The Villa
by Rachel Hawkins
Pub Date: 03 Jan 2023

The Villa is like reading 2 stories in one book! It's a thriller, drama about a crime from the past that inter mingles with the present day.

The story is told in two time lines. The current time line and the Rock and Roll 70's.

I enjoyed this immensely as I graduated in the 70's and it brought back many fond memories from that time period.

I loved the characters and didn't want the book to end.

Thank you #NetGalley, #StMartinPress and #TheVilla for providing me with an e-ARC. All opinions on the book are my own.

I was a big fan of Rachel Hawkins’ last two novels, The Wife Upstairs, and Reckless Girls, both of which were wild and twisty rides, so I was eager to get my hands on a copy of her latest thriller, The Villa. The promise of another read that would keep me on the edge of my seat, coupled with the Gothic vibe of its Italian villa setting, was just irresistible to me.

The story is told through dual timelines, one set in the present and one set in the 1970s. In the present day timeline, we follow Emily and Chess, two writers who also happen to be lifelong friends who have drifted apart in recent years. They decide to spend the summer in Italy as a way to reconnect and to both get in some quality writing time on their books. When Emily does some research about the villa they’ll be staying at, she learns a murder was committed in the house back in the 70’s when a rockstar and his friends were staying there. Emily becomes fixated on learning more about what happened there in the 70’s, and so part of the present timeline follows her on her hunt for information. The second timeline focuses on Mari, a young woman, who also happens to be a writer, who was staying at the villa at the time of the murder and who witnessed the events that led up to it and incorporated some of what she witnessed into what went on to become a best selling novel.

The 1970s timeline was, by far, my favorite. The relationships between the rockstar and all his guests were so intriguing and so complicated that it was just fascinating to watch them interact, especially since you could tell trouble was brewing between them. Jealousy was often the driving force between their interactions and the vibe that surrounded them was often foreboding. Mari often tried to remove herself from the drama by focusing on the book she was writing, but as tensions escalated, more and more of what she witnessed found its way into her book.

I wasn’t quite as big of a fan of the present day timeline, mainly because I couldn’t stand Chess. She just came across as fake and shady, and I didn’t trust her at all. I did like Emily though and so was rooting for her because she has been struggling with her writing and dealing with an obnoxious soon to be ex-husband who seems to think he’s entitled to a huge chunk of the profits from her books. Emily writes a cozy mystery series but has writer’s block because the love interest in her series was modeled on her ex-husband. Now that they’re on the outs, she can’t bear to write about his character anymore. When she finds a copy of Mari’s famous novel on a bookcase at the villa, she devours it in a sitting and then pairs it up with what she knows about the murder. What she sees inspires her to write a book that is entirely different from anything she has ever written before. I was cheering her on every step of the way, not just because I wanted to learn every little detail about what happened that fateful night in the 70s but also just because I wanted a win for Emily because she deserves one after all her ex puts her through.

The Villa is definitely what I would call a slow-burn thriller, but if you’re patient as you follow those two timelines slowly merging and putting the pieces of the murderous puzzle together, the payoff is well worth it.

4⭐
I listened on audio, and read some of the ebook. This one was a great mystery/Thriller, however, it did not catch me as Reckless Girls did. I still enjoyed the ride, and the narrator is wonderful.
I preferred the present day story of Em and Chess a little more than Mari's past story. I enjoyed how they two came together at the end, and I really enjoy Rachel's writing. She knows how to keep you drawn from start to finish. This was a short book. I listened to most of the audio in one day while cleaning. I cannot wait to see what comes next from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Hawkins takes us on a thrilling ride in her new read The Villa. After reading The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls last year, I was excited to pick this up!

Centred around the same location, a villa in Italy, this story has many parallels which I loved. In 1974, we find Mari, her boyfriend Pierce and stepsister Lara spending the summer with a famous musician. While in present day, Emily is invited to spend the summer with her best friend Chess at the same villa.

