Last Night at Villa Lucia by Simon McCleave

Book Blurb
A murdered guest. A villa full of secrets. One night that changes everything.

Recently divorced Cerys thought buying a luxury Tuscan villa would be the fresh start she so desperately needed. But a year later, she’s struggling to move on from the pain of her past. Determined to make Villa Lucia a success, she’s pinned all her hopes on this season’s guests. Until one of them is found murdered in the villa’s infinity pool.

Now, as the police descend on the property, the secrets of her guests begin to unravel, and Cerys is forced to confront her own demons. But can she uncover the truth about that fateful night before the paradise she’s built shatters around her?

My Review
At this time of year I would d anything to fly away to somewhere hot and sunny, but it’s not going to happen. The next best thing is a destination read, especially one set in my favurite destination Italy. Last Night at Villa Lucia is a thriller set in the beautiful countryside of Tuscany, where Cerys owns the Villa Lucia that she rents out for holidays. But when one of her guests is murdered the tranquility and serenity of the villa is changed, suspicion is in the air, as Cerys is not sure who to trust.

I’d like to be Cerys, with a beautiful villa in the heart of the Tuscan hills, a place that has become a refuge for her. Cerys is one of those unreliable narrators, she has a drink problem which causes memory problems. As well as the current story line there is also the story of four years ago, what trauma led to her alcohol abuse and how she was a victim of domestic violence. I loved the way Simon McClave drew Cerys and the other characters, the way he uses them to highlight important issues whilst also making them feel real, forgetting that these are just characters in a book. Zoe, who is staying at the Villa has a lot in common with Cerys and I enjoyed the rapport between them and how they supported each other.

As a thriller this hits the mark on many levels. The plot is very twisty anyone could be the murder it honestly kept be guessing until the end of the book. I loved the juxtaposition of the beautiful and serene Villa with the violence of the murder, the beautifully described landscape now mired with death. Simon McCleave’s writitng kept me glued to this book, the clues are dropped very subtly, the suspicion builds slowly and the police produre was believable. Throughout there is an undercurrent of unease with all the suspects living at Villa Lucia, a feeling of claustrophobia as they can’t get away from the scene of the crime.

I was completely absorbed with Last Night at Villa Lucia, the shocks just kept on coming drawing me in even further. All the characters are beautifully drawn, with a reality and familiarity about them, by the end of the book I felt I really knew them. Twists and turns a plenty, a murder to solve, and a beautiful setting, this a breathtaking and menacing read.