The Villa

Product Information

Young, star-crossed musical artists looking for inspiration and a getaway, rented an Italian villa. Those events took place in 1974. But the events and people’s energies already tainted the place. The VILLA is only place really knows what happened behind the closed doors: toxic relationships, lies, raising charm of insanity, pain of creativity, numbness of drugs! HOUSE REMEMBERS ! 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. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Even though this is set in Florence, Maugham’s fascination with the East makes its presence – but in very subdued terms. Even though this is set in Florence, it could have been set in any other place.

How did Matt’s desire for control over Emily manifest? Compare and contrast the ways in which the topic of having children or the loss of a child affected Emily and Matt, as well as Mari, Lara, and Pierce. 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. And enjoyed it I did. Maugham’s limpid prose, the relaxed pace combined with keeping the reader alert also presented an appealing story with an appealing protagonist and a riveting situation. A woman, still young and beautiful, has however made a mistake in the past. Without any bitterness but with a fair amount of wisdom and assurance, she is ready to face, with an admirable honesty to herself and to others, which way she wants her life to proceed. I listened to the audiobook, and Julia Whelan does a fantastic job with voicing Emily, and the other two narrators for Mari and the novel are wonderful as well. I was able to keep the narrators straight because their accents are different and their voices are unique.Roberts's characters are as fascinating as they are diverse, and the business-savvy women in the matriarchal Giambelli family are delightfully strong, ambitious, and determined. Roberts's keen sense of pacing pulls it all together, and, as a final bonus, she treats her readers to an intriguing insider's look at the ins and outs of the winemaking business. (Beth Amos) That should giving you an inkling of how interesting it was, the whole concept of the ultimate Feminist Horror novel. This feeling also reminded me of Daisy Jones because I would have sold my soul for a copy of their nonexistent album. A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy. This Villa really is the Jewel in the Crown. Baspinar is a lovely quaint village set high in the mountains above the village of Lapta village and is known for its breathtaking unobstructed panoramic views. The seclusion of the home and foreboding nature of the house itself seems to be having an effect on the women. They're snapping at each other, running hot and cold, are they just going stir-crazy, or is there something more eroding their relationship?

Chess is a very successful self-help author, who rents the villa in the hopes that her best friend, Emily, will join her there for the summer. I first saw this book in a Spanish bookshop and in translation. Some time ago I went on a stint and read most of the novellas set in South-East Asia by Somerset Maugham (1874-1965). Then the blurb said that the villa of the title was in hills around Florence. There was not only no doubt that I was purchasing it, but also that it was going straight up the pile of To-Read books.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own. Met veel vaart voert Ruth Kelly ons door dit verslavende verhaal. De korte hoofdstukken, de wisseling in perspectieven en de puzzelstukjes die steeds meer samen komen maken dat de Villa de ultieme thriller is waarin je als lezer maar 1 ding wil weten; wie heeft er wie vermoord?! In the 1970s, Villa Aestas was known as Villa Rosato. Here a famous singer Noel Gordon stayed with Pierce Sheldon, his girlfriend Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. After Pierce is murdered, Mary writes the greatest horror novel of all time and Lara will compose a platinum album that everybody has heard and most own. This book is told in two timelines. Mari went on to be the author of the feminist horror novel masterpiece, Lilith Rising. Mari was at the Villa that fateful summer when a murder took place. Emily is telling the present day. Both women have a connection in that they both spent time at the Villa, both are inspired by their time there, and both are dealing with issues with men in their lives.

One of my favorite aspects was watching Emily's character looking into the events of 1974; how those events intrigued her and gave her new focus.So, although the story drags a bit in the middle, the ending it totally worth it and made the slower parts worth the wait.

Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle––the birthplace of Frankenstein––The Villa welcomes you into its deadly legacy.…” (Publisher’s blurb) Ondanks de punten die ik hieronder nog zal noemen, is 'De villa' gewoon een mustread voor alle realityliefhebbers. Het voelt namelijk als lezer echt of je middenin een aflevering van Love Island beland bent - inclusief de tropische locatie, de ontmoeting van de dames, het delen van een bed met iemand van het andere geslacht en de herkoppelingen. Door de eenvoudige schrijfstijl en vooral de korte hoofdstukken van Ruth Kelly waan je je daar zelf ook. Terwijl heden en verleden elkaar afwisselen komen geheimen al snel naar de oppervlakte. En iedereen is verdacht in deze zomerse whodunit.

BookBrowse Review

So did the publisher get into a stash of expired quaaludes because that is the only way to explain how this is considered a thriller.