Murder mystery based in a luxury ski resort in the French Alps. Two brothers go skiing in difficult conditions and one of them gets killed. Twenty years later many of the people involved at the time end up staying together in the same resort. I enjoyed this book and the characters in the story although many of them have flaws. When they are forced to spend more time together because of weather conditions the cracks in relationships begin to show. Cameron and Simon are particularly obnoxious, both trying to outdo each other with bragging stories about their wealth. Ria is married to Hugo, who appears to be one of the decent characters in the book, but Ria seems intent on trying to spend as little time as possible with him. The reasons for this are revealed when the story unfolds. This is like an old-fashioned murder mystery and is easy to read and enjoyable with lots of twists and turns to it. It was relatively easy to work out what was going on in terms of how they all linked to the death of the brother once you were part way through the book but nevertheless it was still very good. The one thing that was left until the end was what actually happened to the brother that died. We do not know until the end whether he died in an accident or whether he was murdered. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book

A captivating read!
Set in the French Alps, at a ski resort, The Chalet focuses on a tragedy that occurred in the past and moves fluidly back and forth between then, and the present, to bring the story to its conclusion.
An impromptu break for two brothers and their girlfriends in the late 90s begins well but ends in chaos as an awful tragedy occurs and the story that follows takes us through the minds of several people supposedly not connected, but in reality, they are, entwined with the death of a man, in the most complex ways.
The Chalet is an excellent psychological thriller and a fantastic debut for Catherine Cooper.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

From the start this well written thriller had me wanting to know what happened and why these random people working in the resort or a party of skiers in a chalet were all featuring as giving their own personal testimonial.
The details of French life, like the Red Cross helping motorway stranded travellers give the story true local colour.
Some of the people talking about what is happening first 20 years ago and then in the present are part of the past and present and some are just incidental people in the present.
No spoilers so read on.
I was totally taken by surprise who is who from the past and who they are now and those that I thought were part of the past but in reality they are bystanders caught up in the dynamics of those staying in the chalet.
In other words a past mystery that has implications in the present and not as I thought. .
The end is a surprising but a logical shock.
Read this excellent book. The characters are well depicted, some I liked and some I disliked and this added to the tension. . The story is horrible but credible. The denouement exceptional.
An excellent thriller.

This was a nice, quick read that I enjoyed.

It's a thriller set a ski resort/chalet, which makes for a great setting. Following two timelines, we flash from an accident on the slopes in 1998, to a group staying at the chalet in present day.

The characters were interesting and I found myself invested in the story. I wanted to know what had truly happened, I had to keep reading, I couldn't put it down!

I really loved this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

TW: sexual assault

What a twisted thriller! I was expecting an easy mystery novel, something lighter to read. It was nothing like that at all! If it wasn't for the email from NetGalley I would never pick up this book - the cover doesn't speak to me as a book I'll be interested in. But I decided to listen to the blurbs from the email and I requested the ARC. The story is really tough to read at times, but it is an excellent story nevertheless.

First of all - the author is amazing at straying us into different hypothesis what this whole mystery is about. I felt like I knew what’s going on a couple times, only to be shocked by the next revelation. I especially like additional of an unexpected new voice in the second part of the book. This is not a story I got figured out as soon as I started reading it, it kept surprising me in each chapter. I love how different I read the book blurb right now - nothing is as I expected. I think this is the exact thing that is a requirement for a good thriller.

ceived a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story is set in two different timelines. In 1998 two brothers go to a ski chalet with their girlfriends. One day the two brothers decide to go skiing on their own with instructors so they can try some harder slopes. Disaster strikes and ine brother dies.

Twenty years later back at the same chalet Ria and Hugo are at the chalet to promote their travel business hoping to impress Simon who is there with his wife Cass and their baby Inigo and nanny Sarah. In turn the owner of the chalets, Cameron is hoping that Hugo will be impressed enough by the chalets to do business with him. Chalet girl Millie is looking after all the guests. Somebody knows exactly what happened 20 years ago and wants revenge.

The story goes backwards and forwards telling the story of 1998 and 2020. I enjoyed the writing style and was quickly thoroughly immersed in the story. Just when I thought that I knew where this story was going there was a twist which changed my mind. I think this would be the perfect book to read on a cold winters day. I will be definitely looking out for more by this author.

