The Book:
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Published January 3, 2023 by St. Martin’s Press
Date read: November 14, 2022
The Characters:
Emily
Chess
Buy it on Bookshop.org | Amazon
The Plot (from Goodreads):
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.
The Reveal:
I forgot to write spoilers for The Villa, but you’re in luck–Jen Ryland has a great writeup over at Jen Ryland Reviews. Read it here!
The Review:
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for this gifted copy and to @macmillan.audio for the ALC!
Rachel Hawkins is the queen of classic retellings, and The Villa is no exception. I always enjoy her retellings, even though more often than not I haven’t read the original. I also love a Julia Whelan narration!
I loved the haunted house vibes of The Villa. In both the past and present timelines, the characters are vacationing in the same isolated resort that has a storied past. I preferred the past timeline, as I found Chess and Emily to be somewhat boring. There was more drama amongst the group in the 70s, which made it a more interesting read.
The author/writing aspect was particularly fun to read.
Rachel Hawkins continues to be one of my go-to authors for a quick, easy popcorn thriller. I’ve liked each of her books more than the last, so I’m excited to see what she comes up with next!
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