I really feel bad a bit this but this one SO was not for me!! I looked at Goodreads and there are many favorable reviews so don’t go just off my opinion but unfortunately this one really really didn’t work for me. Love the cover though and wanted to love it so much. But…nope.

What worked:
💙Set in a chateau in France

💜4 best friends coming together due to receiving mysterious invitations from
one of their grandmothers

💖Locked room style murder mystery element

What didn’t work:
Oh goodness I feel so bad but where to begin?

🙈Writing style - oh my! In the first chapter a lone I felt like she threw in every cliche and metaphor and descriptive word she possibly could. I actually read the first chapter and put it down for a week because I didn’t know if I would be able to handle the writing.

Examples:
“But summer aside, my teeth are now chattering like someone banging on a door knocker. My nerves are the obvious puppeteers.”

“Life isn’t always a buffet. Sometimes you have to sit down for the meal that is placed before you.”

🙈The characters - so hard to tell them all apart because there were no distinct voices and I kept having to remind myself which friend was which even though each chapter had the name of the characters whose point of view it was

Side note - it looks like the audio has multiple narrators so maybe that’s the way to go so you can keep the characters straight.

🙈The “twists” - one twist I guessed immediately from the moment something was shown in the book - she was revealing way too much in the moment where nothing seemed surprising

🙈The side plots - an affair, fertility issues, social media, a stolen painting, Jews hiding during the war, secrets that reveal true identities, and more. Too too much!

🙈Again the writing - the whole thing was just way too drawn out and meandering in its story. One more big twist at the end that seemed so pointless unless it’s being set up for a sequel maybe? Just seemed unnecessary.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for this advanced copy on exchange for my honest opinion.

It took me a while to remember that I read Jaclyn Goldis’s debut novel and unfortunately didn’t like it. This feels similar to me. Though a thriller is a far cry from historical romance, the elements and secrets felt so close to When We Were Young that it was hard not to notice. I also struggled to differentiate the many different POVs in this story. They four women had essentially the same voice and then there were two more POVs, one of which I didn’t think really added anything. That said, despite a very slow beginning, I did continue to the end and found the last bit interesting.

Darcy and her three best friends are on holiday in France staying at her grandmother's chateau. Her grandmother is quite old and has asked them to gather one last time. She has a message for each of them. But before she can deliver it, she is brutally murdered in her bed. The girls are left to uncover who and why she was killed, each hoping to conceal their secrets and avoid being considered a suspect.

This one started off a little slow, we take a bit of time to get to know the women and what brings them to the chalet. I encourage you to stick with it. Once the murder happens, the girls we thought we knew become more complex and layered than onions. Each has their own secrets and motives and some are not what you would expect. Darcy's family may have a long history in France but that history is colored by all sorts of cobwebs and scandal. I really liked the weaving of real European history with fiction. One of a few thrillers where I did not guess the culprit or the motive before it was revealed (in a good way!).

Read this if you liked The Lions Den or The Hunting Wives.

Thanks to Atria Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

At first I didn’t think I was going to like this because the characters seemed really superficial and the story didn’t quite pick up for me until about 30% but as I kept reading the story and characters got more complex and intriguing. It turned into a wild ride with twist after twist. It even dealt with some serious topics, like generational trauma, in a way in which I have never seen done in a thriller. I definitely recommend this to all the thriller lovers out there.

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books and Jaclyn Goldis for this ARC ebook. The Chateau will be published May 23, 2023.

Writing: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Character Development: 4/5

Warnings: Language, Violence

Themes: Mystery, Thriller

The Cheteau is about a group of friends who are invited back to one of their grandma’s house for a mysterious reason. When the same grandma is found murdered they try to find out who did it and at the same time try to keep their own secrets hidden. This was a great mystery full of well written characters. The mystery was well drawn out and I didn’t see the ending coming. Their were a few instances that made me a little uncomfortable but overall I enjoy the story.

This book is great for anyone who loves a who done it mystery and learning about secrects of friends that have known each other for many years.

I received an arc of this book and am leaving an honest review.

I tried really hard to love this one but there were just too many similar characters for me to keep straight. I got to 40% and just had to stop. I also didn’t understand the whole Jewish storyline and it was taking too long to get to the murder.

