The Chateau is the new thriller from Catherine Cooper, who previously wrote the very popular The Chalet. This is basically more of the same, and it’s a perfect summer read. We open at a fabulous Halloween party that’s taking place in a picture perfect French chateau somewhere in France. But there’s a scream… and a body.

We flashback to a few months earlier when Aura, her husband Nick, and their two children have just arrived to begin a new life, taking on a rundown chateau with plans to renovate it and open it up to paying guests. They’ve escaped London and some “business” that Aura quickly glosses over. We’ll learn more about that in due course.

In the meantime, Aura is busily meeting all the other ex-pats in the region and getting invited to parties that are a little wilder than she’s used to. She’s also invited a TV makeover production crew to follow their renovations, and hopefully provide some free publicity for when they’re taking guests. To help with the kids, she’s also taken on Helen from “HappyHelp” a service that seems to provide au pairs without needing to actually pay them.

What could possibly go wrong in this idyll? Well, quite a bit as it turns out.

This is a fun read, and a page-turner that keeps you on your toes. I absolutely flew through it, but was left very satisfied.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. The Chateau is published in paperback and ebook by HarperCollins on 2 September 2021.