The Villa

Another in the all-too-common dual timeline stories being published these days. In the present, we have Emily, the author of a series of cozy mysteries, in a writing slump partially brought on by a mysterious illness and exacerbated by a contentious divorce with a greedy soon-to-be ex and her bestie Chess, a social media influencer and author/speaker of self-help non-fiction books that have propelled her to the top tier of authors. Chess proposes Emily join her for the summer in Italy at a luxurious Villa in Orvieto and Emily accepts.

While exploring the house (which is much less creepy than you'd expect in a book marketed as a gothic thriller), Emily discovers clues about the second timeline – 1974- and the summer when Mari, her step-sister Lara and her married lover/musician Pierce spent time at the same villa at the invitation of famous rock-and-roller Noel and his hanger-on drug dealer Johnnie. By the end of their stay, someone is killed and someone is jailed but the two women have let loose their creative juices: Mari has penned an infamous horror feminist novel and Lara has written an album of sad songs to stand alongside Carole King's Tapestry.

I must admit that many of the actions of the two women in present day seemed implausible and downright selfish. I couldn't imagine how this friendship had lasted, much less been such an important relationship for each of them. Emily was somewhat more relatable but even so, I found myself frustrated with her lack of agency and willingness to put up with so much from both her husband and her best friend. And as for the group of rock-and-rollers, this whole story-within-a-story brought home how subservient women often are to the men in their lives, stifling their own creativity and needs for the sake of love.

This narrative was all right but didn't move me in any strong way. It may appeal to Hawkins' fans but for me, it struck me as pedestrian.

My thanks for Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with the ARC of this novel.