I devoured Cooper's first novel, 'The Chalet' in one sitting during a heatwave - and I'm pleased to report that 'The Chateau' was every bit as gripping! This is another one that I sailed through with remarkable speed.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about a couple Aura and Nick, who buy a French chateau with a view to renovating it and running a chambes d'hotes business in order to support their young family. What begins as an ambitious plan soon becomes something much more dangerous as they meet the locals and their past threatens to come back to haunt them. A camera crew documenting their renovation project adds to the complications - as do some unexplained and spooky events...

I went into this book not knowing at all what it was about or where it was going - and I think this is the best way. Put yourselves in Cooper's capable hands and enjoy the twists and turns as they occur. I liked the fact that there were several narrators over the course of the novel as this worked well to uncover the truth about the different characters and their motivations.

As with Cooper's last book, there are few likeable characters here. If you are a reader who needs someone to root for in a book, perhaps this isn't for you! However, if you enjoy characters with depth and a past being revealed slowly - in all their horrific glory - then this could be right up your street. The psychological thriller game is strong with this one and I found myself genuinely shocked by some of the revelations.

The setting - like in 'The Chalet' - also lends itself perfectly to the story. The remote chateau and the small community of expats means we have a limited cast list from which to choose our culprits. This works well and I still failed to guess who and why!

I'd recommend this to readers of crime and thriller fiction - if you loved 'The Chalet' (or mysteries by Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley or Lisa Jewell), there is definitely lots for you to like here. I'd definitely suggest you avoid reading detailed synopses before you dive in - let the events wash over you and you are in for an absolute treat.

The Chateau has two swirling story lines woven throughout that both come to a head at the end, with an ending you’d never expect! Brilliantly written, with excellent scene setting descriptions!

This is the second book but this author and was a great read.
The story is written from several POV and across two timelines. We meet Nick & Aura and their two sons who have moved from the UK to renovate a french chateau. They are joined by a TV crew to film the renovation. Something happened in the UK which caused them to make the move to France.
I liked all the characters and how the story unfolded. It kept me glued to the very last page to find out who, out of the cast of characters, were not what they seemed.
Thanks to Harper CollinsUK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheChateau #NetGalley

I really enjoyed reading Catherine’s previous novel The chalet. The Chateau is based on a similar story line. I was a little disappointed, but nevertheless it is a very easy read and well worth reading.

Wow, what a book!
I read The Chalet and loved it so was over the moon to receive this as an advance copy.
The book focuses around Aura and Nick whose dark secret is uncovered in part two of the book. It’s hard to say too much without dropping hints or spoilers but it’s definitely an epic read.

Had to be read in a day! I couldn’t put it down.

I loved The Chalet so was over the moon to get hold on an advance copy of Catherine’s second book, The Chateau.

Written in ‘parts’; the first part is told by Aura as she and her husband Nick and their two young boys have bought a run down chateau in France which needs a lot of work to begin a new life.
They have a film crew filming them for a documentary.
There are a multitude of dodgy characters from Frank the handyman with a secret, to Helen the HappyHelp helper who has moved in to help with the children but seems a bit old to be travelling.

Aura and Nick have left behind a dark secret which begins to be revealed in part 2, as going back in time Nick narrates the story of the ‘before they moved’ with additional narrative from one of his students.

I don’t want to go into the storyline any further and spoil it for the reader. Suffice to say this is a tremendously thought out and brilliantly plotted twisty thriller with revenge at its core and a great cast of characters.

Just brilliant.

