This book was great. From the very first page, it was a bit of a slow-burn, but when things picked up, it was definitely worth the wait. Hawkins always delivers and this newest novel is no different. The dual narrator was such a good way to weave through the story, I loved getting to read the different perspectives. The twist at the end caught me off guard in the best way possible. Highly recommend!

Rachel Hawkins’ newest book, The Villa takes place in Italy when two friends, Emily and Chess decide to take an extended summer trip to a villa with a dark history. While there, Emily does a deep dive into the story of what happened there years ago, determined to learn more and find out what really happened.

I was hoping this was going to be a bit faster paced than it was, but the story was well worth the wait.
I loved the multiple timelines and storylines, and seeing how the shared location ties the two together. A great book for lovers of mystery/true crime. I did find it somewhat hard to follow at times because it would jump from the present day, the past, and quotes from magazines, podcasts, etc all in the same chapter without super clear breaks, but maybe that is just on the eARC and won’t be on the finished version?

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! 📚

Atmospheric thriller with a bit of a limp ending.

Cozy mystery writer Emily is having a hard time: she had an undiagnosable illness for a long time during which her husband left her and now he’s after her money. So when long time friend Chess Chandler invites her to spend the summer in an Italian villa, she jumps at the chance. To add some spice, there was a murder in the villa in 1974.

The novel switches between the Emily/Chess time in the villa and 1974, when rockstar Noel Gordon (as an old Brit I was a bit confused by this as I was thinking of the actress who played Meg Richardson in Crossroads) is staying in the villa with friends and hangers on. Told from the perspective of teenager Mari, this thread builds up to the murder of her boyfriend Pierce, a rising rock musician. Mari herself uses the time to write what becomes an international bestselling horror novel, which weaves in elements of the tragedy at the villa.

So far so enjoyably intriguing. The dynamic between Emily and hugely successful self-help author Chess is niftily drawn and the author does a great job of seeding Emily’s niggling resentments which blossom into something darker. This slickly parallels the dynamic between Mari and her stepsister Lara, another guest at the villa.

But, as is not infrequently the case, all the terrific build-up in both stories just sort of abruptly fizzles to a somewhat unsatisfying ending. In Emily’s case, a not particularly unexpected twist is followed by an offstage resolution. In Mari’s story, the slow and woozily decadent lead up to the murder promises more than it delivers.

One disadvantage of reading on a Kindle is that often there’s no guide as to how far through a book you are. In this case, I had a real feeling of metaphorically looking for more pages with a definite sense of “Is that all there is?” I have enjoyed the two previous novels I’ve read from this author and she definitely has a skill for building vivid characters and nicely ambiguous endings, but I felt this one just needed another 10 pages to round it off.

Note: I have a grumble relating to a major but not critical plot point when a character refuses to go to a doctor because it is too expensive. However, this is England in 1974 where the NHS was pretty much the only option and this would not have cost anything.

Thanks to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Told in alternating storylines from past to present, Rachel Hawkins has created a wonderful, suspenseful mystery that had me turning every page. Emily and Chess, long time best friends, decide to vacation at Villa Aestas for the summer to unwind and spend time together. While at the Villa, Emily discovers secretes she never knew existed, and tries to out together a murder that occurred over 50 years ago, one that still scars the house. Add in a famous author, rockstar rock 'n' roll, and overlapping timelines, The Villa creates a perfect destination mystery,

I liked this novel much more than Hawkin's previous works. The setting plays such an important part of the story and Hawkins does a great job. The rock 'n' roll vibes from the past and the mystery playing in both times really kept me engaged the whole time. Emily and Chess are two complicated friends and their relationship throughout the story keeps you on your toes. This is a great choice for fans of the author or mysteries in general.

Wow!! This was such an engrossing read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was the kind of book that I wanted to slow down and savor, but also couldn’t stop myself from finding out what happens next

It’s told in alternating timelines, but located at the same Villa in Italy. You have present day friends, Chess Chandler and Emily McGhee. The former is now a famous non-fiction writer and the latter is a cosy thriller writer. They have their differences and not sure they’re really still best friends, but they go on this 3-4 week trip to the villa Chess has through connections, to work on their writing.
Flashback to 1974, you follow a group of friends that consists of Mari, her lover Pierce, her stepsister Lara, a famous musician Noel, and another friend johnnie. You already know that that summer lead to the death of one of the friends, but as you read on you find out what exactly happened. There is a mini twist at the end so prepare yourself!

HOUSES REMEMBER is the tagline to this book and it really does serve as the grounding phrase for this whole story. You follow the group of friends back then and see parallels to present day em/chess. I went into this book blindly but was blown away by how absorbed I was in both storylines, and loved how it tied together in the end.

