A writer of cozy mysteries is having trouble writing. Invited by her best friend, a writer of self-help books, to Italy for the summer, she takes a vacation to try and dig up some inspiration, even knowing that the villa is famous for a terrible murder from the 70s. Once there, she ends up being drawn into the mystery of the house--and possibly solving a decades old murder.

Emily is recently separated from her husband. Said husband is awful and has somehow manipulated some of Emily’s cozy mystery money away from her. While Emily is in Orvieto, Italy, she hopes to finish another cozy mystery to add to her collection, both to satisfy her editor and her soon-to-be-ex. Orvieto turns out to inspire Emily, just not how she expects. She is inspired to write a true-crime book instead, but this has some…interesting consequences.

The writing to me was not quite as interesting as _The Wife Upstairs_ (the only Rachel Hawkins I’ve read besides this), but it was still a good mystery. It didn’t feel as tight as TWU, either, and it also seemed pretty slow. That being said, I sometimes don’t appreciate when a perspective from the novel is told from that far in the past, but it really works here.

Also, Ms. Hawkins, if you ever decide to write a full copy of _Lilith Rising_, I will definitely read it. It sounds up my alley.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

AS CAWPILE:
Characters: 5 | Atmosphere: 8 | Writing: 8 | Plot: 5 | Intrigue: 7 | Logic: 6 | Enjoyment: 7
Total: 6.57 / 3 stars

The concept of this book was really fantastic, and the way it was executed equally so. Yet, Rachel Hawkins has released another book where the ending left me feeling frustrated. Of course, I won't spoil it for any of you, but it made the entire book feel unnecessary and flat. How one manages to do this in a singular chapter is interesting, but, this is the third book from Hawkins that has left me feeling this way. I enjoyed the story greatly up until that final chapter, and I almost wish I had skipped it.
The characters are well written, and very complex. The way the two stories entwine themselves, and are fully fleshed out, takes a lot of skill. This book made me wish I could get my hands on the imaginary Lilith Rising and take a read of it myself.
I will say, though, that there were a few too many red herring's for me in this book, and I didn't love the way the relationship between our main two women went. It could have gone a darker or more interesting and unique route, and it feels like not doing so despite all the setup was a bit of a cop-out.
Despite these critiques, I did still find myself having a hard time putting this one down.

An enjoyable read by one of today's mystery leading ladies. I enjoyed the dual timelines and characters in this book, and the Italian villa serving made for a great summer read! The mystery didn't really get going until later in the story, and you pretty much figured out how everything was going to pretty out, but the are still surprises along the way. If you love mysteries, love a 70s music vibe, look no further. This one's for you!

The Villa - Rachel Hawkins
Emily feels her life is at a standstill. She has no desire to finish her book series, even though she's running behind, she's getting divorced and her ex-husband is pushing for a portion of the money she made from her books series.
When her old friend Chess suggests a getaway to Italy, she jumps at the chance, hoping to get some work done and have the chance to reconnect with Chess.
The Villa they're staying in has a history, and Emily finds herself obsessed with the murder, thinking there may be more to the story than anyone knows.
The deeper she dives into the history, the more the tensions rise between Emily and Chess while Emily tries to protect the work she has come to be proud of. The closer she gets to the truth, the more she realizes about her own life and situation. Will Emily face the wrong doings that have been done to her, possibly leaving The Villa with another story to tell?
This book was such an easy read. As much as I was intrigued by Emily and Chess's weird friendship dynamic, the villa's murder history could've been an entire book on its own. Ofcourse there is always one irritating character, and that for me was the power hungry Chess, and her ability to manipulate people into getting what she wants. Emily in the beginning came across as weak but had some of the best characters growth, realizing her own potential. This book comes out in January, and definitely needs to be added to everyone's TBR list. You won't be disappointed!
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This is my second thriller by Rachel Hawkins and I loved it! It’s dark and complicated story that takes place in the past (1974) and the present. Though the characters are not related, the stories start to mimic each other.

Hawkins really kept me guessing the entire time, and I honestly could not figure this one out. Though the characters were unlikeable at times, I think it contributed to the storyline. Definitely a must read for all thriller/Rachel Hawkins fans!

I loved this book! It was right up my alley! It had me gripped right from the very beginning! The only small issue I had was that the ending felt confusing.

4.5 Hearts
I enjoy this story a lot. While the beginning was slow and the introduction of Mari’s story is slow as well, the two line up very well with each other. We see events happen that correlate (whether in emotion or similar actions) between the two timelines. This story really picks up towards the middle when things become more high stakes for more reason than one and leaves Emily wondering who to trust and what has really been happening to her as well as what really happened in the past with Pierce’s murder.
This is a story within a story in more ways than 1!