Despite the different timelines, they are all escaping from their current realities. There’s tension, lots of betrayal, lies and scandal (especially when rock stars are involved) which all eventually leads to murder. Each woman starts their summer at the villa living their sidekick existence but leave feeling empowered and powerful but how long does that good fortune last?

I found this really easy to read and had me hooked wanting to know how this was all going to end. Basically after reading a bunch of her books I’m a big fan since she writes my two favourite genres - thrillers + romances (as Erin Sterling) and can’t wait to see what comes next! -g

Many thanks to @stmartinspress + @netgalley for the e-book
ARC in exchange for our honest review. The Villa comes out tomorrow Jan 3rd, 2023!

What I liked:
▪️Parallel stories/dual timelines
▪️The setting
▪️Story within a story
▪️All the complicated relationships
▪️The ending felt perfect for the story

What I didn’t like:
▪️All the male characters were all unlikeable (but maybe that was the point?)

While this book didn’t suck me in until about 60%, I did enjoy it. It was a slow start, but once the pace picked up for me I devoured the rest of The Villa. I would recommend this to other readers.

This is my favorite Hawkins novel so far. Dual timeline mysteries are one of my favorite formats, and this one works quite well. As Emily and Chess vacation in an Italian villa, reconnecting and working on their individual projects, they also uncover what happened there fifty years before. A rock and roll scandal that left one man dead, one in prison, and resulted in artistic masterpieces from the two women involved. As Emily falls deeper into the novel and album that Mari and Lara produced in their time at the Villa, as well as in the diary Mari left behind, she comes to many revelations about herself and about her lifelong friendship with Chess, and solves a few mysteries of her own.

“She hadn’t thought that perhaps houses hold on to the bad with the good, just as people do.”

My first thought while reading this book was that it was reminiscent of the Netflix movie ‘The Weekend Away’: two friends get away together in a foreign country, one is responsible and going through a rough patch in marriage, the other is an unreliable free spirit with love problems. Something bad happens and the main protagonist (the responsible one) has to figure out what’s going on. (And a couple more things that would be spoilers)

One thing that made this book different than The Weekend Away is that the Italian (rather than Croatian) villa Emily and her friend, Chess, are staying in has a haunted past. Decades ago a high profile murder occurred in that very house.

The first line of the book is “Houses remember.”

It’s telling.

Emily is an unhappy author, tired of writing cozy mysteries with characters based on her life that’s currently falling apart, and finally, in Croatia, is inspired to write about what happened in the house all those years ago. Her discoveries reveal hidden secrets, both old and new, and the house may claim another victim.

The book goes back and forth between past and present.

Present: Emily and Chess navigate their complicated friendship as they each invest time in writing their own books, intrigued by the horrors of the past.

“How is it that someone can bring out the very best and the very worst of you all at once?”

Past: Writer Mari, her musician boyfriend Pierce, and musician stepsister Lara, are invited by famous musician Noel Gordon to his luxurious villa in Italy. A summer of music, sex, and drugs result in one murder and two artistic masterpieces.

The story goes: “A musician beaten to death by some lowlife, in an argument that got out of control because everyone involved was high out of their minds.”

But what really happened?

First, in case I’ve given you the wrong impression— this is not a paranormal book. The house is not its an active and haunting entity.

Second, I had a good deal of it figured out, mostly because I had just watched that movie (which is completely unrelated, btw).

Third, the ‘past’ timeline is light on music and heavy on the sex and drugs. There is also a lot of language.

Fourth, it’s possible it’s just my digital copy, but the flow was a little confusing at times with jumping back and forth, plus there are excerpts from the book Mari was writing during her timeline. So parts of it felt disjointed.

Fifth, the characters were largely unlikable. Maybe some like Mari, but she was kinda a home-wrecker and blind not to see that her boyfriend was a selfish douche. Chess is the wild friend trope that annoys me and gives me anxiety. Of all the characters Emily is the most likable, but she’s got her own issues too.

