This book is a perfect example of a beach read set in beautiful Tuscany with idyllic descriptions of the area. Cerys is a functioning alcoholic and owns Villa Lucia, renting it out for holidays. Zoe her husband Harry and son Charlie arrive for a blissful holiday in the sun. But after only a few days, cracks are showing in their relationship and after a particularly fraught dinner one of them is found dead in the swimming pool. What follows is a tense fast paced read. The story is told by the 4 main characters detailing their vulnerability and concerns. There are characters you love and also those that you really won't like at all. Everyone has a motive to kill but if you're like me you'll change your mind who the culprit is right up until the reveal.
I'd like to thank Netgalley and Storm Publishing for this advanced copy my opinions are my own and not expected
Review posted on goodreads bookmory and Amazon

I was interested to read this book as I am a huge fan of Simon McCleave’s series set in and around Anglesey, although a different setting and a standalone as appose to a series I really enjoyed the book and would read more standalones by the author.

Zoe, her husband Harry and their teenage son Charlie arrive at Villa Lucia to begin their summer holiday, they are far from a happy family and when Harry is found dead in the pool, everyone including his family become suspects.
The villa is owned by Cerys, a recently divorced, alcoholic mum. Her daughter Lowrie comes to stay for the summer and they are dragged into their guests tensions and the Police investigation.
Lucai and Lorenzo live nearby and work at the villa cleaning and cooking. They have their own secrets that they are trying to hid from the Police and the reader is left to wonder if they would go as far as murder to protect them.

The story is told from multiple POV’s in the run up to and the events after Harry’s murder as the local Police investigate. There is also a duel timeline aspect looking at Cerys recent past and her decent into alcoholism.

The story was well plotted and I enjoyed the reveal. I loved the setting, the descriptions helped me feel like I was there so it is a great summer read.

Excerpt:

Simon McCleave’s Last Night at Villa Lucia is a gripping mystery set in a luxurious Tuscan villa, filled with suspense and dark secrets. With vivid descriptions and a compelling protagonist, this book keeps readers hooked until the very end.

Full Review:

Simon McCleave’s Last Night at Villa Lucia is a gripping mystery that seamlessly blends suspense, intrigue, and the allure of a Tuscan paradise. Set against the picturesque backdrop of a luxurious villa, the story quickly escalates from a serene retreat to a thrilling whodunit that keeps readers captivated until the final page.

Recently divorced and seeking a fresh start, Cerys buys a luxury villa in Tuscany, hoping it will be the key to moving on from her painful past. However, her dream of a peaceful, successful venture is shattered when one of her guests is found murdered in the villa's infinity pool. As the police investigate, the secrets and hidden motives of each guest begin to unravel, revealing a complex web of lies and deceit.

McCleave masterfully creates an atmosphere of tension and suspense, with Villa Lucia serving as the perfect setting for a mystery filled with dark secrets. The lush descriptions of the Tuscan landscape contrast sharply with the dark undertones of the story, enhancing the overall sense of unease.

Cerys is a well-drawn protagonist whose struggles and determination resonate with readers. Her journey from a place of personal pain to one of strength and resolution adds a compelling emotional layer to the narrative. As she navigates the chaos unfolding around her, she is forced to confront her own demons, adding depth to her character and the story.

The plot is intricately woven, with each guest at Villa Lucia harboring secrets that gradually come to light. McCleave’s pacing is spot-on, revealing just enough to keep readers hooked while maintaining the mystery. The twists and turns are well-executed, leading to a satisfying and unexpected conclusion.

While the story excels in many areas, the large cast of characters can sometimes be challenging to keep track of, and a few subplots feel slightly underdeveloped. However, these minor issues do not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the book.

In conclusion, Last Night at Villa Lucia is a thoroughly engaging read that mystery lovers will appreciate. Simon McCleave’s skillful storytelling and vivid descriptions make this a standout novel, perfect for those who enjoy a blend of suspense, drama, and picturesque settings. Cerys’s journey and the intricate plot will leave readers eagerly awaiting McCleave’s next work.

There were several good things about the book, for example the characters and the Italian countryside. Somehow I did not really hit it off with the crime itself. Maybe it came a bit too late for me, or maybe it felt like everything happened suddenly just around the crime, and then the ending came quickly. I did however feel the Tuscan sun on my face, and I enjoyed the great villa with its quirky people.

Two families are on holiday in Tuscany when a man ends up dead in the pool. Who killed his and why?
I really enjoyed this read, it is a slow starter, but it’s gripping once you keep reading. I enjoyed reading each characters point of views of what happened. It keeps you guessing who the killer is.

