Member Reviews

Whoa!!! Loved it !!!!! Really did !!!!!
I was hooked since the beginning and couldn't stop reading!!! This author is fantastic and I'd read anything by her !!!!
I highly recommend this one!!!!

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Cover: I like it!

Oh wow. The Secret of Villa Alba is a marvelous book, one that really caught me by surprise.

The disappearance of Irene Borgata is the focal point of the story, told from two different timelines. Written from Irene’s perspective, the first timeline is beautifully done; we get to see how a young woman gets trapped inside a gilded cage, torn between her feelings for her former lover and her husband. The affection she shows for Maddalena is both charming and heartbreaking.

The other timeline revolves around April’s investigation. Maddalena hired her to prove her father’s innocence—but is he, though? You’ll have to find it out by yourself 😀

All jokes aside, Douglas’ talent for storytelling really shines through. Her characters are complex, odd, full of idiosyncrasies, and feel so realistic to make you forget you’re not reading a true crime book. There are a couple of coincidences that still make me go hm, but the red herrings Douglas planted make up for it.

In addition, I noticed some mistakes in the Italian translations that would be easy for a native speaker to catch, but could pose a challenge for non-native speakers. Nothing big, mind. I just found them distracting for obvious reasons.

However, they do not have any impact on the final rating.

4,5 stars on GR, rounded up.

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What a fabulous story!

The short timeframe in 2003 puts April under pressure to uncover what really happened in May 1968. Having spent summers with Enzo and Maddi, I wondered how she would handle the truth … if Irene’s disappearance was related to one of the Borgata’s, would she be able to share that with the world?

As time counts down to Milo Conti’s exposé, he whips up the locals by dropping hints of his evidence on TV. This has a huge impact as they take action. Such a tense and alienating time for the family!

As April is digging deeper and questioning the family’s memories, Irene’s narration takes us back to 5 years before the earthquake, culminating in the earthquake.

Oh how I loved this time split! Each narration keeps you reading because you just have to know!

There are HUGE surprises in 2003 that we later find out more about in Irene’s narration. Halfway through, my jaw was hanging open and I’m thinking wow, this changes EVERYTHING!

You get a sense of so many things not being said. I struggled to pinpoint what exactly happened and who was responsible. Of course, I made guesses based on what I knew but in all honesty? I had no idea what happened to Irene in that bleak landscape at the side of the road.

The ending had me in tears. So many lives affected over the years …

As well as the mystery, Louise Douglas drew me in to the Sicilian way of life and the landscape. The setting is stunning. Villa Alba in its decline felt authentic with whispers of its past echoing around the rooms.

The secrets at the heart of Villa Alba entwine and tell a tale of a love so strong, nothing can stand in its way. I loved it!

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I found this to be a compelling read. There are many secrets that have to be uncovered before the truth is found. There are a variety of different characters that are connected to the Villa Alba and the Borgata family. The story is set in the 60s and later in 2003 when April Cobain, an ex detective has been asked to uncover the truth as to what happened on the night Irene Borgata disappeared. The story switches back and fro between the dates but this is done smoothly. I did feel for some of the characters, Enzo and Irene in particular. This was a real page turner as more surprises were revealed. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. However, I did preorder my own copy.

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I loved this book. The twists and turns were amazing. Sent in the 1960’s snd the 2000’s it tells the story of Enzo who comes back from England with an English wife but she’s only married him in the rebound. However an Italian investigative reporter starts delving into Irene’s disappearance after an earthquake when she lost part of her leg. It’s marvellous how the story unfolds j font want to spoil anything just suggest you read it if you read nothing else this summer.

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I absolutely love all of Louise Douglas's books and highly recommend them to everyone. This one is no exception.

In this book we are taken back to 1968 and the lives of both Irene and Enzo. I was torn between not liking Irene and also feeling a little sorry for her. I just couldn't understand some of the decisions she made and some of the things she decided to do. An earthquake has happened in Italy where Irene was disabled. On a trip back from town the car that Irene and Enzo are in breaks down and so Enzo leaves Irene in the car to go and get help. But when he returns she has disappeared without a trace.