It’s one of those thrillers that’s mysterious because it’s dysfunctional.

Of all the things, the third thing holds the most weight for me. The first thing is a positive. The second thing lowers my rating a little bit but I liked that there was a ‘mystery’ in both timelines and I’m not sure if the ‘answers’ were obvious or if I just got lucky with my recent movie choice.— plus I liked the ending. The fourth and fifth things aren’t major problems in terms of mystery and suspense but takes down the ‘pleasure’ aspect of reading it.

Recommendation

This was a highly anticipated book for 2023. I have not read Hawkins before. I may read another one of hers. Her book The Wife Upstairs was nominated for best mystery/thriller in 2021. But if all of her books have 100 f-words, I won’t be reading any more.

This is one that’s hard for me to give a recommendation on.

I think there are people who will really like it, but there’s some content that will put others off. I guess if you’re on the fence about it, I would say to just skip it. There’s plenty of books to read out there, better not to waste your time if you’re not sure.

[Content Advisory: 100 f-words, 53 s-words, a couple c-words, implied sex, including a threesome]

**Received an ARC via NetGalley**

Emily and Chess were best friends growing up, but went their separate ways into adulthood. Now in their 30s, Chess invites Emily to stay in an Italian villa for the summer to rekindle their friendship. In 1974, famous rock star Neil Gordon stayed in the same villa with a group of people, but the summer ended tragically with a murder. Emily quickly becomes fascinated with the history of the villa and begins digging into the past. As she uncovers dark secrets from the past, she also discovers betrayals from the present. As the summer reaches an end, the history of the villa is dangerously close to repeating itself.

First off, I loved the setting of this book. I also love that the POV jumps back and forth between 1974 and present day, both at the villa. This book was a quick read, clocking in under 300 pages, which I always appreciate to help a book from feeling dragged out. I found both timelines to be equally interesting, but was left feeling like I wanted more from the ending.

The Villa is a story of four different women caught in a web of deceit by their significant others. Rachel Hawkins begins her novel in Orvieto, Italy in 1974 and alternates between the past and present. The theory that "Houses Remember" is demonstrated throughout the story of these four women whose only real connection is a mystery about a murder in 1974 in a beautiful Villa in Orvieto, Italy. Hawkins brilliantly weaves connections between the past and present as she lures the reader into dark, twisted secrets; suspicious loyalties; and deadly encounters. A must-read thriller!
#thankyouNETGALLEYfortheprivilegeofreadingthisARC!

Equally captivating dual timelines intertwine as The Villa progresses, showcasing Hawkins' masterful ability to create enthralling characters who take the concept of an unreliable narrator to ingenious new heights. Witty commentary on self-help and true crime blends seamlessly with eerie gothic elements in this inventive and thought-provoking tale that delves into the sinister side of artistic genius and the destructive effects of toxic relationships...Fans of suspenseful, eerie, and multi-layered thrillers will be enthralled by their suspenseful stay at The Villa.

This was my last read of 2022 and I certainly went out with a bang.

Knowing this had a play on the whole Mary Shelly/Percy Shelly/Lord Bryon and Claire Clairmont I was ready to dive in and see how the author would reimagine the story. Being a fan of Rachel Hawkins previous reimaginings I was ready to dive in.

I love that the author stayed close to the real names with her fictional ones; Mary/Mari, Percy/Pierce, Claire/Lara (I LOVE that Lara's full name was such a true play on Claire's!) and Noel GORDON/Lord George GORDON Byron and Johnnie/John Polidori. The setting of the Villa is not exactly the setting of the estate of the infamous night of writing where Mary Shelly creates Frankenstein but it did have that feeling of not being able to escape and that there is the setting for this story which is totally it's own regardless of what influenced it.

