Emily is going to spend the summer in Italy with her friend Chess at the Villa Aestas. Before it was known as the Villa Aestas, it was the Villa Rosato. During its days as the Villa Rosato, a rock star named Noel Gordon stayed there with up-and-coming musician Pierce Sheldon, Pierce's girlfriend Mari, Mari's stepsister Lara, and Noel's friend Johnnie. When the four of them were staying there, things so terrible occured that Mari wrote the most popular selling horror novel of all time, Lara wrote a platinum album leading to the renaming of the villa and Pierce ended up being murdered.

Emily begins to suspect there's more behind the murder than was originally reported, so she starts doing some research. As Emily begins to dig into the past of the Villa Rosato, things become tense between her and Chess. Soon secrets from Emily and Chess' past come out. Will someone become victim of the villa this summer?

The Villa is a thriller that's told in alternating timelines of the present, told through Emily, and the past, told through Mari. We also learn pieces of information from song lyrics, magazine excerpts, excerpts of the book written by Mari, and talk show transcripts. It took a little while for me to get into the storyline of Mari, but once I did I actually began to like her story more than Emily's. I thought Emily's story was interesting at first, but then it became too predictable. I was hoping for a much darker story, especially with such a compelling opening line, but for me this book was just OK. There wasn't any huge plot twist, no big wow moment for me. The Villa is a really fast read, so it's definitely worth a read if you are a thriller lover.

I DNF'D this at 30%

I don't like the back and forth between timelines. I don't care about any of the characters within either timeline. Though Chess seems interesting, she's not interesting enough to carry the story.

This was a super intriguing plot - I love that it was inspired by true stories (Manson Murders, Fleetwood Mac, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein birthplace). I also enjoyed the multiple times and strong themes of female friendships. I did feel that the ending wasn't thought out well and felt rushed. In my opinion, it could have been better written,

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Hawkins does it again. I LOVED The Wife Upstairs, but did not care for Reckless Girls. I went into this book cautiously optimistic and I'm so glad I gave her another chance because I devoured this one. it was so good. The multiple points of view were great, the tensions between Chess and Emily felt like it was built jump and paced perfectly and I loved learning the back story of Mary and crew. I pretty much guessed the tie in with Matt and Chess, but it was still a satisfying ending! It was binge worthy and I loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a review!
This is my first Rachel Hawkins book, and it was not what I was expecting! I did really enjoy it. I love novels with multiple POVs and this one uses a few different ones; a current day narrator, a narrator from the past, and some snippets from a novel and music that are all tied together by the same house. I liked reading the progression between the characters in both periods of time. The past POV was very reminiscent for me of Daisy Jones and the Six, but less romantic, and the current day one was also interesting the way Hawkins wrote these two characters who are navigating what its like to have a "best" friend for that long: the complicated history and the uncomfortable present. However, each POV had a moment near the end that I just didn't really buy. One of them I think is just trying hard to be like one specific author's popular thriller, but I dont want to give that away and spoil things. I do think it's worth the read, just not the best thriller I've ever read.

This was a FUN read/listen! Someone described it as Verity meets Daisy Jones and Six and I couldn't agree more. The Italian villa setting added to the mood of the book which at times was sunny and inviting, but could quickly turn dark and mysterious. The alternating timelines, plus the addition of the podcast script and the novel excerpts, made this fast-paced and exciting. I had to pause the audio often to grasp what was happening and to think about how everything was connected before moving on to read and learn even more. I loved The Wife Upstairs, but didn't enjoy Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins. She definitely redeemed herself with this mystery thriller and once again, I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Life has taken Chess and Emily, childhood best friends, down different paths, but now in their 30's, they have decided to reconnect during a summer girls trip to Italy. They stay in Villa Aestas, the home where a murder too place in 1974. Emily is a cozy mystery author who is stuck in a rut, but as she digs into the history of the villa, she finally becomes excited about writing again. Chess, a nonfiction author and social media influencer, finds herself interested in the mystery even though Emily would like to keep the project to herself. As Emily gets closer to the truth about the murder that happened during the summer of 1974, tension grows between the two friends. Betrayals from both past and present come to light and it looks like another murder may take place in the villa because "houses remember".

I don't know if it's possible, but this felt like a fast-paced, slow-burn thriller. It was a quick read/listen (under 300 pages and less than 8 hours) and kept me entertained from start to finish. The narration of the audio was amazing! Thanks NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for the advanced digital and audio copies of The Villa!

Not a favorite of mine.
The duo time lines were easy to follow the story from then to now. Didn't find myself loving any of the characters really. More into the now time line than earlier but knowing why both had to be included.
Well written and great cover.

