Gripping story with lots of twists and turns. Great narration. Loved the atmosphere it created. And the story was different enough that I couldn’t guess anything. And I really enjoyed it.

The story was filled with so many unlikeable characters with loads of drama and secrets between family and friends. I did find the plot interesting and this kept my attention. An interesting murder mystery

So sorry I cannot rate this book as I didn't mean to click on an audio book but want to clear it from my list.

Proper decent. Have recommended to friends. The novel is set in the beautiful Provence region, where the friends enjoy wine tours, market visits, and scenic views, while trying to find out who killed Séraphine and why. The novel explores the themes of trauma, revenge, secrets, and justice, as the friends discover that the chateau houses many secrets, some of which are worth killing for

This worked so well, one of the locked room books that is quite common right now. This one is set in a chateau and works. There is everything in here, you will just have to find out what.

The narration really worked and got me involved.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

Wow!! This book (audio) was such a rollercoaster of emotions!

I absolutely loved this book from the start!

My face kind of books are fast paced, unpredictable and "messy" and this one definitely delivered!

Rating : 4,5 stars.

One word for this book : OMG! well, I guess that's technically 3 words but oh well...
I absolutely loved this book. The author kept me guessing, kept me on my toes, kept me tense until the very last second, and for me, that's the tell for an amazing suspense read.
The audiobook, with its full cast, just made it so much for alive, so much more interesting to me. I'll definitely say that the audio route is the way to go for this one!
Side note: as a French girlie, the French setting just made my day. Plus there were no cultural or language abnormalities and that would've been enough for me to shed a tear, thank you very much.

Thank you NetGalley, Bolinda Audio and the author for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a gripping thriller; the descriptions of the chateau as well as the women's history with each other had me hooked. A fast paced but exciting locked room mystery which is perfect for spooky season. The narrator was fabulous to listen to and I would recommend both the book and audiobook. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

The Chateau
Jaclyn Goldis

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Ok, this one is a tricky one to review as I really can't say very much about it, without giving away spoilers!
Especially because the blurb really doesn't give anything away.

Darcy and 3 of her closest friends have all been invited back to the chateau on request by Darcy's grandmother, Séraphine.
Although they've been friends for decades, each of the girls has secrets and it seems that this weekend will force these out into the open.

Having all studied in France years ago, the girls all have memories of their time visiting Séraphine and the chateau but the reasons for this get-together are mysterious, although as we follow the story through, each girl has their own story to tell.

I loved that this was told by the multiple pov's - each of the girls, the groundsman and the housekeeper. This meant we really got to know each character in depth from both an inside and outside perspective.
As each story develops their characters come out as we learn more and more of their backstory.
The way these stories interlinked and wove around each other was great - we saw how the everyone perceived each other, but also heard the reasons behind lots of the behaviour traits.

The plot was a complex one and it took the whole book for me to work out who committed the murder - as you'd expect, each had a motive and yet all had alibis seemingly.

The writing style was engaging and I was hooked pretty much from the first page onwards - it was definitely more of a slow burn who-done-it than full of action, but the dynamics between the characters and the relationship fluctuations kept this one exciting.

This is my first book by this author but, I'd definitely read more.

I listened to this on audio and I loved that there were multiple narrators - one for each character - which made it easy to follow as you always knew whose pov the chapters were by. It also made the character stand out and feel more relatable.

A great read and would definitely recommend to all crime/thriller fans.




💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

A fun twisty popcorn thriller with depth. I devoured this one! Set in a an old chateau in France, four friends come together to celebrate one of their 40th birthdays; they have also been summoned by one of the women’s grandmothers who has her own secrets to share. The audiobook was amazing with a full cast of characters narrating the different characters. This was my first by @jaclyngodis and I am looking forward to what she brings out next.
Many thanks to @netgalley @bolindaaudio for an ALC 🙏💌

So I enjoyed this book for what it was. It kept me engaged although I don't feel like it was anything surprising or new. I would listen to it before bed for half hour and I enjoyed the narration they helped engage me in the story.

I downloaded this audioARC from NetGalley.

Three stars from me means that I believe the author has achieved their aims and it’s a good book but that I personally didn’t fall in love with it.

In this case it was just a little OTT for my taste - so much drama between the protagonists and a murderer portrayed as a sociopath, which isn’t my favourite form of perpetrator.

However, if you like stories about the in-fighting of groups of long-time female friends, you will probably love The Chateau.

Three Word Review: Jealousy destroys friendship.

Thank you net gallery publisher and narrator for a solid 4 star listen arc.
The story is a classic who done it set against the backdrop of a french chateau. 3 friends are invited back after 20 years for a reveal except there is murder before. There are sectets and twists galore and the final reveal i didnt see coming i loved all the characters especially the way they were all needed for tge story.
The narrator did a fab job. Loved it

The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis
Narrated by Carlotta Brentan, Amanda Carlin, Graham Halstead, Elisabeth Lagelée, Emily Lawrence, Jeremy Carlisle Parker, Jackie Sanders

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

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.

