This one was clue but less fun, more complicated with a lot of French words/phrases & a super slow burn. There was far too much going on all at the same time for me to be able to focus on certain things. For that-I’m giving it 2 stars.

This was an interesting premise, but I got a little hung up on some of the characters. It is similar to other titles I’ve read recently.

I appreciate the opportunity to review this title!

LOVED this! So well written, highly suspenseful, in a beautiful setting, secret relationships...nothing not to like! Had it's overly dramatic moments but was highly enjoyable and juicy. The characters really came to life and felt real, and loved getting the narrated perspectives outside of the 4 main women.

This is also a tiny detail, but I loved how some details mentioned by others are casually readdressed by others - it's a like a little slip-in that's hard to catch, but is definitely fun. Loved creating my own theories throughout - most of them were right, but I still had soo much fun reading.

My only 2 thing is that it got a little over-said that Seraphine had something SO important to share and was built up and delayed SO much, it made total sense she died. Also, a woman of Seraphine's stature would NEVER call HERSELF old. Lol.

Highly recommend!

I want to thank the publisher, netgalley, and the author for the free copy of this book. Unfortunately this story just wasn’t for me but I will be trying books from this author again in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC.

Good gravy, multiple POVs. Every single one was unreliable. I’m not sure if I liked this or not.

Apologies for sitting on this ARC for as long as I have.

This was a book that I read about 2-10 chapters, liked it, but never picked it back up.

Do I remember why I put it down? No. It didn’t grab me enough to keep going, but I do remember it was enjoyable.

It’s a DNFN (did not finish for now) just because one day I’ll start back at page one, but today is not that day.

Thank you to Jaclyn Goldis, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an eARC of The Chateau!

The Chateau is a murder mystery full of intricately planned twists and turns. As each twist is revealed, the reader starts to put together all of the puzzle pieces to see the final picture.

Things I loved:

The Characters.... Each person was unique with an interesting back story and life events which impacted their decisions throughout the book. While I wouldn't say the characters were particularly likable, I did enjoy learning more about what drove them to act the way they did.

The Intricately Planned Plot.... All I want to say about this is.... WOAH. The characters were connected to each other in ways I didn't imagine, but at the end, I felt like I should have made the connection. Not that these connections were glaringly obvious, but being a person who often reads murder mysteries, I probably should have sussed everything out before it was fully explained.

The motives.... Honestly, I truly didn't know who the killer was until they were revealed. Each suspect had decent motives, but most of them also appeared genuinely sad that Seraphine had been murdered. This really proves how careful you need to be with unreliable narrators!

Things I didn't love:
The Pacing..... I totally understand a novel with such interwoven characters needs quite a set up, but towards the end of this book I felt like things started to drag. The end was definitely high energy and had twist after twist, but we took a bit too long to get there.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. I'd give it 3.5/5 stars, rounded up!

I really enjoyed this girls trip thriller! It has spooky, whodunnit vibes with some classic thriller twists!
I will definitely seek out more titles by this author! Well done!

Locked room mysteries are difficult to pull off, but usually they keep my attention more than this one did. Unfortunately the beginning of the novel failed to capture my interest and I found myself not wanting to pick it up to keep reading. As that is usually what I'm looking for in a thriller, this book wasn't my favorite.
I did enjoy the setting in France, the author did a good job of making the culture seep through. There's a lot of history woven throughout the plot which I did find interesting. I connected with some characters more than others, but they mostly felt like copies of each other in the end. I think casual readers of the genre will enjoy this book!

Wasn’t for me. The concept was interesting and had promise but the execution let me down. The multiple povs made it hard to follow a bit since everyone was so similar and took away from the story

The Chateau had twists and turns I didn't see coming. I really enjoyed this book and loved the ending. Can't wait for more books from this author.

This is such a fun, under-the-radar thriller! Perfect setting in a luxurious chateau in France, where a group of friends decide to spend a week revisiting a friend they met twenty years ago. What looks like a fun time to shop and visit all the wineries, quickly turns dark, as there are secrets and lies around every corner, When one of the group is murdered, the fun unravels quickly--and the reader will be flying through the pages to get to the truth. Highly recommend for fans of strong setting, fast plot, and complicated characters.

I really liked the premise of this book. Four friends, separated by time, are invited back tot he Chateau in France of one of the girl's grandmothers. When the grandmother is murdered, it really turned into a "whodunit" and a closed door mystery. The characters were (mostly) likable, and there was a fairly big twist at the end.

The parts that reflected back to the history of World War II were a little bit of a stretch to me, as I find it hard to imagine the familial grudges that would be that strong (if you read the book, you'll understand-- I'm trying to be intentionally vague to not give away the story) so that part of the book I felt like was a little bit of a reach, for me.

This is the first book that I have read from this author, but it will not be the last.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Could not connect to this main character, and the writing style was too stilted for me. Wordy and technical in comparison to the inner dialogue and personality of the main character. Not interested in continuing.

The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis is an intricately woven psychological thriller set in the picturesque Provence countryside. The novel follows Darcy and her three friends as they reunite at a luxurious chateau, only to be thrown into a murder mystery when the estate's matriarch, Séraphine, is found dead. With secrets from their past coming to light and a sinister social media account threatening to expose their darkest moments, the tension escalates into a locked-room mystery filled with deception and suspicion. This twisty, suspenseful tale keeps readers guessing until the jaw-dropping conclusion, making it perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.

I'm sad to say that this book was a bit too convoluted to follow along. There are too many characters - 4 best friends, husbands, 2 grandmothers, a groundskeeper and more - to keep track of. And the flow of the story was just super convoluted. And the end ... well, the end left even more questions. Sadly, this one just wasn't my cup of tea.

This review was also posted on Goodreads.

I overhyped this book for myself, with a giant let down. That cover though! The synopsis sounds promising too, but this was definitely more of a drama than a thriller in my opinion. I wouldn't recommend this one as the character development seems wonky at best with building them, then flat lining them.

The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis struggles with a predictable plot and underdeveloped characters that fail to fully engage. Despite its intriguing premise, the novel falls short in delivering a compelling and immersive reading experience.

This book had everything but the kitchen sink in it. Overall too much to focus on and the murder seemed to be getting lost in the mix.

Four long time friends, Darcy, Jade, Victoria and Annabelle, reunite after 20 years of their first meeting at the chateau of Darcy's grandmother for a week of well deserved girl time. But soon secrets, infidelities and long held grudges threaten not only their friendships but the lives of all 5 women.

Not even the beautiful, picturesque and atmospheric backdrop of a chateau in Provence can elevate this lackluster drama/thriller. As with so many books recently, it started off so strong and then halfway through everything just fell flat. Not because the author didn't do enough. On the contrary, I find the author just tried too hard, throwing in so many different ideas and themes that I just lost interested and by the end couldn't care enough for the outcome.

With so many wonderful books available in this genre, I just can't see myself really recommending this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books (Atria/Emily Bestler Books) for providing a digital copy in return for an honest, unbiased review.