A good fast paced read that will keep you hooked from the first page. I really enjoyed this read first book I've read by this author.

I really enjoyed this book and the character development. This book was thrilling and the plot was full of surprises, I managed to read this book in 3 days (would have been quicker if I could have skipped being an adult) as I just couldn’t put it down (until I was forced to have to attend work!) really recommend this to all

Vacation thrillers are neat because you get to imagine a fabulous location far from home but then terrible things happen there so you can be like oh it's not that great. I'm happy here on my couch and not jealous of people vacationing in Italy because murders happen abroad. And the locals are weird and the whole shebang is infested with expats. Yikes! Luv u, couch!

I did very much enjoy thinking about lazy days at a Tuscan villa drinking wine by the pool even though there's an active murder investigation going on. But what really felt luxurious about this was the European-ness of it all, where people have a month of vacation time from work, and high school graduates can take a "gap year" which Americans kinda don't really do and that year can involve lounging around in Italy making TikToks, and just like buying a villa in Italy is a reasonable activity, and you can swan around in caftans and people will still take you seriously. Wild!

That said, this book was overall fine. Which is to say occasionally ridiculous but not without sympathetic characters, and engaging and well-paced enough to make for a nice weekend read. The final twist was dumb as hell (if you're going to try and <spoiler>Big Little Lies</spoiler> it you need to have your shit together well enough for that kind of coincidence to be forgivable), and mostly I was left with the feeling that the two leads, Cerys and Zoe, should give bisexuality a try with each other. It could not possibly go worse for them than how things ended up with their husbands.

Anyway, sometimes I wonder if thrillers written by men are just judged less harshly in general, because the current overall Goodreads 4.23 star rating feels insaaaanely generous to me in a genre where readers (myself included!) are for the most part supremely unafraid to pop off a three star on a middling work. Can everyone please just be meaner to men? It feels great, trust me. Kinda tingly.

My thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Last Night at Villa Lucia is a great mystery thriller book. It is a fast paced read, it is told in multiple characters point of view from the beginning until the end, and it has shocking and surprising twist too. This was my first book that I have read by Simon McCleave and I plan to read more of his books in the future. Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review a ARC of this book.

Amazing! A really gripping read that kept me hooked throughout. There was a cpl of dark topics that weren't in the synopsis but it was all good! Really well developed characters, realistic plot lines and just some very clever weaving together of plot lines made this a must read for me

Twists and turns and girl power! Things at the beginning of the book were finalized at the end and wrapped up neatly. I loved the woman duo and how the ending included everyone in a fresh beginning. Good, well paced mystery in a beautiful location!

Great mystery novel. Lots of twists and turns. Beautiful imagery. This will have you guessing the whole way through!

"Last Night at Villa Lucia" starts with an intriguing setup: a beautiful Tuscan villa, a group of guests with hidden agendas, and a shocking murder that disrupts the idyllic setting. Recently divorced, Cerys has poured her heart and soul into Villa Lucia, hoping to turn it into a successful luxury getaway and move on from her painful past. But when one of her guests is found dead in the infinity pool, the secrets of the villa's visitors start to unravel, and Cerys finds herself caught in a web of deceit that could destroy everything she's worked for.

The story captures the tension and suspense of a classic whodunit, with each character hiding something that could make them a suspect. As the police investigation unfolds, Cerys is not just an observer but deeply entangled in the mystery, forcing her to confront her own troubled past. The setting adds an atmospheric backdrop, making the villa feel almost like another character in the story, filled with secrets of its own.

However, while the plot is engaging and the suspense keeps you guessing, I rated this book 3 stars due to the lack of a content warning where it was needed. Some sensitive topics are unexpectedly introduced, which may catch readers off guard. This oversight detracted from my overall enjoyment, as a content warning could have prepared me for the themes explored.

Overall, "Last Night at Villa Lucia" is a gripping read with plenty of twists and an evocative setting that draws you in. If you're a fan of mysteries set in beautiful locations with complex characters, this book might be worth checking out—just be aware that some content might come as a surprise.

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and author Simon McCleave for the advanced reader copy of this book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

Simon McCleave's descriptions of this villa in a beautiful area of Tuscany will have everyone who reads this book wanting to find it and visit. It's an extraordinary setting for a murder mystery.

Cerys owns a lovely home in Tuscany. She lives in an annex to the home and rents out the major part of it as a bed & breakfast. Her daughter, Lowri, is currently visiting. Cerys is divorced and an alcoholic in denial. Zoe, Harry, and their son Charlie arrive on a much-needed vacation from London. Cerys and Zoe bond, as do Charlie and Lowry a bit. Lowry is an aspiring musician and Harry happens to be the A&R man for a record company.

What could have been an enjoyable time for everyone takes a dark turn when Harry is found floating in the infinity pool one morning. The Italian police swoop in to investigate. What at first seemed to be a terrible accident was actually a murder and everyone seems to be a suspect.

