I will no doubt be in the minority here, but this book completely failed to grab my attention. It is far from the ‘page turner’ the blurb describes. I have reached 40% in the book, and so far nothing of any interest has happened.
What we have are two timelines both populated by the most dislikable people, male and female, that I have had the misfortune to encounter in a novel.
The characterisation of these people is two dimensional, the POVs all sound so similar it’s hard to differentiate between them, were it not for the name at the beginning of the chapter.
I find I do not care enough about any of these people, or what twists the story may or may not take, so this will be a rare DNF for me, sadly.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.

Catherine Cooper has written a cracking piece of crime fiction set in the snowy and atmospheric French ski resort of La Madière. It is 1998 and Will Cassiobury and his older brother, Adam arrive for a ski holiday with their girlfriends in tow. Will and Louisa met at Oxford, but she is from a different social class, and while the others can ski, she cannot. Will has a rather awkward relationship with Adam, and they are often competitive with one another. One day they hire a guide to go skiing, but the weather takes a turn for the worse and only one brother returns.

In 2020, Hugo and his wife, Ria have booked a chalet in La Madière, inviting Simon and his wife, Cass and their young child, Inigo along. They are periodically joined by chalet owner, Cameron, and Matt, the manager. With troubles developing, and relationship difficulties emerging, situations aren't improved when a body is discovered following an avalanche.

The setting was fantastic and the heavy snowfall added chilling notes to the growing tension and undercurrents between the guests there in 2020. The multiple narratives required some concentration but once I had all of the characters straight in my mind I was sorted! Even though few were likeable with the possible exception of Hugo, they were all excellently drawn and developed and were perfect in their roles. Not everyone was as they seemed in Catherine Cooper's haunting début. Twisted and suspenseful, The Chalet was a thoroughly entertaining and mesmerising mystery that I'm certain most crime fiction aficionados will enjoy.

I read The Chalet in staves with other Pigeonholers as part of a group. A special thank you to Harpercollins, Catherine Cooper, NetGalley and The Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

I had not read anything by this writer before, so I did not know what to expect. Cooper presents a compelling story with twists, turns and misdirections aplenty. I found it hard to put the book down - I know that is derivative and corny, but it is also always a great recommendation. This book really was addictive. In this case it was especially surprising as I really didn't like any of the characters and usually if I can't relate to, or have sympathy with, at least some of them I would usually leave the rest of the book unread - but this time I couldn't.
Clever writing, well done.

The Chalet is a great read and surprisingly good for a debut.
The story begins in 1998, in La Madiere, a ski resort in the French Alps, brothers Will and Adam Cassiobury have taken their girlfriends on holiday. Will and Adam decide to go skiing with a guide even though the weather is treacherous. Having lost sight of their guide and not knowing the route sadly only one brother returns. The story switches timelines easily between 1998 and present day. Present day is where we find Ria and Hugo splashing the cash in a luxury chalet with another couple, Cass and Simon to discuss business. Whilst there awful weather occurs and reveals the body of a man which is the body from twenty years ago that couldn’t be found. The brother comes to identify the body all the way from Thailand and here things get very twisty with someone in the group wanting revenge.
I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

This is a bit different from what I've been reading this year, but when I got an invite to The Chalet, a luxurious ski resort in the French mountains, I thought it would be rude not to.

🏔️Synopsis🏔️ French Alps 1998: Two young men ski into a blizzard...but only one returns. 20 years later: Four people connected to the missing man find themselves in that same resort. Each has a secret. Two may have blood on their hands. One is a killer in waiting. Someone knows what really happened that day. And somebody will pay.

This debut novel is a chilling thriller and had me hooked from the start. It was such a quick read. I read it in 3 or 4 sittings, so was surprised to see it was 400 pages. I loved the dual timelines and seeing how the two parts of the story came together. So many threads are expertly weaved throughout this story. There's a lot going on, but everything comes together perfectly. It is filled with unlikeable characters (although I did like Will, felt sorry for Hugo and Millie is quite the character) I always think it takes a special author to write unlikeable characters that still make us want to read on rather than put the book down. It was full of twists and I was definitely wrong on a few things. And enjoyed guessing up until the end.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an arc of this book which is out now.

I loved the setting of this book. It was addictive and twisty turny, which is what I wanted. I think the number of characters was confusing sometimes, but I definitely enjoyed it.
Thanks a lot to NG nad the publisher for this copy.

Revenge is very seldom sweet.

Ria and her husband Hugo have travelled to La Madière in France. Hugo is hoping that the week staying in the beautiful, luxurious holiday resort will convince Simon, the latter is accompanied by his incredibly young wife, baby and nanny to buy into his holiday business. The weather turns foul curtailing their main aim – skiing every day. What also appears thanks to this bad weather is a body. It’s that of a man who disappeared in 1998 while out skiing. The discovery is going to shatter quite a few people’s cosy lives.

