The Villa
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The Villa A Novel

From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set at an Italian villa with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware. As kids, 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 Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one 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 might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t 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 that 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 begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.
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Photo of Hannah Alexander
Hannah Alexander @reviews_a_latte
5 stars
Aug 1, 2024
Bold
Dark
Vivid
Clever
Honest
Layered
Intense
Exciting
Profound
Remarkable
Fast paced
Intelligent
Page turning
Unpredictable
Photo of Amelia Hruby
Amelia Hruby@ameliajo
5 stars
Jun 30, 2024
Intense
Thrilling
Surprising
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paola !@faeclubs
3 stars
Apr 13, 2024
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Keely Calagos@keelymorgan
3 stars
Jan 18, 2024
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Lauren@readwithlauren
4 stars
Jan 9, 2024
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Victoria @murphyvm
4 stars
Jan 9, 2024
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Kate W@katewoodson1
3.5 stars
Dec 24, 2023
This review contains a spoiler
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aj@emocatl0ver
3 stars
Sep 16, 2023
This review contains a spoiler
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Mae Erceg@maelikestoread
4 stars
Jul 22, 2023
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Kelci@kelticj
4 stars
Jul 3, 2023
Photo of Kerry Kalinoski
Kerry Kalinoski@busywithmybooks
3 stars
Jan 2, 2023
Simple
Photo of Cheri McElroy
Cheri McElroy@cherimac
4 stars
Dec 31, 2022
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Courtney Passio@nightc0urt
3 stars
Dec 19, 2022
Photo of Megan Leprich
Megan Leprich@rescues_and_reads
4.5 stars
Jun 29, 2022
Dark
Thrilling
Surprising
Photo of Jels
Jels@jels
3.5 stars
Oct 5, 2024
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kae @okae
4.5 stars
Jul 17, 2024
Ambitious
Paradoxical
Page turning
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Pia @pia04
3.5 stars
Jun 26, 2024
Photo of Noah Harris
Noah Harris @noahdarlene
3 stars
Jun 25, 2024
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Sarah Sammis@pussreboots
4 stars
Jun 19, 2024
Dark
Page turning
Photo of Aly Boughton
Aly Boughton@alysorrow
4.5 stars
Jun 16, 2024
Photo of Amanda Conn
Amanda Conn@abcreading
3 stars
May 30, 2024
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Somya Verma@somyaverma
2.5 stars
Mar 1, 2024
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Bianca@stylinfreak
3.5 stars
Feb 2, 2024
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Elli Barnette@ebarnette
4 stars
Jan 22, 2024