Thanks to the author,the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

Told through alternating viewpoints of Mari in the 1970’s and Emily in the present tense, The Villa is a smartly interwoven tale of complicated relationships and murder. Both narrators are managing interpersonal trauma, both escape to Italy, and both use their writing to carve a therapeutic path through their struggles. I would say this is less of a gothic thriller and more of a psychological suspense narrative. The Villa, while beautiful and captivating, functions less as an impetus for action and more as a link between these two time periods. Rachel Hawkins handles the time and perspective shifts deftly and the ties between Mari and Emily are expertly knotted

Two timelines of women staying in an Italian villa while dealing with different forms of grief and looking for a surge of creativity to help them write their books. I could really see the Mary Shelley influences here - the 1970s timeline is essentially Shelley’s story the summer she wrote Frankenstein except with a murder thrown in 🔪 This book didn’t feel so much like a thriller or mystery to me. Yes, I wanted to know exactly what happened in the 1970s timeline - which is often the focus of the present-day timeline - but I didn’t feel it was all that mysterious. That wasn’t a problem at all for me, because I found both timelines compelling on their own. I really enjoyed this one!

This book is about 2 lifelong best friends - both authors who stay in a Villa in Italy for the summer to reconnect their friendship. Not just any Villa though - it was a "murder house" back in the 70's. The book is also a "book within a book". I did find myself enjoying Emma and Chess' story more than I did the flashbacks to the story from the 70's. I think that Emma was my favorite character - Chess was a bit hard to like.
Overall this was a good book even though it was somewhat predictable. It is worth your time reading, but not a book I would consider remarkable or unforgettable. This will be my 3rd book by this author - I do think that she is a talented writer. Whoever designs the covers for her books does an amazing job - they are always so beautiful and eye catching.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's for letting me review this book!

Its well written, there is no doubt that Hawkins is a talented writer for sure. The dual timelines are easy to follow and the characters well developed. My issue is that the story didn't hold my attention. I skimmed a lot. It isn't the taught thriller I thought the blurb was going to deliver.

Overall its a great concept, good writing but I found it a little underwhelming.

A creepy dual time line tale that moves between 1974, when there was a murder at the Villa Aestas, and the present when Emily and her childhood BFF Jessica are spending the summer there hoping they can both finish their books. Emily writes cozies, she's recently separated from her husband Matt, and she's been struggling with her health even as Jessie who writes self help has turned into a worldwide brand. Em is fascinated with the murder at the Villa- the summer that Mari turned into a best selling horror novel. Mari was 19 and struggling as well with death of her baby, her relationship with her partner, and a bit of jealously of her step sister Lara. There's a sex, alcohol, and rock and roll aspect to the 1974 strand while the present day is focused largely on the relationship between Em and Jessica. I wasn't sure how the two time lines would merge and to be honest they feel like two different books (well, three since there are some excerpts from Mari's novel) with some plot points from the 1974 period completely irrelevant to the present (but which ones?). I felt for Em, could visualize Jessica (there's a terrific comment about Jessica's linen clothes never wrinkling). Mari, on the other hand, was intriguing but unfinished. There's a surprise and a twist or two so no spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A page turner.

I wasn't sure when I downloaded The Villa that this would really be something I would enjoy because 1) I usually don't care much about musicians and 2) the write up made it seem a bit gruesome/horrow which is a genre I stay away from. However I know the author and I enjoyed Reckless Girls so I decided to give it a go. I have to say I found the story captivating from start to finish and I was never bored, It is told in a dual timeline and I just wanted to know how both storylines would end.
In the present the story revolves around Emily, a writer of cozy mysteries who, reeling from a recent separation and a mysterious illness, accepts an invitation from Chess, an old friend and herself a very successful writer of self-help books and a bit of a guru, to spend the whole summer at a villa near Orvieto in the Italian countryside. Villa Rosata, also known as Villa Aestes, has been the scene of a murder in the 70s, when a couple of musicians, Pearce Sheldon and Noel Gordon, were looking for inspiration there along with their muses, stepsisters Mari and Lara. That summer Mari goes on to write an acclaimed horror novel while Lara, whose music talent is disregarded by the men in the group, ends up composing an enduring masterpiece, Aestes (summer in latin), that becomes the Villa monicker.
As Emily's interest in what really happened at the villa during that faithful summer grows to the point of becoming the subject of her new book, that she starts to write with renewed gusto, her relationship with Chess starts to deteriorate. Did Chess really only want to help her friend out by inviting her to spend the summer or did she have another motive? And why Matt, her soon to be ex husband seems to know more than he should about her new book? But while I thought I knew where the story was going the ending really surprised me (which is also a plus).
I thought the author handled the two storylines really well and I wanted to find out how both would end. While I didn't find the murder itself all that interesting (maybe it was intentional) Mari's story gave me strong Mary Shelley writing Frankenstein vibes and it is a bit gothic and feminist. All in all a mystery that feels a bit different from all the others out there and that will quench the thirst for some Italian vacation with murder mystery a la The While Lotus.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. I enjoyed the characters and the story, but I just wanted it to be more in the end. It was a quick read, and I would probably recommend it to someone who hasn’t read a lot of thrillers; however, I found it mostly predictable.

