The chalet by Catherine Cooper was actually a good read.
Initially I didn’t enjoy the writing style which seemed targeted to a youth readership with an overuse of profanity in my opinion. Overall, however, this was a decent storyline with a “whodunnit” theme and thoroughly unlikeable characters. A good unfolding of the story with credible links to the chalet tenants/staff. Three stars

The Chalet is a riveting read by Catherine Cooper, and I raced through it really quickly.

We’re transported to a picturesque ski resort in France. In the late nineties, a horrifying accident takes place there when two young brothers with little experience ski off-piste. But the accident is more fatal for one of the brothers who doesn’t return from the holiday. Now twenty years later secrets from that time period are about to come to out in a devastating way for those involved.

I thought the ski resort setting gave this book a chilling atmosphere. The guests who are staying at the resort are put up in luxurious accommodation. Also among the group are two people who were there at the time of the accident twenty years earlier. You get the sense that they were walking on eggshells at different point throughout the books. They haven’t been entirely truthful about what happened all those years ago, and they are fearful of someone finding out what they’ve kept back.

As I was reading, I really wanted to see how things were going to come together. We do jump back in time back to when the young men disappear. Catherine Cooper builds on the tension in these scenes, particularly as the ski instructors grapple with what has happened. I couldn’t believe some of the decisions they made when they were trying to work out what to do next. It seemed that they were more concerned about themselves than they were about trying to find the men.

As the novel progresses, another strand comes into the story, and it is here that I don’t want to give too much away. I became even more intrigued. I wondered how this part was connected to the events in the past, and that was happening in the present. As everything comes together, it makes for a gripping finale. You can see how much one particular character has planned and thought out everything. Also, you can see just how they have every intention of carrying their plan out, with a clear fixation on revenge. I also liked the last note on the very final page, which will send a shiver down your spine as you read it.

The Chalet is a very easy read to get into, and I found it very difficult to put down. It’s dark and very addictive. Recommended for lovers of psychological thrillers!

Once the four of them meet at the chalet, there’s an air of mystery. The reader feels something is amiss right from the start. And once you start, you cannot stop reading it. The book has few characters. They appear to have a hidden agenda.

The story alternates between different characters set in alternate timelines. Cooper created two timelines and executed this alternate sequence with impeccable finesse. Cooper highlighted quite a few sensitive topics such as sexual abuse/ rape, mental health and children growing up in households where a parent has similar issues.

The book is fast-paced, and the ending is intriguing and just. It ended on a note there might be a sequel.

Catherine Cooper amazes her reader through her writing and excellent plotline. The mystery-thriller fans should keep their eyes peeled for her books.

My rating for the book 3.5 stars

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for the copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars
We start in the past when two brothers are on a skiing holiday with their respective girlfriends in France. There's an accident and both go missing whilst on a skiing lesson. Back in the present and Hugo has booked a luxury chalet in the same ski resort to host a meeting with a prospective investor. Quite how these two tales connect is initially unknown but when the body of one of the missing men turns up, things really start getting interesting...
This is a book which is best gone into as blind as you can. There is quite a lot of interconnected stuff going on that hindsight will kinda spoil if you do inadvertently see something you shouldn't ahead of time. It does take a wee while to really get going too as the author has quite a few ducks to line up before she starts shooting the down again in the lead up to the really rather thrilling conclusion.
It's a twisted tale spanning the decades with a lot of unresolved stuff bubbling up inside certain characters - fear, guilt, worry are underlying emotions we see from some of them - and also there's revenge but not from who you'd expect and why? A tale that kept me spinning around at all its twists and turns - shocking as some of them were - until all was said and done at the rather satisfying conclusion.
Characterisation is spot on which is especially important given all the subterfuge going on. And when you also realise that the majority are pretty unlikable too even given their motivations for their actions. The setting is integral to the plot - obviously - but also lends itself well to the claustrophobic and chilling atmosphere of the story as a whole. Which in turn is well plotted and executed and kept me on my toes throughout, leaving me satisfied at its conclusion.
All in all, a pretty impressive debut novel. I'd be interested in seeing what the author serves up for next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The Chalet is a multiple timeline mystery that has multiple points of view. I'm not going to summarize this as I feel that doing so will give away too much of the mystery. Checking out the synopsis will give you all the information you need to go into this one.

The multiple timelines and points of view change from chapter to chapter and are labelled as to the point in time, place, and the character who is narrating. This wasn't confusing at all until Part 3 when we are introduced to a nameless character and their backstory. This was a bit jarring. The characters are all very entitled and are quite unlikable overall. I felt no connection or sympathy for any of them. They were in the case of our main characters well developed with a good background history though. The pacing is what kept me hooked, along with seeing what happened to the characters in the end. Overall, I'm going to go with a 3.5 rounded up to 4.

