Five Days in Provence is a captivating blend of mystery, suspense, and scenic charm. Set against the stunning backdrop of the French countryside, Simon McCleave delivers a gripping story full of intrigue, secrets, and unexpected twists. With rich descriptions and a fast-paced plot, the novel keeps you turning pages while immersing you in the atmosphere of Provence. A perfect pick for fans of crime fiction with a touch of escapism.

a brilliant page turner. a one more page that turns into an entire book kind of read! this whodunnit and who are these people really kind of book was done to perfection. Simon gave us an awesome plot alongside gripping pace and twisty turny moments and reveals.
Steph cant think of anything better for her birthday than gathering great friends in a gorgeous farmhouse in France for a break together. its a time to celebrate with her closest friends right? the first night bring booze and partying and bed. and the next day is their planned hike which they begin with rather to heavy hungover heads. but a walk and brilliant views to clear their heads becomes something much darker when wildfires take over their path. its bring smoke and darkness from not just the weather event but from old secrets and harsh words. tensions rise and the group split and later the mountain has to be evacuated which reveal a head count of four not five. and when the fifth is found dead everyone is shocked and unsure of just what went on here. was she murdered? was it a fall in the smoke? and just why are two men who attended the gathering the night before now looking mightily suspicious too? it seems their night of partying when they first arrived has bought more up to the surface than holiday japes.
Steph's holiday has gone from a break away to who might break next. and as the police investigation takes flight we are treated to a fast paced revealing of just what happened between these friends and who if anyone is guilty of what.

Five Days in Provence is a fast-paced, drama-filled psychological thriller. Steph is finally turning 50 and she plans an epic celebration with her closest friends at a charming farm in Provence. She is most excited for their traditional hike. The first night is spent partying, celebrating Steph - there is plenty of booze, drama, and men (two young men from across the way). The next morning, fighting off hangovers, the women begin their journey up the mountain. What starts as a sunny, relaxing day soon turns tense when wildfires hit and the women begin rehashing secrets that were revealed the night before. As tensions rise, the group divides itself. When the mountain has to be evacuated, only four of the five women are accounted for. When the fifth woman's body is discovered at the bottom of a cliff, no one knows what to conclude. Was she murdered? Was it over one of the secrets revealed the night before? Why were the two men on the mountain at the same time? What Steph had hoped would be an unforgettable and joyous holiday has morphed into a nightmarish police investigation.

Five Days in Provence is well-paced with nice short chapters. I appreciated the multiple POVs and thought that they added to the overall story. Unfortunately, I could not connect with any of the characters. I found them all extremely dislikable. I was hoping they all were guilty at the end. The twists were quite predictable. I wasn't surprised by any of the reveals. The dialogue was also a bit awkward. Overall, it was a quick read but not an overly enjoyable one.

When a person is found murdered in the first couple of pages you just know that this is going to be a roller coaster of a ride. Our main character Steph is celebrating her fiftieth birthday and has decided that she wants her four closest friends together for a birthday celebration. However this trip turns out to be anything but celebratory as one of the friends is found dead. Who could have done such a horrible thing and why would anyone want to harm them? Those are the questions that plague our characters as they try to figure everything out all while staying safe and out of the way of a killer. With secrets, stalkers and long seeded tension this book has it all however the execution left a little to be desired. While I liked the concept of this book as a whole, the characters and change of perspective really made it hard to follow along and to be immersed in the story. I found myself consistently having to stop and figure out who was talking and who was who and it really pulled me out of the plot. While I liked getting to see the different view points and to see how everyone was reacting and how their secrets were changing their views on things, I did think that there was just to many characters to do this properly and it left me a little confused as a reader. I did like the ending of this book however the reveal completely shook me and left me speechless. However the lead up until that was a little on the slow side.

I have read many of Simon McCleave's books and enjoyed his various writing styles. As psychological thrillers are my favourite genre this book proved a winner with me with its tender side showing in a variety of relationships and although the killer became obvious as the book developed it was not expected earlier in the book.Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Reading "Five Days in Provence" by Simon McCleave felt a bit like being whisked away on an exciting adventure with friends, only for it to take a chilling detour.

I was immediately drawn into Steph's vibrant birthday celebration, which she had meticulously planned in the stunning lavender fields of Provence. I could almost picture myself lounging by the pool, savoring crisp white wine, and laughing with friends as they reminisced about old times.

But as the story unfolded, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. What started as a joyful gathering quickly turned into a nightmare, especially when one of the friends ends up dead after a hike gone wrong. It struck a chord with me—how quickly life can change, and how the bonds of friendship can be tested in unimaginable ways. The tension among the group really grabbed my attention; I found myself anxiously flipping pages, desperate to understand the dynamics at play and who might have secrets lurking beneath their sunny exteriors.

I loved how McCleave crafted the characters with such depth; they felt like real people with real flaws, making the whole scenario all the more gripping. As the investigation progressed, I couldn't help but feel a mix of frustration and sympathy for them. I think I actually gasped at one point!

