From the beginning of this book I was invested. Overall this was a 3.5 star for me, my main issue was that I wish that it was longer and certain plot points explored a little more. The Chateau is the story of Aura and Nick, a married couple in their twenties who move to France with their two young children to start fresh. Why do they need to start over? That’s the question, isn’t it? I really enjoyed the writing style, with the chapters being short and the writing snappy and to the point. I found this book such a pleasant and thrilling read.

The author has done an amazing job of creating two main characters that are so flawed and unlikable that numerous times I found myself getting angry with them and their actions. Aura was a typical ‘not like other mothers’ kind of woman who slut shames every female she comes across and belittles other people all while believing that she is the definition of perfection. I eye rolled at her actions and inner monologue so many times that I lost count in the end, it was so entertaining!

The plot twists and reveals were smart and well thought through, the last twist in the tale completely took me by surprise. I enjoy when an author plants the seeds of a plot twist and then lets it grow as the story moves on, when that final blow came I was impressed by how clever Catherine Cooper had weaved it into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Uk for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Aura and Nick have left a secret behind in England. They have moved to France to start a new life renovating an old Chateau. This is the story of the characters they meet in their new life and the story of what happened in their old life. It flits from now and what happened in the past and it does keep you reading.
I found this an easy read and rather enjoyable. Definitely not the best book I have read in terms of twists and suprises but maybe that was because I had an inkling at the beginning who the perpetrator may be. So there was no great suprise at the end but there were a couple of things during the book I didn't expect to happen.
My 3 star rating is only becuase of this but had I not guessed then I would have rated it higher. I would definitely recommend this book.

I absolutely loved The Chalet and I squeaked when I was approved as a reviewer for The Chateau! Catherine's writing is hugely addictive and I read this in a few days. Absolutely loved everything about the book and its characters and there is nothing I would change about it. An interesting group of characters, great storyline, fabulous location and page-turning writing. What more could you ask for?!

Nick and Aura have moved to France with their sons Bay and Sorrell in an attempt to start fresh after an incident. The chateau they have bought has them moving in different social circles than London and what with the camera man and assistant from the tv show they are making what could go wrong? Set with a then and now and from different characters it was quite a busy book but I was gripped! I think I even preferred this over The Chalet!
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

First time I have read anything by Catherine Cooper, went purely on the reviews whilst in between my normal authors. Did enjoy the book and the different style on how it is wrote compared to the normal types of books I read. Would read more by the same author.

I was confused by this book. I liked the storylines, thought it was well written and easy to read - apart from the amount going on? It felt so busy with lots of people that I struggled to keep it straight when reading. I like twists and this book was full of them so brilliant, but I just struggled. I liked some of the characters but some were not nice!! I'm a fan of this author so I will read her next book and hope I don't get confused 😂 If you love lots of intrigue and twists and turns, and can piece it all together, you'll love this! Turns out I can't - and that's not a reflection of Catherine Cooper, that's on me!!!

I’m quite a big fan of those tv programmes where some jammy couple buy a dilapidated castle in rural France for less than a bedsit would cost in London and then proceed to renovate it and start a perfect new life away from the rat race. You never think about what they are running away from or if there’s bitter cracks in their relationship that they are trying to plaster over alongside all the other repairs.

Nick and Aura (real name, Alison - enough said) are one such couple. The story starts with Aura narrating and all seems fairly straightforward, they are a lucky family embarking on a new start in life - they are even being filmed for a tv documentary - but strange things start happening, dead animals appear in empty rooms, loud music wakes them late at night, their sleeping son hears threatening voices - is someone out to get them, or is their dream chateau perhaps even haunted? All is explained when the narration switches to wayward husband Nick and we find out just what made them leave England and, as other voices join the narrative, the horrific consequences of the couple’s past actions finally come home to roost in the most twisty but satisfying manner.

This is a very skilful thriller. It totally grabbed my imagination and I enjoyed it from start to finish. It would make a great tv series.

Many thanks to Harper Collins UK, to Catherine Cooper and to NetGalley for letting me read and review this terrific novel.

I loved The Chalet by the same author, so was delighted to get an advance copy of The Chateau.