Maddalena write to her old friend April in present day time because a witch hunt is taken place where they are trying to blame Enzo for Irene's disappearance and Maddalena wants April to come and discover what really happened to Irene and if Enzo is actually guilty or not. April is an ex detective inspector so she knows how to look for clues and to get secrets out of people. April gladly accepts the assignment as she is currently struggling to deal with the loss of her husband and wants to try and piece back the friendship she had with Maddalena. So she decides to go and stay at Villa Alba and conduct her own investigations with the help of the local police inspector.

This is a dual time storyline. With April's investigations and Irene's musings.

I don't want to give anything away that happens in the book because it is one for you to piece together yourself and lots of secrets to be unravelled throughout the book. I will also say that I loved the ending and would highly recommend this book to everyone.

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Such a good book. Depth of character, suspense, intrigue. It was a perfect read. Louise is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors.

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This book was fantastic, the prologue had me hooked i just needed to know what happened. The twists had me doubting everyone, they all seemed devious and desperate to keep the dark secrets they have buried. This book is brilliantly written, the dual timeline slowly reveals what actually happened surrounding the death of Irene. The book is full of intrigue, betrayal and secrets. Definately a must read for 2023.

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In a stunning first person prologue, we’re taken back to 1968 – dusk in the Sicilian mountains near Gibellina, destroyed by the recent earthquake, as the creeping darkness envelops Enzo and his wife Irene, their car having broken down. And when help arrives – Enzo walks to the villa, leaving his disabled wife in the car – she has disappeared without trace.

From the letter his daughter Maddalena writes to former friend April in 2003, we discover that she was never found – and while her husband was initially under suspicion of being involved, the case was abandoned. But there’s now fresh interest – the case is to be featured on Milo Conti’s TV programme “Cold Case”, with possible fresh evidence that Enzo was responsible for Irene’s death. April is an ex-detective inspector, reluctant to become involved – she’s struggling with the recent loss of her husband, and her friendship with Maddalena fell apart rather dramatically some years before. But she has fond memories of Enzo, and decides to travels to Sicily, staying with the family at the Villa Alba, undertaking her own investigation – with a little help from the local police inspector – hoping to clear his name before the planned revelations.

It’s a dual time story, and quite wonderfully done – while April seeks to uncover her fresh evidence and gets a feel for the fractured family at the Villa Alba, we also have Irene’s interspersed first person account of her marriage and time in Sicily, addressed to someone whose identity becomes clearer as the story slowly unfolds. Enzo’s delight in his new marriage doesn’t make her reception by his traditional family any easier – from humble Yorkshire beginnings, she met him when he was a guest at the London hotel where she was working – and she’s entirely overwhelmed by the faded opulence of her surroundings and the open hostility of some of the family. She finds happiness through spending time at the stables with the horses – encouraged by Enzo’s father Patrick who recognises that she shares his passion, although there are others (and one particularly sinister character) who resent her involvement. Amid an atmosphere filled with tension and toxicity – the characterisation of the wider family and their household is quite superb, the claustrophobic atmosphere palpable – she slowly develops a relationship with Enzo’s young daughter, and the story steadily builds with unexpected twists and turns and an increasing sense of threat and danger, leading up to the drama of the earthquake and its devastating impact.

The family April encounters on her arrival aren’t any more welcoming – there are undercurrents to every relationship, a touch of the same hostility, discrepancies in their stories, secrets deeply hidden. Enzo’s in hospital with a heart attack caused by the pressure of the fresh accusations, the community whipped into a frenzy by the build-up to Milo Conti’s revelations, there are hints of possible mafia involvement in Irene’s disappearance – and then there are the small clues that allow her to steadily uncover the full story, with the reader sometimes a few steps ahead but sometimes several behind. And the ending? Well, I certainly didn’t see it coming – but it really was everything I wanted it to be.

There’s a quite wonderful sense of place, the villa itself – past and present – is vividly drawn, oozing with atmosphere, almost another character in the narrative. And you get a real sense of its isolation in the surrounding countryside, equally wonderfully described. The storytelling is simply perfect – beautifully constructed, it moves seamlessly between past and present, slowly unfolding with parallels and connections so very cleverly done. And the story itself, with its intrigue and moments of drama, totally immersive, the pages turning ever faster – but with immense emotional impact too, with characters you really take to your heart.

