The Villa: A captivating thriller about sisterhood and betrayal, with a jaw-dropping twist

Lived up to the hype

Really liked the writing style. Loved the book up until 3/4 of the way. The last bit was very anti climactic for me. The premise has enough meat to make a great book but the ending let it down.

This was the book I needed to read today. I just demolished the whole thing in one sitting. Start to finish. Could not put it down. I don’t even know how to tell anyone what happened in this book, or where to begin a critical review. So, I’m not going to. I’m just going to leave this here and tell you to run and read this book.

This book landed on my TBR list because it was the February pick for the Live, Laugh, Murder book club. I’d never heard of it, so I didn’t really have any expectations, which is always a good (if not always possible) way to begin a book. I ended up really enjoying it! It’s an easy read with a mix of gothic mystery, thriller tension, and nostalgic vibes that work together to create a unique and enjoyable read.I don’t know that I would classify this book as squarely in the thriller category, although it does revolve around a murder mystery. It also explores difficult relationships and the importance of art and creation as a method of autonomy, especially in women. I will be honest here and say that the relationship between Emily and Chess reminded me so much of an unhealthy relationship I had in my own life until I was in my mid-twenties - it was almost disconcerting. The frenemy dynamic is one that we all relate to (I think) but is rarely communicated about well. This book examined the love/hate relationship that often (but not always) accompanies our oldest friendships. I really enjoyed the author’s acknowledgements in which she promises that none of her real friends were the inspiration for Chess!I also loved the book’s implications on how the influence of art on others is often more powerful than the creation of art itself. It really made me stop and think about how strange it must be for artists/writers/musicians/etc to put their creations in the world only for them to take a whole identity of their own. They began as someone’s very personal, very intimate baby but then grew to have a fanbase who identify with the work in a whole new way. What does that mean for the artist and for the art itself?This book was an easy read and held my attention the entire time, but it never elicited a strong emotional response from me. It’s one that I will be happy to share with others but not request that the hardcopy be returned to me, as it doesn't warrant a rereading in my opinion. I am definitely looking forward to discussing it at book club this month!

I really enjoyed The Wife Upstairs and Reckless Girls so of course I had to add this. With blurbs about The Villa being a gothic suspense thriller (set at an Italian villa across two time periods) with sinister acts and long-buried secrets.. and that it is inspired by Percy & Mary Shelley’s infamous visit with Lord Byron at a castle, the Manson murders and Fleetwood Mac. Yes please!Author Emily Sheridan is behind writing her latest book in a cozy mystery series. She’s suffering from writers block due to ill health and (unfortunately) her series love interest is inspired by her soon to be ex-husband. Their divorce process has been h*** to say the least. Her childhood best friend Chess suggests they spend R+R at an Italian villa together to reconnect. Chess is an author too but they’ve drifted apart after Chess’s big success in writing self-help books. While there, Emily gets caught up investigating the mystery of an infamous 1974 murder that happened in that same villa. She also knows one of the girls (Mari) went on to write a bestselling horror novel, and the other girl (Lana) wrote/performed/released the greatest solo album of that era. How did they become so successful after living through something so gruesome?Traveling back to the 1974.. we have 19 year old Mari’s POV. Noel Gordon, a notorious rock star, invites Mari’s step-sister Lana to his Italian vacation villa, also taking along Mari and Mari’s musician boyfriend Pierce Sheldon (they’re also introduced to a surprise guest on arrival). Jumping at the opportunity to go, Mari imagines it as an artist retreat where they’ll all be creating together. Unfortunately.. it doesn’t turn out to be that.Don’t let the sunny vacation destination fool you. This turned into quite the chilling story giving me all the spine tingling sensations that something foreboding from the past was going to present itself.. again.. only now to Emily and Chess. There’s a lot playing out between the two friends with their loving and devoted, yet thorny, complicated relationship.. giving you an uneasy feeling. You know something bad is hanging there on the perimeter.. what it is and when it will happen kept me on the edge of my seat. I was completely engrossed in finding out. There’s much more to this story playing out in both timelines concerning misogyny, tangled web relationships, jealousy, and competition, all intermixed with media throughout the book. And what a shocker of an ending! This is one heck of an entertaining story within a story. Fascinating for sure!!! 4.5 stars — Pub. 1/3/23Much thanks to the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.