Thank you so much to Harper Collins UK for an advance copy to read via NetGalley and provide an honest review

Having read and loved Catherine's book The Chaket I was very happy to be selected to read an advanced copy of her latest novel.
In this book we meet Aura and Nick and their 2 sons at their chateau in France which they are renovating, or at least Nick is, Aura is constantly moaning about something that happened in London to which we as readers are only given snippets about. At a Halloween party hosted by a neighbour a tragedy occurs but we are transported back to London and we find out what happened to make Aura and Nick relocate to France. And in part 3 we return to France to hear some shocking stories to conclude the book
I enjoyed this book, admittedly not as much as The Chalet, I couldnt warm to Aura at all, there was no communication between her and Nick about parenting, she decided things on her own but then blamed him when things didn't go to her liking.
However I like Catherine's writing style, I was engrossed in the story and look forward to the release of her next book. Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were believable and I had my favourites and not so favourites. Midway through the plot I was so lost within the pages, I forgot it was a previous timeline, explaining what had happened so the impact of the current timeline would hit more. At first I thought this was a flaw with the writing as it was too long and too detailed but then I realised that it was great writing, for me to get lost in that timeline and forgot the main plot of the story. It transported me, a story within a story and I actually loved it. This is something I haven't experienced before and I read a lot of books especially with plots that travel between different times.
I really enjoyed this author and I look forward to her further books. Well Done

I was lucky to of been approved an early copy of this book by netgalley and harper Collins. I absolutely loved this authors other book The chalet which was very good and a definite must read. To begin with this book did start a little slow but didn't take long to make u start asking questions of what had happen back in London and why the family moved to France, from my point of view I did not like aura at all especially the more u found out about her. I did not work out who was behind the deaths or the twist at the end either which is what I loved. I highly recommend giving this book a go.

Moving into a chateau in France represents a fresh start for Aura and Nick.
They don't talk about what happened in England, but someone here knows about it and won't rest until Aura and Nick pay for it.

This is one of the rare books that has me on the fence about the rating.
I got hooked pretty fast. The story was intriguing and fast-paced, and it had me quickly turning the pages, but I found that the change of setting, even though absolutely justified, somehow threw me off.
The twist was unexpected, but because it came out of nowhere, with no previous clues, it left me dissatisfied, and therefore, I was in two minds about the rating. In the end, I decided that I couldn't justify giving it more than 3 stars. Still, I enjoyed it and will be reaching for future books from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an early copy of The Chateau. The beginning of this book took me awhile to get into, I almost stopped reading because it was monotonous. I’m glad I didn’t but another downfall of this novel was the sex scenes and innuendos, not necessary for the story especially at the dinner party. I have to admit, this was one of the best endings I have read in a psychological genre. TOTALLY took me by surprise!!!!!! The way it all came together made sense and I was gobsmacked!!! I’m so very happy I stayed with the novel. Thank you Catherine Cooper.

First of all thank you so much to the author @catherinecooperjournalist, the publisher @harpercollinsuk and @netgalley for this ARC…

I read Catherine Cooper’s first novel The Chalet last year, so I knew I was going to love this too!

Synopsis……They thought it was perfect. They were wrong…

A glamorous chateau

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.

A couple on the brink

The expat community is welcoming, but when a neighbour is murdered at a lavish party, Aura and Nick don’t know who to trust.

A secret that is bound to come out…

Someone knows exactly why they really came to the chateau. And someone is going to give them what they deserve.

My thoughts….. Catherine Cooper has excelled again! If you have read and enjoyed The Chalet then you will love this book. I devoured it in under 24 hours which is no easy task now the kids have broken up for summer but I literally couldn’t put it down!!

I thought it was very well written, great plot with lots of twists and turns. It tells the story of Aura & Nick moving to France with their two young boys and then goes back in time to tell you what led up to the move. Part 3 is when everything comes together in a thrilling fashion….

It is a firm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!

Can’t wait for Book 3!!!

An excellent book from start to finish. The book begins with a Halloween Party and a dead body which piques your interest. It then goes back a few months to when Aura and Nick move to a chateau in France with their two young boys. The chateau is in dire need of renovation and they hope to run it as a hotel/guesthouse once it’s complete. We are drip fed information here and there which suggests that something happened in London which led to the couple’s move to France (all becomes clear as the book progresses). To help them they enlist a ‘helping hand’ named Helen who will assist them with the children in exchange for somewhere to live. Also in the house are Seb and Chloe who are filming the family’s every move for a documentary. Strange noises at night and other goings on in the chateau are unsettling Aura which in turn is annoying Nick.

The story then goes back a few months before Nick and Aura left London and we find out the reasons behind why they have uprooted their family and moved to France. Next we see the past very much creeping on them and meeting with the present.

