"Wish accidental detective Zoe Pascal bonne chance as she finds herself embroiled in another murder!

Zoe Pascal has settled into her new life in the picturesque village of Sainte-Catherine, running her beloved bookshop with her new companion, Russell the dog.

When an old friend invites Zoe to join her family at Chateau Palotte for the holidays, Zoe heads off into the French countryside to the grand, yet slightly dilapidated, castle.

But there's a frosty atmosphere at the chateau - and when the butler is found dead, Zoe is forced to ask: Was this an accident, or is there a murderer in the grounds?

Soon, Zoe uncovers that everyone staying at the chateau has a motive for murder - can she uncover the truth, before they strike again?"

Well, of course everyone has a motive for murdering the butler. A butler is the one person whom everyone would have had contact with.

** “I need to know what it feels like to kill.” **

Greg Mosse continues his French Village Mystery series with “The Chateau Murder.”

When village bookstore owner Zoe Pascal’s friend Adelaide Amour asks Zoe to travel to her family’s chateau in nearby Saint-Paul-de-Palotte, she’s reluctant to go but doesn’t want to disappoint her friend. It’s the 70th birthday celebration of Adelaide’s husband, Primo, and his twin brother Boris, and a really big deal in the small town.

But Zoe quickly realizes things aren’t as they seem at the chateau. Repairs are needed. Staff is down to one — a butler named Monsieur Alaine. And a lot of family members live under one roof, including ex-wives, with a lot of drama.

When a death occurs, though, Zoe’s mystery instincts kick in. Can she figure out what’s truly going on at Chateau Palotte, before more devastation occurs?

Perhaps a tad darker in tone than Mosse’s “The French Bookshop Murder,” “The Chateau Murder” is filled with a lot of twists and turns, misdirections, and intriguing and enigmatic characters. Mosse does a great job of delivering a thrilling story, all while filling it with some good themes, like the power of bitterness, jealousy and passive aggression; can people have an evil will with a malign intent; the past always seems to intrude on the present; “Murder is like an infection or a bad smell. Nothing and no one is left untainted”; and neither nothing good nor nothing bad lasts forever.

Fans of cozy mysteries, Mosse’s “Maisie” series, which is frequently referenced, and slightly darker authors like Ruth Ware and Sarah Pearce will enjoy “The Chateau Murder,” which is due out Jan. 15.

Five stars out of five.

Hodder & Stoughton provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Perfect for Cozy Mystery Lovers

This book checked all the boxes—charming characters, a tight-knit community, and a mystery that kept me guessing right up until the end. It’s one of those stories that makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea and read all evening. Highly recommended!