The Villa is perfect for crime and thriller fans who like a story that is meta—a book about a book about a diary about a crime, this story is complex and layered. Set in the picturesque Italian village of Orvieto, The Villa is all about a summer that mysteriously ended in tragedy over 40 years ago. As Emily joins her friend Chess at this villa in modern days, she finds herself swept up in the intrigue from all those years ago. Paralleling that intrigue is one of a modern context—what are Chess’ true motives? Why has Emily been feeling sick? What can she learn from the women in that Villa all those years ago about how to face her current divorce?

TW/CW: Murder, infidelity, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, statutory rape, death of a child

REVIEW: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The Villa is the story of Emily and Chess, best friends from childhood whose lives have taken very different paths. They decide to spend a summer together at an Italian villa that was the scene of a bloody murder in the 70’s. The book goes back and forth between Emily and Chess’s vacation and the circumstances leading to the murder almost fifty years before.

I enjoyed this book! It was a fast read and it kept my attention. I also really liked the way it started bright and happy and then little by little darkened until the ending which I really didn’t see coming until just a few pages before! I don’t think that this book was quite as engaging and exciting as Reckless Girls, but it was still a really good book and a lot of fun. I recommend this book to fans of Rachel Hawkins and to fans of atmospheric thrillers!

How can you ever be sure you know someone?

Emily Sheridan doesn’t know where to start after her picture perfect life turns upside down. Her best friend, Chess Chandler, seems to come back into her life when she needs her most.

When Chess whisks her away to a summer in Italy, Emily feels as this is just what she needs. While Emily uncovers the story of Mari and Lara, two sisters who previously stayed in the house in 1974, she also uncovers her own truth and learns what she’s capable of.

In the end, you never know who you can trust or what the actual truth is, but you can bet someone’s willing to kill for it.


This was truly a 2-for-1 book! Reading Emily’s story and how it parallels Mari’s gives you two sides of the coin. While some parts were a little predictable, the story itself still kept me turning pages until the end!

Best friends Emily and Chess are spending the summer at an Italian villa to write their respective next novels - but this isn’t just any villa, it’s the site of an infamous tragedy in the 1970s. We are introduced to stepsisters Mari and Lara and learn what went down during the 1974 tragedy alongside the story of Emily and Chess in present day, who are navigating a dicey friendship and diving deeply into the villas history.

This book reminded me a lot of Verity by Colleen Hoover, given the back-and-forth between historical and present day context, and the confusion about what is real (although in this book, the ending is more definitive).

The book is a pretty quick read and I found it decently propulsive. I was a little disappointed by the ending - felt almost like a more exciting ending got snuffed out - but liked this well enough. Solid 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fantastic! I loved the back and forth and seeing the story from both time periods. Chess and Emma were both wonderfully flawed characters and I really liked how they came together at the end to take care of a mutual “problem”. The whole Noel/Pierce/Johnnie/Lara/Mari storyline was actually kind of sad and I felt bad for both girls and Noel, especially after finding out what happens with them years later. Overall I would definitely recommend this book as it was very well written and a great story!

Thank you to net galley for the advanced copy. I am usually a big fan of Rachel Hawkins but this title fell short for me. This was not as much a thriller as previous novels. The story is is told from a past and present fashion, with the past the more intriguing of the two. A house remembers is the running theme throughout the telling of both stories. Both stories present strong female relationships in a beautiful setting with a creepy plot. Definitely a slow burning story. I would however recommend the title as a Hawkins fan.

I really enjoyed the villa and the two connecting stories. it’s set in orvieto, italy and follows two POV’s - one in 1974 and one in present day. a terrible murder happened at the house in 1974, which inspired a book and album, and emily and chess become fascinated by what happened and try to find out the truth, while also dealing with their own problems.

this book had such a strong start and i was immediately hooked by it. i really loved the dynamic between emily and chess and learning more about their past and friendship. i also thought mari’s POV in 1974 was interesting, but it was a bit slower in my opinion. parts of the story were predictable, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment. the ending was a little strange and not exactly was i was expecting, but it fits the story and makes sense!

overall, this is a great mystery thriller and it combines a creepy and interesting plot with complex female friendships and a beautiful setting. i’m giving this one 4 stars and recommend it!

You can't go wrong with the setting of an Italian Villa when it comes to catching readers, but making it a "murder-house" as well is a surefire way to start a book with intrigue.

The Villa was an interesting read with characters that pull you in.
Both the story in the present and the story that took place in the past in the villa were fully developed and equally engaging.