This is my second book by Rachel Hawkins but now it’s making me want to pick up her second book, reckless girls!

3.5 stars rounded up
I would call The Villa a dramatic mystery rather than a thriller. It is told in two parts: one by Mari in 1974, and one by Emily in present day. Mari and her stepsister, Lara, are staying at a beautiful Villa in Italy with a rock star, a song writer, and a drug dealer. Their story revolves around “sex, drugs, and rock & roll.” Someone is murdered which turns the Villa into an infamous “murder house.”
Nearly 50 years later, Emily and longtime BFF Chess decide to spend the summer at the same Villa in Italy to help spark ideas for their writing to help with writers block. Emily ends up uncovering old secrets from the 1974 murder while discovering things going on in her own life as well.
The writing was great with a good storyline. Everything was so descriptive you can really picture all the events unfolding. I was thinking the ending would be different…I think I like my own guesses better than the actual ending. I was also hoping for more spooky or creepy vibes since it was suppose to be a house of horror, but it was really just a house where bad things happened. No spookiness.
It was still an interesting and quick read that I would recommend especially if you’re a fan of this author! Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The Villa is available January 3, 2023.

Underwhelming. Anticipated it being more horror leaning that mystery/thriller leaning. Didn’t like either character or their reasoning/actions. I couldn’t connect with them.

I was more interested in the Mari timeline than the Emily/Chess timeline. Underwhelming ending. Just a little too convenient of an ending to be satisfied.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Houses remember.” ⁣
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Emily is suffering from writers block and is way overdue for the next installment of her mystery series. When her friend Chess asks her to spend the summer in Italy with her, she says yes. And then finds out they’re staying a “murder house.” ⁣
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It’s a well known house for a murder that happened in the 1970’s and has been featured on podcasts. Rather than deter Emily, she’s excited to dig into the history of the house and circumstances surrounding what happened. ⁣
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The Villa flashes back to the 1970’s when some young writers and musicians were staying at the house, and all the reader knows is that one of these characters is going to die. This book is about friendship, divorce, sisterhood and betrayal. ⁣
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I was a #myfavoritemurder listener for a year or two until it started giving me nightmares 😂😂 I think if you’re a true crime or thriller fan, this would be a great one for you. I’d give it a 4/5! ⁣
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Thank you to @netgalley, @ladyhawkins and @stmartinspress for the advanced copy of The Villa in exchange for an honest review! This book will be released in January 2023! ⁣
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#bookstagram #bookreview #rachelhawkins #thevilla #readersofinstagram

A freaking fantastic thriller that made me wish I could write as well as Rachel Hawkins. It's been about a month since reading this and I still find myself thinking about the story.

ARC Review: The Villa by Rachel Hawkins (publication date January 3, 2023)
4.5 stars
“Houses Remember”- the opening words of this unforgettable thriller will reign true in multiple points throughout the story. The beautiful Italian Villa is the heart of three storylines, all seemingly different but so much more alike than meet the eye- one past, one present, and one fiction. Childhood best friends, Emily and Chess, both authors, escape to Villa Aestas for the summer to reconnect and write. Emily thinks she is there to finally get over her writer’s block and finish the 10th book in her cozy murder mystery series, but instead finds inspiration within the very walls of the villa. She stumbles on the hidden and never before seen journal of Mari Godwick, a famous horror novelist, who stayed in this very house almost fifty years prior, her summer ending in one horrifying event that will deem this villa a murder house from then on. Emily quickly finds connections and similarities in Mari’s experiences that tragic summer and Mari’s seemingly fictional novel, Lilith’s Rising.
The Villa gives the reader drama, mystery, “who-dun-it”, and even true crime vibes. Rachel Hawkins seamlessly bounces back and forth from past to present, the connections unraveling and deepening the mystery. I found myself immediately intrigued by the novel, unable to put it down even late into the night. I finished it in only two sittings, desperate to find out the truth. The ending twist(s) did not disappoint and left me feeling rather in awe of Hawkin’s ability to turn the tables and still somehow everything makes sense.
The Villa will be available on January 3, 2023.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you St. Martins press for the ARC of this book. I have rated this book a solid 3. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. I enjoyed the storyline between Chess and Emily and found myself flying through those bits. However, the parts with Mari, Lara, and Pierce (and others) were a bit convoluted at times and kind of boring. It just didn't flow enough for me. I definitely wouldn't rate this as a thriller. I enjoyed the setting but wish the story had focused more on Chess and Emily, their friendship, the betrayal between the two of them and them discovering the mystery at the villa.