I read this as fast as I could while trying to preserve what I was getting on each and every page. I like how there are three stories woven into one take that presents us with the thriller that is The Villa. We have Emily with her broken marriage, her inability to write to her current deadline and her best friend Chess who's back in the picture with her self help books/empire. The names, THE NAMES in this book! I swear they are another character all together and I did spent some time looking them up to see what they meant. I mean, Emily means "rival" and Emily definitely is in all forms. And just the fact that Chess and Lara change their first names to match their last... it's all so freaking fracking meta and I loved it.

But back to the story.

Emily and Chess are headed to The Villa Aestas for a summer of bonding, relaxing and getting some writing done for both women. That the Villa is a "murder house" intrigues Emily who writes Cozy Mysteries and has a passion for research. Quick shout out to the author for mentioning Victoria Holt for Gothic Mysteries! But the Villa, as we learn in Mari's book Lilith Rising, Houses Remember and this house...if the walls could talk!

Emily can't let the feeling of the house go and starts to look up the murder in 1974. I like the two time lines that give us Mari telling the story of the 70's and how the foursome plus Johnnie spend their days. And Emily leading us through her reawakening with finding and reading Lilith Rising, her divorce journey and how her best friend fits into it all. There are so many layers to this story that I felt like I kept peeling and onion and my eyes would sting with the next secret revealed. I loved all the writing that went into both stories; the writing of stories, memoirs and music. Writing is definitely a central theme of this one.

Goodness, I don't think I have said anything important about this book but I'm afraid to say too much and spoil it. I just loved the mystery aspect and how we think we are given the actual ending only to have that last twist thrust upon us. Twists are good and this is full of them.

I guess what I want to say is that the book was amazing and I would love to read Lilith Rising plus the other stories mentioned and wish that Aestas was an actual album but I'll just go listen to my vinyl of Tapestry and Rumors to soothe my soul.

I enjoyed this one a lot, very well-developed characters and an intriguing story. I will say there’s not much excitement or tension as far as thrillers go but I was enjoying it enough that I didn’t really notice that until after. I really appreciated the themes about controlling your own narrative

Fast paced, told from multiple timelines that all come together at a villa in Italy. Emily and Chess have been friends for 20 years. Emily writes cozy mysteries and Chess writes self help and is an influencer. Emily is always comparing herself to Chess, to me their friendship seemed really toxic but that's probably the point. There is a story within a story with a murder occurring at the villa decades ago. Really well told and highly recommend if you're in the mood for a fast paced mystery/thriller.

Tag line: A dark story reminiscent of Daisy Jones & the Six, The Villa is sure to sweep you up into its pages.

Full review to come on FreshFiction.com.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this one!

THE VILLA review

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🍋I went into this book with mixed expectations. I’ve read both of Rachel’s other thrillers and loved one (The Wife Upstairs) and didn’t love the other (Reckless Girls). I walked away from this one with mixed feelings. The premise was very intriguing (a book within a book vibes), but I had a hard time getting invested in the story.

🍋Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Chess and Emily have been childhood besties, even though their friendship has strained as adults. When Chess invites Emily to spend the summer at an Italian Villa, it’s an offer Emily can’t refuse. The Villa is now the picture of luxury, but it was the site of a gruesome murder in 1974. As the summer unfolds, Emily can’t help but dig into the past and finds that what happened at the Villa in 1974 might be more twisted than anyone knew.

🍋This story was told with dual timelines, flipping between the present and summer of 1974. Tbh, I never really cared about the flashbacks. I didn’t care about the past or the characters from back then and found myself rushing through the flashbacks to get to the present storyline. Dual POVs/timelines can be hit or miss for me, and this time it was a miss. However, I was still caught off guard by the ending and honestly have some questions about it. I still don’t fully trust some of these characters even though I’ve finished the book.

I definitely enjoyed this one more than Hawkins two other works that I've read - The Reckless Girls and The Wife Upstairs. However, I think a common theme for me is that these thrillers just don't feel "thrilling". I enjoyed the dual timeline and thought that was executed really well. I also liked the Fleetwood Mac vibes, but honestly that's a theme that's been done quite a bit lately so I would have liked to see something a little more original. Otherwise, I think this was just a very intriguing book.