Yes, I know every book the author writes becomes my new favourite – but I really must say that I think she’s never written better. Very highly recommended – I absolutely loved it.

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Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

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The Secret of Villa Alba is a dual time period mystery

In the 1960’s Irene a waitress at a hotel meets Enzo Borgata a sophisticated Italian man who sweeps her off her feet and takes her to his family villa in Sicily, the Villa Alba. At Villa Alba becomes step-mother to little Maddi and meets her husband’s not all welcoming family, though his father, brother and sister are welcoming his mother Donatella is not and Maddi is not sure she is ready for a step-mother. There is a devastating earthquake that takes one of Irene’s legs, then when returning home for a doctor’s visit, the car breaks down. Since Irene is unable to walk, Enzo leaves her in the car as night is setting in and walks back to the Villa to get help. When he returns Irene is gone, no sign of a struggle no sign of her anywhere around, just gone.

Thirty five years later and Italy’s most flamboyant true crime reporter is doing an expose on the Irene Borgata case and has Enzo in his sights. Maddi now a 40 year old woman contacts her former friend April Cobain, recently retired from the Somerset police. She requests April’s assitance in solving her step-mother’s disappearance and to help exonerate her father. The women had a bad falling out in their teens and April is unsure if she wants to help, but then remembers how kind Enzo was to her and agrees to assist. Also recently widowed and retired April feels at loose ends. She goes to Sicily and attempts to solve the mystery. While there April comes across a very dysfunctional family, possible ties to the mafia, and infidelity, but does she find murder?

I enjoyed the story though very few of the characters were likable. The ending to me was quite sad, when you realize all the hatred and ostracism the family endured over the years, it was really quite heartrending.

Thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood books and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

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I loved the mystery in this book, full of twists and turns I couldn’t decide which way the story was going to go. I enjoyed the two timelines, with snippets of Irene's life and build.up to her disappearance, with April's determination to find out the truth years later. Full of family politics and thrills, a captivating book.

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In 1968 Sicily, twenty-four-year-old Irene Borgata (nee Weatherbury), the second wife of Enzo Borgata disappeared without a trace. Irene and Enzo had been driving back from town to Villa Alba Trapani, the Borgata family home when their car broke down on a deserted road. Irene had lost a leg from injuries incurred during a devastating earthquake some months ago that destroyed the nearby mountain town of Gibellina. She waits in the car while Enzo walks home to get help but when he returns Irene is nowhere to be seen. Over the decades there have been whispers and conjectures but no one could ever find out what happened to Irene who is presumed deceased.

Fast forward to the present day (thirty-five years after Irene’s disappearance) when a celebrity investigator Milo Conti unearths the mystery from decades back, intent on proving that Enzo murdered Irene and plans to expose him on his popular television program. Enzo’s daughter from his first marriage Maddalena Borgata asks estranged friend April Cobain, former DI of the Avon and Somerset Police in England, for help to find out what happened to her step-mother and prove the rumors wrong before Conti broadcasts the episode implicating her father. April, who knew Enzo from when she and Maddi were school friends was fond of him and considered him a father-figure in her life, comes to Sicily to help Maddi despite the fact that they had lost touch after an unpleasant incident year ago. As April delves into the history of the Borgata family and those closely associated with them she uncovers a complex web of lies and deceptions, links with Mafiosi, infidelity, blackmail and cover-ups exposing long-buried secrets harbored by several members of the Borgata family. It is also evident that Enzo’s English wife didn’t have an easy time adjusting to her new life and not everyone was equally welcoming to her. But would anyone cause her harm? But what truly happened to Irene? Was Enzo truly the loving devoted husband everyone thought him to be? What evidence does Conti have to prove his theories?

