The effect lingers like a shadow, or a creature, that endures past the final words. 'Hawkins casts a sharp eye throughout to the way we construct stories about female artists-and the moral ambiguity inherent in creation and fame. 'A catnip literary premise: It’s a dual-timeline psychological thriller inspired by the birthplace of the novel Frankenstein.all deliciously atmospheric fun.' - The Seattle Times 'Clever and wickedly fun, The Villa is a moody labyrinth of a novel fortified by Hawkins’s evident knowledge of Gothic conventions: missing manuscripts, debauched aristocrats, isolated locales and the like.a spooky, intricate thriller.' - The Washington Post 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. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge––and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends. Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn’t just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred––and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album––and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder.Īs Emily digs into the villa’s complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives.

The bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs returns with a brilliant new gothic suspense set at an Italian villa with a dark history.Īs kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. 'Hawkins is the reigning queen of suspense.' ––Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author 'Hawkins weaves an engrossing tale about betrayal, sisterhood, and the power of telling your own story.

Rachel hawkins the villa