Author(s): Rachel Hawkins

CRIME

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

'"The White Lotus" vibes with a side of moody, gothic suspense elements? We'll take it' The Skimm

As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable, but their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.

Villa Aestas in Orvieto is breath-taking, but it has a dark past: in 1974 it was rented by a notorious rockstar, who was joined by up-and-coming musician Pierce Sheldon and his girlfriend, Mari. By the end of the holiday Pierce is dead, and Mari goes on to write one of the greatest horror novels of all time.

As Emily digs into the villa's history, she begins to think that Pierce's murder wasn't just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but something more sinister - and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari left behind.

Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. 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.

An enthralling tale of gothic suspense that will keep you reading late into the night, The Villa is perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Alice Feeney and The House in the Pines, with the rock-and-roll glamour of Daisy Jones and the Six.

Readers LOVE The Villa

'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... a spooky, intricate thriller' Washington Post

'An engrossing tale about betrayal, sisterhood, and the power of telling your own story. Captivating!' People

'A deliciously dark tale filled with twisted secrets, suspect loyalties, and deadly encounters. I tore through this haunting thrill ride at breakneck speed but hated to see it end... pitch-perfect' Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author

'Fans of twisty, creepy, layered thrillers will revel in their suspenseful stay at The Villa' Bookpage

'Slick, twisty... a perfectly delicious read. I devoured it as fast as I could and wanted to read it again immediately. Buy one for yourself and another for your best friend because you'll want to talk about it for days' Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author