So, I’m not going to lie. The first 20% of the book was a bit of a challenge for me. It was almost a DNF. I just couldn’t with most of the characters and I thought the secrets revealed would be banal.

Reader, they were not banal.

I am so glad I kept reading! This wasn’t just a toxic friends book (I mean, it was but not ONLY). The secrets and truths were beyond devastating. Some were heartbreaking. Most of the characters grew on me and I found myself completely invested in our murder and all the history that lead up to it.

And the ending? Chef’s kiss.

From an almost DNF to 4 stars – very glad I kept reading!

• ARC via Publisher

There has been a lot of buzz/anticipation for The Chateau so I was thrilled to receive an advance copy. I love isolated/locked room mysteries and this one gave me Lucy Foley vibes. However, the book was muddled with too many character points of view. I had trouble distinguishing between the women and following who was who because they all sounded so similar. I think it would have been better to follow the story through one person’s point of view. I also didn’t understand the main character and her choices. She just passively let things happen to her and never took control of what was happening around her. Overall this book was a miss for me.

A locked-room mystery where the setting is a gorgeous French chateau? YES PLEASE. I burned through "The Chateau" with its fast-paced plot and multiple side stories. It's a multi-POV book and the characters' voices were a little hard to distinguish but that didn't detract from the great story line. Would make an excellent beach or airplane book.

Are you ready for a thrilling ride in the breathtaking French countryside?

French Week - 4 friends gather for a week in the French countryside at the chateau of Seraphine.
Multiple POV - We follow multiple points of view to piece together the secrets being kept and
Grandmother Dead - the reasons behind the killing of Seraphine.

This book really did take me away to the french countryside. However for me, while the book was extremely fast to read and the mystery twist very shocking, I found that I didn’t really connect or like any of the characters. This is not necessarily a deal breaker, but I think overall what this book lacks in making you invested in these woman’s lives, it makes up for in misdirection and the descriptions of what is happening. While it’s not my favorite thriller I have read this year, I really did find that I needed to see how it ended.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I liked how the author told the story from the differing points of view. I thought she also did a good job weaving all the storylines together in a surprising way. Did not reflect conservative values but was still enjoyable.

Best part of the story was the setting and any inclusion of Van Gogh and his life. However, one should not need to keep pen and paper nearby to remember which character is which and what is their role in the story. Very confusing. This is where a stronger editor was needed to encourage the author to streamline the points of view. If this were a movie it might work better, but words alone do not provide the clarity needed to keep story moving.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #TheChateau for advanced digital copy.

This one wasn't for me. It drug on and on with nothing exciting until the very end. Felt very rushed and the drama was lack luster.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Atriabooks for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

SYNOPSIS:
"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?

It becomes clear that each woman has a hidden reason for returning to the estate after all these years. Then, following a wild evening celebration, Séraphine is found brutally murdered.

In the midst of this shocking crime, a sinister Instagram account pops up, exposing snapshots from the friends’ intimate moments at the chateau, while threatening to reveal more."

4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you love slow burn suspense, you will enjoy this book. I wish the author had made it less obvious who the killer was, I would have preferred a little more mystery surrounding the murder of Seraphine.

Although there was no mystery to whodunnit, I was way too committed to finishing this book in a day because I HAD to know why Seraphine invited all the girls to the chateau. I needed to know all the secrets!

Pub date: May 23, 2023.
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#bookstagram #bookreview #bookreviewer #thrillerbooks #mysterybooks #comingsoon #arcreview #booksofinstagram

Rounding up to 4 stars. Plenty of turns and twists in The Chateau. Multiple POV, old betrayals, new betrayals, family secrets, unreliable narrators -- this book has it all and would be great to keep you entertained on a long flight or while lounging on the beach. .

Darcy, Vix, Jade and Arabelle have been friends for 20 years when they met during a study abroad in France. To celebrate Jade's 40th birthday, the group is returning to France to stay at The Chateau, the home of Darcy's aristocratic grandmother, Seraphine, who is in her mid-90s. She knows these girls (now women) and makes it plain that she wants to discuss something that needs addressing, but she will wait until after Jade's birthday. Bad idea. Seraphine is murdered after the celebration.

