I really wanted to like Five Days in Provence, but overall I found it lacking. With an interesting premise (friends on a vacation and one of them is murdered) it just didn't have the execution to fully suck me in.

Having read Simon McCleave’s Last Night In Villa Lucia, I was really looking forward to this book.
The premise centres around 5 longstanding friends who travel to Provence to celebrate Steph’s 50th birthday. Steph has planned the party to remember in a luxury farmhouse. She feels the need to impress all her friends, particularly Darcie, who is a huge influencer on Instagram. Like a lot of influencers, Darcie has attracted a few undesirables, and in recent times, this has included a stalker who has threatened violence. Included in the plan is a hike up Mont Ventoux of Tour de France fame. Taking little notice of approaching wildfires, the women all become separated, and one of them ends up dead.
Simon McCleave is a strong writer, and there is little to fault in the way this is written. The plot, however, is very much a destination thriller by numbers. One obnoxious person ends up dead, and all the other members of the party had a reason to want them dead. None of the suspects is likeable to any degree. I’d also worked out the twist before it happened.
In conclusion, a good beach read, but I wanted so much more. Three stars from me.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Simon McCleave and especially Storm Publishing for the much-appreciated ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

The first book I have read by this author and to be honest I am unsure what attracted me to read 'Five Days in Provence'. Possible the fact that the author lives in north Wales and the novel is set in beautiful Provence.

Five long term girl friends, now all approaching fifty have gathered together for a weekend of Birthday Celebrations. Things don't work out as planned as by the second day one of them has been murdered!

The portrayal of the women and their relationships with each other was not one I really enjoyed and from this aspect I was disappointed. The storyline did hold my interest though at times I did feel it was rather familiar to another novel I read. This happens of course and is not a criticism of the writer just muddled my brain. Anyway probably worth reading if you are an avid thriller fan.

"Five Days in Provence" is the second book by Simon McCleave I have enjoyed.
A modern chick lit murder where five lifelong friends head off to France for a BIG birthday celebration. Sadly one wouldn't be coming home.
The characters are a cross section of women.....conservative organiser, attention seeking, newly gay, a feedup sister and a wannabee. In a world of social media and over sharing, Darcie is the queen. But she has attracted unwanted attention.....a stalker who has already invaded her house. Has he followed her to France?
Plenty of twists and white herrings along the way, I did clock who the murderer was quite early on.....but the biggest twist is at the end. And so personal.
Claustrophobic is a good word to describe the tension and the pressure cooker closeness of unraveling of friendships and personal barbs. Switching between points of view gave a good perspective of the complex relationships. Personally going on holiday with this lot would drive me crazy.
A good holiday read that moved through chapters swiftly and doesn't require to much thinking. Thanks to NetGalley, Simon McCleave and Storm Publishing for my copy.

I absolutely loved Five Days in Provence by Simon McCleave! This gripping psychological thriller pulled me in with its vivid setting and kept me glued to the pages with its intense, twist-filled plot. The story follows Steph and her four lifelong friends who gather for her birthday at a stunning farmhouse in Provence’s lavender fields, only for their dream getaway to turn deadly when one of them is found murdered on Mont Ventoux. 🏔️💔

The book’s strength lies in its claustrophobic tension and the unraveling of friendships under pressure. The wildfire smoke and fierce winds during the group’s hike create a suffocating atmosphere, mirroring the growing distrust among the friends. McCleave masterfully weaves in long-buried secrets, like betrayals hinted at during their tense kitchen table scenes, that make you question everyone’s motives. The moment when the group realizes one of them might be the killer had me gasping! 🤯

The pacing is relentless, with short chapters that made it impossible to stop reading. I loved how the idyllic Provence setting—lazy lunches and crisp wine by the pool—contrasted with the dark, simmering tensions. Each character felt so real, their flaws and loyalties clashing in ways that kept me guessing. The final twist was a jaw-dropper, completely flipping my understanding of the group’s dynamics. 🔍

2.5 stars. All of the characters were insufferable, and the reveal felt predictable.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

The best thing I have to say about this book is that it definitely held my interest and kept me reading to see what happened. Pacing is great. The group of friends are all pretty insufferable and I almost quit reading due to the intense and annoying level Darcie is so focused on being an influencer and posting online. If we could have liked at least three of them that would have been helpful. I didn't find the second-to-last big twist at the end to be all of that surprising; it felt like there was a trail of breadcrumbs that led to only one person. As for the final reveal, I didn't see it coming but I also wasn't that impressed by it at that point because at the end of the story I was ready to be done with all of these people.

Five Days in Provence
A compelling story about five lovely ladies with an endearing friendship who embark on a birthday celebration in the South of France. After a promising beginning in an idyllic setting, the trip turns into a nightmare and only four friends return home.
A spectacular suspense with intriguing twists!
5 stars

I have read this type of trope too many times to count. I found the characters to be insufferable and almost did not finish reading this book.

This is another destination thriller standalone from Simon McCleave and another great read.