I was surprised how quickly this book drew me in. I loved both story lines and couldn't wait to see what came next.

houses remember.

and so do best friends, apparently. 👀

I love books about books. and books within books.

the villa was both. flashing between past and present we get two stories full of suspense making this a quick and fun read.

to rekindle their friendship, authors chess and emily spend the summer at the beautiful villa aestas in the Italian countryside. while there, the girls uncover the gruesome history of the villa where a man was brutally murdered in the 1970’s. when emily decides to write about the murder, tensions run high the more she uncovers and it isn’t long before the villa claims another victim.

while I enjoy dual timelines in thrillers, I think the past overpowered the present in this case. the backstory was definitely necessary, and interesting to read, but I was left wanting more of chess and emily’s story.

I did love the outcome though. I had quite a few theories for this one but it turned out better than anything I expected. all I have to say is girl power. I love it.

a special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Rachel Hawkins and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! the villa is out on January 3rd, 2023.

October is perfect for thrillers! To be honest, the first thing that attracted me to this book was the cover. I love lemon trees and the blue color of the sky. This cover is amazing. Do you like it as I do?
This is the story of two friends who can support each other in a difficult situation. After a terrible period in the life of the main character, the friends go to Italy on vacation to improve their lives. I love it when in a book the past and present are intertwined into one story that we see and fall in love with. This book has all that I really love in thrillers, this gothic atmosphere, Italy, old house. To reveal questions of interest, the main characters begin to dig into the history of the house. In this book you will find an amazing setting, delightful characters with whom you will find contact.
It was my first book by this author and I did not regret that I decided to read The Villa! Maybe someone will not really like the ending, but I am completely satisfied with the whole book. But despite the bright beautiful cover, do not forget that this book has a dark atmosphere that will help you plunge into the gloomy mood of October.

This book is perfect for those who love thrillers. dark atmosphere, Italy, old houses and secrets. The plot of the book is unexpected and makes you read the book to the end. I highly recommend it because I love it very much. I hope you will love it too!

I received this Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) from NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. This is my first Rachel Hawkins book and I can't wait to read more of them!

The book follows two women trying to establish themselves in their lives and careers. Emily is an author recovering from an unexpected divorce. Mari is a young women living her aspiring musician partner. Similarly, Mari's hopes and dreams are overshadowed by her partners. Her partner has the opportunity to work with a well-known singer at an Italian villa. This could be the big break they've been hoping for. Mari follows in the footsteps of her late mother who was a writer when she starts writing a book of her own. That time in the villa is synonymous with the sex, drugs, and rock and roll of the 1970s. Their time in the villa results in a murder. Two unlikely stars emerge from that time in the villa. The survivors of the events that transpired that summer rarely spoke about it before their deaths.

50 years later, Emily and her longtime friend Chess reconnect after the divorce. Chess is a social media, lifestyle guru who has published several bestselling books. Her career has most definitely eclipsed that of Emily. In an effort to get her mind off things, Chess suggests that they go to Italy to write and relax. The villa that Chess found online is none other than the villa where Mari's story unfolded. When Emily stays there, she becomes obsessed with the sole novel that Mari wrote that was published shortly after her stay there. Emily begins to think there is more to the story than is publicly known.

I would highly recommend this book to friends! I love to the imagery of the Italian villa and the dual POVs. I would describe this as a cozy murder mystery. It reminds me of a Taylor Jenkins Reid book (such as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) or Verity. The ending makes you question what really went down. It is a book I still think about weeks after reading it.

To start this review with full honesty, I didn’t feel super drawn in by the blurb of this book. I requested the ARC simply because it was Rachel Hawkins, and I enjoy her books.

I ended up really enjoying this story. I found the dual POVs to be easily understood, and I enjoyed the characters as well. I’m not sure if I would call this a thriller, or at least not in the typical sense, but it was definitely twisty. I like that the ending sort of left some things open for interpretation by the reader instead of spelling everything out.. Even though I was able to guess some of the twists, I didn’t see the ending coming at all. I would highly recommend this book!

Rachel Hawkins's The Wife Upstairs was recommended to me by a colleague, and I have to say that I loved it! I was not as big of a fan of Reckless Girls, so I knew that this third book could make or break reading future books by Rachel Hawkins.

I was immediately hooked in the first several pages by the storyline between Emily, an author struggling to write her tenth cozy mystery in a series, and Chess, a famous and wealthy author who happens to be Emily's best friend. I found myself understanding Emily's point-of-view because sometimes our childhood best friend does become someone whom you do not like as much as you get older. Emily seemed to be a fantastic protagonist, and I could not wait to read more about her.

