4⭐
Genre ~ psychological mystery
Setting ~ Tuscany
Publication date ~ July 26, 2024
Est Page Count ~ 334 (p+ 70 chapters)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 37 minutes
Narrator ~ Clare Corbett
POV ~ single 1st & multiple 3rd, present tense
Featuring ~ multiple timelines, alcohol dependency, functioning alcoholic, attempted assault on page, past on page domestic abuse, references to rape
My review:
Cerys is the owner of Villa Lucia. She is very dependent on alcohol and as the story is told in multiple timelines we’ll slowly learn why this is.
Lowery (sounds like Larry sometimes, so I’m just guessing of spelling) is Cerys’ young adult daughter that’s helping her out at the Villa.
Zoe, husband, Harry, and son, Charlie (19) are the guests.
Lucia and Lorenzo live nearby and help out at the Villa and have secrets from the past that they are not eager to get out.
Nick, Cerys’ controlling, abusive, ex-husband, pops in for an unwelcome visit.
And then one morning there’s a body in the pool. Who is it and how did they get there?
There are only a few possible suspects, but we’re given some good crumbs to think each has a reason for committing murder. More of a mystery and not a thriller, but that didn’t bother me at all. Gotta say that was a NICE twist for the why that I didn’t see coming. Overall, enjoyed it and I’m happy with who the floater was.
Narration notes:
Overall she did a fine job, but I think this would have benefited from multiple narrators.
Add to your never ending TBR ~ goodreads
I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve read it.
Book blurb:
A murdered guest. A villa full of secrets. One night that changes everything.
Recently divorced Cerys thought buying a luxury Tuscan villa would be the fresh start she so desperately needed. But a year later, she’s struggling to move on from the pain of her past. Determined to make Villa Lucia a success, she’s pinned all her hopes on this season’s guests. Until one of them is found murdered in the villa’s infinity pool.
Now, as the police descend on the property, the secrets of her guests begin to unravel, and Cerys is forced to confront her own demons. But can she uncover the truth about that fateful night before the paradise she’s built shatters around her?
Once you start reading, you won’t be able to stop until you’ve uncovered the shocking truth hidden within the walls of this seemingly perfect Tuscan villa. Fans of The Housemaid, T.M. Logan and Gone Girl will be utterly gripped by this addictive, twisty, psychological thriller from multimillion-copy bestselling author Simon McCleave.
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