A story about friendship, loyalty, love, betrayal and murder. The Villa is a suspense story written with duel timelines happening in the same Italian villa. I loved the characters and how they are intertwined in both time periods.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC for an honest review. #Netgalley #Thevilla #Rachelhawkins

I liked the Emily/Chess parts better than the Mari/Lara parts. I can appreciate what Hawkins was doing by including both narratives in the book. I felt the ending was kind of rushed.

I really had high hopes for this. And I was pretty hooked by the story.

However, I think it lacks more of the mysterious/twisty aspects that I love in this genre. There wasn’t enough of an impact. It feels more like women’s fiction than a true thriller. Which is fine, but not what I was expecting.

Overall, still enjoyable.

Cozy mystery author Emily’s life is in turmoil. The next book in her series is long overdue, she’s in the midst of a divorce, and she’s recovering from a mysterious debilitating illness. Her childhood BFF, Chess, an Oprah-endorsed self-help book author, invites Emily on an extended vacation at an Italian villa—the perfect opportunity to finish book ten in the Petal Bloom mystery series. Emily’s obsession with the infamous murder that happened in the 1970’s at the villa leads her to take drastic measures to address the betrayals in her own life.

The book moves back and forth between Emily’s story and that of Mari, a writer, whose visit to the villa resulted in the death of her partner. The parallels between the women are many. Chess also shares some similarities with Mari’s step-sister Lara, who vacationed at the villa with Mari. All four women were creatively inspired by their time at the villa.

THE VILLA is a Russian nesting doll in that it involves so many interlaced works of women’s writing including Emily’s cozy mystery series, Emily’s new book inspired by her stay at the villa, Chess’s SWIPE RIGHT ON LIFE, Mari’s LILITH RISING, the lyrics of Lara’s debut album, and more.

I like how the ambiguity in Mari’s LILITH RISING foreshadows the ambiguity of the overreaching story which nicely allows the reader to fill in the blanks. Hawkins does a great job portraying Emily and Chess’s complicated friendship and how each other’s success in the writing world affects their relationship. The various accounts of the famous murder show the power of perspective. The villa itself acts as a creative catalyst which allows the occupants the opportunity to rewrite their own stories. In a world where so many people live seemingly perfect lives on social media, THE VILLA shows the shadow that is often overlooked.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group, for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

The Villa was better than I expected seeing some other reviews. I really enjoyed the dual timeline, I always find those interesting, and there was lots of drama, I did think some parts were predictable, but I still really enjoyed the book overall. It was a nice read to break up all the romance novels I’d been into this summer.

BOOK RATING: ⭐⭐⭐ .5

First off, this book is NOT a thriller because a thriller is a book about the fear of a future crime. The Villa is gothic suspense novel with a bit of a mystery thrown in. I rated The Villa three stars because it did what I wanted it to do, entertain me. I gave it another half star because I love atmospheric Gothic suspense novels.

LOVED:
• The book (Lilith Rising) and the folk music album (Aestas) created by the two female characters from the 70s felt so real. I wish I could read and listen to them.
• The Verity vibes. (Although this is nowhere near the mind f*** that book was.)
• I was transported to a villa in Italy for the summer. What’s not to love about that?

COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
• The structure of the book can be confusing. In the same chapter we can be reading about the events in 1974, the current story, and a quote from a podcast or magazine article referring to the 1974 events. I really hope this gets fixed before the physical copy is published.
• I enjoyed the modern timeline, but it was wrapped up a little too quickly and conveniently.

TW: adult/minor relationship, blood, cancer, death of a child, death of a parent, drugs and alcohol, miscarriage, murder, infidelity, toxic friendship, sexual content, suicide

This was a fun, creepy book! It's told in two time periods-1974 and current day. Both follow guests at a villa in Italy. In 1974, a young group of musicians and artists stay at the villa, and one of them is murdered. In the present day setting, two writers are spending the summer in the villa. One is struggling in her personal life and finds herself fascinated with the tragedy. She finds herself researching the people and trying to figure out what really happened. There's quite a twist towards the end for both time periods. Fun read!

It started off really good I was interested but then at some point before half way it just wasn’t doing it for me im not to sure what it was. It was over all a good book but it wasn’t my usual four to five star I give it three I enjoyed the reckless girls more and I loved the wife up stairs! I struggled to fully connected into this book it was more of a fiction domestic drama than a thriller which is my favorite genre. There were a few intriguing but not at all surprising twists. I may not have loved it as much as previous reads but I would still recommend it!

Engrossing story that is easy to follow despite traveling across several time periods. Characters are well developed and complicated - you can neither completely love or hate them. The ending is a bit disappointing, but makes sense in the context of the story.