Years later, cozy mystery writer Emily and self-help author Chess rent that villa for a writing retreat and a friendship catchup. The Villa raised interesting ideas about women’s creative work and marketing that work (sexy lady writes an album, pretty lady writes self-help, etc.), it was thoughtful and I think I wanted to explore that further. There was also some suspense, as Emily investigates Mari’s timeline and what really happened in the Villa then. There’s also another tragedy in this Villa in Emily and Chess’ time, but, again, I didn’t really care about this death, because, again, unrelenting jerk. Hawkins weaves an engrossing tale about betrayal, sisterhood, and the power of telling your own story. Captivating!" –– People

Personally, I could have gone a bit darker in that time period, but I understand the choices made by the author. It didn't need to get super dark to be effective and it kept it more evenly-balanced between the two time periods. In the present, Villa Rosato is now known as Villa Aestas, a luxurious holiday retreat, in spite of the fact that it's a murder house. For best friends, writers, Emily and Chess, it's the perfect spot for them to go and reconnect. Emily, a cozy mystery writer, who has been ill and dealing with her soon to be ex-husband's greedy demands, needs the time away. Chess is a famous author of self-help books. They both will use their time at the Villa to reconnect, write and get their creative juices flowing. Emily is inspired to learn more about the Villa, it's murderous past and history. While at the Villa, Emily, and Chess, are having issues/tension/strain in their relationship. Secrets are about to come out not only about the Villa but about the women's lives.

She’s sitting on the floor in the photo, wearing a white shirt and jeans, her feet bare, her toenails painted a bright melon, pose casual and smile bright under the title You Got This! Emily and Chess were inseparable friends till Emily gets married with Matt, becoming popular with her YA cozy mysteries and Chess moved to the big city, being social butterfly and finally making her big turn by becoming self help guru with her bestselling nonfictions! Things didn’t go well for Emily as expected. She is dealing with overwhelming divorce case: her husband demands royalties from her novels because he thinks she couldn’t write them without his support! She struggled with an unknown disease for a long time that made her dizzy and dysfunctional!

Though Mari and Lara were initially expected to be nothing more than Noel’s and Pierce’s muses and companions, they were the ones to create groundbreaking art that summer. In defying expectations, what did they prove, who did they prove it to, and should they have had to prove anything at all? Do women today still have to “prove” themselves in certain spaces? I think it’s safe to say Rachel Hawkins is now one of my go-to authors. I can’t wait to see what else she has in store. This suspenseful drama has dual timelines and dual perspectives. I would not classify this as a thriller. There are several good twists and the pacing is consistent, if a tad on the slower side, which might not be for every reader but worked for this reader here. With Chess, that can mean pretty much anything. She might be thinking of marrying a stranger or it could just mean she’s thinking about reintroducing carbs to her diet. Hard to say. Born in Virginia and raised in Alabama, Rachel Hawkins has been writing since Kindergarten when her first book, a tense thriller involving a unicorn, a witch, and a princess, was called, “very imaginative!” by her teacher and “a searing work of genius” by her mother.

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Oh yeah, I was very vital to your process, hanging out here in North Carolina,” I joke, but she shakes her head. The modern-day timeline started a bit slow, but by the end of the book I was fully invested in these characters and loved the way they unraveled the mystery of the earlier timeline. Although, nothing is as it first appears, so hang on, the ending for both timelines is the best part of the book. First, in case I’ve given you the wrong impression— this is not a paranormal book. The house is not its an active and haunting entity. Heads turn when she enters, but I can’t tell if that’s because people recognize her or if it’s just her—that energy, that glow.

It's not often that I rate a suspense or thriller novel five stars, but after devouring The Villa in three days, I can think of no reason to rate it any lower. It’s a riveting read. Complex and multilayered. I loved the structure of the book and the story within a story set in 1974 and narrated by an English chacrater. My only gripe is of course that it was written in US English with people running "toward" instead of "towards" and being angry "at instead of angry "with" which jarred a bit - however this was the only flaw in this fabulous diamond. That lasted until halfway through college. Sometime between her third and fourth change of major, she became simply, "Jay," holding on to that moniker until ten years ago, right after we both turned twenty-five and she'd finally broken up with that asshole, Lyle. That's when Chess was born. The 1974-timeline was giving me heavy Daisy Jones & the Six energy and I wasn't mad about it. It was interesting, with great characters and well-structured reveals. Past: Writer Mari, her musician boyfriend Pierce, and musician stepsister Lara, are invited by famous musician Noel Gordon to his luxurious villa in Italy. A summer of music, sex, and drugs result in one murder and two artistic masterpieces.This novel alternates between time lines and perspectives, and includes articles, podcast transcripts, song lyrics, and book excerpts. How did the structure of the novel affect your reading experience and/or help to build suspense?