After a very difficult time in London, Nick and Aura move to France to renovate a chateau and try to save their crumbling marriage.
Within days of their move, strange things are happening, and their young children are unsettled through the night.

The story moves between the point of view of a few characters, from the present day, and the months leading up to the move to France.

I found it easy to follow who was who and the book is very easy to read.

I didn’t like many of the characters and found them quite unlikeable. I found Aura particularly irritating, believing she could “manifest” whatever she wanted and her insistence on herbal remedies to the detriment of her children’s health.
This didn’t stop me enjoying the story, though.

A couple of the characters I found too good to be true and I was suspicious of them. I ended up with a few theories as to what was going on. Although I didn’t quite work it out, I wasn’t as shocked by the revelations as I thought I would be.

There’s quite a lot going on, but it all comes together in the end.
I did find parts of the plot slightly implausible and some of the other characters just disappeared after being introduced and established in the story.

The description of the area is lovely and the mention of tartiflette reminded me of a holiday to France many years ago! 😋

Overall, I enjoyed the story and it was a quick read as I wanted to find out what was going on. I just felt parts of the plot were slightly unrealistic for me but nevertheless I would recommend it.

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author.

3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for a copy for review.

Thank you publishers and Net Galley for giving me a free digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first Catherine Cooper book I have read and I really enjoyed reading it.

It begins by following a family moving to France from London, the wife Aura has given an ultimatum to her husband Tom that they with their two small sons must move due to something that has happened back in England.

We soon realise that a small mistake can have a massive effect on a lot of people.

I really liked the writing style, there were short sharp chapters which I love in a pacey book and increases suspense

The whole way through the book I just wanted to find out what had happened and tie up all the strings and I was pleased with who the story ended.

A rather nauseating couple Nick and Aura have moved to a chateau in France with their two young boys. (Sorrel and Bay - give me strength!)

Something in their past London life has clearly gone wrong and this new start seems fraught with other difficulties, and surprises.

As the body count rises you begin to wonder who has it in for whom and why. With flashbacks to life in London, past problems are uncovered and the motives exposed. A rapid read for a rainy weekend.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for a fair review

Rating: 3.8/5

I was mightily impressed by Catherine Cooper's debut novel, "The Chalet", so there was never any doubt that I was going to read her next book too. In my review of her first novel I made the observation that it should appeal to keen readers of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley and Cally Taylor. That is equally true of "The Chateau". At various points I sensed echoes of Cally Taylor's "Sleep", Ruth Ware's "Turn of the Key" and Lucy Foley's "The Guest List". However, even though you can discern some of the influences on her work, Catherine Cooper is still very much her own writer who has produced another captivating mystery.

Married couple, Aura and Nick, have left England behind and invested in a new life in France with their two young sons. They have purchased a run-down chateau, for which they have ambitious plans, and they are broadly welcomed by the local expat community ... but there are ongoing tensions beneath the surface.

As in "The Chalet" the story operates across dual timelines: Initially around the time of the move to France, but then also to a point a few months earlier, when Aura & Nick were still in England. The author uses various protagonists to provide the narrative and again succeeds in giving each one a distinct and credible voice. As she showed in her first novel, Catherine Cooper is quite adept at incorporating some misdirection into the plot, but on this occasion I felt the final outcome was a bit over-engineered. It isn't awful by any means, but the quality of the build-up to that point deserved a more compelling alternative.

Overall, I don't think this is as strong an offering as "The Chalet", but it is, nonetheless, a creditworthy follow-up to that impressive debut and a delight to read. There are times as a reader when you come across a writer whose style just resonates with you and, as a result, the reading process becomes effortlessly enjoyable. Based on her first two novels Catherine Cooper may well be falling into that category for me and I will certainly be coming back for book three.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

After recently reading the chalet I couldn’t wait to delve into this novel. I noticed the cover was very similar and was crossing my fingers the story would be as engrossing. I was not disappointed!
The plot is as chilling as the setting: this is the perfect read for a cold winter's evening. Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Simply fantastic

Nick and Aura have had enough of life in London. Their relationship is on the rocks which isn’t helped when Nick has to leave his job as a teacher. The couple decide they need a fresh start and they move to a chateau in France which is in need renovating. Strange things start happening in their new home and they’re not sure which new friends to trust after someone is murdered at a lavish party they’re all attending.