I was so excited to read an early copy of this book as I loved Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins! The Villa was like two stories in one, with one timeline taking place in the present with two childhood friends and another in the 70s with two sisters and a rock band. Both stories intertwining around a creepy Italian villa with a mysterious past.

I didn’t find these characters all that likeable, but I found the 70s rock band aspect reminded me a lot of Daisy Jones & The Six, which I enjoyed! I loved the Italian setting and how both storylines mirrored each other and came together in the end, but overall I was expecting something a bit more dark and suspenseful!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my second book I have read by Rachel Hawkins; the first being Reckless Girls, which I wasn’t the biggest fan, but after reading The description I decided to give this a try. Written in dual pov, dual timelines. This book explores the mystery of what happened during a mysterious rock-roll murder that happened during the 70s at an Italian villa, and two life long friends trying to reconnect while writing their novels in that same Italian villa. I thought that the sex, drugs and rock and roll of Maris timeline was more interesting than Emily’s. Truthfully I think I might have enjoyed reading Maris book, Litlith Rising more. I felt that the Emily plot had a out of potential, it had a great buildup but fell flat in the end. I give this book 3.5/5. Thanks NetGalley for giving me an opportunity for reading this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A mystery/thriller set in a villa in Italy that flips back and forth in time providing the reader with two separate stories that convene in the end but is sometimes hard to follow along.
   Emily and Chess: two college besties, now older and successful, come to this villa to rekindle their friendship and find inspiration for their next book projects.
   But this villa was the site of a murder forty years ago and is haunted by old rumors and stories that Emily starts researching the who and why were involved.
   Along the way the friendship that was supposed to reconnect these woman isn’t happening and tensions rise between the two……..much like what happened years ago in this “murder house”.
   The drama that unfolds slowly keeps your attention till the end.

While I feel like I liked this book, I am feeling conflicted about the ending. The ending made me drop a star because I did not care for it. I did not hate it, but it left me wanting more. I had enjoyed the dual timelines and even wished to have been able to read the infamous book and listen to Lara's album. I would still recommend to read it because I liked Mari's timeline. I just wish that Chess hadn't gotten away with so much.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Villa is my first book by Rachel Hawkins. Of course I have heard about her, but didn’t have the chance yet to read one of her other novels
“Houses remember”, I loved that line and theme from the start. I do believe myself that a house observes the essence of its owners. Why else are some houses just so creepy?

''As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.

I wanted to like this story a lot more, but I found it was dragging onnn. I forced myself to finish it, but 70% of the plot was not necessary. There wasn’t much development in characters, nothing that stuck out to excite me and I felt like I was left high and dry and wanting a lot more.

I received an Arc from Netgally for my honest review.

“That summer, the last good season of her life, was such a glorious one, full of blue skies and lemon yellow sun, and there was no sign of all the horror to come.”

That line- yes!! Once I read that, I just knew this would be a good one. I will admit, this book started off a little slow. I didn’t love one of the characters and it made me wonder if I would like the book. But I kept reading on and then the pace picked up and I could not set it down!! The setting was perfect- a murder house in Italy!

My first thoughts of Chess was that I was not going to like this character. She seemed fake and over the top. I do not think she’s a good friend and I’m disappointed with how she basically got a hall pass for doing what she did.

I enjoyed the premise of the book- A murder in the 70s and then present day two best friends vacationing at the same house to get some writing done. Little did they know, the historic events would pull them in and offer a lot of inspiration.

I LOVED being in this book and the comp titles are 100% accurate - Fleetwood Mac (I’m looking at you, Daisy Jones and the Six fans!) rings sooo true and I even mentioned it to friends while reading prior to seeing that.

Similar to Reckless Girls, Rachel Hawkins wove not only dual POVs full of characters who jump off the page but also includes podcast episodes, snippets from interviews, articles, song lyrics, and a book! The album, book, and musicians all felt SO real I had to stop myself from googling them. I would say that the excerpts in this book felt MUCH more relevant to the overall story than the Reckless Girls did.

The ending was resolved a bit quick for me but I’m hoping that gets ironed out in the final copy. While the twist isn’t the craziest thing you’ll ever see, it was satisfying enough for me to live in the 85% book of vibes.

I am SO impressed with Hawkins and how she created this incredible book while steadily pushing out two books a year (the Kiss Curse release is just around the corner!). Every book I read from this author impresses me more and more.

Even though I received a copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press (THANK YOU!), I will be purchasing the final copy in January 2023.

t's happened! After three attempts, I've found a Rachel Hawkins book that I truly enjoyed.

