There are some similarities between this book and another with a similar name name, but of the two, this one gets the extra star! Four friends are invited to Seraphine’s chateau after 20 years. None of them are sure why, but when she is found murdered the morning after they arrive, they are all suspects!
Revenge, greed, jealousy, betrayal, the Holocaust, a stolen painting and a secret room make this book a definite page turner! I loved all the twists and just when you think it’s over, there’s one last reveal! I wholly recommend this book!!!
Thank you NetGalley, Jaclyn Goldis and Simon and Schuster for an eArc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book has been one of my highly anticipated thrillers of 2023 so I was pumped to receive an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. The Chateau has everything that should make for a suspenseful popcorn thriller, but I’m sad to say it just didn’t work for me as I’d hoped.

The historical aspect of the novel was interesting, but with all the twists and revelations as the novel progressed it all became rather convoluted and over the top.

At one point a character receives an important letter from the deceased and decides to take a nap before reading the letter. Conveniently the letter is then stolen. Who takes a nap before reading an important letter?!

When the killer is revealed a very long monologue/information dump ensues about the who, what, when, where, and why. I prefer this information to be revealed naturally and not from the killer telling all the things about him/herself.

I’m sure this book will appeal to many readers. It just wasn’t for me, unfortunately. Thank you to the publisher for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved The Chateau. This mystery was two parts Agatha Christie and one part Lucy Foley, arranged in a way that would keep anyone hooked. I burned through this book in just a couple of days because I was so curious to know where this one was headed. There are multiple narrators and timelines, but logically assembled so avoid confusion. There are a solid number of twists and turns, with a historic mystery thrown in. This one tied together nicely.

The Chateau is the atmospheric, indulgent read that I desperately craved after glimpsing at the cover of the book. The story of four women who met in their early 20s after spending a semester together in France as foreign exchange students. Now in their 40s the women return to the luxurious chateau, owned by the Seraphine, the enigmatic grandmother Darcy, at Seraphine's request. While the trip was under the guise of celebrating a birthday, the trip quickly turns into a reconciling of the past as Seraphine makes it known that she has critical information she must share with her guests.

Then there is a murder. And it all goes haywire.

I went into my reading of The Chateau anticipating a straightforward murder mystery that would likely have very rich people making very poor decision. Another book similar to all those being sold right now. I am pleasantly surprise by how wrong I ended up being. Goldis did a remarkable job of intermingling the thriller genre with a study of each woman, their relationships, their motivations, and their own personal histories as related to the present-day storyline. I was genuinely surprised by the ending of the book, how the loose ends were nearly tied up but also leaving me with a few questions to puzzle over as I continue my day.

Thank you to the publisher, Jaclyn Goldis, and NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Set in the beautiful Provence, all things are not quite as beautiful as they seem... rife with Jewish history and representation, The Chateau is a great thriller from Goldis. A fabulous mix of historical and current events blends together to create an enjoyable mystery.

This book is told from multiple POVs The Chateau belongs to Seraphine and is where Darcy and her 3 friends used to spend every weekend when they were younger. Many years later Seraphine, Darcy's grandmother, sends invitations to all four inviting them back to the chateau hoping it's not too late to make things right. AS we soon discover, the girls are hiding secrets of their own and it all starts unfolding with revelations that will shock them to their core.

For me, the first 10 chapters were very hard to follow and overwhelming to the point I almost gave up. I am so glad I stuck with it because it was a really good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC for my honest review.

A good murder mystery, but a little slow at times. Lots of characters and background, while I know it is useful it is slow to read through. Would still recommend though, as it picked up.

What a twisted little gem! It is filled with so many details that are perfectly woven together at just the right time. Well done!

The beginning of the book was a bit slower, as it was detailing each character’s backstory a bit. Once everyone was established though, it flew in a whirl of craziness!

Thank you NetGalley, Jaclyn Goldis & publisher for allowing me to read this book early.

YES! I really, really, really liked this book! The story was so twisty and complex! I had such a good time reading this book, a total page turner! The characters were AWESOME. I really liked the dynamics and the intricate histories of the characters individually and together. This was a fun murder mystery with a slight thriller theme! Totally recommend!

