Lu Marlow and her husband Phil have an evening together with their friends that they have known since University.

Manda and Steve have a grown up daughter Zoe. Graham is single, they are all retired and nearly 60. They come up with the idea of selling their homes and buying a joint property in France. They end up purchasing “Chateau d’Aubert”

The chapters alternate between the present time and the 1780’s. Comte de Verais Pierre Aubert, and wife Catherine are part of the royal court, until they are forced to flee to his ancestors chateau after the palace is attacked by French Revolutionaries. Will they be safe there.

In the present time the friends are settling into their new home. Lu decides to look into the history of the chateau and the Aubert family.

I loved this book and was drawn into it from the first page. The history of the French Revolution was very interesting and I loved how the two timelines played out slowly revealing the chateau’s secret. The vivid descriptions of the chateau, the mountains and villages really bought this story to life.

A must read for any fans of historical mysteries.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review. 20 s Heather York29 4

Really enjoyed this book, really interesting dual timeline with twists and turns. This author never let's me down love all her booksdual-time10 s Karen Mace2,051 74

I do love a dual timeline historical story, and this is brilliantly gripping and emotional as the story switches between now and back in the 1700's in France, as times were becoming very different for those in the royal palaces. It gives you 2 storylines that are equally as compulsive and I loved how both came together to provide a fitting ending.

In the present day, we meet Lu and her husband Phil and their friends. All in their 50's and wondering what lies ahead for them all next, when one of them has the genius idea of pooling all their resources and buying one property in France so they can all live together! Everyone is up for the idea, although Lu seems a little hesistant and wonders if it will come to be! Their group has had crazy ideas in the past and they've never panned out! But this time it happens, and when they stumble across an old Chateau that needs a bit of refurb it seems they've found their new home!

And in 1785, we follow the story of Catherine who finds herself living at Versailles (lucky!!) after marrying Pierre who is an advisor to King Louis XVI, so they are part of the inner circle of the royal court and life seems blissfully happy. But things are changing outside the palace walls, and as tensions rise their lives are about to become much different.

Both women have to face new changes in their lives and I loved seeing how they both reacted to these shifts in their set ups. Both are plagued with doubts and nerves but they find inner resolve and prove themselves to be quite resilient as they try to overcome challenges and tragedies that befall them.

I loved the sense of history portrayed in the past storyline, and I really enjoyed Lu trying to solve the mystery aspect in the present timeline. This was a wonderfully absorbing read and I highly recommend it!8 s Elaine - Splashes Into Books3,664 121

This is another brilliant dual timeline story from this talented author! In this case five people who have been friends since their university days decide to buy a home together in the French Alps. They are all in their late fifties, all retired and include two couples and their friend, Grey. The present day story is related as a memoir from the point of view of Lu, an ex-history teacher who is intrigued by their new home and decides to research its past…..

Their new home is a fabulous Château which used to belong to the Comte and Comtesse de Verais, Pierre and Catherine Aubert. Their story involves the French court and revolution, escape and mystery but it is a mystery that Lu is determined to solve!

The well developed characters from both eras, together with the skilful alternating of historical and current events makes this a fascinating read. It portrays the challenges of moving to a new home with friends, settling into a new community, making new roles for yourselves there and making new friends, alongside the worries concerning health, offspring and their new life. Intertwined with this are the historic events pertaining to the demise of the French aristocracy, their changing attitudes and roles and uncovering just what happened to them during the French revolution and tracing their descendants to the present day. I didn’t want to put it down until I’d finished it. It was a totally engaging read, a great mix of contemporary life with family drama, with a side helping of romance and, of course, historical events, related in an enthralling and highly entertaining manner – superb to escape into and a real page turner!

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it and thoroughly enjoying doing so.2020 adult adventure ...more7 s Jaffareadstoo2,720


When five friends, all in their fifties, decide to pool their collective resources and relocate, from England, to a shared property in rural France, they discover the beautiful Château d'Aubert in the tiny town of Saint-Michel-sur-Verais in the Alpes-Maritime region. The château is very picturesque, but with some areas that need renovating, the five set about transforming the château into a stunning home. However, as with all old buildings there is much to discover and the air of mystery, and occasional ghostly feelings which surrounds the château, draws them ever deeper into its history.

Told in alternate chapters we get the modern day story of the château as seen through the experiences of Lu, once a history teacher, who is fascinated by the history of the château which stretches back to the tumultuous days of the French Revolution. Throughout the story we get to learn more about complicated lives of Pierre and Catherine Aubert, Comte and Comtesse de Verais, who fled Versailles when the troubles escalated into danger and despair. However, they soon discover that escaping to the Château d'Aubert is not without its problems.

I was equally at home in the modern day château as I was heading back in time to the days of the terror and the collapse of the ancien regime. The author describes everything so beautifully that time and place come alive and as one chapter ended I found that I was looking forward to either returning to the present with Lu, and the gang, or of heading back to the past to see how Pierre and Catherine were faring.

The Secret of the Château is a beautifully written dual time narrative which takes you back to a dark period in French history and a time when to be a privileged aristocrat was fraught with danger. It was interesting to watch just how the historical strands of the story played out whilst at the same time allowing the modern day protagonists to bring the history of the château back to life again.

History, mystery and a hint of ghostly activity make The Secret of the Château a perfect 'Lock down' sort of read
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