As they race to uncover who murdered Séraphine and is now stalking them, they learn the chateau houses many secrets…several worth killing for.

My Opinion

I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed it but I couldn't get on with some of the characters. This was one of those books that I struggled it put down, every time I thought I had caught on to what was going on there was another twist. I was drawn to this book by the stunning cover but I definitely stayed for the drama. This was the first book I have read by Jaclyn Goldis but with plots like this, it won't be my last. This is going to make a great book club read as there is so much to discuss.

Rating 4/5

A Chateau Beckons..
A chateau in Provence beckons in this suspenseful and unexpectedly twisting tale of secrets, lies and murder. Bubbling over with beautifully done descriptive prose, a credible cast and a pacy narrative - the multiple audio narration ramps up the pace, adds credibility and enjoyment and is aptly done. What begins as a steady slow burn soon turns edgy and tension fuelled. A wholly enjoyable listen.

Narrated well. It is one of those books that transports you making you forget about real life and full of delightful characters that spring to life. I actually felt like I was there in the story with them

(4.25 stars)

Many thanks to NetGalley for this ARC🥰

It took me a little bit to get into this book, I couldn’t get on with the narration at first but it slowly grew on me and in the end it made the book an even better experience! I loved that each character was narrated by a different person, it added to the uniqueness of the audiobook. The story was enjoyable to listen to and it kept me hooked at certain parts I was upset when I had to stop reading for a little bit😂 I will say though I am a bit disappointed with the ending, I feel like it was very sudden and I found myself checking my phone to see if the book had actually ended or not because I was so confused … overall though it is enjoyable and I’d definitely recommend!

I’m afraid I did not enjoy this novel at all. Four female friends return to the place in which they met and studied together and murder ensues. I feel the writer threw everything but the kitchen sink at this. Each character had her own defined problem; betrayal due to an affair, a woman afraid to tell her older relative about her sexuality, a newly dumped female… Each genuine issues, but dealt with in such a stereotypical way that the women felt like cardboard cutouts. It was like a tick box exercise to provide something for everyone rather than developed, real feeling characters who could be in any way relatable. The action picked up in the final few chapters but I feel a huge chunk of text could have been removed from the middle without detriment.
I listened to an audio version of this book by Belinda and was asked to comment on that aspect in particular. The accents were dreadful, I found the narrators drawling voice very difficult to listen to so much so that if this hadn’t been a NetGalley advanced reader copy I would have stopped listening very early on.
In short, nothing about this experience worked for me I’m afraid.

Ever since I saw this book at a book club pick, I knew I had to read it. So when I did get a chance to check the audiobook, I practically leapt with delight.

The story is about the mysterious gathering after 20 years hosted by Grandma for her granddaughter and her 3 best friends. As soon as Grandma decides to reveal to them why they are called to the Chateau, she is brutally murdered. And now each one of these friends doubts the other because each of them has a skeleton in their closet(metaphorically).

Doubtless, the plot was intriguing and when it was coupled with a multiple PoV narrative it worked wonders. Initially, it was a bit confusing when the characters were being introduced. But you do get a hang of it once the baseline is set. You may or may not be able to guess the murderer based on your experiences with thrillers. Though one thing is for sure... it does not end like an ordinary thriller 🤯

And since I was listening to the audiobook here, I wanted to emphasize the efforts of narrators to hold distinctive personalities clearly. The French accents felt done well too. However, I do feel they could have added some sound effects too (like pulling the trigger, dropping the champagne glass, etc.)

Thank you @netgalley @bolindaaudio @jaclyngoldis for the Audio ARC

Genre: #psychologicalthriller #thriller #mystery
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

I was immediately drawn in by the stunning book cover and the story absolutely delivered as promised, with high suspense and plenty of twists.

The Lady of the Chateau, Séraphine Demargelasse, has invited her granddaughter Darcy with her three friends, Arabelle, Vix and Jade, to stay in her Chateau in Provence, to celebrate Darcy's 40th birthday.

The descriptions of the chateau and the surrounding areas are breathtaking; wine, boutiques, markets and indulgent foods, set amongst the French countryside.

Séraphine is found brutally murdered in her bed and from that point on, the author cleverly draws in the atmosphere to create a feeling of claustrophobia amongst the occupants, despite the size and space the chateau offers. Locked doors, hidden notes and suspicion everywhere keep the tension running high.

All of the characters were well written and I was able to relate to every one of them, their good and bad qualities and their possible motive for murder. I can usually pinpoint the perp - I'm not always right, but I can have a good guess, but Jaclyn Goldis played her cards close to her chest and I had no clue! The twists just kept on coming!

I really appreciated the multiple narrators, who did a great job and made it so much easier to follow which character POV we were following in each chapter.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Jaclyn Goldis and Bolinda Audio for an ARC in return for an honest review.