The Secret of Villa Alba by Louise Douglas is a well-crafted mystery that strikes the perfect balance between suspense and family drama. The narrative is shared across two timelines with the present day told in the third person with excerpts from what can assume are Irene’s journal/letters covering the timeline in the 1960s. The 1968 Belice earthquake is incorporated into the 1960s timeline and is well woven into the events of the story. The dual timelines are seamlessly woven into a consistently paced, well-structured and engaging narrative. Each of the characters (the main and supporting characters) is well defined though the resolution of a few sub-plots did feel a tad abrupt. I could predict part of the final reveal around the halfway mark (plenty of breadcrumbs, so it wasn’t difficult to do so) but there were several twisty surprises along the way. The elegant prose, immersive setting and suspenseful pacing render this an enjoyable read that I would not hesitate to recommend.

Many thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on July 3, 2023.

Rating: 3.75⭐

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Irene is the second wife to Enzo and a stepmom to Madeline but when she goes missing in 1968 not only does it devastate Enzo but changes their life completely. April is Madeline‘s childhood friend and although they had a falling out and Tyler and Madeline desperately wants her help to solve the case of her missing stepmother. It’s 35 years later. Enzos grief hasn’t dissipated and the local villagers haven’t stopped accusing him of her murder and even questioning the death of his first wife. April was a detective in Somerset England but has retired due to the loss of her husband Cobain at first she has no desire to reunite with her friend that used to be very close but since the incident in Thailand she hasn’t looked at her friend the same ever since. Ultimately she decides to go and what she uncovers will change not only Enzo‘s life but hers as well. The first 90% of this book was very intriguing and although as the book with the long I really didn’t like Irene at all!!! I also was very disappointed by the Kumbaya ending So much so I didn’t even finish the epilogue. Having said all that let me just say I did enjoy most of the book I just found the pseudo happy ending unbelievable and not congruent with such a gritty story. I received this book from NetGalley and a publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

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What a fabulous, mind-blowing, and absolutely gripping mystery! I was hooked on to the story from start to finish. I have nothing but praises and more of it for this masterpiece by Louise Douglas.

As I was reading through, it felt like a movie playing in my head. The claustrophobic atmosphere at Villa Alba, Donatella's controlling nature, Enzo's refusal to speak about the incident that occurred 35 years ago, mafia meetings, grief, infidelity, and unconditional love - totally engrossing story from start to finish!

I couldn't help but feel sad for all the parties involved in this mystery, from Irene to Enzo to Maddie to Donatella and her family. Whatever happened - it wasn't anybody's fault, per se. Just two sad people who thought they could lead a happy life but didn't expect the surprises that life had in store for them.

The story is divided into two parts. The past is Irene's recollection of the events as they happened. The present ranges from Milo Conti's TV show to April's sleuthing to Enzo's refusal to speak out the truth.

Twists are plentiful, especially in the latter half of the story. One particular twist left me gawping. I actually read the sentence thrice to make sure I read it right. I was like WOW! Mind blown!

I absolutely loved every bit of this story. Louise Douglas is a master storyteller. Excellent character portrayal and development. Mind-blowing and totally unexpected ending - I LOVED IT!

If you are looking for a gripping mystery, full of characters and dysfunctional family dynamics, The Secret of Villa Alba by Louise Douglas is THE book for you.

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I enjoyed the secret of the Villa Alba, although it was, perhaps a bit predictable towards the end.
April (a retired detective) is asked by her old school friend, Maddie to come to Sicily and help prove her father Enzo’s innocence. He is being accused by a true crime enthusiast Milo Conti of the murder of his wife Irene who went missing without a trace, 35 years ago. The chapters alternate between excerpts from Irene's journal/diary/thoughts and Aprils investigation. Enzo‘s family are not the most likeable bunch and were not particularly kind to Irene when she arrived in Italy, as a young English bride. I actually felt quite sorry for her and was quite convinced, initially, that one of them killed her!
This is a good read, and at times, a gripping read sadly though, it has rather a predictable conclusion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.

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Thank you to @rachelsrandomresources for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not sure if I’ve read anything by Louise before, but after reading this one, will definitely look them up. I read this one in a day, and it kept me guessing all the way through.