I found this to be a pretty quick read. The past and present timelines kept me engaged in the story. I did sometimes get confused with the changing POVs and interludes but for the most part it worked for me.

This one has a few twists and turns that keep you guessing and I really liked the end. It's a slow burn thriller about toxic relationships and trying to carve your own path in the world. Plenty of mystery and intrigue as well as a parallel dynamic between the two timelines.

There are different timelines in this story but it is easy to follow. I loved the 70s vibe & mystery, but I preferred the present day story of 2 friends. The twist from the present story was unexpected which is my absolute favorite in any thriller!

The Villa is told from two points of view in alternating timelines: Emily, a writer who’s been a little down on her luck in the present day, and Mari, a successful horror writer who experienced a tragedy in the 70s. Of course, their stories eventually intertwine.

I felt like I was continually waiting for the story to get rolling, but it never got the momentum I was hoping for. It felt a little too similar to Home Before Dark for me. I enjoyed the book overall, but the tone was actually darker than I expected, even given the subject matter. I never got into Mari’s point of view, so those parts of the book dragged for me a bit.

The Villa is Hawkins next novel, and in my opinion one of my favorite so far. Hawkins has an amazing talent when it comes to taking a story and bringing it to life. She has this unique skill when it comes to taking a near if not all the way gothic style story and making it current.

For The Villa the gothic style of old is layered in with the present when two best friends take a summer respite in Italy. Emily and Chess have been friends for as long as the both of them can remember. Chess is a near infamous self help writer and Emily writes cozy mysteries. However, Emily is nowhere near the fame quota of Chess especially since Emily's soon to be ex-husband is demanding royalties and near taking every penny from Emily's earnings for her cozy mystery series.

After ages of not hearing or seeing Chess, a brief get together at a cafe leaves Chess inspired to offer the impossible. To Emily it would seem insane, but this is after all Chess, and Chess is known for the extreme. When Chess offers and all expense paid summer respite at an Italian Villa, Emily cannot say no. She knows that the change of scenery can inspire her writing and if anything she needs the get away.

As Emily delves deeper into the history of the Villa they will be visiting, she comes to discover that the Villa is a murder house. This is where things get interesting. When it comes to Hawkins and the murder house bit included I was all for it. Hawkins portrays the murders in a near Charles Manson style but of course it all is in her own style and twist.

Trust me this is not another take on the Manson cult. It is it is own unique story within a story within a story. Not only do the readers get the deep friendship of Emily and Chess but they also get the almost Victorian horror of 'Lilith Rising' and the 70's sex, drugs, and rock and roll of the time when the Villa was home to a murder. Houses Remember. Never forget that because dear reader the theme sticks through and through the Villa.

While the Villa weaves and twines through the 70's to introduce us to Mari, Lara, Pierce, Noel, and Johnnie a rag tag group of musicians and writers. In true 70's fashion this is where things go a la Manson with sex, drugs, and the near worship of rock stars. There is the rampant presence of envy, hatred, betrayal, and lust but most of all within this core part of the book there is passion. Still, this passion is not what it seems and a Murder is not all that it is made out to be. Houses remember but people lie. People tell tales that put them in the better light. Mari's experiences at the Villa leave her obsessively passionate in her creation of 'Lilith Rising.' The Villa seems to speak to those that are within its walls and the inspiration of the Villa travels in time later to Chess and Emily.

In true Hawkins fashion there seems to be the question of what is the friendship between females. Hawkins seems to acknowledge between Chess and Emily that a friendship through so many years can grow within love and within hate. Secrets come to light in the walls of the Villa and some left me questioning the honesty of who was telling the true story. Much like Mari's revelation of the 'truth' behind the murder in the summer of 1974 , the Villa left me questioning the honest nature of Chess. In the end it seems that Emily begins that she and Chess share a bond that is everlasting and will never end... no matter how much Emily may not wish that to be the case...

The Villa is most certainly a recommended read for next year. Hawkin's writings always are those I look forward to as her take on ideas and stories of the past are so unique and fascinating. She is one I will always recommend to others and the Villa did not disappoint. Until next time, Happy Reading as we venture closer to the new year!

It was fine. Not great but not terrible. I wish it were better, there was definitely potential but I was bored. Also where was the plot twist? Not even a little unpredictable. I wasn’t very interested in the 70s timeline, wish the characters were a little more interesting.