However, then the other timeline popped up: the background of the murder that was alluded to in Emily's timeline. It was the same Italian villa where Emily and Chess were staying in the present, but the murder had happened in the 1970s. I will say that this timeline seemed to drag at times to me, and I found myself wanting to DNF at times. I did want to give the book a fair chance, and I am glad that I did.

Hawkins threw in some interesting twists in the last few chapters, one coming at the very end that wrapped the story up nicely. While I enjoyed the twists, I honestly am not sure if they are worth reading this book IF you do not have a lot of time for reading. If you are someone who reads over a hundred books a year, this one is worth a read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for letting me read this book in advance. It will be published on January 3rd, 2023!

The Villa is the definition of a slow burn. I had a hard time getting in to the book originally because there were a lot of characters to keep track of and it goes between present day Em and Chess and 1974 Mari and her friends. Once I was about half way through, I didn’t want to put it down. The ending had a great twist and I an honestly not sure if I am happy with it or not.

With Emily’s life in freefall, she impulsively jumps at the chance to join her bff, Chess, at a beautiful villa in Italy, though they’ve grown apart in recent years due to Chess’ success as a self-help guru and Emily’s recent illness. However, it turns out this isn’t an ordinary villa. It was once the site of the “Rosato Massacre,” when some musicians were staying at the house in the summer of 1974, a one of them was murdered, but two of the women on the trip ended up producing masterpieces in their fields - a horror novel and a musical album that changed the world. As Emily and Chess’ stay goes on, Emily begins to feel there are secrets in the walls of the house, and that she’s beginning to unlock them. But can she trust Chess with them, and with her life?

The story is told from two timelines: the present day with Chess and Emily; and in 1974 from Mari’s (the novelists).

Having greatly enjoyed Reckless Girls, I jumped at the chance at the chance to read another from Rachel Harding, who really ha a great way with creating complicated characters and great, deep storylines that just draw you in. This one is no different. Both timelines were really great, with the characters in both being very intriguing and very different from each other. But somehow these two very different stories came together and created one really amazing thriller that I was super into until the very end.

Bother Emily and Chess were flawed and there were things that I liked and didn’t like about both. In that way it was hard to understand who to root for as the book went on, which made things interesting. Both were really tied up in their own worlds, and they were trying to outthink the other. But I can’t say too much more.

This book was well worth the read for anyone looking for a good thriller with plenty of atmosphere - I mean who can beat a villa in the Italian countryside?! Add in murder, mayhem, sex, and rock n’roll, and you’re set!

I wanted to like this one more than I did. It was a slow-building story, but without the payoff I was expecting. On paper, the elements seem strong: a bunch of famous people in a glamorous setting. But nothing was fully fleshed out to make it all come alive. A disappointment for me this time, I’m afraid. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the how this book made me feel like I was in Italy--having not been able to travel over the past three years, it satisfied my need for armchair travel, as well as the need for a thrilling mystery. I read it in just a few days, and was so pleased to receive it after loving "Reckless Girls." I like when books focus on female relationships, and this was well done in that sense. I will definitely be purchasing this, and placing it on display as the gorgeous cover is sure to catch reader's attention.

What a book!!! A book where a writer is inspired by a gruesome event in a place that where another writer was part of said gruesome event while reading bloody tragedy written with The Villa as its backdrop! One may think this is likely to make for a convoluted and confusing story, but Rachel Hawkins manages it like no other. Each character unique, with his/her own voice.

Victoria, Mari and now Emily have all experienced their evolution in The Villa - a villa that has become the backdrop of many a tragedy, and even more secrets. But while secrets are incendiary and can burn down existing relationships, they also have the power of tying people together, bound by secrets unrevealed. What will happen when Em and her best friend Chess come to this same villa? What secrets will bind them together? This book kept me turning pages like my life depended on it. This is a MUST READ - another clever hit by Tachel Hawkins!

Thank you NetGalley, Rachel Hawkins, and St. Martins Press for this ARC of the Villa.

Intertwining stories, an idyllic setting, and a slow-burn thriller made this one impossible to put down for me. But, as I look back on it, I felt like this book had some pieces missing.

Chess — no redeeming qualities, got more than she deserved in the end.

Matt — maybe this makes me sick in the head, would’ve loved some details on how that all…resolved. I love some sweet, sweet justice.

Emily — more specifically, Emily’s sickness. This is a thriller! The whole “your husband’s presence is toxic?” snooze. “Your husband is poisoning you because he’s a manipulative narcissist?” Now we’re talking.

Lilith Rising & Mari’s journal — I love a clean, honest resolution, but this was one of those occurrences where if it had been left up to the reader to decide what to believe, it could’ve made a lasting impact on me.

Overall, glad I read it and will definitely continue to read more of Rachel Hawkins work in the future.