My appreciation to HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction, Catharine Cooper, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A gripping good read that kept me page-turning, this twisting tale of ski chalets, secrets and snow really delivers. An accident happened twenty years ago on the ski slopes and the story switches between then and now with no apparent link between them apart from location. Events unfold and reach a satisfying climax. A tale well told.

oh wow this book was breathtaking! it gripped me from the first page, i was kept up all night reading. five stars!

When two brothers went for a skiing holiday with their girlfriends' in 1998 it was a chance to get away from it all for a while, or so they thought. At the top of a windswept mountain the unhealthy rivalry between them resulted in the death of one young man and the lives of many others temporarily or permanently scarred.

Two decades later Ria and husband Hugo are entertaining Simon and Cass who they hope will become clients in their high end holiday company. Matt and Millie are the staff members who the chalet owner has entrusted with catering to the holidaymakers every need. Not all the guests are first time visitors however and some have deeply hidden secrets. Although years have passed since the untimely demise of the young student the resort is still luxurious, still popular and in certain situations still deadly.

Although I finished this book quite quickly I struggled with it. Written in two time frames and from various points of view, both named and anonymously, this part of the book worked well. The chapters were clearly signposted and I always enjoy stories which include various takes on one topic .

Unfortunately, however, none of the main characters seemed to have a likeable bone in their bodies. The wealthy guests considered themselves entitled and knew they would be treated as such while the staff were, unfortunately, not a lot better.

This is the first book by Catherine Cooper and has some good parts but overall could have been so much better. It wasn't difficult to work out who was who and the coincidences were a little too convenient. I liked the sound of the synopsis for this but ultimately didn't live up to its hype.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but unfortunately can't in good conscience recommend it.

This was an easy to read but almost gentle mystery about a fatality in a Ski resort. We see the resort as it was in the time of the accident and as it is in the present day larger, more vibrant and where people's professional lives may be affected by the disturbance and discovery of the body. Half way through the book a different voice arises as we follow the trouble early life of one of the characters. There is definitely enough plot and intrigue and it took me a wavering amount of time before deciding on who was who. The ending seems to suggest that there may be more to come - however I am not sure there is another book in it.

i enjoyed the book but for me it lacked a bit of grit or power in the telling. I would certainly read more by this author

Two brothers visit the French Aps in 1998 but only one returns.
2020 and four people connected to the disappearance of the one are in the same village at the same time. Each is hiding their own secret and one is the killer.
What will be revealed?
Gripping with a twist at the end!

A real super find that is easily and quickly read and a real good yarn
Simply put it is a book about revenge and revenge with a capital R
4 ‘friends’ go ski-ing but all have secrets and 1 has been to the resort before, also at the resort is someone they knew and also someone that knows more about the past than they are saying PLUS an unexpected blast from the past appears to identify a body that has lain in the snow undiscovered for years, it sounds a bit confusing but once you are into the scenery ( beautifully described ) and the characters ( and there are some rum and obnoxious ones ) the past and present makes sense and it turns into a really fine whodunit and who is going to do it now to get the revenge they seek
A dark ending and a wonderful last line added to this book that on a miserable grey day in a funny ( well you know what I mean ) old world took over my imagination and gave a thrilling part family saga part psychological part adventure read

10/10
5 Stars

There was just something about the blurb of The Chalet that made it impossible to resist the invitation to read this debut... It might have been the setting in the French Alps, it might have been the mystery around the missing man and the promise of secrets and a potential killer... But my instincts told me I was most likely going to enjoy my time with this story. Thankfully my instincts didn't fail me! The Chalet turned out to be a multi-layered and entertaining thriller with a setting that makes for the perfect backdrop for this story. Fans of the genre will have a great time with this one.

The Chalet is mainly set within the La Madière ski resort in France, and the many descriptions of the setting definitely made it come alive for me. The snow, the brutal weather, the chalet, the bars with its mulled wine, the ski resort in general... It almost feels like a little vacation in the form of a book, and I love it when a story is able to make me feel as if I were traveling myself. The cold winter weather is also the perfect backdrop for this story, with a man going missing in the middle of a storm and the bad weather affecting the characters in the present too. It gave the story a hint of foreboding and definitely added to the suspense.

The Chalet uses a multiple POV structure as well as switches between past and present. Not only do we slowly get to see what happened back in 1998, but we also get flashbacks of a little girl with a very difficult home situation back in London as well as multiple POVs set in the present. While initially this might seem a bit of a struggle, it is quite easy to keep the different POVs apart and I liked how the plot itself was developed. While I did see some of the twists coming, I didn't mind too much as the plot was interesting and layered enough to keep you focused.

As for the characters... I can't say that I actually liked them, but as a whole they make for an interesting enough cast of characters to follow. The multiple POV structure might also work in favor of the story here, as you never spend too much time with one character to actively feel annoyed by some of the actions and plot developments. The writing itself is engaging and makes it really easy to keep turning those pages. I literally finished this story in less than a day! I will be looking forward to read more books by this author in the future.

