This thriller by Simon McCleave is set in southern France. Five friends come together at a farmhouse to celebrate a birthday. However, their dream trip ends in murder. This was a good palate cleanser thriller.

This was an entertaining read that took place in France. I liked that this group of friends had an honest dynamic to it. They fought, they got crazy and made questionable choices, and they loved each other. And the twist at the end was pretty good too.

When five friends go to Provence to celebrate Steph's fiftieth birthday, what can go wrong? As the story progresses, we get a look into the complicated relationships with this group of women. In spite of this, they somehow manage to remain friends. And while we learn early on that one of the women dies, there are plenty of twists before we learn who and why.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of Five Days In Provence.

Five friends take a trip together to celebrate one of their 50th birthdays. While they are out on a hike one day there is a storm and they end up getting separated. When they reunite only four of them are there. What happened to there other friend and are the rest of them in danger.

This one was just okay in my opinion. I could not connect with the characters and they were quite annoying. I also felt like I could predict what was going to happen.

Five Days in Provence by Simon McCleave is a chilling, suspenseful story.
McCleave masterfully weaves multiple POVs and timelines making this story intriguing.
These characters were brought to life and the author’s writing and descriptions of the characters and scenery were really well written.

Thank You NetGalley and Storm Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

They travel to Provence to celebrate the 50th birthday of one of their group but instead of fun and happiness they'll face cruelty, crime, violence and will have to fight for their lives.They'll also realize that some of them hold secrets that are bigger than their friendship and it'll torn their lives apart. Fast-paced and easy-to-read, Five Days in Provence is another good addition to the books written by Mr.McCleave.
I thank the author, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Simon McCleave’s Five Days in Provence is a sharply written and delightfully twisty mystery that transforms a girls’ getaway into a suspenseful and emotionally charged whodunit. What begins as a relaxing escape quickly turns dark when a murder shatters the serenity—and none of the women can be sure who among them can be trusted.

McCleave excels at building tension, crafting a narrative full of shifting suspicions and buried truths. As the story unfolds, secrets emerge and loyalties are tested, pulling each character into a web of doubt. The mystery is paced expertly, with just the right balance of character development and plot twists to keep readers fully engaged.

What makes this novel stand out is its exploration of friendship under pressure—how trust fractures and past grievances resurface when faced with fear and uncertainty. The ending is both satisfying and unexpected, bringing a strong close to a story full of suspense and emotional depth.

Five Days in Provence is a gripping and atmospheric thriller perfect for fans of character-driven mysteries with plenty of twists. McCleave delivers a smart, well-crafted story that will have readers second-guessing everyone until the very last page.

5 go on an adventure, but only 4 will return.
A very enjoyable quick read, the perfect accompaniment to a pool or beach lounger.
Five lifelong friends take a weekend break to celebrate one of their 50th birthdays. Tensions grow immediately as the differing personalities emerge, and old irritations come to the fore. You think it’s predictable but then the twists come!
A great piece of escapism.

5 friends gather together to celebrate Steph's 50th Birthday. On the second day, while hiking, one of them is murdered.

I feel that I have read several books following this trope in the last month! A group of friends, secrets, drama, away in a remote location. I wanted to read this because the characters were closer to my age. I will say the book was somewhat entertaining- had a Housewives of whatever city vibe. However, I soon became tired of the characters- each one seemed to be a caricature of a specific trait: narcissism, controlling, martyr, follower, and brave. Because they were written so strongly to represent a specific trait, they came across as completely one dimensional. I felt like the characters seemed more like adolescent teens, than 50 year old women, and I really wasn't rooting for a single on! And then there were the 2 men. They were in their 30's, and were the caretaker/handymen for the owners of the farm. Shaun was an ok character, but Tom was over the top creepy. I was really hoping that this story would pan out.

Unfortunately, I had the plot/twist figured out in the scene where they leave to go hiking. I also figured out the "killer"- it was supposed to be a twist, but I suspected exactly what would happen at about the 50% mark. And the build up to this twist, and the ending was quick! So this was entertaining, in a "campy, over the top, crazy people" way- but it does not compare to Simon McCleave's "Last Night at Villa Lucia".

These are only my own opinions, as many others rated this much higher, and seemed to really enjoy it.

I plan on reading the next novel, hoping it will be as highly enjoyable as Villa Lucia!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This is the first book that ive read by this author and I did enjoy it.
It was easy to read, not too taxing, and had a good setting.
It was quite predictable but it didn't ruin it.
The characters were ok but quite OTT I thought.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

A gripping murder mystery. Five friend go to France for a birthday celebration. One ends up dead how did she die, fall or pushed. With plenty of twists along the way that will keep you guessing till the end. Good plot well paced and good characters. Loved the setting, excellent read. Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for this review ARC.

Thank you, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for letting me review Five Days in Provence, to provide an honest review in return.