Irene meets Enzo in London when he’s sick and goes back to Sicily with him as his wife. But a few years later, tragedy strikes not once but twice when Irene loses her leg in an earthquake then disappears without a trace one evening when Enzo’s car breaks down.

Years later, a true crime showman is going to expose Enzo as a murderer and Enzo’s daughter calls her school friend, April, to help find the truth. So many secrets are being kept in the Villa, and they are all exposed as the story unfolds. I enjoyed the dual timeline which tells Irene’s story from the ‘60’s while we’re in modern day with April.

A great whodunnit, mystery that unfolds secret after secret and ends in a way you won’t see coming.

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Set in alternating chapters between the perspective of a young British woman newly married into a Sicilian family in the 1960s, and a detective investigating her disappearance nearly forty years later, 'The Secret of Villa Alba' is a workaday mystery story. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a thriller because it doesn't have any 'thrills' as such, or even much psychological tension. The actual mystery is baffling enough and possible to work out before the end but not too early, which is what I like in a 'whodunnit'.

The modern day detective is April, a retired police officer still grieving her husband. She travels to Sicily at the request of an old schoolfriend, the step-daughter of the missing woman. Her father has been accused of murdering his missing wife, not by the police, but by a charismatic TV personality who makes a 'true crime' series. The stress has caused the old man to suffer a heart attack, and his daughter begs April to find the real solution to what happened before the programme is broadcast, shaming him forever.

It is readable but overly descriptive, particularly in the early part. I guess Douglas is trying to set the scene and transport the reader to Sicily, but it didn't work too well as I have only a sketchy mental image of the places in the book. Rather I skim read the descriptions, wanting the story to move along faster. The characters are not all very likeable - particularly in the modern day. The story of Irene, the young wife in the 1960s, is perhaps more compelling and Irene is a more sympathetic character. I was irritated in the modern story by the fact April seemed to fall easily into a relationship with the first man she came across - I hate it when writers do this. It's perfectly possible to tell a valid story about a woman without her needing to find her soulmate as part of it. It's like saying the only events worth narrating in a woman's life are those that revolve around a man. As it happens, April is a rather flat, poorly drawn character so I felt nothing at all about her love life.

I'd have liked to enjoy the book more - it's a quick read, and certainly not terrible. But its flaws outweigh its strengths, and the plot is ludicrously far fetched even for a mystery/thriller. I can't really recommend it as there are so many 'whodunnit's' out there, many of which are better (and in fairness, plenty are also worse). But if you have a particular interest in Sicily and want to read books set there, it would be worth a read.

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Romantic thriller set in Sicily ticks all the right boxes if you're heading to Italy this summer.
I liked the background note that the 1968 earthquake in the Valle del Belice area of Sicily in 1968 triggered the author;s inspiration for the locations and landscapes were wonderfully described evoking areas off the beaten track and the links to the families and cultural heritage of the island.
The book begins with a mystery disappearance of Irene Borgata and how years later our narrator April who is a school friend of her step daughter Maddelena is drawn back to Sicily to solve why Irene's husband Enzo all these years later is still being accused of her murder.
Perhaps the least convincing part was the fact April had been a CID police woman which seemed a little unbelievable at times - but once in the safe hands of Inspector Lucca Mazzotta in Palmermo , the clues and evidence started to come together.
The Nonna Donnatella was as to be expected of all scary Italian grandmothers but I liked the twist in family secrets which showed a better side to her.
Mention of the Mafia was legitimate as Sicily even now retains the spectre of that organisation "It's like a disease of the island."
Overall a good read especially on holiday this summer. You could feel the heat of passion and anger off the pages as the suspects and clued were peeled off like layers of clothing on a sun drenched sandy beach.
Bellissimo!!!

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i'll read anything louise douglas writes, and i'm always excited to see a new book from her. however, #thesecretofvillaalba wasn't my favorite. i did not feel connected to one of the main characters, april, at all. i found her to be pretty bland and without much personality. i also thought she figured things out pretty quickly, w/o much evidence. still a compelling read, though, with a great sense of place and great, twisty plot. i enjoyed it immensely as evidenced by my finishing it in two days!

P.S. thanks to #netgalley and #boldwoodbooks for the ARC.

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