and it didn't make any sense especially given her feelings for Seraphine. The honorable thing would be to honor her last wishes. No one should have to give up something that could better their life, and the life of their loved ones as an ultimatum to be loved especially when it was the last wish of the deceased. A woman who was like a grandmother to Victoria. I wish her character was a bit stronger because it is not love if someone forces you to do something or give up something just to be with them. Other than that, I totally loved this book. It was so good! It made me want to visit France again!
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC for an honest review.

Solid mystery that will appeal to mystery loving patrons. Who killed the beloved grandmother? Why? A gathering of friends with secrets galore!

This was an amazing book.
It’s about four friends (Jade, Darcy, Vix, and Arabelle) that are summoned to France by Darcy’s grandmother. While there secrets come out, the women learn who everyone truly is, and there’s murder.
This book didn’t just have thriller/suspense to it. It also had a lot of drama from what secrets that came out. I’m someone who only reads for maybe 30 minutes a day and I had a hard time putting this book down. I devoured it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for giving me an early copy of the book. It’s definitely one that I will go back and read again!

This was a fast paced thriller with a lot of twists and turns. However, I struggled to get into it because of the unlikeable characters and the twists sometimes didn't make sense to me, like why would the grandmother write a long word like Assassine with her last breath. That ruined it a little bit for me, and the ending annoyed me.

The Chateau, a massive mansion on a sprawling estate in Provence. Séraphine, the wealthy owner of the Chateau and Grandmother to Darcy invites Darcy and her three closest friends to join her for a week-long reunion at the Chateau. Upon their arrival, Séraphine announces that she plans to clear the air and reveal secrets from her past, secrets that will change the lives of all four women.

The next morning, before she has had a chance to speak with them, Séraphine is found murdered in her bedroom. The story is told in alternating chapters between Darcy and her three friends, cleverly divulging their suspicions and secrets. As the mystery deepens, the suspense builds leaving the reader to unravel their betrayals and lies. Highly recommended for fans of fast-paced thrillers with a twisty page-turning conclusion.

Thank you to Jaclyn Goldie, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕, 𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚, 𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒔.”

This is another Dennis (@ScaredStraightReads) made me do it book! This was such a fun read.

Jaclyn Goldis weaves a drama-filled mystery centering around four friends reuniting in France, where they all met 20 years prior. I loved the mix of relationships between Darcy, Arabelle, Jade & Victoria, alongside Darcy and Arabelle’s grandmothers, Séraphine and Sylvie. The chateau itself has a grandeur and factors into the story so much that it feels like an additional character. While reading, I was reminded in ways of Julia Bartz’s The Writing Retreat, in the celebration of female friendships, queer representation, and the isolated setting. I thought of my own longterm friendships, especially when the girls are rehashing memories together; it is such a gift and a cornerstone of friends that you’ve had for a long time. I love when books not only transfer you to another world but they also bring memories of past experiences; this feels like a love letter to France alongside the drama and mystery, and so many pieces of the setting had me reminiscing on my time in Paris. It makes me want to return and see more of France asap. Goldis doesn’t shy away from tough topics, including breast cancer, infertility and anti-semitism; all of it adds depth to the story and the characters. Giving all the occupants of the chateau separate chapter point of views was the also right move, especially as you get to know them; it adds to the many mysteries each person is bringing to the table. The mystery itself had some solid reveals, and the ending was WILD!

The Chateau is a story of uncomfortable truths, best friends, money, and revenge. It is well written and will have you turning pages for the drama and to see how everything will unfold. Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC!

Every page drenched with maximum drama, The Chateau is a tale filled with life-altering secrets and money with friendships that may not be able to survive either. Jaclyn Goldis has delivered a novel that’s compelling theatre with a slow-drip of reveals that constantly rock your world.

Four women return to the picturesque chateau they visited two decades ago while studying abroad together in France. Still friends with deep bonds to this day, they relish the opportunity to spend quality time together and with Séraphine, the madame of the house and the grandmother of one of the women. But they are equally puzzled by Séraphine’s invitation and curious message that she has information to share with the group. So when she is found murdered one morning, the four friends start searching for answers, uncovering a myriad of secrets and motives that rock their world, put them all in danger and challenge what they thought they knew about each other.

