The Villa

Author: Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2023
Pages: 288
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: 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 Piece's girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing on 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's more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Piece's murder was 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.

Yet the closer Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge - and it beings to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.

Review: The Villa is my first book by this author, but I will read more. Every twist and every turn made sense and was relevant to moving the plot forward. 

The author brought in some clever or ironic details that weren't obvious at first, but well done. I like those subtle hints and foreshadowing. The ending was satisfying. This is a solid thriller.