Excellent debut novel by Catherine Cooper an author I am sure we will hear a lot more from in the future.

Instantly absorbed by this exciting novel, so much that I pretty much read it in one sitting. Set in the French alps on a ski resort, the story is told in a then and now format. Twenty years ago two brothers were skiing on the French Alps but only one returned. Two decades later at the same resort there is another tragedy when a dead body is discovered. Are these two deaths connected and were they accidents?

A fairly fast read with some excellent characters and a suspenseful plot. I can thoroughly recommend this book.

 I would like to thank both Net Galley and Harper Collins for supplying this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Chalet was an absolutely brilliant read from start to finish. It was very atmospheric, and easy to feel the cold wind and relentless snowfall outside and the fur throws and log fire inside. The characters developed very well, particularly that of Adam later in the story and even Cameron, awful person that he was. We were given a couple of red herrings which were quite obvious to me. I've read too many books like this to be fooled so early on. The only small criticism would be regarding Cameron's business partner in the early stages of the book when the two brothers go missing. What we learn near the end is a bit far fetched, I felt that they could have worked the name secret a bit better, there are lots of names, including shortened ones, that can apply to both sexes. It was very much a book that you had to keep reading right to the end, I thought it was excellent..

An excellent debut novel. This really held my attention throughout. A real page turner, struggled to put it down.
In the style of Lucy Foley, it tells the story from different peoples perspectives and over two time periods (No spoilers from me). Loved it. Eagerly Waiting the next novel.

French Alps, 1998

Two young men ski into a blizzard… but only one returns.

20 years later

Four people connected to the missing man find themselves in that same resort. Each has a secret. Two may have blood on their hands. One is a killer-in-waiting.

Someone knows what really happened that day.

And somebody will pay.

This tightly plotted, ingenious thriller is written in three parts, flips back and forth in time and is voiced from the perspectives of numerous,diverse characters, a number of whom were harbouring some sort of secret. They were a mixed bag of vivid individuals and personalities, some likeable and few who were not very likeable for various reasons. My favourite standout characters were Hugo, Millie, Will and Louisa although I didn't find her very likeable to begin with. There was also some chapters that were set in the past and that took the reader through the sad upbringing of a young girl whose mother was struggling with mental health issues. But who were they and how did they fit into the story?

This is a brilliant, well written thriller,there was a classic murder/mystery vibe to the story. The author gradually peeled away the layers and revealed the secrets, lies and how some of the characters connected together within the various strands of the story. It is a very cleverly written tale of manipulation. revenge, consequences, secrets and betrayal, set in a stunning, isolated location. The sense of foreboding intensifies as the story unfolds, not everyone is going to leave the chalet alive but how many of the guests are on death's hit list? I was booked in from the very first page of this enthralling debut thriller and thought it was a very enjoyable read. Very very highly recommended

I read this book in a day as was totally engrossed. The book is very cleverly told in several parts past and present, both set in a Ski resort in the Alps, two brothers there in 1998 were lost and only one was found, this time there are two couples and the chalet maid and guide, one or two of them are holding secrets and someone is out to avenge the death of her father. The reader is left guessing throughout who is who and how they were involved in the past!!! I loved all the characters and could totally visualise them

Thank you to to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I could not put this book down once I opened it. So many points of view, so many characters, some which where annoying also some that didn’t need to be in this book. I was sucked in from the first page. The storyline was absolutely brilliant. Very well written. I don’t think I have ever read such a great book in less than 24 hours. I had an idea of who done it at 80% of the book. But it didn’t disappoint. Well worth 5stars and more. Brilliant well done.

Catherine Cooper’s “The Chalet” is a stunning debut and establishes her as an unforgettable new voice in crime fiction. With a wonderfully constructed plot, a host of memorable characters and a gripping central mystery, Cooper is a 21st century Agatha Christie on the rise!

When a body is discovered on the mountain of a luxurious ski resort, a years old crime will impact the lives of a number of guests. Hugo and his wife Ria are staying in a beautiful chalet with Simon and Cass, trying to encourage some investment in Hugo’s travel business. They are looked after by chalet girl Millie and accompanied by resort owner Cameron and manager Matt. Stranded in their cabin due to a bitter storm, they are joined by Adam - the brother of the deceased man on the mountain. The lives of these individuals are intertwined in ways that they don’t even know and the truth of the past will collide with them...but who will survive? And who is out for revenge?