The way he explored themes of friendship, trust, and the shadows that can loom over even the closest of relationships resonated deeply with me. It made me reflect on my own friendships, and how easily misunderstandings can lead to conflict. The setting of Provence, with its stunning scenery, highlighted the contrast between beauty and darkness in the story.

Overall, "Five Days in Provence" was a thrilling ride that kept me on the edge of my seat. It combined the joy of friendship with the harsh realities of human nature, reminding me that even the most picturesque escapes can hide secrets. I’m definitely going to be looking out for more works by Simon McCleave—he's crafted a story that keeps you thinking long after you’ve closed the book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley, and Publisher for this copy.

It's Steph's 50th birthday. To celebrate, she gathers her four best friends together for a weekend in the sun.
But what should be a weekend of fun and laughter, drinks, reminiscing, and making new memories, all turns sinister when the girls go for a hike
This book had it all, a stalker, secrets and lies, affairs, sibling and friendship issues, and of course, a murder or two!

I had my suspicions about the stalker early on and assumed I knew how the story would play out. However, I hadn't accounted for some fabulous twist to the tale coming! The author certainly kept me gripped and guessing right up to the very end.
Although this is a stand-alone, the ladies all had back stories, which I felt could easily have been a previous book in itself. Although the author does give enough detail for the book to flow well.
I really enjoyed this book and will be looking out for more by this author.

This was an OK read, but I didn’t like the characters {especially Darcie} and wasn’t interested in their lives. There was too much unnecessary bad language and the plot was very predictable. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

Steph has been planning this 50th birthday vacation with her 4 best friends for awhile and is excited to see everyone. After arriving at the villa they meet their young caretaker and feel less alone. Once the drinks start arriving the bickering and arguments start and some nasty things are said. Then one of the women falls off a cliff but was she pushed or did she fall.
I found the women hard to connect with since they were not really likeable. The killer wasn't too hard to predict due to a lack of suspects but the ending made up for it.

Steph books a holiday with her best girlfriends to celebrate her birthday. However, it does not end up how it was supposed to and someone ends up dead. I liked this book but felt it was also at times.

FIVE DAYS IN PROVENCE - I dislike Darcie so much I almost rejected this ARC. Another thing I dislike immensely was the continuous vulgar language spoken by everyone in this book, except the French characters. Otherwise, this turned out to be an interesting read with most of the characters and the story lines being good. The misdirection was obvious, along with the woman's killer. Source: Netgalley. 3*

Lots of twists and turns, a great plot and characters. A really good read. It is a real page turner, you will not want to put it down.

I unfortunately did not enjoy this book. It was too slow for me and the twists and turns were predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ From me! It looks like I am the minority here bit I absolutely loved this book. Yes, I figured out every twist and turn but it didn’t take away from the great writing and the story itself. First book I’ve read by Simon McCleave and I highly recommend you read it too.
Thank you so much to Storm Publishing for sending me this eARC, as well as NetGalley and Simon McCleave.

We meet five friends who are traveling to Provence to celebrate milestone birthdays. These ladies have been through a lot together and nothing sounds more fun than a getaway. But, one of them does. I found my mind wondering a bit and wasn’t invested as much as I would like. Overall it was a good read. Thanks to netgalley and Storm for the arc.

Five lifelong friends gather for a long weekend in France to celebrate a birthday. What could go wrong? This dragged for the first 3/4s. The ending felt rushed and the twist felt a bit forced. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.

Really enjoyed this book. There were some really feisty characters which caused quite a few ripples amongst the rest of the friendship group. As in the title it is set over five days so it moves along very quickly. I loved the way the hike up Mount Ventoux kept you guessing as to what had happened. There were twists that kept you guessing to the end.

Five Days in Provence - sounds like the perfect way to spend a 50th birthday but this was anything but.
Steph, Abi, Darcie, Ruby and Katie are staying in an idyllic villa in Provence - no expenses spared! But then the sniping starts and a trip up the local mountain, sees one of them dead, in an accident - but who and why?
The author cleverly weaves two timelines together before revealing what has happened. Secrets are revealed and relationships are bared. A great read - perfect for a holiday, though maybe not in Provence!

This book is a real page turner, with a beautiful Provençal setting. It is fast paced, and I liked having chapters narrated by different characters. I found it difficult to empathise or connect with any of the characters though. They acted more like teenagers than mature women and I couldn’t see why they’d go on holiday together.

With thanks to Storm Books and NetGalley for the advance digital ARC.
Expected publication June 27, 2025

"Five lifelong friends gather at a picturesque farmhouse nestled amidst the lavender fields to celebrate a birthday, but beneath the sun-drenched skies of Provence, their dream escape will end in murder."

This one fell flat for me (definitely not "gripping"). The premise sounded like a great summer page-turner, but I just couldn't connect with the characters and found most of the extremely unlikable (I guess that's the point in a murder mystery with multiple suspects?). There was a twist at the end that I DID see coming (lol mostly these catch me unawares!) - overall a fast read but not my favourite thriller this year.