Let’s take a virtual holiday to a glam and snowy ski resort. The Chalet is a murder mystery / psychological thriller mix with as many twist and turns as a red ski run. Yes, that is a skiing reference. Author Catherine Cooper is a journalist who specialises in travel and ski writing, so it’s no surprise that it is central to her debut book’s plot.

If you’re thinking ‘I’ve never skied so not sure I’ll be into this.’ Well, I’m here to reassure you that I’m not a skier either and was completely drawn into the story. I actually found I learnt things about the sport as I read, as it goes into quite good detail.

Told in two time frames, 20 years apart: In 1998, two brothers go missing while attempting a hazardous ski trail and one of them ends up dead. 20 years later, at the same resort, La Madière in France, two couples – Ria and Hugo and Simon and Cass (and their baby) – are on a glamorous holiday. As the plot unfolds, it becomes clear they have (or at least one of them has) a link with the events that happened 20 years previously…

There’ll be no spoilers from me, so I’ll just say that the plot developed at a speedy yet satisfying pace and Ria was the character that jumped out for me. She was clever, scathing and – like a few of the others characters too – hiding secrets that you just couldn’t wait to get to the bottom of.

There were a few times I thought I’d worked out where the story was going, only for it to cleverly swerve in a different direction. That is the mark of a great murder mystery. And a great skier. The snowy setting makes The Chalet an ideal winter read and a perfect slice of escapism for right now.

This is one of those books that really gets me enthralled straight away. A murder mystery in a glamourous ski setting. A group of very interesting people are all gathered on a mountain skiiing. One is murdered. It was thrilling from start to finish and is very reminiscent of ruth ware and lucy foley.

The setting comes alive of the page and is a gloriously dark landscape set against the cast of colourful characters we get here. Clever use of timelines too as we moved back and forth from 1998 to twenty years later.
There's a lot to love here and it's all packaged beautifully in a stunning cover too.

Recommended.

This is a book which is told in a dual timeline and one which focuses on the events at a ski resort both in the past and the present.
I have really liked some of the characters in this book, each of them have a unique personality and seem realistic. However, I have questioned the purpose of others within the book. They are kind of there just to add an extra element of suspicion.
The setting of this book is fab and really adds the wintery chill feel that the author intended. This has been a perfect book to curl up with for a lazy Sunday afternoon before another crazy week.
The multiple point of view takes some getting used to but portrays the story extremely well.
This book hasn't entirely been what I expected but it is an extremely well written story which has kept me engaged. I have devoured this book in just one sitting.
For me, the story hasn't been as tense and suspenseful as I hoped. This is more a story of revenge for the past. With that said, this is a four star read for me. My only negative is that I wish it had been more suspenseful.
I look forward to reading more by this author.

This is a great read..
20 years on from a death in a ski resort a group of people gather in the same resort for a week’s ski break. None of the characters are particularly likeable and that just adds to the tension and intrigue
Great quick read I’d definitely recommend.

this is a good mystery book, it flows nicely and I got caught up in it, especially as the links between the past and present began to fall into place. The characters are realistic in that they are certainly not all good, but it's interesting to see the relationships between them. I had no trouble keeping up with the flashbacks/present time narrative either.

A good read.

The Chalet

I read this in one sitting. It is a fast paced thriller that is very enjoyable.

There is not much I can say about it as it all rests on surprises of who everyone turns out to be and why they are there.

The first 2 parts I loved and found intriguing and really enjoyable. Loved trying to figure out who was who and one persons revelation really surprised me which I loved.
However, Part 3 I hated. From that point on we had flashbacks of Mama and a young girl in italics. I hated ALL of those chapters. It was introduced too late for me to be interested and everything from that point on seemed to spiral into the realm of ludicrous.
I didn't understand the vendetta at all and thought it was far fetched and a bit much, which was a shame as the rest of the book is a very taut thriller.

I do think some characters were underused or could be excluded all together. I understand they are red herrings but need to be streamlined a bit...or expanded on so we actually understand their character and their point within the story. We get a few lines here and there but they serve no actual purpose...which was odd.

As I said, I didn't understand the motives and thought they were extreme and daft which didn't fit in with the rest of an otherwise intriguing and very taut thriller. I also strongly disliked the ending, unfortunately. However the first 2 parts of the book were fab!

Thank you to the author, publisher & Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A fast and easily read book . Good for a wet , cold day. A group of ambitious business people are ensconced in a chalet in the French Alps looking to set up a deal. However some of the inhabitants have a past history linked to the area and a death 20 years previous. Told in different voices and across two timelines the story effectively but perhaps predictively emerges .

This was quite an entertaining read. The time jumps between the present and the past were a bit confusing at first, but later on made a good back story to the current story. It was an enjoyable read, and I will read more of this author. Recommended.
TB