?The Chateau by Catherine Cooper/The Rule by David Jackson

?The Chateau

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Nadene @ Totally Addicted to Reading in Reviews / 12 Comments

?The Chateau by Catherine Cooper took the reader on a twisted journey filled with mystery and intrigue.

?The Chateau by Catherine Cooper/The Rule by David JacksonTitle: The Chateau
Author(s): Catherine Cooper
Published by HarperCollins on August 31, 2021
Pages: 400
Genre(s): Psychological Thriller
Source: Pigeonhole Book Club
Format: eBook
Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon|Audible|Audiobooks.com
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

The twisty new thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Chalet
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.
The Sunday Times bestseller is back with a rollercoaster read, perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.
Praise for Catherine Cooper:‘Pure adrenaline’ Erin Kelly‘Agatha Christie with glamour’ Sunday Times Style‘Intense and claustrophobic’ Heat

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

When I learned the author was releasing a new book, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. As luck would have it, it became available via the Pigeonhole Book Club. Ironically, it was through this same medium that the reader was introduced  to the author’s work when chance came to read The Chalet.

The author takes her readers back to France, but this time, instead of a chalet, the story takes place in a chateau. This story introduces husband and wife, Nick and Aura. They originally lived in England, where Nick was a high school teacher and Aura a stay at home mom. They moved to France for a fresh start and to escape the tragic events of England. However, they would learn no matter how far they go, their past will catch up to them.

?The Chateau featured unreliable and unlikeable characters. Their actions will have you wondering if persons can be so stupid and unconscionable. Well, that is Nick and Aura for you. One would be hard pressed to drum up any sympathy for them. Of course, the ones who suffer from their stupid and selfish actions were their sons, Sorrel and Bay. Yes, you read right. Which well thinking parent would give their children such names? ?‍♀️ Well, Aura sure ain’t well thinking and Nick refuses to stand up to her, but then he revealed he had no backbone.

This complex story, with its many twists, kept the reader guessing. A death occurred, which at first seemed unconnected to Nick and Aura. However, as the events that led to them fleeing England came to light, the connection became clear. The story grabbed the reader’s attention, making it hard to look away even with the unlikeable characters. The one thing on the reader’s mind was how would it all end.

Nick and Aura may have been unlikeable with their actions, but what occurred in the end did not justify the means.

Conclusion/Recommendation

Overall, despite the irritating characters, a good time was had with ?The Chateau. Readers who enjoy thrillers/mysteries should consider adding this to their reading list.

Story Evaluation
Plot
5
Characters
4
World Building
4.5
Writing Style
5
Pacing
4.5
Cover
3.5
Enjoyment
4
Ending
4
Overall: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

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?The Chateau by Catherine Cooper/The Rule by David JacksonTitle: The Rule
Author(s): David Jackson
Published by Viper Books on July 1, 2021
Pages: 336
Genre(s): Psychological Thriller
Source: Pigeonhole Book Club
Format: eArc
Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

When you break THE RULE, bad things happen.

Daniel is looking forward to his birthday. He wants fish and chips, a chocolate caterpillar cake, and six comics starring his favourite superhero. Daniel will be twenty-three next week. And he has no idea that he's about to kill a stranger.

Daniel's parents know that their beloved and vulnerable son will be taken away. They know that Daniel didn't mean to hurt anyone. They dispose of the body. Isn't that what any loving parent would do? But as forces on both sides of the law begin to close in on them, they realise they have no option but to finish what they started. Even if it means that others will have to die...

Because they'll do anything to protect him. Even murder.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

 

This was the reader’s first time reading a David Jackson novel, and it proved to be a good experience. Nail biting, fast-paced, engaging and entertaining are the perfect words to describe The Rule. The story showed the lengths parents would go to protect their children, without thoughts of the consequences.

The characters were well developed. Daniel is a child in a man’s body. Ridiculed and bullied daily because of his large size and his learning disability. Daniel is not conscious of his own strength and, as a result, his parents invented the rule to protect him  and others who come in contact with him. Then the unthinkable happen, in defending his dad, he accidentally killed someone. Now Daniel’s parents, Gemma and Scott, knew if the truth came out, Daniel would be taken from them. So they vowed to protect him at all costs.

The Rule had many twists and turns, which kept the reader wondering what would happen next. One could not help but root for Scott, despite the poor choices he made. Choice that brought danger and the police to his door. Although not in agreement with his actions, one understood his motivations.

The story ended, leaving the reader with some questions. It came as a surprise after all the buildup and the many twists. It requires one to draw their own conclusions.

Conclusion/Recommendation

Overall, The Rule proved to be a riveting tale and would be the perfect treat for fans of domestic thrillers.

Story Evaluation
Plot
4
Characters
4
World Building
4.5
Writing Style
4.5
Pacing
5
Cover
2.5
Enjoyment
4.5
Ending
3.5
Overall: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

About Catherine Cooper

Catherine is a freelance journalist living in the South of France with her husband and two teenage children. They moved from London in 2009 so that the children could grow up bilingual and they could all ski more, and enjoy a more relaxed pace of life. She learned to ski on a school trip when she was 14 and have loved it ever since. She is an avid thriller reader and have been since she discovered Agatha Christie as a child. The Chalet is her first published full-length novel, though she has also written several (unpublished) thrillers for teens and a (what used to be called) chick lit novel set in TV production. Other than skiing and reading she loves to travel, theme parks and she spends far too much time on social media. Some of her other favourite things include Alan Partridge, sparkly flip flops and salt and vinegar crisps.

About David Jackson

David Jackson was a latecomer to fiction writing, having spent most of his adult life producing academic papers and reports. After some limited success entering short story competitions, he submitted  the first few chapters of a novel to the Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger Awards. To his great surprise, the book was not only short-listed but given the Highly Commended accolade, which stimulated the interest of agents and publishers and eventually led to the publication of PARIAH. Since then, he has written several more crime thrillers, including two series set in New York and the city of his birth, Liverpool. He still has a day job in Liverpool as a university academic, but now live on the Wirral with his wife, two daughters and a British Shorthair cat called Mr. Tumnus.

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12 responses to “?The Chateau by Catherine Cooper/The Rule by David Jackson

    • Of the two The Rule is my favourite because it showed how far a parent would go to protect their child under certain circumstances. Although I may not have agreed with the decision I can understand why he did it. It was like being caught between a rock and a hard place.