A group of old friends travel to Provence for a hiking holiday to celebrate Steph’s 50th. There is already tension between them on the journey and this increases after the first night fuelled by alcohol.
One of the group, Darcie is on edge after her stalker appears to have also traveled to France.
When one of the group goes missing on a hike it looks like the stalker has followed them to their holiday home with tragic consequences.

Although I did see the first twist coming I wasn’t disappointed as I felt satisfied to have worked it out and it’s not the only twist in the book so I still had a surprise.

Great read with lots of simmering tension in an idyllic setting.

Five Days in Provence by Simon McCleave was another excellent book by this author especially as it is set in France which I love going to. This was a book which was excellent and imagine going on holiday with 5 life long friends to a beautiful farmhouse in France which is surrounded by lavender fields.

Steph spent months planning her perfect birthday celebration. especially as its the Big 50! Imagine five days in an idyllic setting with her best friends. spending long lazy lunches, crisp white wine by the pool sunbathing and watching the sun ise and set every day.......... to climb up the beautiful Mont Ventoux. Steph couldn’t wait.
All her friends have been there for each other through the good times and the bad times. This was the break everyone needed and is looking forward to.......

After their first night partying, they begin their hike. But as the lavender-scented air turns acrid from local wildfires, fierce winds whip up smoke and tensions in the group. Especially as they become separated.
Now, hours later, when the smoke clears, one of the friends lies dead on the mountainside. 😯

A shadow fall across the limestone farmhouse, Now, Steph’s birthday which she was so looking forward to, has transformed into a nightmare of police questions. Now there are only four friends. They start to avoid each when they are in the farmhouse, this may suggest that one of them is hiding the unspeakable truth – the killer might be sitting around this kitchen table.

WoW, this book was a book I found hard to put down and I really enjoyed it. A great read especially if your are going on holiday in France. I loved this book and the way Simon writes he has away of writing that will just take your breath away!

Five friends go to Provence to celebrate one of them's 50th birthday. And honestly, with friends like these, who needs enemies. The women has complicated love hate relationships, and after one dies, there is quite a few possible suspects. I enjoyed this one, will read more in future!

This thriller by Simon McCleave is set in southern France. Five friends come together at a farmhouse to celebrate a birthday. However, their dream trip ends in murder. This was a good palate cleanser thriller.

This was an entertaining read that took place in France. I liked that this group of friends had an honest dynamic to it. They fought, they got crazy and made questionable choices, and they loved each other. And the twist at the end was pretty good too.

When five friends go to Provence to celebrate Steph's fiftieth birthday, what can go wrong? As the story progresses, we get a look into the complicated relationships with this group of women. In spite of this, they somehow manage to remain friends. And while we learn early on that one of the women dies, there are plenty of twists before we learn who and why.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of Five Days In Provence.

Five friends take a trip together to celebrate one of their 50th birthdays. While they are out on a hike one day there is a storm and they end up getting separated. When they reunite only four of them are there. What happened to there other friend and are the rest of them in danger.

This one was just okay in my opinion. I could not connect with the characters and they were quite annoying. I also felt like I could predict what was going to happen.

Five Days in Provence by Simon McCleave is a chilling, suspenseful story.
McCleave masterfully weaves multiple POVs and timelines making this story intriguing.
These characters were brought to life and the author’s writing and descriptions of the characters and scenery were really well written.

Thank You NetGalley and Storm Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

They travel to Provence to celebrate the 50th birthday of one of their group but instead of fun and happiness they'll face cruelty, crime, violence and will have to fight for their lives.They'll also realize that some of them hold secrets that are bigger than their friendship and it'll torn their lives apart. Fast-paced and easy-to-read, Five Days in Provence is another good addition to the books written by Mr.McCleave.
I thank the author, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Simon McCleave’s Five Days in Provence is a sharply written and delightfully twisty mystery that transforms a girls’ getaway into a suspenseful and emotionally charged whodunit. What begins as a relaxing escape quickly turns dark when a murder shatters the serenity—and none of the women can be sure who among them can be trusted.

McCleave excels at building tension, crafting a narrative full of shifting suspicions and buried truths. As the story unfolds, secrets emerge and loyalties are tested, pulling each character into a web of doubt. The mystery is paced expertly, with just the right balance of character development and plot twists to keep readers fully engaged.

What makes this novel stand out is its exploration of friendship under pressure—how trust fractures and past grievances resurface when faced with fear and uncertainty. The ending is both satisfying and unexpected, bringing a strong close to a story full of suspense and emotional depth.

Five Days in Provence is a gripping and atmospheric thriller perfect for fans of character-driven mysteries with plenty of twists. McCleave delivers a smart, well-crafted story that will have readers second-guessing everyone until the very last page.

5 go on an adventure, but only 4 will return.
A very enjoyable quick read, the perfect accompaniment to a pool or beach lounger.
Five lifelong friends take a weekend break to celebrate one of their 50th birthdays. Tensions grow immediately as the differing personalities emerge, and old irritations come to the fore. You think it’s predictable but then the twists come!
A great piece of escapism.