This book was great! I absolutely love the "who dun it" type books because I always feel like I'm on the edge of my seat. This was no different. I read this book in 2 days because I couldn't put it down and that's a feat for me right now! Bonus points for also adding in a bit of historical fiction to the mix!

There were some parts that I got a little bored and skimmed but that's ok. And I found that it was pretty predictable which, to be honest, is terrible because I'm not someone who is good at figuring those things out. It really didn't take away from the overall story for me though BUT it's definitely why it didn't get 5 stars.

I highly recommend this book for anyone into these two specific genres. It's a quick and easy read. I really love the authors writing style and plan to check out more books from her in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC. All opinions are mine and mine alone. :)

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller. I found I was really able to dive in and immerse myself into this story. I enjoyed getting to learn about the characters and the ending was so surprising.

This was a book I was EXTREMELY excited for. When I got the email that I was approved, it immediately shot to the top of my TBR.

THE CHATEAU tells the story of four friends reuniting at one of their grandmother’s chateau after a summer spent together there while they were in school. They arrive excited to be together, but unsure of the reason they received the invitation. When Seraphine (the grandmother) says she’ll tell them the following day, she is murdered in the middle of the night.

What I liked: the multiple POVs, the well-developed characters, honest depictions of what it means to be a woman, conversations around the depths at which our family history can affect us

What I didn’t like: pacing, a not-entirely shocking ending, irrelevant plot points

That being said, I think my expectations were a little TOO high. I still had a great time reading it, so 4 stars seems accurate for me, but I guess I just wanted a bit more excitement in it. The last chunk of the book was definitely full of suspense as all of the pieces came together, but I think I would’ve liked the action to start a little sooner.

If you like slow-burn thrillers, a bit of WWII history, and empowering female characters, I think you’ll be a fan of this one!

Thank you NetGalley & Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Chateau tells the story of four women gathering to celebrate a fortieth birthday. Darcy's grandmother, Seraphine requests them to come to the Chateau they all know well. They met there twenty years ago and have been friends since. Seraphine is getting older, she wants to set the story straight and release the truth. When she's found murdered though, the four friends must determine who's secret is worth killing for.

The premise of this book was intriguing, however I will say it felt like a slow build and a lot of background details. Once we climbed the hill though, the story started rolling. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

This is my first book by this author, and I really enjoyed it! I loved the atmosphere and various twists the story took. I was kept interested in the characters and developments throughout.

A chateau in southern France, owned by a wealthy woman who was just a 19 year old newlywed when the Nazis took control of the area she lived in. Three 40:year old women who became friends while doing a college year abroad in France, making a quartet of lifelong friends when they stayed at the chateau where Arabella lived with her grandmother, the housekeeper. Each has secrets, problems with partners, and questions about where their lives are headed when they return to the Chateau 20 years later at the request of the owner, the grandmother of one of them.. These secrets and problems make for a great story with twists galore. In the beginning I had to occasionally double check which character was narrating each particular chapter, but once I got into the book it was much easier to follow, and I enjoyed the different voices. When Darcy’s grandmother is murdered before she can reveal the reason for bringing them all together again these friends, like sisters, no longer know who they can trust. I was up late reading The Chateau to see how it ended, and thank NetGalley and the publisher for introducing me to this rollercoaster of a book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This book was a little complicated but turned out to be an all around good read. Just a lot of characters to keep straight

Wow, this one kept me going. I love girl get together with mystery involved. It was all that.
Thank you Net Galley for letting me read this one. It did not disappoint. This author will now be one I will follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC. This was a highly anticipated read for me, but sadly I didn’t it. I found there were too many female characters that I found hard to tell apart. The Chateau also felt more mystery than thrilling and it had a little too much drama for me. I was also slightly disappointed with the big reveal, it felt underwhelming. I did enjoy the setting on this one and i thought the talk of Van Gogh and his paintings was interesting!

This was a very clever book! I did not guess the ending at all while reading and I normally do! Looking forward to reading more books by Jaclyn Goldis!

A fun romp though the French countryside! When four friends are invited back to one of their grandmother's chateaus for an unexpected reunion, secrets and lies abound. Soon there's a dead body, a devastating betrayal, and enough suspicion to keep everyone on their toes. Told from six different perspectives, readers get a full, twisty accounting that will keep the pages turning.