A review by asclafani
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

challenging mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The beginning of the book was as hot as the Italian summer it focuses on! I felt like the middle stalled a bit with half woven moments of suspense. Even in those slower moments I didn’t want to put this book down and appreciated subtleties/connections across adjacent chapters.
Mari’s last entry was the most suspenseful component as we learned about her lying about the entire plot that Mari felt connected to! I wish this was more fleshed instead of the Matt/sick/cheating storyline. Chess’ complexity as a villain yet friend was also interesting to read. Especially in reference to their book deal!
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