The Villa

Bookseller 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 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

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 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