“The Chalet” is a fantastically tense and engaging debut that will thrill fans of the crime fiction genre. There are elements of the classic whodunnit mystery genre - think a cast of expertly written and well rounded characters who all could have a motive, a detailed back story that is gradually revealed and provides a solid motive, plus a remote setting that the characters are trapped in - but Cooper brings this into the 21st century in a refreshing way. She paints a very vivid picture with her prose and I could really picture the location of the narrative (and despite the discovery of a body, I would still be tempted to stay in such a luxurious spot!). Similarly, I really enjoyed the style of the novel, which tells the story from multiple viewpoints, but also flits between events in 1998 (the original crime) and 2020. This blending of timeframes allows both the past and the present to be steeped in mystery and tension, which hooked me into the story and kept me turning pages late into the night. I was gripped by the revelations from both time periods and Cooper expertly brings these together to reveal the taut and exhilarating conclusion.

Another aspect that made this such an enjoyable read is the characters Cooper has created. There’s just enough of them to keep you guessing as to who is who and how they relate to each other, but each one is complex and memorably written. The dynamics between Hugo and Ria cause plenty of tension, whilst the blustering Simon and demure Cass heighten the sense of mystery. Similarly, Adam, Cameron and Millie are not all they seem and it is enlightening as more of their character’s are revealed. I enjoyed reading with the foreknowledge that these individuals lives were somehow intertwined and I found it engaging and exciting trying to piece together just how they were linked and what part (if any) they played in the events of 1998. Without revealing the identity of the perpetrator, I liked that they were able to hide in plain sight and used such a cunning but plausible method to enact their revenge. There was a certain chill to the calculation and pre-meditation, but also a justification that caused me lots of internal conflict and debate. Ultimately, in their shoes, I couldn’t categorically say I wouldn’t be tempted to do what they do!

Overall, I highly recommend “The Chalet” and can confidently say that Catherine Cooper is set to be a new powerhouse in thriller writing. She writes with all the right ingredients for a memorable mystery and this one is paced like a descent down a black run, so be prepared for plenty of thrills and shocks!

The blurb:

French Alps, 1998

Four friends. One luxury getaway. The perfect murder.

Two young men ski into a blizzard… but only one returns.

20 years later

Four people connected to the missing man find themselves in that same resort. Each has a secret. Two may have blood on their hands. One is a killer-in-waiting.

Someone knows what really happened that day.

And somebody will pay.

My thoughts:

I'm not sure that I really liked any of the characters in this book. But I did enjoy reading it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Unfortunately I found it weak & disappointing- the plot was predictable, the characters two dimensional and unlikeable, and I struggled to finish, skimming pages just to get to the end.

Not for me.

I always love books set in ski resorts and this one was no exception. An easy book to read, which flicks back from an accident many years ago and the current time, and then the viewpoint of a young girl who grows up in incredibly difficult circumstances. A good range of characters involved in the story. Well written, and type of book you can just enjoy. Thank you for letting me review this book.

What a great book. When I started reading this, I was not sure about the characters (a group of business people in a high end chalet in the French alps) , but it is very well written and descriptions of the chalet and the lives of the characters is engaging and makes for an interesting read. As a reader, you get to understand the group and the dynamics and it is believable. The story is, on the whole, fairly fast paced and has a couple of twists which add to the suspense. Some parts of the story were predictable, other parts not at all, which made for a clever story and a great read. Exactly what I needed after a couple of books which have not lived up to my expectations.
Definitely a writer to look out for in the future
I would like to thank Net Galley for an ARC in echange for an honest review and the publisher and author for a great read

This is a great whodunnit. Set in the Alps in a cabin there are many characters all with fairly complex stories to tell.

I enjoyed very much how it all tied in and even more how it ended.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. It had a good story and moved along at a good pace, definitely kept me guessing.

Accomplished first novel. I happily breezed through in one sitting. As a young man I went skiing in the same way that Catherine described, with that experience of ski bindings, cold, snow blown conditions. I was there with her characters in the best and worst chalets. It just took me back.
Although there was and accident and a murder I found her style light and invoked joviality into what could have been a dark thriller. Well done for that. Sometimes I get tired of writers trying to outdo the last with macabre, mind - chilling psychological suspense.
Nice twists and touches to bring it all together.
This novel was on piste!