The description of this book really drew me in. The narrator did it great job of the characters and brought them to life and the author’s writing and descriptions of the characters and scenery were really well written, with great dialogue. Overall it was an excellent story, I did feel the middle section was a little drawn out but the ending, which I did not see coming was really good. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early release of this book.

Thank you Netgalley, Dreamscape Media and Simon McCleave for the audio Arc of Last Night at Villa Lucia.
Narrated by Sally Corbett

This is a standalone psychological thriller set at a Tuscan Villa holiday home. Cerys is expecting visitors to her holiday home in a few hours but unfortunately there is a dead body in her infinity pool! After calling the police, the plot opens up from 3 POVs. Cerys, her daughter, Lowri and the Detective Inspector, Saachi who pieces together the mystery of the dead body.

I really enjoyed this book by Simon, my first read of his. The character building of the family and friends of Cerys and Saachi were detailed and intricate, building in the direction of the book as well as the plot itself. They also felt very real. Cerys has lots going on with her mental health, the coping strategies, the drinking and hiding it all from her teen daughter.

The plot line itself ticks along at a medium pace overall with some great twists and nice foreshadowing. So if you pay attention, you will probably figure out who the murderer is and if not, it will keep you guessing till near the end!

Last Night at Villa Lucia was narrated by Sally Corbett who has a great voice for this Mystery/Thriller. Her voice suits the pacing of the book and she put the right emphasis where needed.

4 stars

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I enjoyed this book mostly because I couldn't figure out who did it until the very end, and I loved the surprise ending as well.

So, I liked this one…and I didn’t…

We are at a beautiful Italian Villa. Cerys is there with her daughter, and she runs/owns the place. Her husband is no longer in the picture…

Lucia and her husband ‘work’ there…which I thought was odd, considering the name…

And then we have a slew of people coming and going, and staying at the villa.

I liked how there were multiple ‘layers’ of this story that opened up as you read. Starting with a very big “bang”… a dead body! 😮

I did not like how they kept going back in time. So, the chapter would open up with ‘one year ago, or three years ago’…but, at least in the audiobook, there was no note to say we were back to present day…so I was lost, several times…

A LOT of characters. A lot of backstory…sometimes hard to keep everything clear… And a lot of people just doing bad things… So, a lot of people to NOT like….

BUT, also some sweet moments too.
And the ending…😮😮😮

3 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me, rounded up to 4.

Thanks to #NetGalley, #DreamscapeSelect and #StormPublishing for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. (And I AM always honest!)

#LastNightAtVillaLucia by #SimonMcCleave and narrated nicely by #ClareCorbett.

****** This one releases in a few days on 7/26/24. *****

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If you love a classic murder mystery with unlikeable characters all set at an Italian Villa, this is your book!

I always love a good murder mystery as well as alternating timelines and multiple POVs. So I knew this was a book I wanted to read. And while I was drawn in by all these elements, I didn't love the book. I liked it, I just had a hard time getting pulled in. I didn't connect with the characters. Even with how unlikeable they all were, I didn't care enough about them. I don't think this is a book problem, I think it's a me problem. It just wasn't the book for me.

Last Night at Villa Lucia kept me hooked, the ending was a pleasant twist I did not see coming.

This story is about an alcoholic owner of Villa Lucia- a vacation spot in Tuscany, who is trying to forget her past and move on from her abusive ex husband. Her daughter Lowri is visiting with her which guests visit the Villa.
After a heated dinner amongst the guest- one ends up dead floating in the pool. As the story unraveled you think you have all the information, until you realize you don’t.

Very enjoyable audio book that I couldn’t stop listening to. 😊

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was a great thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. The story opens with a dead body floating in a pool. Told through multiple POV.

Just finished the audiobook of ‘Last Night in Villa Lucia’ and what a let down. The beginning was slow building and it did not pick up even at the end with the “big twist”. There were tons of questions left unanswered, details that didn’t make sense, and characters backstories that were included that didn’t matter at all.

My husband read this and gave it a four star….and he has questionable taste in books, so that makes sense.

Thanks NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5
Last Night at Villa Lucia is a murder mystery set in the idyllic Italian countryside. Cerys runs a bed and breakfast villa in Tuscany and is committed to having everything be perfect. Her daughter, Lowry, worries about her, knowing Cerys has her own silent struggles. A new family is coming to the villa this week, and Cerys can’t have anything go wrong. When a body is found floating in the pool, their fraught world is shattered.

This is a great audiobook for summer. The narrator is wonderful, keeping me invested in the story. The novel is full of secrets, toxic relationships, and devastating revelations. I’ve rated this 3.5 stars because I struggled with the many POVs and multiple timelines. There were a bit too many pieces to this puzzle which I found hard to keep up with. The characters are well written, with the men being despicable (they constantly gave me anxiety). This was an exciting story with a shocking ending which genuinely left me surprised. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the advance reader copy!

This is definitely the kind of book you can't stop listening to - each of the characters is so well-developed that you feel like you can completely envision them and their next steps. I loved the alternating POVs, giving you a glimpse into each character's motivations and decisions. This is definitely a well-written, suspenseful, enthralling story that I solidly recommend.