Review to come to Bookstagram in January 2023.

Rachel Hawkins writes great twisty books where you aren't really sure who to root for. I devoured The Wife Upstairs, a modern version of Jane Eyre. Her follow up, Reckless girls was dark and suspenseful, an interesting contrast to the idyllic island setting.

I enjoyed her latest book, The Villa, there are two timelines set at the same Villa in Italy, though decades apart. One timeline is set in the 70s and follows 19 year-old step sisters Lara and Marie. They spend the summer their with musicians (one famous, one aspiring) and their drug dealer.

The second timeline is set in the present and follows childhood best friends, who are now in their 30s, Chess and Emily. Emily is down in the dumps dealing with a painful divorce, recovering from an mystery illness, and unable to gather the energy to write the 10th novel of her cozy mystery series. Chess, a wildly successful influencer and self-help writer, invites Emily for a summer at a villa she has rented in Italy.

Emily reluctantly agrees, even though it's a murder villa. Technically just one murder, many years ago when sisters Lara and Marie stayed there.

The dual timeline, podcast episode and novel experts sprinkled in was an interesting format. I do wish there was a bit more character development in both timelines. All in all, Rachel Hawkins is an author I will continue to follow. I do hope they make this into an HBO limited series as that would be pretty meta..

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Marten's press for this ARC for my honest review.

The Villa is my favorite Hawkins book so far. “Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle--the birthplace of Frankenstein--The Villa welcomes you into its deadly legacy.”

Emily, an author in a rut, and her best friend, Chess, social media star turned best selling author, go to Italy to get away and rekindle their friendship. They’re staying a villa famous for being rented in the 70s by musicians and an author that went on to write a best selling horror novel after one of the musicians was murdered there. Emily stumbles upon clues leading her to believe the murder was more sinister than a rockstar party gone wrong. As tensions rise in the house between Emily and Chess in present day, you can’t shake the ominous feeling that something is going to happen again in that house.

I didn’t realize this book was inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and Percy and Mary Shelley prior to reading it (yeah- I didn’t read the blurb and pretty much went in blindly when I was sent the widget from the publisher). I felt the vibes throughout though and kind of love the book more now that I know the inspiration behind it. I liked the two timelines leading up to the twists in both the past and present. Not what I expected but in a good way. I can’t say much without spoilers but this is a great escape of a book.

I was fortunate to be sent an audio copy in addition to an e-galley so I was able to go back and forth between listening and reading on my kindle. The audio version had fantastic narrators, one of them being one of my favorites, Julia Whelan.

The Villa is available tomorrow 1.3.22!

Thanks @stmartinspress for sending this eARC and also @macmillan.audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Emily is not doing well, her husband left her and is now suing her for more than he is entitled to. Her career is stalling as she struggles to write her next book and an unknown illness keeps her in a constant state of worry. So when her best “frenemy” invites her for a summer at an Italian Villa to get away and focus on her writing, Emily can’t say no.
But Houses Remember, and this house remembers long buried and deadly secrets.
Secrets that Emily is determined to uncover.

This book kept me interested.
I love a dual timeline story and uncovering this mystery along with Em was really fun. The ending is so dark and twisted and perfectly full circle.

First read of 2023 and so happy about it. I absolutely loved the premise of this thriller! Two very parallel stories of women vacationing in a Villa for the summer in Italy- one in the 70’s and one present day. There’s so much to their stories to align, but at the same time so different. The present day guests are uncovering secrets of the past while attempting to work on their new books. The whole idea and how this book was written was wonderful!

A lot of reviews I’ve read on it so far have said it was a slow burn, and I wouldn’t personally have described it as such. It’s definitely not your typical thriller but I enjoyed that about it.

Bonus points: the setting totally felt like the villa portion of season 2 of White Lotus!