A thrilling 4.5 star read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

I enjoyed this book from the beginning. I liked the setting which was covered well by the author. The plot twists and turns sufficiently to maintain interest and the back story is both important and well covered. I also liked the ending so a thoroughly enjoyable read.

An idyllic setting in a fabulous villa in Tuscany hides darkness in this closed room murder story. A cracking read with real characters, some thoroughly unpleasant and others whose motivations are revealed as the story unfolds. I liked the chapters which highlighted the different people’s actions, some in the current time and some from the recent past. I thought I’d worked it out only to go down another thought process, which is the author’s skill.

Thank you Netgalley, Dreamscape Media and Simon McCleave for the audio Arc of Last Night at Villa Lucia.

Narrated by Sally Corbett

This is a standalone psychological thriller set at a Tuscan Villa holiday home. Cerys is expecting visitors to her holiday home in a few hours but unfortunately there is a dead body in her infinity pool! After calling the police, the plot opens up from 3 POVs. Cerys, her daughter, Lowri and the Detective Inspector, Saachi who pieces together the mystery of the dead body.

I really enjoyed this book by Simon, my first read of his. The character building of the family and friends of Cerys and Saachi were detailed and intricate, building in the direction of the book as well as the plot itself. They also felt very real. Cerys has lots going on with her mental health, the coping strategies, the drinking and hiding it all from her teen daughter.

The plot line itself ticks along at a medium pace overall with some great twists and nice foreshadowing. So if you pay attention, you will probably figure out who the murderer is and if not, it will keep you guessing till near the end!

Last Night at Villa Lucia was narrated by Sally Corbett who has a great voice for this Mystery/Thriller. Her voice suits the pacing of the book and she put the right emphasis where needed.

4 stars

This book begins slow. The author uses the beginning to set up the characters involved. The setting is in Tuscany, and the descriptions are beautiful! Cerys owns Villa Lucia. She and her ex husband, Nick, purchased it two years ago. However, they divorced a year later. Cerys has set it up as a vacation villa. Her daughter Lowri (20 years old) is staying with her. Zoe, Harry and their son Charlie (19 years old), arrive to spend a couple weeks vacation. Also living on the premises are Lucia and her husband Lorenzo. Lucia's family owned the villa 20 years ago, and she stays to cook and clean. Lorenzo takes care of the property.

Once the author has set up the story, hold on to your seats!! The pace ratchets up. The story is told through multiple POV's: Cerys, Zoe, Lowri, Charlie. After a dinner party one night, there is a murder!

What I loved about this book was how the author builds the story through the lives of the characters. At the beginning I thought this would be a straight forward thriller. However, Simon McCleave deftly weaves each characters past and present in way that allows the story to unfold rapidly, while also giving the reader nuggets of information about the many secrets each character has. There are various strands of narrative happening, but there is a thread that pulls them all together.

I love the connection between Zoe and Cerys. They both have experienced the life of being abused wives. Cerys is a struggling alcoholic. The reason why she began drinking becomes clear as she reminisces about her past. Zoe is so forgiving and kind, there were times I wanted to shake her! But I believe that the author wrote sensitively about the ways some abused women react.

Lowri struggles with knowing what her father is, and also that her mother is struggling with alcohol. She is trying her best to love them both, but faces many struggles and agonizes over the situation. She connects with Charlie because his father is similar to hers. I liked how they were caring and supportive to one another based on shared experiences.

All these characters, including Lorenzo, have things that have happened in the past. These things really have an impact on how the murder unfolds. I feel like I cannot explain this well! It was such a good read! And everything flowed and made sense. In the end, I was a little shocked- but still satisfied!

I feel that this is a perfect beach read! It is deep enough to make you think, set in a beautiful location, paced quickly, and so engaging! I read this in 2 days, in between working and running errands! I have never read a book before by this author, but I will read all his others now!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC! This is my honest and voluntary review!!

Absolute gem of a psychological thriller.

Cerys Williams is awaiting her latest guests at her beautiful Tuscan Villa.
She’s had a rough few years one way and another, but she’s hopeful that things will change. They certainly will, but never in the way she had expected.

