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Learn moreBookseller recommendation
“Whew! Rachel Hawkins took me for a wild ride with this one. Chess and Emily are lifelong friends who happen to both be writers but are in very different places in life. They decide to go to Italy for the summer to work through some good old-fashioned writers block. However, the villa they are staying at is famous for a murder that took place in the 1970s that was chalked up to sex, drugs, and rocknroll. Hawkins seamlesly transitions between the present and that fateful summer in the 70s to create a rich and thrilling tale. Inspired by the Manson murders, Fleetwood Mac, and Mary Shelley, this is a thriller that shook me to my core with all the twists and turns that transpire. ”
— Anna • Underground Books
Bookseller recommendation
“I love it when I think an author has revealed all the juicy plot twists and I have figured out where the story is headed and solved the mystery, only to be surprised by more tantalizing twists and even more mysteries. Welcome to The Villa! Two lifelong friends, now both successful authors, head to Italy for a summer at a beautiful villa. As it turns out, the villa is famous for having been the scene of the murder of a young rock musician in 1974. Drawn into the story of that fateful summer, Emily begins to research. Clues she finds lead her on a path neither she nor her friend Chess expected for their summer, much as the group in 1974 did not expect the ending to their vacation. Unfolding in alternating chapters, the stories of the 1974 summer and this summer intertwine and twist in marvelously unexpected ways.”
— Nancy • Raven Book Store
Bookseller recommendation
“This gothic tale intertwines stories of stepsisters Lara and Mari in 1974 and best friends Chess (Jessica) and Emily in contemporary times. There are also news stories and podcast episode transcripts that tell the reader about the 1974 murder at the villa, excerpts from Mari’s blockbuster horror novel inspired by her summer at the villa, and (in the audiobook) music from Lara’s seminal folk-rock album also inspired by the summer. Chess and Emily are both writers, spending the summer at the infamous villa. Mystery writer Emily, searching for inspiration, digs deeper into the events of 1974. A sense of foreboding permeates the book from the beginning, which kept me on the edge of my seat. For those in the know, the summer of 1974 is a reimagining if the 1814 summer when Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Lord Byron held a ghost story contest, resulting in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. If you are a fan of Ruth Ware or Lucy Foley, you’ll like Rachel Hawkins.”
— Genevieve • A Great Good Place for Books
Bookseller recommendation
“I loved listening to this book- I liked how the use of different accents highlighted each character's personality, background, and how they interacted with the main characters. Plus, having the podcast episodes and interviews sprinkled throughout was a nice way to break up the narration. I enjoyed how even though there was a lot going on in each timeline (sex, drugs, rock & roll, paranoia, murder, etc.), the root of both stories were about women trying to harness their creativity and passion in spite of the men who were trying to use them, as well as how complicated life-long relationships can be and how the line between growing together and growing a part can be blurred by the biggest and smallest events. The story itself was a solid mystery, even though we knew who died at the Villa from the first few pages- there were a few twists that I guessed, but a few that caught me by surprise as well, and the ending definitely left me a little haunted by how history can be so easily rewritten.”
— Maggie • East City Bookshop
"Shiromi Arserio, Julia Whelan, and Kimberly Wetherell are the perfect trio to narrate this thriller about an Italian villa with a haunted past."- AudioFile
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.
Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle––the birthplace of Frankenstein––The Villa welcomes you into its deadly legacy.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.
Rachel Hawkins is the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, Reckless Girls, The Villa, and The Heiress, as well as multiple books for young readers. Her work has been translated into over a dozen languages. She studied gender and sexuality in Victorian literature at Auburn University and currently lives in Alabama.
Reviews
"Hawkins casts a sharp eye throughout to the way we construct stories about female artists—and the moral ambiguity inherent in creation and fame. The effect lingers like a shadow, or a creature, that endures past the final words. Hawkins manages to achieve the seemingly impossible: A Frankenstein-inspired novel that feels both fresh and unique." —Kirkus (starred review)
"Friendship and professional jealousy fuel this nail-biter...Intense characters complement the brisk plot, which shifts smoothly between the present and 1974. Hawkins consistently entertains." —Publishers Weekly
"This story’s finely honed interplay of creative ambition and haunting sadness makes it a step above. Hawkins pokes at the darker aspects of both true crime and self-help, and it works beautifully. Hawkins' star is definitely on the rise after two bestsellers, and this one will propel her further into the stratosphere." —Booklist, starred review
"In The Villa, Rachel Hawkins brilliantly stitches together past and present, deftly luring readers into a deliciously dark tale filled with twisted secrets, suspect loyalties, and deadly encounters. I tore through this haunting thrill ride at breakneck speed but hated to see it end. Everything about The Villa is pitch-perfect, again proving that Hawkins is the reigning queen of suspense." —Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest
"Cleverly-narrated via past and present timelines...The Villa teems with sexual tension, festering tempers, and questionable friendships. Hawkins' latest thriller reminds us that no matter what truths we think we've stumbled upon, writers cannot always be trusted—and certainly not the tales they tell." —Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary
"Rachel Hawkins DELIVERS with The Villa. Slick, twisty, and packed full of pop culture references spanning decades, this book is a perfectly delicious read. I devoured it as fast as I could and wanted to read it again immediately. Buy one for yourself and another for your best friend because you’ll want to talk about it for days." —Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author