2.5 Stars

Though Simon McCleave has written 30 novels, this is the first time I’ve read one. This is his first standalone, not one of his DI Ruth Hunter, DC Ruth Hunter Murder File, or Anglesey series. Unfortunately, I was not impressed.

After a divorce from her husband Nick, Cerys Williams now owns a Tuscan villa which she operates as a B&B with the help of Lucia and Lorenzo, a couple who live nearby. Cerys struggles with alcoholism though she tries to hide her drinking from her daughter Lowri who is staying with her for a while. Guests arrive from England: Harry and Zoe and their son Charlie. Harry, who is described by family members as “a selfish, self-absorbed, predatory bastard” and an “absent, hostile and selfish father,” antagonizes everyone so it’s not surprising that it is his body that is found floating in the pool. The rest of the book focuses on finding who killed Harry.

In many ways this is a locked room mystery, though there is an attempt to suggest someone from outside the villa could have killed Harry while trying to rob the villa. This explanation does not ring true. In fact, the entire police investigation is unrealistic. To eliminate suspects, the police take fingerprints and DNA from everyone at the villa but not from Lucia and Lorenzo who work there? Car keys are apparently stolen but there’s no reference to the car? When Charlie is questioned, his mother is allowed to sit in on one interview but not on a second one?

The author tries very obviously to make everyone a suspect. Multiple points of view (Cerys, Zoe, Lucia) are used to suggest motives for various characters. However, I found it so easy to predict the murderer, especially because of the flashbacks. The fact that there’s such reliance on coincidence to bring characters together affects the novel’s credibility.

Characters are not likeable so it’s difficult to care about them. So many feel they are not being treated fairly. Men in particular are portrayed negatively; both Nick and Harry are controlling and violent, and even Charlie and Lorenzo are described as capable of anger and violent explosions. The women are weak victims; both Cerys and Zoe had long-term relationships with abusive men and did virtually nothing to remove their children from dysfunctional households.

There are both needless repetitions and unanswered questions. Is it necessary to make reference to Lorenzo’s dubious past every time he’s mentioned? How many times must we be reminded that Harry smokes cigars? I understand why but there’s no need to be so obvious. The vehicle that Lucia and Lorenzo see watching their property – in the end we’re just supposed to dismiss it as irrelevant? There’s also the huge plot hole surrounding much of Nick’s behaviour.

This book wasn’t for me. The plotting in terms of red herrings and twists is just so obvious. I prefer mysteries with more nuance. (Potential readers should be aware that the book touches on several serious topics like alcoholism, sexual assault, and domestic abuse.)

I enjoyed this book and I loved the setting.
Felt like I was almost there.
Some of the characters were awful, making it a wide suspect pool (no pun intended) with a bit of mystery about who it actually was.
First from this author and won't be the last.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A move away from the usual murder and mayhem in Snowdonia and Anglesey this is a stand-alone novel set in the beautiful Villa Lucia in Tuscany where we meet the owner Cerys Williams. She is divorced from Nick and is a functioning alcoholic. Staying at the villa is Cerys’s daughter Lowri. Whilst living there Cerys rents the main part out for holidays and her new arrivals are Harry, wife Zoe and 19 year old son Charlie. Told in dual timeline and multiple POV’s this is a well written and brilliantly plotted murder thriller.

Briefly, not long after the latest family arrive a body is found in the pool and this is no accident. The victim has been stabbed. With everyone a suspect we learn the history of abuse and violence each of the families has been through. But is it enough to kill?

Twists and turns big enough to match the roads around Tuscany keep the suspense high in this fast paced and exciting read. So many secrets and lies, the killer really could be anyone. A very good read with an excellent ending that I really wasn’t expecting. Very entertaining book.

The fact that the story begins with a body face down in an infinity pool in Villa Lucia in Tuscany hooked me.
The description of the location alone made me want to be there. Cerys is doing all she can do to keep her bed and breakfast business going. Reputation is everything. Important guests are due to arrive when a body is found floating in the pool.

I enjoyed that I could not pinpoint who did it right away, too often are these books predictable. I enjoyed the true suspense and surprise as the story unfolded.

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Wow, wow, wow! An absolute masterpiece! One of my best reads of 2024! Do read this one - I guarantee you will love it. Just brilliant!

Dark, Compelling..
A beautiful villa, the sultry Tuscan sun and a dead body floating in the pool - one single night that will change everything. A stand alone psychological suspense from this already established author, a dark and compelling whodunit with a carefully crafted cast of characters populating a propulsive plot with twists aplenty and a well imagined backdrop. The difficult themes throughout the book are deal with sleight of hand and with empathy. Emotionally charged and immersive.

First off, the cover drew me in -- well done. Second, the story was pretty captivating. I didn't really have to guess much, but there were several twists that made things interesting. I was invested in the story, and any more, that doesn't happen very often.

This was my first book by the author; it won't be my last.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

3.5⭐This messy, twisty, toxic, psychological thriller, is a perfect summer read.

The story takes place at a beautiful vacation getaway, Villa Lucia, in Tuscany. When the main character discovers a body floating face-down in her pool, she thinks she is imagining it. She had been drinking heavily and couldn't remember what happened. It seems everyone has a motive, but who did it is the twisty tale of this story.

It was well-written and engaging; all the characters are flawed and navigating messy lives... Utilizing multiple points of view enhances the flow of the story and makes it more engaging... all the male characters are portrayed as violent and horrible individuals, a common theme, I have noticed lately in many contemporary stories. The story has a good pace and is a quick read, perfect for anyone looking for a thrilling summer read.

Content: mention of rape, sexual assault, domestic abuse. alcoholism, drugs.


Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the eARC.

The setting is a luxurious villa in Tuscany owned by Cerys a woman who has a troubled past and an ex husband who is a manipulative bully .
She is a functioning alcoholic, which brings with it its own issues .
Cerys’ daughter is staying with her and is upset by her mum’s constant drinking and the denial that her mother is in.
The villa is ready for the new arrival of holidaymakers , the family consists of Zoe , Harry and their son Charlie .
On arrival it’s quite obvious that Harry is an obnoxious man and the family is not a happy one .
The following morning a body is found face down floating in the pool and that’s where the story really begins .
A great psychological thriller with plenty of twists making it a gripping read with a perfect ending !
Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing .

Cerys, a struggling alcoholic, is the owner of a beautiful Italian Villa that serves as her home as well as an Air BNB. Originally, it was the dream of Cerys and her horrible husband Nick to run the Villa while he also focused on his writing. But alas, they ended up divorcing with Nick moving back to England, and Lowri, their teen daughter in tow.

Another family - Harry, Zoe and Charlie, also from England, have booked a holiday. Harry is immediately seen as a pompous ass, and winds up face down, dead in the Villa’s pool. As it turns out, Zoe and Cerys have a lot in common, as do Charlie and Lowri. I was sucked into this story quickly, and loved the vivid description of the area. A number of red herrings had me guessing the ending, but never correctly - at least not confidently!

Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Simon McCleave for the eARC.

This thriller was a fun read.
This is about a family vacationing in Italy at Villa Lucia. Harry, Zoe and their teenage son Charlie. Zoe fears that her marriage is at the edge of divorce and hoping this trip will help things. Cerys is their gracious host who has some of her own personal struggles and her teenage daughter Lowry is visiting the same time. Less than 48hours into the vacation, Cerys finds a body in the pool. She calls the police and the investigation starts. We get multiple POV’s into the past and the events leading up to the devastating morning.
I really enjoyed the short chapters and multiple pov’s. It made the story move by at a quick pace. It did get a bit repetitive near the end and the chapters started switching into the past versus the last 24 hours which started to confuse me a bit when it didn’t need to be so specific. Some things didn’t make sense or was said that didn’t add anything to the story. Even with those cons I did overall enjoy the read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the early arc copy in exchange for my honest review. I have a more in depth review on my YouTube channel.

Thank you Netgalley, Simon McCleave and Storm Publishing for the ebook. I loved the setting of this book, a villa in the Tuscan mountains. A murder mystery that has you guessing until the very end. The author wove this story so well and had you really thinking it could have been every character! You won't be able to guess the twists!

This was a little slow starting, but after you get through the first portion of the book, where you meet all of the characters, it took off. A Tuscan villa sounds divine and a wonderful place to vacation. But this Tuscan villa is full of secrets and suspects after a guest is found dead in the pool. Paradise never looked so grim.

This book was told from many points of view by the characters within the pages. The timeline goes back and forth from past to present so you will more understand the characters and what makes them tick. It will keep you guessing and suspecting every single character in this book. I had pegged everyone as a murderer at some point in the story. The twisty ending really threw me for a loop. If you enjoy a solid mystery with many suspects to choose from, you will enjoy this story.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4 stars from me.

I thought it was a little slow in the beginning, but I also understand that it was just setting the stage for the chaos to unravel!

I’ve got about one working brain cell, so normally it’s intimidating to read through more than 2 people’s POVs. However, I had no problem keeping up with this book!

Also (since, again, only one brain cell here) big words aren’t my strong suit. I feel like I spent the first 15% of the book, looking up what these words meant🤣

Kept me on the edge of my seat:✅
A perfect ‘who done it’:✅
Tied up all loose ends at the end:✅

Once I got past the beginning part of the story where the characters and storyline were introduced, I didn't want to put the book down. There are plenty of secrets going on and some similarities between the two main families in the story. The biggest mystery is who is the murderer and why. I loved the description of the villa and felt like I was there. Some of the parts are hard to read, but they are reflective of situations that do happen in real life. This is the first book I've read by this author, and I will definitely be reading more of his works.

Last Night at Villa Lucia by Simon McCleave is a chilling, suspenseful story.
McCleave masterfully weaves multiple POVs and timelines making this story intriguing.
These characters were brought to life and the author’s writing and descriptions of the characters and scenery were really well written.

Thank You NetGalley and Storm Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was a good book. I love how friendships were made through different tragedies. This book kept me intrigued, and the twist in the end caught me by surprise.

This is shown as a thriller, but to me it was more suspense, without the thriller part.

Last Night at Villa Lucia is an interesting read. The beginning is rather slow, and you really don't care for the MC right off the bat. However, the book does pick up as you move toward the middle, and then it is rather BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. That kep me reading.

Overall, decent read. A good poolside read.

Cerys has bought Villa Lucia in Tuscany. Harry is found murdered in the Villa's pool. The police descend on the property in order to discover who killed Harry. Can Cerys uncover the truth before everything shatters around her? The story is in multiple timelines. The characters were unique. I liked some of them but disliked others. A lot of characters were alcoholic so there were themes of alcoholism and abusive relationships. The plotting was good with twists and turns which made the story good reading until the very end. If you like stories about characters overcoming addictions then you will love this book. I look forward to reading another book by Simon McCleave and I highly recommend this novel.

Told by multiple POV’s in the present and past, this well written, page turner of a psychological thriller will have you guessing to the end, I certainly changed my mind on several occasions. The setting in Tuscany was beautifully described and I found myself transported there with ease. The subjects of alcoholism and abuse were covered well and I particularly found myself rooting for Cerys. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for letting me read and review this book.