A great twisty thriller! Four friends return to the French chateau of Darcy’s grandmother. The friends enjoy the French countryside, wineries, and great meals. They are curious why Seraphine has invited them all here. The gals are very close, but they all have secrets. So many red herrings! The characters are well written, some better than others. I did not care for Vix. I felt that she was just one dimensional, floating through life, not participating. My favorite character was the setting! Wonderful descriptions of the lush chateau and grounds and nearby villages. This was a quick read and written from different POV. I really enjoyed this book and think that fans of Alice Feeney would love it.

Thank you Netgalley, Atria books, and Jaclyn Goldis for this Advanced Readers Copy! All I can say is.. talk about keeping me on my toes!!!! I loved the different POV’s with the characters and just when I thought I knew who the killer was, I would change my mind—I just could not figure this story out but I love when that happens!! Love the cover and looking forward to other books from this author.

Twenty years ago a group of four women spent a summer together at a Chateau in Provence, France that would end up bonding them for life. Now Seraphine, the owner of the chateau and grandmother to one of the women has invited all four women back. But this is not simply a time to reminisce and relive those long ago good times. Seraphine is dying, and before she goes, there are truths that must be told. When Seraphine ends up brutally murdered, it becomes clear these are the kind of secrets that are worth killing to keep hidden. How well do these “lifelong friends” really know each other, and could one of them really be a murderer?

3.5 stars rounded down. A lot of this read more like a drama to me, and I actually wish it had been one. The mystery and thriller parts were by far the weakest bits for me, whereas I savored the drama and long buried secrets between family and friends. I also absolutely loved the setting and the rich, vivid descriptions of the French countryside. And the secrets held by all were deep and juicy, by far enough to carry an interesting tale on their own. What a story there could have been had these secrets bubbled to the surface while everyone was still alive to deal with the fallout.

We follow along mostly in the POV of the four friends, with occasional chapters from Seraphine and the groundskeeper Raph. Everyone is at least a little bit unreliable; they all have something to hide. In a locked room mystery where first person narration is used, it can be tricky to allow the reader in on the thoughts of someone who is likely the culprit without giving it all away. I don’t think that balance was achieved here. I felt a little cheated at the reveal when one character’s tone completely changed. It was unnecessary and cheapened the book a bit. It was also the only time a character’s voice felt truly distinct to me. I struggled quite a bit to keep up with who was who and whose chapter I was reading early on, in large part to all of the women having a very similar tone. They had fleshed out character traits and fully drawn lives, but they all spoke very similarly.

However, there was a lot here I enjoyed and I would certainly pick up another book from this author, especially one more on the lit fic/historical fiction side of things.

The detailed descriptions of the Chateau are so vivid; they make you feel like you are actually there! There's nothing like an isolated setting for a murder mystery. There was a good amount of twists and intrigue that make you want to keep reading. The characters were very well developed and were all a bit awful, and there were definitely points that I really detested them. With such few characters one would think it would be fairly easy to figure out the murderer's identity, but I was kept guessing until the very end. Every woman in the story had a secret she was hiding and they all had to come out! I enjoyed the changing POV across all 6 women and 1 man, and I guessed 100% wrong on the killer's identity, mostly because of other secrets that had been buried deeper. This book would appeal to fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware. I would definitely read more from the author. Thanks to Jaclyn Goldis, Netgalley and Atria Books for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts.

Certainly a fun read and I loved the premise. Four friends in their 40’s reunite at a chateau in France at the mysterious request of their friend’s grandmother. The setting and surrounding environment was vivid and did keep me intrigued. Not to mention that the trip starts off with a murder.

Fun story aside, I did not love the writing. Although the four best friends are very different, they all had the same cadence and would go off on tangents in the same way. Also, each character’s backstory was dropped into the story in a clunky way - especially for Ralph. It almost felt like Goldis was in the background yelling - “oh and another thing!”. Still enjoyed it regardless of how soapy it felt.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I chose this book solely off the cover and the title. I knew nothing about the book or the author, but I could just tell it was going to be a good one. I wasn't wrong.

The story begins with a girls trip to a luxurious French chateau. The four friends met 20 years earlier and used to visit the Lady of the Chateau, Seraphine Demargelasse on the weekends. Seraphine has extended a sudden invitation to bring all four woman back together for a visit. Each woman has their own secrets and reasons for accepting the invite. Then one night, Seraphine is found murdered and now everyone is searching for answers. As the search ensues many secrets are revealed, including those worth killing for.

The characters were a little hard to connect with at the beginning of the book, but towards the end I was able to feel more of a connection. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns this book had. The secrets and the ending were not predictable and I had no idea what was coming!

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for a digital ARC.

This is a very good story. Four best friends at a beautiful chateau in the French countryside, murder, intrigue, and lots of twists and secrets! I loved the setting. Recommended!

