The story is told through the female characters. There is a lot of dysfunction which makes the murder a real who dunnit (or rather who didn’t want to do it?). I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was fast paced, with female characters that find their inner strength and I wasn’t sure who the murderer was until the end.

A surprisingly tangled thriller in a gorgeous setting, Last Night at Villa Lucia had me questioning everyone and everything.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this story early!

I enjoyed the plot of this book and the twists and turns it presented throughout! It was a whirlwind story. The characters were somewhat likable, but also kind of annoying. There were many different suspects and it was difficult to figure out who had done the crime.

Overall, I enjoyed it,

To start with, I did not see that ending coming! Everyone seemed to hate the victim so there were plenty of suspects. The way the character was written even I didn't like him! A couple of times it seemed a bit slow but mostly during flashbacks giving background information which was part of the plot. A good read

First time read thi9s author. Bases on 4 women's stories. Cerys who owns the villa, her daughter Lowri, Lucia who cleans and Zoe who's a guest along with her family. Cerys has a problem with drink and it focuses quite a lot on that. The following day a body is found lying in the hotel pool. You then get to find out about secrets they're all hiding.

Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGalley for an early copy of Last Night at Villa Lucia, the cover is GORGEOUS! This was a great book, I felt as if I was there and part of the story. I Loved how it ALL turned out, the two nasty characters got what was coming to them. Very fast reading and I liked when things were said in Italian that it was explained right away in English. All in All a fantastic read.

It always throws me a bit when narrators try to switch their voice between genders. Although I get why it’s necessary, it’s the truth. L That was really my only gripe with this story. So twisty and suspenseful. I loved the ending. Girls supporting girls always.

There was a bit of fluff that didn’t really seem necessary but honestly I was enjoying the ride so I didn’t really even notice until the end.

This is the first book I've read by this author and while I enjoyed it to a point I felt the characters lacked a certain something that I can't quite put my finger on. The setting of the villa in Tuscany and how Cerys came to be living there with her daughter was described very well. However the constant theme throughout the book is her addiction to alcohol. I understand that this is all consuming for a person, and how it affects the whole family but I felt it overshadowed the subject of the book: the fact that there's an actual body floating in the infinity pool one morning.

There are multiple suspects and credible motives for each of those on the list, from the son staying in the villa who has a couple of reasons why he could have committed murder, to the gardener and maintenance guy Lorenzo who has a very weak back story which could have been developed far more interestingly in my opinion. Cerys herself is a distinct possibility, or as the dishy detective suggests maybe it was a burglary gone wrong. Lucia, the maid who the villa is named after, also has her motives. But despite all the speculation and scene setting involved, I don't think there was a chapter that went by without the mention of alcohol in some guise or another which really became slightly tedious towards the end, and quite a distraction from a murder investigation. There are a couple of twists along the way, but nothing that properly shocked me unfortunately. My favourite characters were Charlie and Lowri who stood out from the cast and who I was most invested in.

I feel this would be a good holiday read when you don't want to expend too much effort working out whodunnit whilst lying by the pool, but if you want a gripping thriller then this one just lacks that feeling of any substantial depth to the characters and plot. 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Having read all Simon Mc Cleaves previous books I was intrigued with the change of location and genre. I have to say I was not disappointed. The descriptions of the villas and surrounding are was so good you could imagine yourself under the hot Italian sun. Alcoholism and domestic violence were treated very sensitively? Love the plot twists which kept you guessing. Such a good read.

Ive had a bit of a short break from thrillers to read some non fiction but this reminded me why I love a good thriller.
fast paced and intriguing this is a fast, fun and entertaining read with a chiller twist i didn't spot coming!
Perfect beach or garden read this summer . I loved it

Wow. I guess this is the perfect book for a buddy read; I really enjoyed making notes of the suspects along with my sister, Druti! The first few chapters were quite slow, but the story quickly picked up its pace. I loved the fact that it was multi-pov but I don't understand why only Cerys' POV is in first person, while the others in third person. This book was definitely intriguing and had me on the edge of my seat!

