The Villa by Rachel Hawkins (My Very First ARC!)

 



First off, thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this before it hits shelves early next year (01/03/2023).  I'll admit that The Wife Upstairs has been on my TBR for ages and I have yet to read it.  When this one popped up though, I immediately requested the ARC.  Look at the gorgeous cover!  

My rating: 3.5/5 ⭐ 

Two women, both authors, have been best friends forever but aren't quite as close as they once were.  One is a complete success and the other is having a rough time (divorce, health problems, etc.).  In an attempt to rekindle their relationship and work on their respective projects, they take a summer trip to Italy.  Where do they stay?  Only a villa where, in the 1970s, a murder involving a group of famous artist-types took place.  

This book explores the relationship of Emily and Chess in the present and dives into the mystery of the past.  Renowned author Mari and her stepsister, famous singer-songwriter Lara, leave behind clues in their published works as to what went on in that fateful summer of 1974.  In researching the history of the Villa, connections are made and secrets are uncovered. 

The story was comprised of two different timelines, interspersed with some fictional news articles, literature, song lyrics, podcasts, etc.  The configuration was a little "choppy" and all-over-the-place, making it hard to follow and instead of getting "lost in the story" I found myself just...getting a bit lost.

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