I really enjoyed Catherine Cooper’s first novel, The Chalet, which I read last year. Not because it was necessarily unique (it wasn’t, following many of the ‘standard’ domestic thriller twists and turns – though it did have a good final twist that meant I’d been kept guessing), but because it was so well written. I even went as far as to say it was one of the best books I’d read in a while. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’m going to say the same thing for the Chateau.

What is it that makes it such a good book? The writing, which I’ve already mentioned. It’s clean and crisp and has a lovely flow to it. But, even more than that, her it was the characters. None of them were particularly nice, something which would normally put me off. But they were all so interesting in their flaws.

I can’t say I was rooting for them, but I was desperate to know what happened to them. And what happened was great. Another ending I didn’t see coming and a book that didn’t give me the standard ‘heroine wins out in the end’ finale that I’ve gotten so used to. I won’t say more for spoilers. But I will say that it’s definitely worth picking up a copy of The Chateau to find out what happens – if you do, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

THAT ENDING! OH MY GOODNESS! I'll be honest I didn't so much enjoy the first 3rd of this book, I found it a little bit slow, but I think that's just because I'm an inpatient reader! Enjoyed reading the last 2/3rds a lot - whizzed through it and it kept me guessing and turning the pages until it was nicely tied up!

A good read
Not one of my favourite books
I did keep reading to the end
There are plenty of twists
Thanks NetGalley

Aura and Nick have decided to make the move to France. Like many others, they want to start a new life by renovating their Chateau so they can have a guest house and Aura can run her counselling practice.. They are welcomed by the fellow ex pat community who offer to help but Aura seems very suspicious of them. Then comes a Halloween party at a nearby chateau and of course a murder.
After the narration switches from Aura to Nick you start to wonder how much of her narration was true.

A great thriller, lovely for cozy winter nights.

At the exclusive Halloween party in Chateau Amaryllis, France, someone is murdered and it had to have been done by one of the guests...
Aura and Nick have bought and moved to a nearby Chateau with their two young sons. They're hoping to renovate and open it to guests while Aura also plans to run a Counselling practice from there. Other local ex-pats help but Aura worries they are not as helpful and open as they seem, and it becomes obvious early on that Aura and Nick themselves are also after leaving London for a reason...
Told primarily from Aura's point of view for most of the first half, we read along with her worries and suspicions; when we switch to Nick and some of the other characters narrating, we see another side of the story. What is closest to the truth? And how does this tie into the murder?
With the story spanning both before and after the party, this did hold my attention and I kept wanting to get back to the book, to find out what had gone on in the past and what was going on now, but I also was not rooting for any particular character due to the niggling issues with all of them (a deliberate narrative choice presumably). While not every aspect of this endeared itself to me, there were enough moments where I was genuinely surprised for me to have enjoyed it overall.

I really enjoyed the Chalet, which is the previous release from this author. As a result I was keen to take part in this blog tour. I really like how the author writes and found myself wanting to lose myself in the pages of this gem.

I love the cover, it’s elegant and intriguing. It’s definitely one that will catch your eye and make you want to read more. This is a book that really hasn’t disappointed.

Aura, Nick and their family have bought a chateau to renovate and get away from events which took place in London. However, their secrets follow. I have found this a book which has been impossible to put down.

The characters in this book are questionable on occasions and I have found myself irritated by some of them. This has been completely different to the author’s previous book. Definitely one that has been impossible to put down.

I was hooked from the very beginning of this one, the author completely pulled me in and this has been one that I have impossible to put down, as a result I’ve devoured this book in just one sitting.

This is a very busy plot, filled with twists and suspense. I have been completely engaged and really enjoyed reading this.

A young couple with their children move to France to a run down chateau with plans for renovations and B+B's. An eclectic group of ex-pat neighbours. Secrets start to emerge and then a twisty fast paced story.

The Chateau was a good pacy read.

Nick and Aura move to France with their kids to start a new life and to put what happened in London behind them!

They hope to open their Chateau to visitors and to aid publicity Aura invites a camera crew to document their move and life in France.

Someone knows their secrets and its bound to come out but at what cost?!

Nick and Aura have moved from the UK to France, to escape from some mystery event that has happened in their past. And quite honestly, the Chateau they buy is like something out of The Money Pit (I’m showing my age here!). I should start by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this, BEFORE I say that the crumbling chateau was a pretty accurate metaphor for the state of their relationship. ANd try as I might, I found myself rooting for their sticky end, in whatever way it would come (I do so love to hate the main characters of a book!!). Nick and Aura are those stereotypical Brits who move to a foreign country without speaking the language, and never really learn how to speak it when they’re there - not that they’re given much of a chance.

