Lead Review

• Book: The Chateau
• Location: French Alps, The South of France (Le Midi)
• Author: Catherine Cooper

Review Author: tripfiction

Aura and Nick have taken a new tack in their lives, which sees them in Southern France, in fictional Mozène with a mission to restore a run-down chateau. They have actually been propelled into this change because something happened back in England that caused them to rethink their future. They have landed in a little England enclave, where they find some support for their enterprise but also the best of British throws up challenges – but given the couple have called their sons Bay and Sorrell, they might well be on the way to finding their niche in this emigrant society.

They have engaged Helen to look after the boys and that seems to be working out well, giving them time to start urgent work on the building.

Add into the mix the film crew that is following their every move, à la Escape to the Château on Channel 4, they have a lot going on. Aura is convinced that the publicity for the property and for her planned B & B enterprise is worth all the hassle.

One of the locals helps them with the technical side of internet access and then, the reader knows that things are on a very slippery slope (no pun, although there are some skiing adventures in the French Alps) when the recently installed French equivalent of Alexa, randomly, in the middle of the night, blasts out Dies Irae (look it up); you just know they are in trouble.

There are squabbles as they are a couple on the brink (captured by the camera duo, of course), encounters, posh dining, sexual adventures and more, and of course, a body….

I enjoyed this, it is well put together and it’s a good page turner as it moves back and forth in time towards its conclusion.

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