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.

4 stars.*

I came across this on the NetGalley audiobooks shelf and thought it looked intriguing, even if just as a summer read. It was surprisingly good!

This is the first title I've read by Simon McCleave. Last Night at Villa Lucia tells the story of a recently divorced woman (Cerys) who runs her Tuscan Villa as an AirBnB. Her young adult daughter, Lowery (which bizarrely sounds like Larry most of the time the narrator, Clare Corbett, says her name) helps her with the business and becomes wrapped up in the drama. Guests Zoe, Henry and their young adult son Charlie arrive and their family drama spills over to Cerys and Lowery.

I liked the writing and the way that both womens' backstories made it clear why they might cover for one another. The connection of the kids was logical and even the detective was intriguing.

I'll look for more by Simon McCleave.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for this honest review.

"Last Night at Villa Lucia" by Simon McCleave is a thrilling and suspenseful novel that will keep you captivated from beginning to end. The story follows recently divorced Cerys, who hopes to find a fresh start by buying a luxury Tuscan villa. However, her dreams are shattered when one of her guests is found murdered in the villa's infinity pool.
McCleave expertly weaves a tale of mystery and intrigue, as the police investigation unravels the secrets of Villa Lucia's guests. The setting is beautifully described, with the luxurious Tuscan villa providing a stunning backdrop to the unfolding drama.
The plot is filled with unexpected twists and turns, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as Cerys tries to uncover the truth about the fateful night. McCleave's writing is sharp and engaging, creating a vivid and immersive reading experience.

This is the second book I’ve read recently where the key plot point is a dead body found floating in the pool at a rural luxury villa in Europe! Although these two books turned out to be quite different, the evocative settings and unusual murders made for thrilling stories. Here, Cerys, a transplanted Brit, runs a luxe vacation rental in her Tuscan villa. The day after Londoners Harry and Zoe arrive for a holiday with their son, Harry is discovered in the pool. The events of the days that follow (along with some flashbacks from Cerys’ former life in London), are told in chapters that alternate between the main characters. Slowly, we learn more about what really happened on the night in question—who lied, who withheld information, and who really murdered Harry. I loved the twists and turns of this fast paced and very entertaining audiobook. This is the perfect novel if you are looking for a summer escape! Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to share my honest opinion about this book in exchange for a review copy.

I really enjoyed this book.
The narrator was great, loved her accents and change of voice, she did it so well.

The storyline had me interested from the start. I couldn't guess where the book was going and who the killer was. There was so many suspects, it could have been anyone!

I did guess there was going to be a twist towards the end but didn't know who the twist was going to be about.

I really enjoyed this read! Thank you for this ARC.
3.5 Stars

For the most part I enjoyed this book. It was a little slow, but it kept my interest. Nothing particularly notable stood out to me, but I did think it was smart writing, and I liked the narrator of the audiobook.

3.75/5
I enjoyed this book but the ending left me wanting a little more!
The book did remind me of a mix between Agatha Christie and The White Lotus!
I would recommend as a good thriller to read on the beach.

An escapist novel set at a villa in Tuscany where a nasty man gets what he deserves (ie death). But who did it? There are several red herrings and even more people that wanted him dead. There are also story lines about alcoholism, spousal abuse, and predatory behavior. 3.5 rounded up for entertainment value as a summer beach read.
Thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of the audiobook for review purposes.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Last Night at Villa Lucia by Simon McCleave in exchange for an honest review. This was a fun twisty, turny book full of surprises and shared pain. It could have easily followed the same cliche storyline, but instead had plot twists that kept the reader guessing until the end.

I really enjoyed this mystery thriller. The characters were easy to like and this was written very well

I recently had the chance to read an advanced copy of "Last Night at Villa Lucia" by Simon McCleave, thanks to NetGalley. The book presents an intriguing mystery centered around a dead man found in a pool, leaving me with numerous questions as the story unfolded. Initially, I found it challenging to keep track of the characters, but by the midway point, the book really hit its stride.

I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns that McCleave skillfully wove into the narrative. This was my first experience reading his work, and it grew my interest in other book by McCleave.

Great story/thriller. Great nod to found family with some justice mixed in. The love and power of finding oneself and taking back your life-in a “unusual” way.