I can say with all honesty that The Villa was an atmospheric journey from start to finish. A journey to the Italian countryside in a gorgeous Villa should have brought a sense of peace and relaxation to our main characters. Instead, it brought forward secret desires and dread. On one hand, we have our characters of the past, an experienced rocker, an aspiring rockstar, the pushed aside friend, and two sisters, all of whom are hoping to find the answer to what comes next in their life. In the present, we have two old friends who are trying to navigate the changes within their own lives. It was fascinating to watch as the past and the present intertwined with and inside the Villa and postulate where the suspense would end up.
The buildup of suspense and tension was steady throughout the entire book. While it was wonderful to see and feel the atmosphere build, it was relatively slower moving for the plot on a whole. This sluggishness of the plot allowed for there to be a stronger focus on pieces of the puzzle and other clues that would be connected eventually. It was slow enough for the plot to breathe, but not so slow that I lost interest. In fact, my interest was not pushed forward by the actual plot but rather by my intense need to figure out the mystery, which definitely says something about the intrigue of this novel. I managed to ignore most other responsibilities in the name of being wrapped up in a story.
This was definitely not the most thrilling of thrillers. While it was interesting, there was never a moment that made my heart stop. I appreciated the twists and the slow burn of the mystery, but there was never a peak of tension for me where I was stressed about what was coming next.
This book is great for anyone who is looking for an easy read thriller. Make sure to check for trigger warnings as well, there are some intense subjects involved in the storyline. ⅘ stars
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
The Novel Llama 