This was an enjoyable read told from multiple perspectives which I found gripping however my suspicions on characters were correct. There was a mixture of twists which I saw coming and some that took me by surprise.
Still a good read and if you enjoyed The Chalet you’ll defiantly enjoy this one too!
What’s next ... The Cottage?! (Id read it)

I couldn't put this book down as had no idea where it was going. The twists and turns as the what had happened to Aura and Nick took me by surprise and every time I thought I'd worked out how was the 'baddie' it changed.

Kept me gripped to the end and looking forward to her next book.

I’ll start off by saying I did enjoy this book. The author was very descriptive of the Chateau which really set the scene. However, it was a slow start, a little way in things got a tad strange in one setting which added nothing to the storyline.

I hated all the characters but I think that was the point, not being able to trust anybody. There was no one strong storyline so it felt I was reading 2 different book at points although I enjoyed the past and present.

The Murder never seemed to be the main plot of the book like the blurb suspected. It was never really explained until the last 20 pages of why the book was never going in one clear direction.

That being said there were a few twists and turns I did not expect and found myself re reading to make sure I read it right. Some good shock factors which kept me wanting to hold on even if they were explained quickly and moved on quickly, it felt rushed in places.

Overall, I enjoyed the book a fair amount end would recommend it to others. I did want to keep reading on but it felt rushed and unexplained throughout I felt there was no clear direction. Although all was explained at the end so everything did make sense!

After a scandal in England Aura, Nick and their two young boys move to a dilapidated Chateau in France, determined to get a fresh start. After they arrive, they are quickly welcomed by the other expats in the area and invited to their lavish parties. But Aura and Nick soon realise that their new life in France won't be as idyllic as they hoped, as they are kept awake by weird noises in the night, struggle with renovations during the day and tip-toe around their strained relationship. Then, someone is murdered at a Halloween party that they attend and they begin to question whether they can trust their new friends.

Does 'The Chateau' suffer from having too much going on? Maybe. However, I found it an enjoyable, fast-paced beach/holiday read. The less you know going into it, the better.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A quick but thoroughly enjoyable story. I engaged very quickly with the main characters even though they were for the most part pretty unlikeable.; but despite that they were very recognisable and well drawn.

The two main story lines were well played out although the utter ultimately the implausibility of the resolution did spoil it just a tad for me.

Nonetheless I’d recommend this book for a quick and entertaining read and I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I read and loved Catherine Cooper's debut novel The Chalet, so I was thrilled to read her new novel The Château. And I just loved it. Another stunning set in France, twists and shocks galore. I absolutely adored the characters in the story. Another fabulous domestic noir/murder mystery xx

I love The Chalet and The Chateau didn’t disappoint. Love the fact they love to France and try and do up an old chateau! Things happen and don’t go to plan and then the murder happens. Loved all the mystery in it.

Aura and Nick don’t talk about what happened in England. They’ve bought a chateau in France to make a fresh start, and their kids need them to stay together – whatever it costs. The expat community is welcoming, but when a neighbour is murdered at a lavish party, Aura and Nick don’t know who to trust. Someone knows exactly why they really came to the chateau. And someone is going to give them what they deserve.

For the most part I found this to be an enjoyable read. Cooper has split this into different parts with different focuses, I will not be specific so no spoilers, but I did prefer some of the parts more than others and maybe it would have been a stronger read had that been a larger focus. Cooper sets this in a beautiful yet in desperate need of renovating chateau which provided the perfect backdrop for this thriller of a read. As events get weirder at the chateau, the remoteness and stark beauty perfectly blends with the eerie atmosphere. Cooper is becoming known for setting books in beautiful, dramatic locations and long may it continue I say.

I did find this to be an intense read but it does taper off towards the end and I found myself getting bored. Bizarrely it is towards the end that the action and danger ramps up, maybe there was too much hype before getting to it so it had lost its edge by the time I was reading about it.

The characters in this are good, they are developed enough to read a book set around them but not anymore. I did not find any of them to be likeable but I did think they were interesting characters which provided a connection to them.

'The Chateau' has a stunning location and is full of secrets and a dramatic atmosphere. However the drama burns out towards the end and I found the second half to be lacklustre.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advance copy.