Their small ex-pat community is full of the rich, spoilt and slightly/ very depraved.

Information about Nick and Aura is dished out in flashbacks, and I didn’t know who to feel the most sorry for. Oh hang on, I did. It was the children. To have parents like these *shakes head*.

There are so many twists and turns that you won’t know who to trust - right up to the Big Ending, and oh! How I loved it!

I think in the end, everyone got just what they deserved.

Highly recommended!
And many thanks (once again)to The Pigeonhole for continuing to help me with my NetGalley reading!

'The Chateau' by Catherine Cooper is her second novel. The first being The Chalet which was a very impressive debut. When I was invited to the tour for this book too I was curious to see if this book was as good as her first.
Aura and Nick are a married couple with two children, who have moved from England and settled in France. They have bought a Chateau that needs renovating and they have great ideas for the future. They have a film crew with them, shooting a show about British people buying property and fixing them up in France.The ex-pat community seem to be welcoming but their seems an undercurrent and a few unsettling things happen at the chateau too.
A story told with a dual timeline. We begin as they arrive in France initially then we slip back to a few months before they moved to France. The story is narrated by Aura in the present day in France then we have Nick narrating the chapters from their life in England before they moved. We discover the reason for their move and the state of their marriage which is rocky at best.
These two character's aren't the most likeable. Catherine Cooper has written them so well. Their flaws make them so deliciously horrible and so easy to dislike. As this dark story unfolded I relished in the idea that they may get what they deserve. A book that kept me up with it's perfectly timed revelations that kept the suspense going so well. The intrigue of what would happen next for them created an almost nail-biting tension and a need to keep reading too.
A book with a story worthy to be put next to The Chalet on the shelf. Catherine Cooper made me feel like I was in France with these two almost unsavoury characters and her ability to build the suspense and bring the twists has not diminished. The ending was perfect for me too! A dark, twisty and addictive page turner which I can highly recommend.
Thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours and Harper Collins for the gifted copy of the book.

I absolutely loved this author’s debut novel so I was very excited to read this book. I was definitely not disappointed as once again the author has written an addictive book which was hugely enjoyable to read.

I was quickly drawn into the story and into the character’s brilliant sounding life in rural France. It’s a bit of a dream of mine to renovate an old house so I loved living precariously through the characters as they went through the process. The author does a great job of setting the scene in this book and the descriptions of rural France as well as the welcoming ex pat community sent a tingle down my spine. I felt like I’d love to live among this community (with the exception of the murder obviously). It definitely seemed like a charmed life and I enjoyed feeling a part of it as I read.

The story is told in two timelines, one following the couple as they arrive in France and the other flashing back to two months ago. I enjoyed following both timelines and watching secrets being revealed in one which helped me make sense of what was happening in the present day. Neither of the main characters were particularly likeable but that didn’t spoil the book for me as it helped me read without any prejudice. They seemed quite realistic characters and it was great to follow them throughout the book.

Overall i really enjoyed this book and would definitely be recommending it to others. As you can expect from this author there is a fantastic plot with some great misdirection and some jaw dropping twists that helped keep me guessing. The end twist was truly amazing and took me completely by surprise which I always love.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Harper for my copy of this book via netgalley.

Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, and Catherine Cooper for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I read 'The Chalet' by Catherine Cooper and loved it so I was excited to see she had written a new book. The Chateau follows a couple called Aura and Nick who move from England to France with their children. They do not discuss why they have moved but endeavour to start a new life abroad. However their past soon catches up with them.

This book is told from different characters points of view - it is easy to follow and understand. The beginning of the book is a little slow as it is setting the scene but quickly sets off on a thrilling adventure. This book is a psychological thriller, gripping and dark. I think anyone who enjoys reading thrillers will enjoy this.

What a book. Loved The Chalet by Catherine and when I saw this wanted to read it. Great gripping story right from the start and enjoyed it til the end. Likeable characters and good storyline. Looking forward to more by Catherine.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me an Arc in exchange for an honest review

Yet another great book by an amazing author, having read The Chalet I eexpected . nothing less than this. Catherine gets you gripped from the very first page and I just had to keep reading through to the end and what a finale it was. The ending was totally unexpected and so well hidden.
Loved this and cannot wait to read the next one.

Just WOW! Another fantastic book by Catherine! I loved The Chalet so when I saw this on Net Galley I had to have it and I was not disappointed.