I loved all of the secrecy, hiding, and twists and turns! As a woman who just turned 40, I felt very physically insignificant then these ladies! They knew how to party, and hike up mountains during fires. Crazy! I would have to workout a full year in advance, and not just jump on the bandwagon, ready to go day of. I am a little jealous of these ladies! Seriously!

I did figure out one of the main twists BUT I did not see the end coming! That’s when you know you have just read a great book.

The drama between these friends, is a lot! I am not a fan of drama whodunnits, but this was accomplished tastefully and tactfully, that I wasn’t thinking about the friends’ drama, but what actually was happening on the outskirts of that drama through this author’s wit and keen skill!

If you like vacation whodunnits, and a reunion with a group of friends, that goes terribly wrong, this is your book!

Steph was going to be fifty and she had decided to celebrate it, along with her four friends by climbing Mount Ventoux in Provence.
The five friends, Steph the lawyer and the arranger, Darcie the self centred, entitled influencer who thought that the world owed her a living, Ruby, Darcie's older sister, the brainy one of the two but also the one with the poor body image, Abi who tries to be like Darcie and Katie who recently came out as gay, these five had been friends since childhood and this story reminisces throughout.
Steph desperately wants this holiday to be a success, she has planned it all but from the start there are arguments, always with Darcie at the root of them.
As the story unfolds, the focus is on Darcie's stalker, a stalker who had threatened her life, a stalker who was on the police radar.........where was this stalker ?
Shaun, the caretaker who lives across from the holiday villa, and Tom his assistant, become friendly with the girls, it is a very strange combination but it is to Shaun and Tom that the girls turn when tragedy occurs.
I enjoyed reading this book but I must admit that I didn't like any of the characters, I know that friends argue but these five didn't seem to have anything in common and argued all the time even though they were spoiling Steph's birthday.
I received a free copy of this book and my review is voluntary.

Five old university friends head off for a short break for Steph's 50th birthday. The story highlights just how much the five have changed throughout the intervening years and when four head up on a mountain climb, only four return. Plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing what is happening and who the perpetrator is. And then just near the end, we have the big reveal....WoW

Thanks to Netgalley/Storm for the ARC to review.

A birthday celebration turns into a tragic nightmare when one of the friends ends up dead. Now you have four friends together all wondering if any of the others are killers. The mind games that they played in their own mind would be enough to drive someone bonkers, and their bickering drove me crazy.

This was a fairly good mystery, though some of the reveals were easy to figure out. I do not believe I have ever read a book where I disliked every character. These ladies were not likable, and maybe that was by design by the author so you would discount anyone as a suspect.

The multiple POV's was interesting and the shorter chapters made this easy to read. I bumped this one up to four stars because I always enjoy reading a good mystery, and this one was pretty decent.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Five Days in Provence was a fun, entertaining thriller! I inhaled this book in 2 sittings! The characters were saucy and the plot was absolutely twisted. Was some of it predictable? Yes. But that was part of the fun. I would have loved more character development, but overall this was a satisfying summer read! Perfect to devour by the pool or beach!

Ughh I really wanted to like this one based on the description....

This book had a promising premise—a scenic setting, long-time friends, and a murder mystery—but ultimately it fell SHORT. While the atmosphere and setup were strong, I found it difficult to connect with the characters as they felt exaggerated and point blank unlikeable. The female friendships came across as unrealistic, filled with petty arguments and even physical fights, which made the story feel less authentic. I'm not sure if this was because the author was a male and it is what he assumed that's what a female friendship entails. The plot twists were predictable for me and the pacing was uneven which led to an unimpactful final reveal. It did not deliver the gripping suspense or emotional depth the description suggested and overall, it was an underwhelming read that didn’t quite live up to my expectation at all.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.

(4.75) I read this book in two sittings - I will definitely be picking up more of this author’s books. A classic popcorn thriller that would easily get you out of a reading slump! I caught myself running through my theories as twists got revealed - a fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! All opinions are completely my own

Steph has taken her time to plan this perfect getaway with 3 of her lifelong friends to celebrate her 50th. Being best friends and yet so different from one another as well as two being sisters; the drama starts to unfold right on the plane! When they arrive at the farmhouse they are staying they are greeted by two younger attractive men who are the grounds keepers. Secrets come out, social media posts are made and one of them winds up murdered. This book you will devour to know the juicy secrets and who done it!

Five Days in Provence
by Simon McCleave
Pub Date: Jun 27 2025

From best selling author: Simon McCleave, "Five Days in Provence" is a psychological thriller that explores the dark side of friendship and the devastating consequences of long-buried secrets. Five lifelong friends gather at a picturesque farmhouse nestled amidst the lavender fields to celebrate a birthday, but beneath the sun-drenched skies of Provence, their dream escape will end in murder.

It's a blend of mystery, thriller, twists, turns and lots of suspense. At times it left me breathless until the final, jaw-dropping twist at the end!

Many thanks to #FiveDaysinProvence #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for providing me an E-ARC of this 5 star book!