From the absolute start I was hooked with this book, and found it extremely hard to put it down.
It had me guessing this way, then that way as to how I thought things may go.
Some sensitive issues covered, but handled well.
From start to finish a page turner.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

I love the writing of Simon McCleave and this is the fifteenth book of his I have read and have purchased five others that I am yet to read. This book is very different from the rest and I admire his tackling dark themes such as toxic masculinity, alcoholism and abusive relationships. Many of us have addictions and this book aims to explore how these addictions are dealt with. I think the subjects are well dealt with producing both an entertaining and interesting book that gripped this reader. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

The twists at the end were wild but made so much sense!! My only issue with this story is I felt I’ve read this plot and storyline so many times before. Cerys runs a Villa, she ends up having a family, a husband and wife Zoe & Harry and their son Charlie, staying at the Villa. Harry ends up getting into an argument with everyone at dinner, he walks off and it’s the last time he’s seen before the next morning, when he’s found face down floating in the pool. The way this story unfolds is crazy and takes you on an adventure.

My issue is some parts were a bit long and the story overall just needed to be shorter, other than that it was great. I’ve just read this storyline too many times before, which I get it’s a good storyline but I just wish there was something different that made it stand out against the rest. If you like this storyline or haven’t read it before, definitely check this one out!

This was a fun, easy to read summer thriller. With its Tuscany setting this thriller takes you along a very messy story, toxic characters and a mysterious murder.

The character development is really good and on point but the characters were sooo unlikeable I would’ve loved having multiple POVs from different characters in the first person.

There are a lot of twists and turns throughout the story that sent me in every wrong direction possible. I loved how the story unfolded and how it came full circle at the end.

Thank you Simon McCleave, Storm Publishing & NetGalley for an e-ARC copy.

#LastNightAtVillaLucia #NetGalley

This is a classic murder mystery book with some dark undertones. It looks at misogyny, coercive control, rape and addiction so do not expect a light hearted summer read!
Cerys owns a beautiful villa in Tuscany and runs it as an Airbnb. Her teenage daughter, Lowri is living with her before deciding what to do next in her life, hoping to pursue a career in music.
However Cerys has a secret addiction which consumes her every moment, making it difficult for her to manager her life successfully.
When Zoe, her husband, Harry and their teenage son, Charlie arrive for a holiday, it sets off a chain of events which leads to a shocking death.
The book is written in the present with flashbacks to Cerys’s earlier life and her difficult relationship with her ex husband, Nick. This serves to build up the tension as the perpetrator of the crime is sought. It was very cleverly plotted with many “red herrings”. It was really a closed room mystery as only one of the people at the villa could have committed the crime unless an intruder was the culprit- a highly unlikely scenario.
I certainly didn’t guess what had happened which meant the book was very well written- I read a lot of mysteries so I can sometimes work out the plot twists!
I also liked the examination of the themes mentioned earlier as this made the novel more interesting than a normal murder mystery. It definitely portrayed addiction in a way which I was able to understand.
I recommend “ Last Night At Villa Lucia” as a deliciously compelling, dark murder mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

Last Night at Villa Lucia by Simon McCleave
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇ out 26th July 2024◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
I loved this story beautifully set in Tuscany. This murder mystery will have you hooked. Brilliant, relatable characters, this is the perfect beach read 📚 ⛱️ Highly recommended xx

If you are looking for a fast paced thriller that is hard to put down then look no further than Last Night at Villa Lucia.

The beautiful Italian Villa Lucia is run by Cerys, an alcoholic with an abusive ex, and her daughter Lowri, an aspiring musician. A wealthy family from London visits the beautiful Villa Lucia in Italy for a relaxing vacation. The father is a music executive who has a strained relationship with his wife and son, the mom is a cafe owner, and the son is a troubled teen. One of the family members winds up dead in the pool.

I had never read anything from this author so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I liked his writing style and thought this thriller was fast paced and engaging, I would read from him again. I thought the twists were done well. I liked the characters in the book, they were all flawed and tricky to root for. I changed my mind a few times throughout this story about who I thought the killer was and I was correct on one of my hunches.

I would say there is trigger warnings for alcohol abuse, physical abuse, rape and suicidal thoughts, so just be aware going into it. Some of the abusive scenes were tough to read.

Thank you to Storm Publishing or an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Villa Lucia is a bed and breakfast that Cerys is trying to keep going. Harry, Zoe, and Charlie book a vacation there. In the beginning of the book there is a body floating in the infinity pool at Villa Lucia. Everyone is a suspect. The ending was a twist for me.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it kept me guessing until the very end! It is a real talent to create a story around everyone having a motive!

* Easy to read with small chapters. Gripping. I did guess a few of the twists. But did not see the ending coming! Would definitely recommend as a good gripping mystery. Easy 4 stars

I loved this book, as soon as I started reading and I was hooked. I had to keep reading until I knew the truth.