The Villa, borrowing heavily from Percy and Mary Shelly + Fleetwood Mac, is a story within a story. Emily and Chess are best friends and writers. Emily is recently separated and Chess - a Goop-type influencer--and Em's best friend, invites her to spend the summer in Italy at a famous 'murder' Villa. The two women decide to spend the summer working on their next books, Chess is working on her next non-fiction motivational girlboss book and Em is scheduled to finish her 10th book of her cozy mystery series.

The villa was the scene of a famous murder in the 1970's and we also follow along that timeline, and Emily becomes enthralled with this story as well. There are parts that start to intersect and overlap a bit and Emily finds inspiration in the story. While this is a twist or 15 in this story, I think I was most interested in the story of Mari and Lara and would have read a stand alone story just about them.

Thanks to Rachel Hawkins, NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Oooo I loved this book so much! My first Rachel Hawkins book and now I am running to order all of her other titles. I loved the setting of The Villa, the dual timelines, the characters. It was like if "Daisy Jones and the Six" was a thriller, and I loved it! Some triggers, so check TW if you are wondering about the content. But I read this one in 2 days because I just didn't want to put it down. Murder, Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

''As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.

Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album––and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder.

As Emily digs into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred––and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind.''

*SPOILERS*

I never care much about books with multiple timelines so to find out that this one was like this it was a bit of a let down but I read it anyways and it was an okay book. Some parts I didn't enjoy like the slow burning, so many characters can be confusing sometimes and the plot was a bit boring to me... The characters aren’t particularly likable, but I was sympathetic towards Emily. The only good thing about it is the main character getting a decent ending but overall, this book wasn't all that for me

Thank you netgalley, st. martin’s press, and rachel hawkins for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

First off, thank you to NetGalley for graciously sharing an Arc e-copy of this book. I believe this is my first Rachel Hawkins read!

I wanted to like this story a lot more, but I found it was dragging onnn. I forced myself to finish it, but 70% of the plot was not necessary. There wasn’t much development in characters, nothing that stuck out to excite me and I felt like I was left high and dry and wanting a lot more.

I am sad to say I was disappointed in this book, but I will definitely give Ms. Hawkins another try in the future.

This story is about two lifelong author friends, Chess and Emily, and how their lives diverged and then came crashing back together during a summer at a villa in Italy known as a "murder house." The author takes you on this reconnecting journey of Chess and Emily as she weaves in the story of the villa's guests back in the 1970s when a musician was murdered. Emily's storyline had parallel points to Mari's storyline in terms of their ultimate literary success. I enjoyed the 1970s characters, Mari and her stepsister, Lara, a little more than Chess and Emily because they seemed to be truer to themselves. I loved how the contemporary storyline was intertwined with the past as multiple timelines and historical fiction are favorites of mine. If you enjoy a quick mystery, give this one a try.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins for an honest review.

The Villa is a slow-burn thriller ( but I am going to put it in the suspense category ), that is written in a dual timeline of past and present.

Emily and Chess have been best friends for as long as they could remember, but life, careers, and marriages have taken them in separate directions causing them to grow apart. Both are writers and decide to meet up at an Italian Villa to give them a change of scenery and help them write, catch up with each other and help Emily heal from a broken marriage.

The two narrators of the story are Emily ( present-day ) and Meri ( the past which is set in the 1970s). I myself have become a bit bored with the dual timeline trend, but I know a lot of readers who love it, and I will admit that this one seems to work with the story well. I did become bored with Emily's present timeline, t did pick up toward the end, but I enjoyed Meri's through most of the book. I have found that this is usually the case with me, for some reason I enjoy the past much more.

I thought none of the characters were that likable. Emily appeared overly jealous of Chess, and honestly, I found no redeemable qualities in Chess at all. I did feel slightly bad for the situation Meri was in with Lara and Pierce but also felt she could have easily left and improved her situation.

The book caught my attention because one of the influences was Mary Shelley's weekend at Lord Byron's where she wrote Frankenstein in a contest. Yes, there was a story written within the story, but to me, that was the only similarity, but of course, it was only an influence and not based on anything more. I am not sure if they were hoping for a gothic feel with the Italian Villa, but there was not enough mention of it to be a gothic story, nor did I think it had a creepy or foreboding feel about it. It only had the previous murder, but even with the line The House Remembers, which was stated several times, I did not get a creepy feel. I wish it had been written with more of that gothic imagery, I think it would have been a great story.

Don't get me wrong, The Villa wasn't a bad read, I think I just went into it thinking it would be something other than it was. It had some great parts so please read it and do not let my review prevent you from doing so.