With all due respect to Catherine Cooper – the plot is superb and twisted, and that deserves a five-star review. She’s captured the scenery, the weather and the sheer luxury of the chalet to perfection. However, I loathed each and every character. I read the novel simply to get to the end (which was brilliant), but it was with gritted teeth as I had to endure the self-centred, pompous filthy rich know-it-all. Unfortunately, they’re necessary for the storyline, but not one I necessarily wanted to follow.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

I loved the premise, loved the location & it was great to read on hot days of 34 degrees ( remember those?) . This is the kind of novel I relish where all of the suspects are thrown together, and the story is told from multiple points of view– it came as no surprise to find that the author enjoys Agatha Christie novels - but my main concern was that I felt too much was revealed too soon. I quickly guessed why people were behaving in certain ways- this didn’t totally spoil the novel but I do like to be held in suspense a little longer.
Having said that, it was a speedy read AND I did like the final sentence!

The Chalet by Catherine Cooper is a contemporary psychological suspense and an absolutely fabulous debut novel. My interest was grabbed and held from the very first page.
The novel is set in 1998 and twenty years later in a French ski resort. There are multiple known narrators and one unknown voice. I found this very intriguing as I tried to work out whose voice it was.
We all have a past. Sometimes it is a past that we want to keep hidden. A character wields power over another as buried secrets threaten to surface. As the novel progresses, the tension heightens.
Within the novel there is a defining moment. It is a moment on which everything else is finely balanced. The reader tries to predict what did happen and the outcome.
Catherine Cooper has drawn a marvellous set of characters. Some elicit feelings of dislike, others you want to surround with love. We witness their interactions. There were some truly jaw dropping moments as the reader hangs on to Catherine Coopers every word.
I was completely captivated by the action. I could not sleep until the last page was read. The book does wrap up at the end but then Catherine Cooper throws in a titbit that makes me hope for a second book.
Remember the name – Catherine Cooper – I predict she will be the next big new name in fiction as she knows how to weave a perfect tale. Grab yourself a copy of The Chalet today.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

This was a good story and would have been even better if I didn't keep getting people confused. Using the first person without giving an identity makes following the story difficult. Some good characters and a clever absorbing storyline.

The book is set in the French ski resort of la Mediere where Hugo is trying to encourage Simon to invest in his company by indulging him with a complete luxury skiing experience.

The story switches back and forth between 1998 and 2020 where, in the former, two skiers end up in an accident and one sadly dies. You are told the story of the two brothers and their girlfriends and the events leading up to the fateful day.

Fast forward to the present and the body of the unlucky skier is discovered.

The accident looks like it might not have been quite that, and someone is out for revenge.

I really enjoyed this, it was fast paced and kept my interest. It helped it was set in the alps as I do love to go snowboarding!

The twists were unpredictable and I loved the ending. A great thriller with an interesting back story also running through it.

A definite read for this time of year and one I’d highly recommend - skier or not.

There's got to be something said about completely losing yourself in the atmosphere of a book!

Switching between timelines of 1998 & 2018, this is told from the POV's of a few characters but what can usually cause confusion works really well in this storyline.

A truly twisty, turny read that had me guessing most of the way through. Fantastically intricate plotting and a really atmospheric setting made this book even more enjoyable to read.

Even though I didn't actually relate to any of the characters they were all plausible, developed amazingly and brought together very cleverly.

It's hard to describe this hook in detail without spoilers but I will say it's a unique storyline that flows seamlessly and has a really steady lace that constantly moves.

I can't believe this is Catherine Coopers debut novel, I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

5*

Huge thanks to netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC.

The Chalet

The Chalet was a twisty, turny thriller that had me guessing all the way through. I couldn’t for the life of me work out who had been responsible for the death (and at one point I wasn’t even convinced that he was dead!), and I had a list of pretty much everyone in the chalet. My main reason for their guilt was that they just weren’t very nice (I know, I’ll never make a great detective!).

This story is split between two timelines to begin with - the present day and twenty years before. In the present day, two couples are sharing a chalet for a holiday mixed with business. I’ll say this again: these are not particularly nice people. They’re rich, entitled and generally insensitive.

Interspersed with this timeline is that of two couples twenty years earlier. Two brothers and their girlfriends are on a skiing holiday. They’re all Oxford University students: three come from affluent upper class families, and one, Louisa, comes from a working class, single parent family. She is made to feel different at all times - whether this is her own insecurities is never quite clear. Her boyfriends brother certainly doesn’t do much to make her feel welcome. At some point during this holiday, there’s a terrible accident that has an equally terrible effect on characters in the present day timeline.

I won’t say any more about the storyline - I don’t want to be the one to spoil someone’s reading enjoyment! What I WILL say, is that I thoroughly enjoyed this and looked forward to reading it every morning on the Pigeonhole app. It’s a tense, exciting, addictive read - and I loved it!