The only reason this book isn't a 5 star from me is because the characters were really unlikeable. Don't get me wrong, there was insanely good character development, but I couldn't relate to them nor feel their emotions if you get what I mean. Many parts were also dragged A LOT!

Lots of sudden plot twists and red herrings in this interesting and suspenseful thriller that also deals with a couple of social behaviour issues. If this seems like your cup of tea, this book will be perfect for you. I really enjoyed this book a lot and thank you NetGalley and Storm publishing for providing me with an opportunity to read this book!

Book felt a bit slow for me, almost too many characters included to make you have more to suspect but just felt like it was too many characters to make you even care about one. The end was a bit of a surprise but at that point there were so many red herrings and twists that I wasn't that shocked and just wanted to finish.

This story takes place in Tuscany, where it follows two families. You have Cerys, who owns the villa, and her daughter, Lowre who’s staying with her. And then you have the guests, a couple and their 19 year old son, who is there for a holiday.

One morning, they find a body in the pool, and everyone is a suspect. Their holiday vacation turns into a nightmare with the police coming and going and not really knowing who murdered the victim.

The premise of this book was very exciting. I’ve always loved the wealthy family drama trope for books, but this one just wasn’t it for me. I feel like the pacing was all over the place, the multiple POVs and time lines ended up being a bit confusing, and the characters were all unlikeable. I didn’t connect to any of them and they all did a lot of annoying things.

I felt like the ending was a bit predictable and anticlimactic. I did love reading about the beauty of the Tuscan countryside and the idea of doing yoga on the cliff, but the rest of the book just really drug on for me.

I think it just wasn’t a book for me.

A very slow burner. Unlikeable characters. Some twists but not enough to keep me enthralled. Just ok. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

I had high hopes for this book due to the great reviews. And that cover is gorgeous. But the characters fell flat for me. It was a slooow process to finish.

A beautiful villa in Tuscany. A yoga teacher / villa owner and her teen daughter. A family from London, with their teen son, on holiday in Summer. An Italian lady, Lucia, who should rightfully own the villa, but now forced to clean it. What could go wrong?

Sit back and get ready for a twisty story that will leave you on the edge of your street. I was sure this was an obvious ending. I was wrong. Bravo Simon McCleave!

Thank you Netgalley and Storm publishing for providing me with the ARC

Excellent book! If you like Rachel Hawkins or Lucy Foley, this is a must read! “Last Night at Villa Lucia” is a great page turner. I read half in one setting cause I couldn’t put it down. Intense characters with a great air of mystery. This book had me questioning til the end. Go out and pre-order this one, coming out July 26th. It will not disappoint. Thank you to Net Galley and Storm Publishing for this advance read.

This is my first book from this author and i am happy to say that i quiet enjoyed reading it.
Last night at Villa Lucia is a story about two families. One family is the host and the other family come to stay there for a vacation and how their lives are entwined is the story.
I was hooked from the first page of this book and though there are many chapters in this book, all are short chapters and its a quick read.
Characters are likeable and it progresses quickly.
I will definitely recommend this book to everyone who likes mystery/thriller genre.
Lastly i would also like to thank NetGalley and Storm publishers for giving me this chance to read it.
Thank you :)

Simon McCleaves latest novel is a true whodunnit mystery that Agatha Christie would of been proud of, set in the picturesque Tuscan countryside there is a holiday villa owned by Cerys an alcoholic who bought it with her husband now ex and lives here with her daughter. Zoe Harry and son Charlie come to stay and after a drunken night Harry is found floating in the pool, is it a accident or murder, it’s cleverly written as any one of them could be responsible but it will definitely keep you guessing to the end. My only criticism would be it dragged a little in places but all in all a good summer read.

A vacation in the beautiful Tuscany countryside was to die for….and for one person it was.
Secrets, entitled bully’s that took what they wanted, alcoholism and rape have a profound effect on the characters. I thought each time I knew who the killer was but another twist had me looking elsewhere. A long book with short chapters, but worth the read. Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an early copy. These comments and review are my personal opinion.