This book had everything and kept me guessing right up until the end. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Aura and Nick have bought a chateau in France, a TV crew is on site to film the development. As they meet the community the book goes between different characters and I agree with some reviews that it is difficult to know where this is leading. It is worth holding on because when the twists come they are unexpected and makes the second half of the book really gripping. I would probably rate between 3 and 4 mainly because there were points when I wanted to give up but I am happy that I kept going.

WARNING: unpopular opinion ahead!!

I really enjoyed my first experience with Catherine Cooper's writing last year in The Chalet, and I've been looking forward to read more of her work. I admit that I was sold as soon as I read the blurb of The Chateau. I love an international setting and the idea of having a French chateau as a setting and a murder to boot sounded like the perfect premise for a story. I'm still not sure what happened and it might simply not be the right story for me at the moment, but the fact is that I somehow didn't enjoy The Chateau as much as I thought I would.

I still love the idea behind the story and the French chateau setting. The renovating, the expat community, even the TV show filming the family as they try to convert their rundown chateau into a bed and breakfast... It's a great backdrop and I was definitely left wanting for more on that part. Why? Well, at least half of the story takes place in London instead, and I can't say that I was a fan of that particular storyline at all. I could have understood a couple of chapters and flashbacks to explain why the couple decided to move to France, but the London chapters felt too much like the main event and ended up disappointing me.

I think part of the problem is that this type of domestic drama-focused psychological thriller hasn't worked for me for a while now. The whole reveal of the 'secret' why they had to move was a huge letdown (I never like this element in my stories), and I can't say I was happy with the focus on the domestic drama in general and all the fighting. Especially Nick and Ella's POVs really put me off this story, and I wish The Chateau would have focused on the present and the part set in France instead... I understand why the flashbacks were necessary as they help explain what happens in the present, but still. I found that the present chapters had so much more potential and were more engaging too with the mysterious murder and the strange things happening in the chateau.

The writing is solid, but somehow I was too turned off by especially the chapters/events set in London to properly enjoy the story. I liked those chapters/POVs in France a lot better, but as those are only in the beginning and end of the story, I struggled considerably reading the rest of it. I have to say that the final plot twists were not credible at all for me; not only relating to what happens to Ella and its consequences, but also everything relating to Aura and how things end.

As a whole, I don't think The Chateau was a right fit for me at the moment, and I ended up struggling considerably for various reasons. Don't give up on my account though, as most people do seem to enjoy the story a lot better.

I found this such a strange read. You knnow when someone on social media says something like 'Oh it was awful, I feel really bad', but doesn't give you any details? That's what I found this book to be like. It only started coming together in the last third of the book.

An interesting read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Having enjoyed 'The Chalet', I was keen to read the author's second title. It feels very much in the same vein, unlikeable characters, all with secrets, in a beautiful setting. The mystery unravels subtlety as the story progresses and it made me change my view of some of the characters as we knew more about them. Overall, I enjoyed it and felt that the ending tied things up nicely. A nice way to while away a few hours without being over taxed.

Fast-paced dream-to-nightmare in French chateau

Utterly unputdownable thriller, extremely clever plot with lots of unexpected twists. Highly recommended. Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I read the Chalet by Catherine last year and absolutely loved it so was excited to see the latest book by her and I was not disappointed.

This book is about Aura and Nick who have bought a chateau in France to renovate in order to make a fresh start and rejuvenate their lives. Something happened in England that they want to keep quiet and forget about, but you don't get to find out what it is .immediately.

Its very interesting as they meet the locals and their interactions with them in an ex pat French neighbourhood.

The book is set both in France and in the UK and slips between various characters and is really well written. I wouldn't say that I like the characters, more hated them, but that makes it all the more interesting in this case.

Great read for fans of T M Logan, Lucy Foley, Lucy Clarke and C L Taylor.

A big thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for allowing me to read and review this book.

A fast paced story that is perfect as a holiday read. Set over a couple of time lines from the point of view of a number of the characters. The end was one that I did not anticipate.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the advance copy.