The story is about a couple who decide to move to France for a new beginning with an unspoken reason that we find out about later in the book. There is then a murder and everything starts to turn sinister. There are so many suspects (but not too many that you lose track) you start to suspect everyone! I was genuinely surprised with the twist!

Catherine is such a brilliant writer, she draws you in from the first page and doesn't let go.

I can't wait to see what Catherine does next!

I enjoyed The Chalet by this author so couldn't wait to read The Chateau and I was not disappointed!! Absolutely gripping and I did not see that ending coming at all. The book is full of unlikeable characters which is always something I enjoy when reading. Highly recommend.

Domestic suspense about a couple who flees England to set up a bed and breakfast sort of place in southern France. Things don't go quite the way they'd imagined.

Aura and Nick Dorian are renovating the dilapidated Chateau Ricane while the Happy Helper they've engaged takes care of their children, Sorrel and Bay. A film crew representing "French Fancy" is staying at the chateau to record all of the activities while the expats settle and do the renovations. They've met some of the locals and are getting along fairly well after everything that had gone on in London. Then, while at a neighbor's Halloween party, one of their new friends is found murdered. Although sad and rattled by the death, things deteriorate quickly and it's clearAura and Nick can't escape the things they did and the decisions they made. No spoilers.

Told in alternating viewpoints and with some time shifting, the narrative involves quite a few of the main characters. I couldn't imagine a more unlikable set of people, none who seemed to have any redeeming values. In fact, several times, I was tempted to quit reading because of how they are portrayed (and I hate reading about hideous people). There was a twist, and while not completely unexpected, the story was brought to a somewhat satisfying conclusion. The main issue I had was that far too much time was spent with the teenagers and that whole part could have been reduced to a couple of paragraphs not needing several chapters here and there.

I enjoyed the previous book, "the Chalet", more than this one but it was a quick read. I'll look for another by this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this e-book ARC to read and review.

The Chateau is another decent thriller by Catherine Cooper, I did prefer The Chalet I think but this was a very close second.
Aura and Nick have two young sons and have hit a rough patch in their marriage. Due to something that has happened, that they don’t talk about they have decided to move to France and have bought a dilapidated chateau. Aura is the main narrator and to be honest was very unlikeable as a mother and her views for example, she doesn’t believe in medicine, prefers homeopathy and doesn’t believe in inoculations leaving her young sons vulnerable. The book is split into parts and for me this worked well and helped get a better insight into the thing they don’t talk about. The book opens with a Halloween party at a rich neighbours and a death but it’s a while before you find out who died and yes I was wrong!
I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Aura and Nick have bought themselves a huge, rambling chateau in France to live in with their two boys to make a fresh start after something happened to make them want to leave England. They have agreed to be part of a reality TV show to document the rennovations of the chateau. Whilst the locals seem welcoming soon after they arrive a shocking murder takes place at a neighbouring chateau during a lavish party. The novel takes many twists and turns along the way but I didn't see the ending coming at all. Did I find it a 100% believable ending? No. Did it affect my enjoyment of the book? Also No and I will definitely look forward to what's next from this author.

The follow up novel to Catherine Cooper's The Chalet, The Chateau is good but not quite as good as its predecessor.
The story is set in London and an ex-pat community in rural France where Aura and Nick flee to with their two young boys to start again.
We know very early on that the couple, who really don't seem to like one another, are escaping some kind of scandal back in the UK, but what could that scandal be?
Bit by bit this thriller sets out to lay a trail of clues within the crumbling chateau the husband and wife team are renovating, watched over by a film crew, and elsewhere, amongst their rather flamboyant neighbours.
There are strange goings on with the couple, the hired nanny, the TV duo and some odd friends who are present ostensibly to welcome the new family to France, but in reality seem to have highly suspicious and hidden agendas.
And then with a death everything feels highly charged and fragile, teetering on the edges of truth because surely the answers are lurking in the past?
The characters are hugely unlikeable and whilst the scandal held plenty of intrigue and 'oh no' moments, I was left feeling ambivalent towards the characters, not really caring what happened to them.
It isn't a book to avoid and for the most part it was entertaining, but in some ways the essence of the story is too set in the experiences of the author and therefore not compelling or creative enough. Characters who fail to immerse themselves into the reader's life whilst turning the pages, usually means for me that the overall view of the novel will fall short.
Worth reading but maybe not to the point of rushing it to the top of your reading pile.
Enormous thanks as always for the chance to read courtesy of Pigeonhole.and Netgalley.