The Chateau does a wonderful job of dangling a carrot in front of the reader, teasing the big reveal while releasing little bits of information along the way. This approach propels you forward with a sense of urgency to find the answers while developing characters and providing plot twists along the way. It’s a great way to capture the reader’s attention and hold it, simplifying the telling of this multi-layered, complex story.

This book also offers a great commentary on the damage that secrets and money can do to relationships. Every character has a hidden agenda on this vacation and many of them will irrevocably impact the connection they have with their friends. And in several cases, there’s a financial component that adds impact to the issues simmering below the surface. All of which goes towards proving two old adages – honesty is probably still the best policy and money can be the root of all evil.

The Chateau offers a thrilling spectacle that is part murder mystery, part history lesson and part reality television. Enjoyable and intriguing from start to finish, buckle in and revel in the drama.

Thank you Netgalley, Jaclyn Goldis and Atria Books for giving me an early copy in exchange for an honest review. **

This book was so good. I LOVED it. It was a pretty intense family drama (not necessarily a "thriller in my opinion) with an extremely disturbing story line. I was hooked after the first few chapters and really got invested in the different characters and all their side stories. Everyone had secrets to hide and everyone wanted to keep them hidden. I was constantly asking who did what?! So much was going on, but I felt like it flowed nicely. I liked the different perspectives the story was told in because everyone had a different motive for being there. I am excited for this story to be published.

4.5/5 Stars!

This was an enigma wrapped in a mystery wrapped in an onion and it was awesome!

The premise is pretty standard - four friends meet up and diabolical shenanigans ensue but this novel somehow elevates it above a sea of others.

Stylistically it feels similar to some of the other popular authors of this moment - Lucy Foley seems an appropriate comparison. Even with that being said, her writing stands on its own. It's slick and intelligent and I wouldn't be surprised if Jaclyn Goldis is the next big thing.

I don't want to spoil anything plot wise but I will say it's intricate without getting needlessly complex.

One of the things I enjoyed most was how she handled the tension and 'reveals'. I find many novels string you along with cliffhangers for chapters on end and eventually you're just over it. In The Chateau there is enough foundation that she can set up a scene and get to the point, it always felt like we were learning about the characters and moving forward, it was quite refreshing.

There are so many plot threads that need to be resolved during the climax but it mostly works. The scope may get ever so slightly fantastical but the resolution was still satisfying.

A tremendous thank you to Atria books, Netgalley and Jaclyn Goldis for this incredible advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I like mysteries where the suspect pool is small, everyone has a motive, but it wouldn’t make sense for anyone to actually be the murderer and everyone is forced to stay locked up together until the crime is solved. Naturally, I was stoked when I saw this pop up on my NetGalley Shelf.

Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my high expectations. While I enjoyed the plot and some of the twists surprised me, I really struggled to connect with any of the characters. Even though the story is told from multiple POVs, I felt there wasn’t enough differentiation between them. I had to keep going back to the beginning of the chapter to remember which character I was reading.

A quick summary would go something like this. Four friends who studied abroad in France 20 years ago are called back for a week at the French chateau of Darcy’s grandmother. The Chateau they spent many weekends at all those years ago. Seraphine has brought them back with something important to reveal. Unfortunately, she is brutally murdered during the night before she gets a chance to tell anyone her secrets. One of them is the killer; all of them have secrets.

The setting is created well. I loved the description of the French countryside, the market, and the chateau itself. Throughout it all, the mysterious, secretive and desperate tone of the characters shines through some of the moments that might otherwise feel dragged out.

The only character I felt any type of connection to was Raph, and he really wasn’t even a major character even though he was important and also surrounded in mystery. I’m not sure if it was because there were times I felt that these 40 year old women were acting like they were 15, and he was just there looking on shaking his head.

The word choice was a little forced. Thankfully it smoothed out as I got further into the story, but I do suspect it impacted my initial connection to the story and characters.

The ending was a little interesting. I’m not sure how I feel about it.It definitely falls in line with the psychopathic tendencies of the character who is discovered to be the killer.

Overall, I was a decent read. I enjoyed it; I just feel that it took me way longer than it should have to get through it. The plot was interesting, and I didn’t see many of the twists coming. I was strangely satisfied with the ending, but it really was the characters that caused me to struggle. I found that I just didn’t really care who the killer was.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Out of the blue, Darcy and three of her friends receive an invite from her grandmother Seraphine to join her at her lavish chateau in Provence, France. When the women arrive, Seraphine informs them that she has brought them all there to tell them something very important. However, overnight Seraphine is brutally murdered, and the women must figure out whose secrets are the reason she’s dead.