I devoured this one! I loved how we had imperfect characters (one with an Alcohol Use Disorder), toxic relationships, and a twisty murder to solve. This was a great popcorn mystery/thriller that is perfect for summer and a great read to get you out of a slump. This book features multiple POVs and timelines. This was my first book by this author that I’ve picked up but I will definitely be reading more by him in the future. I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Reader’s Copy from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
⚠️: Substance abuse, attempted assault, domestic abuse, references to rape.

Enjoyed! Good on audio! Felt some of it could have been edited down. Interested in checking out more by this author.

Last Night at Villa Lucia by Simon McCleve
Narrated wonderfully by Claire Corbett
8 hrs 37 min at 1.0 speed
5 hrs 45 mins at 1.5 speed

I MIGHT kill to live at the Villa Lucia in Tuscany!

The infinity pool, the surrounding Olive Orchards, and the vineyards of plump black Sangiovese grapes-it sounded like heaven on earth.

But, Cerys is just trying to keep her bed and breakfast/yoga retreat afloat and stay ahead of any potential bad reviews that can ruin her livelihood. And, to stay ahead of her dependence on alcohol which she is turning to earlier and earlier in the day, to get her through the stress-while hiding her drinking from her teenaged daughter, Lowri.

Today, Harry, the Director of A &R at Kismet Records will be arriving with his wife, Zoe and their teenaged son, Charlie, and he isn’t known for his patience. But, that will be the least of her concerns.

The book opens with a body floating face down in the infinity pool-

Breathe in for five seconds, hold for seven, and breathe out for eight-Cerys reminds herself…

The story is then told from multiple, alternating POV’s as Detective Saachi pieces together WHAT happened at the Villa and WHO is responsible for the MURDER.

I suspected just about EVERYONE at point or another which always makes reading a book like this fun-and the story is PLAUSIBLE as well as SURPRISING and SUSPENSEFUL-which is another PLUS for me.

No wonder this UK author who burst onto the scene in 2020, has become an Amazon bestselling author with over 2 million books sold. His DI Ruth Hunter Snowdonia series (19 as of today) is currently in development as a TV series to be filmed in North Wales where the author currently lives. He also has another successful five book crime series set on Anglesey.

This is a STANDALONE and, I am really excited to have discovered Simon McCleave’s work! I paired the Audible with a written copy and enjoyed both.

Although the book contains references to Sexual Assault, Domestic Abuse, and Alcoholism, nothing is graphic in description.

AVAILABLE July 26, 2024

Thank You to Storm Publishing for both the Kindle and Audiobook versions-provided through NetGalley and NetGalley shelf, respectively. These are my candid thoughts!

I received an early copy of this audio in exchange for my review. The narration was smooth and easy to listen to/understand.

This was my first time reading a book from this author and I was impressed with the development of the plot. I had recently read a very similar storyline to this book, and McCleave did a much better job with this one. The character development was in depth without being tedious and the twists were expected but with flair! I would recommend this as a solid thriller without being overly graphic.

Last Night at Villa Lucia is a thriller that takes place in Tuscany. Cerys, an alcoholic, buys a villa in Tuscany to turn into an AirB&B. She is recently divorced and trying to keep her mind off of it. Everything seems to be going okay until one of the guests at the villa turns up murdered in the pool. During the investigation, everyone’s secrets are coming to light. Cerys herself is forced to face her past. Who murdered the guest?

The book switches from the 1st person narrative of Cerys and the 3rd person narrative of the other characters.

I like how much detail and thought the author put into the characters and their “issues.” It makes them more realistic and human-like, which makes them relatable in ways. I really enjoyed this book. It does read more of a mystery than a thriller, but it was still very good.

I have received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for a review. This has not influenced my review in any way.

This was a pretty good, twisty thriller. It took me a while to get invested in the story, and I thought it lagged a little a times, but overall it was entertaining. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm in the minority on this one. I thought it started great, but went downhill very quickly. I was pretty bored and didn't even care what happened by the end. I will give kudos for the final few sentences, but that doesn't make up for the slog to get to it.
Thanks for the ARC, sorry this one didn't work

This story took me a little bit to get into, but once I did, I flew through the rest.

It starts with a body being found, then goes back in time to two days before so we can meet the characters.

I enjoyed this book and will look for more from this author!

Thanks so much to Storm Publishing and Dreamscape Select for my ARC/ALC.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Clare Corbett does a fantastic job narrating this one with many narrators! I do recommend the audiobook if that is of interest.

In Tuscany, Cerys and her daughter, Lowri, own a villa that they manage and rent out. The guests, Zoe and Harry, and their son Charlie, arrive and fairly quickly, Harry is murdered. (Not a spoiler, happens in the first 20% of the book. As the Italian detective begins to investigate, the rest of the story is pieced together as to what happened that night.

Despite a slow start and a slower pacing than I like, this ramped up into a satisfying mystery that is a bit harder to figure out who the murderer is. There are definitely twists and suspense along the way. All of the characters have flaws, like Cerys’s alcoholism and the dysfunctional marriages, which add to the character depth. The ending of the book ties everything up nicely! Of course, you cannot beat the Italian setting.

All in all, I did enjoy this and recommend it!

Wow that ending. We gals really need to look out for one another and stick together. The narration was absolutely wonderful.
I was annoyed with all the drinking, although I loved the parts where they tried to be sober. I was proud of them then. Mostly I didn't love the characters but I hated our murder victim so that was fun.