The plot was good and the setting was great (I want to visit Provence), but I had very little sympathy for the characters, and the ending was worthy of an over-the-top daytime soap opera. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the ARC.

A luxury trip gone wrong, sign me up! Follow a rollercoaster of a ride in finding out who is at the get together for the wrong reason and what their motives are.

Read if you like:
🖤 Gothic Vibes
🇫🇷 Books Set in France
📚 Several POV
🔪 Thrillers
🔎 Who Dunnit

This book had the most lovely setting! It was dark and rich but also gave all the south of France vibes of old money and beautiful old Chateau’s!

I love how the book started out with a bang with the four friends being summoned to the Chateau to be told something only for a murder to happen before they could be given the information they came for!

After starting off with a bang it does turn into a slow burn and will have you questioning everything as you move from one POV to the next with each chapter. I don’t know about anyone else but I love unlikable characters in this genre so I thoroughly enjoyed not liking any of the characters.

Thank you to Atria Books for my ARC in exchange for my review!

I’m sorry to say I found this book unbearable to read and could not finish it. First, every point of view sounded the same with only a slight difference regarding personal details. I found it hard to remember who was speaking in each chapter. Second, the language just wasn’t for me. It was VERY GEN Z. Between mentioning TikTok, using the word “Cheugy” and then adding at the end of a sentence “Full stop.” It was hard to continue reading. The use of slang in this book really pulled me out of the story and had me staring at the language instead. This murder mystery had potential, but I guess this is geared towards a younger audience.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Chateau is a gorgeous mystery by Jaclyn Goldis. It centers around four longtime friends who are invited to a luxurious chateau in the heart of Provence, France by Darcy’s elderly grandmother Seraphine. Each of them has their own unique tie to her grandmother and this beautiful estate. Still, they are all curious as to what the root cause of this invitation could be. Shockingly, their host is murdered. Any one of them could be the killer. Or was the mysterious new groundskeeper responsible? Everyone suspects each other. The police suspect them all.
In the meantime, no one is allowed to leave. The happy reunion quickly turns tense. Who can be trusted? I highly recommend this heart-pounding, page-turner.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an ARC of this book! THE CHATEAU hits shelves on May 23.

Welcome back to the south of France — where 4 friends would spend summers at a chateau, but have not been together for 20 years. They have been formally “summoned” at the bequest of matriarch Seraphine, 94 years old, still mysterious and very adept at keeping secrets.

There are seven POVs, but it was amazingly easy to follow them.
The friends:
Darcy (Seraphine’s granddaughter, married with kids, struggling financially, “fertility warrior”)
Arabelle (granddaughter of Seraphine’s companion, Sylvie/Mamie, married/ no kids, successful local chef, cookbook author and innkeeper).
Jade (school friend of Darcy, married with kids, fitness instructor, who hates Seraphine for unknown reasons)
Vix/Victoria (school friend of Darcy, artist, cancer survivor, recently split with girlfriend, favorite of Seraphine who keeps more in touch with Vix than Darcy)

The household:
Seraphine, grand-mère and grand-dame of the castle
Sylvie, companion to Seraphine, eleven years younger, but still 83 years old
Raph, the younger-than-the- friends new groundskeeper with questionable cherry-picking skills

Everyone is telling the others’ stories, and so first perceptions might not always stay true. Seraphine declares it will be a week of truth and fun, both quashed once Seraphine is murdered. One would think everyone would turn viciously on each other, but surprisingly they are restrained in their altered viewpoints and suspicions, even after Seraphine’s will has some surprises. Yet, relationships are altered drastically and the murderer still needs to be discovered. The secrets go back to events of World War II and the betrayal of the local French Jews.

I did come to love the structure of the alternating viewpoints after an initial hesitation and I got deeply enmeshed in each character’s backstory. This is also the story of four women uneasily dealing with age forty as well as a twisty mystery. 5 stars!

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Darcy the granddaughter plus two creatures, a cat and a heron, have green eyes. Jade’s left eye sometimes shifts to green.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Fields of lavender are properly blooming in June.