THE CHATEAU by Jaclyn Goldis is a lavish drama full of secrets, survivors, and picturesque views.

This one alternates among 5+ POVs, each of which felt unique from one another, and was an immediate love for me! However, I feel like we could have learned more about each of the characters and their stories if there wasn’t such a large cast front and center.

My favorite part of this book was the Jewish representation (and the author’s tie-in at the end in her acknowledgments) and the whole storyline and secrets surrounding that, and the mentions of Van Gogh - I could have read an entire book focused on this aspect alone.

Aside from my loves in this one, I found the mystery to be occasionally muddled and the moving parts, while clever, to be confusing at times.

I’d be intrigued to see Jaclyn dive into this genre again!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: May 23, 2023

Thoroughly enjoyed this The Chateau. Slow burnt that really picked up speed around the 60% mark. Loved the historical aspect thrown in too. Really brought depth to a traditional closed room murder mystery/thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my gifted digital advance reader copy.

Darcy and her three friends reunite for a girl’s weekend at her grandmother’s chateau in the French countryside. They’ve been summoned by Séraphine, Darcy’s grandmother, who seems to have a mysterious reason for inviting the girls back after over ten years. The weekend goes awry when one of the women is found murdered in her bed, leaving the remaining survivors to wonder who they can trust.

Half of the reason I picked this up is that it sounds like a great thriller/locked room mystery a la Lucy Foley. Shamelessly, the other half of the reason is because the author and I share a first name!

This one had an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ vibe to it, and I think the plot became too overwrought as I neared the novel’s conclusion. In addition to being a mystery/thriller, this also has elements of historical fiction. At times, I had the strange sense that I was reading two separate books. The conclusion/reveal felt a little rushed to me. There’s a lot of slow buildup/waiting that is quickly resolved in a somewhat satisfactory fashion, and the ending was simultaneously OTT and underwhelming somehow.

As many other reviewers have pointed out, all of the women’s voices sound the same (and they are all oddly fixated on their pasts). Nevertheless, this still earned a three from me because I thought the writing was good, and I kept turning the pages wanting to know how it all ended.

Read it in a day. Lots of twists and a cliff hanger made a pretty good read on a windy and cold day.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, but opinions are my own.

I have mixed feelings about this book and contemplated the rating. On one hand it was fabulous - set in Provence, in a sprawling chateau, 4 friends from college summoned by one of the women’s grandmother - a perfect murder mystery, with family secrets and a complex history at the forefront. On the other hand, each chapter was a different women’s POV and I had a hard time keeping the characters straight. Numerous times I had to go back to see whose chapter it was. The book picked up the pace about halfway through - the first half a bore. Too much narrative, not enough action. There were multiple triggers in this book: Holocaust, rape, adultery, abuse. Some portions I had to skip over as they were just too painful to read. The last chapter of the book was unnecessary; the author should’ve just left it as it was.

Overall a pretty good read. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Advanced Book Review! Thank you @jaclyngoldis for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I was so excited for this book and when I included it on my list of upcoming releases for 2023 that I was looking forward to, Jaclyn Goldis kindly offered to send me the NetGalley link so I could read it early.
“A dream girls trip to a luxurious French chateau devolves into a deadly nightmare of secrets and murder in this stylish, twisty thriller.”
I’ve mentioned before that I’m drawn to books about family secrets and grand estates. It was hard to put down because there were so many things I wanted to find out more about as I was reading. Jaclyn Goldis does a great job of keeping the reader in suspense throughout the book on several different storylines. She also does an amazing job of writing from seven different perspectives. Each is written in first person and each character is so distinct that any confusion I had at the beginning was soon gone as I got to know the characters better.
I knew this book was written by a Jewish author but I didn’t actually expect the Holocaust connection – which seems to occur so frequently in books I’m choosing, or maybe I’m just really aware of it. This book also touches on current anti-Semitism and I connected with this quote in particular: “My heart breaks for my children who live in a world that will at times reject them for being Jewish.”
With that in the background, along with other important topics like infertility, The Chateau was more than just another mystery and I really enjoyed it.