A gals trip to the gorgeous south of France that doesn't even make it out of the airport before hints of trouble appear. Darcy, Jade, Vix and Arabelle are best friends since their college semester abroad in France where Darcy's grandmother owns the title chateau and Arabelle's grandmother is her housekeeper/companion. The scenery descriptions were gorgeous, I felt like I could smell the lavender in the air. The first half got a little bogged down in back story and slow moving scenes in my opinion, but once the action got going and twists were revealed I could not put it down! I read the entire book in one sitting.

The Chateau captivated me from the very beginning. The location and descriptions of the chateau itself and the various locales in France were vivid and took me back to my times in France. The characters were each fascinating individuals and were well developed. There were so many secrets, all of which unraveled amidst the twists and turns. The writing, occasionally prosaic, made for enjoyable reading. I have mixed feelings about the ending, but given the nature of the overall suspenseful nature of The Chateau, I did not find it surprising. I highly recommend The Chateau and thank NewGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review it.

Four young women meet at university in France and become fast friends. Two are foreign exchange students from the United States. The others are french.

One of the girls has a grandmother who lives in a big, beautiful chateau not too far from the university. The four of them often visit this grandmother, spending weekends there. All five grow to be close.

School ends, life goes on, and they all go their separate ways. They keep in touch, but they have husbands and children and careers to focus on.

Twenty years later, the grandmother invites the four friends to visit her at the chateau again. They all manage to get away, and the Reunion Tour begins.

But all five of them have secrets. Each of them has an ulterior motive for the visit, a personal mission to accomplish while together. Each of them is lying about something. And how good of friends are they really?

Before the grandmother can explain why she’s summoned them, there’s a murder.

Any one of them could be the killer. Or was the mysterious new groundskeeper responsible?

They all start to suspect each other. The police suspect them all. But it proves to be very difficult to figure out what happened and why.

In the meantime, no one is allowed to leave, and so the happy reunion becomes an agony of watchful waiting. Who can be trusted?

More than one dark hidden secret must be uncovered in order to unmask the murderer. The revelation of these secrets, some from long ago, change several lives and affect the friendships.

The chateau has its own secrets waiting to be discovered.

This is a well written, twisty mystery that kept me guessing. The setting, in France amidst the lavender fields, vineyards, and olive trees of Provence, is gorgeous. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2, available May 23, 2023.

My thanks to the author, Jaclyn Goldis, to the publisher, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book.

#TheChateau #netgalley #AtriaBooks #EmilyBestlerBooks

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 accepting the invitation. Then, after a wild evening’s celebration, Séraphine is found brutally murdered.

As the women search for answers to this shocking crime, fingers begin pointing and a sinister Instagram account pops up, exposing snapshots from the friends’ intimate moments at the chateau, while threatening to reveal more.

Great book! This one reminded me of a few books I've read from Lucy Foley, Ruth Ware, and Sarah Pearse. If you like those authors and enjoy a story about a girls trip gone wrong then you'll want to pick up this book!

This was a compelling mystery but the language was a lot more aggressive than was necessary. I just kept whispering, “less is more” to the author as I read. I would recommend this to a thriller lover.

This thrilling story takes place in a beautiful place- if it weren't so scary I'd want to stay there myself! the author did a wonderful job making me feel like I was part of the story, part of the friend group! Must read- and I'm not even a thriller-type of gal.

This took me for a ride. I am someone who can sometimes guess the twists but this had be guessing to the very end.

A twisty thriller that takes place ina spectacular location. The setting alo e made me want to move to France. However, the twists starting becoming unrealistic and I lost interest in wanting to finish the novel.

I thought this was okay. It was your typical murder mystery book. So you pretty much know what you are getting into when you read this one. I will say there was a lot of different point of views in this one. So that confused me at times. But this was a solid read.

I really enjoyed this. It felt similar to Lucy Foley but had a little bit more going on with each character. I loved the last chapter! A must read for anyone who loves locked room mysteries. I think you’ll enjoy it even if you guess who did it.

Four friends are are invited to a chateau in France where they had spent many summers in their youth and college days.  It’s the home of Darcy’s grandmother, Seraphine, and she has a story to tell….but doesn’t get the opportunity to share it because she is murdered!
   There are so many facets to this story: women’s health, bigotry, denial, resentment, body image, restitution …….and so many secrets that are teased out of the book bit by bit just to keep the reader engaged…...it worked.
   The descriptions of the characters, the french countryside and the “good” life by the sea gave this tormented book an engaging aura in spite of the murder and finger pointing that emanated from this supposedly friendly foursome.

Twisty and fun, though maybe a little too twisty because it did lose me in places. But it was a very quick read for me that I could picture being on TV, with the zany characters and colorful, convoluted plot.