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this and helping me once more, to read my NetGalley books! And also thanks to the author, Catherine Cooper for reading along with us.

Didn't really relate to any of the charecters, but have to say, it actually did keep my interest from beginning to end and overall not a bad story wrapped up well

This is a cracking thriller, switching between events at a chalet resort in 1998 and 2018. It’s not easy to describe without spoilers, but the tale centres on someone who goes missing, then a body turns up. Obviously there are links between the characters in 2918 and the events in 1998; but who has secrets and what are they?

This is a light read in that it’s a twisty mystery with intricate plotting, great detail( I’ve never been to a ski resort, but it all felt authentic) and some carefully drawn and plausible characters. I finished it in a couple of sittings and kept me gripped throughout as I had no idea where the take was going next. Excellent escapist story which I really enjoyed and will look out for further titles from this author.

My thanks to the publisher for an early review copy via Netgalley.

A debut novel, a setting that perhaps would have turned me off - the French Alps. The thought of skiing not something that has ever interested me. However, the luxury, the mystery and the murder had me hooked from page one.

1998 - Will and his brother Adam, with respective girlfriends find themselves skiing. Not necessarily the choice of them all but still a holiday that is going to change all of their lives forever.

Will and Adam have a testosterone fuelled one-upmanship that is simmering beneath the surface of both brothers and when the opportunity to perhaps put it to the test on the slopes presents itself it seems too good an opportunity to miss.

Cameron and Andy, ski guides meet Will and Adam, out of the four of them only three return and their lives are changed forever?

2020 - Hugh and wife Ria are here to impress Simon and his wife Cass to get Simon to invest in Hugh's business. The one-upmanship has a different purpose now. But the slopes are the same, the snow is the same and amongst a fierce snowstorm the likes that no one has seen for over twenty years; a body is discovered. 

Whose body is it?

And can the four people from the past and the four people from the future have connection to it?

Told across dual timelines, a plot device that I enjoy in historical fiction works really well in this novel. Not only are we getting the movement of back and forth we are seeing everything from the different point of view of the main characters. It doesn't always work, in this book it excels and adds to the build up of tension. 


Don't make your mind up about what you think about one character? Immediately the author twists that on its head and shows you a different version? 

All these versions, these sets of events and beliefs result in a real pacey novel which had me hooked and add to that the claustrophobia of being trapped in a chalet with people you don't know, in the midst of a snowstorm. I felt I was trapped and the only way out was to solve the mystery. 

An excellent debut novel and if this is what to expect in the future from this author then I am ready for the next novel. A contender for one of my favourite books of the year. And as for skiing - still not interested!

This debut by Catherine Cooper was a book of two halves for me. Multiple characters and a dual timeframe had me glued to the pages for the first half and then it felt as if the author ran out of steam. Some chapters became slightly repetitive, another timeframe was added, a bunch of oddly fortunate coincidences occurred and the story just completely lost me along the way. Not least because goodness gracious me, what a horribly arrogant cast of characters. An intriguing read for the most part, but lacking the tension and suspension I look for in a psychological thriller. (2.5* rounded up to 3)

Wow!! I quite liked the book even though I thought I was Miss Smarty Pants for having guessed the ending. But wait… No, I didn’t… I missed the clues by a mile. Author Catherine Cooper on her debut caught me quite unaware when she wrote her twists.

4 couples separated by 20 years and connected by the same chalet in the Alps. A tragedy occurred in 1998, and its repercussions were felt in 2020 when Ria and Hugo entertained Simon and wife on a skiing week. A body was found on the slopes…

The story started with the usual unlikable characters in the present times where a bored housewife, a scared housewife and their business husbands went skiing together. The prose had them trying to get the upper hand over one another. They were all greasy and slimy, and sadly to say, quite pathetic.

The story became intriguing when a body was found in the mountains. The author turned the picture around, peeling each layer off, which slowly started showing their interconnections. Some of them escaped my sharp eye.

Different POVs in dual timelines painted me a new picture, which made the prose interesting. Interspersed among them was a story narrated by a child of the hardships undergone. I kept wondering who amongst all in the chalet was that child. I was wrong in my guess.

Obnoxious characters, yet a friendly, fast-paced prose, with twists in the second half made this a book I enjoyed. Another great weekend read.

What an incredibly gripping read. A well thought out and written debut that had me hooked from the start.

Four guests. One luxury getaway. One Perfect Murder. Twenty years ago two men skied into a blizzard but only one returned. Now in 2020 four people come together in the same resort. Someone knows what happened 20 years ago and someone wants to make sure they don’t forget. Brilliantly plotted, this was an absolute page turner and I loved all the descriptions of the ski resort and chalet. It's made me want to go skiing (and stay in a really high end chalet obvs!). A perfect winters read.