I have to say this was a mystery that didn't keep me guessing. I was sure I knew who did it - and I was completely wrong. The path to the identity of the murderer is fraught with secrets. Everyone seems to have a reason to have wanted Harry dead. Both women were abused by their husbands and stayed with them despite it until Cerys had enough and left, taking possession of the villa. Zoe knows some of her husband's faults, including infidelity and abuse, and stays with him. Lowry knows her father's overbearing and possessive nature and has come to stay with her mother to get away from all of that, yet he still is trying to keep tabs on her from London. When he shows up in Italy after the murder, his behavior also makes him a suspect. Charlie has been distancing himself from his father. He knows what Harry is like and doesn't particularly like his father.

Finally, there are the two caretakers. The villa was built by Lucia's father (who named it after her) and she has some resentment of another family living there. Her husband, Lorenzo, has a questionable background. They are afraid of his past coming back to haunt them.

This was a great thriller to read. The setting was so stunning and described very well. It was easy to picture everything that was happening. The characters are all caught up in toxicity that they can't seem to shake. The police investigator was thorough but sympathetic. He has evidence that Harry was not a nice guy, but that still doesn't excuse a murder.

I also loved the relationships formed out of this. Seeing Cerys and Zoe grow close to each other seemed like a natural thing. The reader knows they have common experiences, but the women do not for quite a while. Still, there's something in them that draws them to each other. It also seemed obvious that something was going to happen between Charlie and Lowry, but the situation also gave them both the possibility of growing closer or falling apart. The setting and characters were so well-crafted and authentic.

If you like thriller mysteries in a beautiful setting, I think you'll thoroughly enjoy Last Night at Villa Lucia. It's also a great summer read. I found myself immersed in the setting so much that I'd like to go back to Tuscany.

This book has everything needed for a strong thriller, and didn't disappoint! I would highly recommend.

super thrilling and downright addicting!! i loved this from start to finish. it was such a quick read because the content itself was so addicting you couldn't put the book down. i will definitely read more from this author.

An OK, if predictable read.
Family consisting of domineering father, troubled wife, and teenage son rent villarun by alcoholic woman divorced from abusive ex-husband, and her beautiful daughter. Housekeepers husband has violent past.
Someone dies.
Predictable twists.

This book is told by multiple POV's which made it hard to guess who had done it. He writes about difficult topics with honesty and sensitivity. I thought it was extremely well done.

Simon McCleave’s Last Night at Villa Lucia is a gripping true crime thriller that delves into the dark side of a seemingly idyllic retreat. Set against the backdrop of a luxurious Tuscan villa, the novel explores themes of deceit, betrayal, and the unraveling of a perfect facade.

The narrative unfolds with a tantalizing hook: Cerys, grappling with the aftermath of a tumultuous evening, is left to piece together the fragments of a night that has gone terribly wrong. The villa, a symbol of her attempts to rebuild her life post-divorce, becomes the setting for a shocking crime that threatens to upend everything she has tried to leave behind.

As the story progresses, the plot thickens with layers of tension and intrigue. McCleave masterfully builds suspense through a series of flashbacks and fragmented memories, creating a sense of disorientation that mirrors the protagonist's own confusion. The initial tranquility of the Tuscan setting sharply contrasts with the chaos that ensues, making the unraveling mystery all the more jarring.

The central character, Cerys at the heart of the story, is portrayed with depth and complexity. Her journey from a hopeful new beginning to a night of catastrophic events is rendered with emotional intensity. Her strained relationship with her daughter adds a poignant layer to the narrative, underscoring the personal stakes of the unfolding mystery. McCleave’s portrayal of her internal conflict and desperation to uncover the truth is both vivid and empathetic.

Character development extends to the supporting cast as well, each of whom is intricately woven into the story’s web of intrigue. The interactions among the characters are fraught with tension, and their individual motives gradually come to light, adding richness to the narrative. McCleave excels in creating multi-dimensional characters whose personal stakes and hidden agendas drive the plot forward.

The novel’s true crime elements are handled with a keen eye for detail, adding authenticity to the narrative. McCleave’s meticulous attention to the procedural aspects of the investigation lends credibility to the story and enhances the reader’s engagement with the unfolding mystery. The twists and turns are executed with precision, ensuring that the reader remains hooked from start to finish.

Overall, Last Night at Villa Lucia offers a compelling blend of suspense, psychological depth, and intricate plotting. Simon McCleave’s storytelling prowess shines through, making this novel a must-read for fans of true crime thrillers. The combination of a picturesque setting and a dark, unraveling mystery creates a captivating read that will leave readers eager to uncover the truth alongside the protagonist.

Thank you to net galley and storm publishing for this EARC! This one was a little slow starting, I had to give it a couple of chances--- but after you get through the first portion of the book, where you meet all of the characters, it really took off.

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!!

Last Night as Villa Lucia was a fantastic read! I would recommend adding this book to your TBR. This book is full of twist and keeps you guessing who done it. The author did a great job with the storyline. I thought I knew what was going on there boom a twist hit, and I was like ok wasn't expecting that and they just kept coming. The details and info was all pulled together in such a great way. I was just hooked. I had such a hard time putting this book I stayed up all night to finish it lol.. I believe this is the first book I've read from this author but I'm excited to read more in the future!

It is a quick action paced murder mystery thriller told from multiple character pov. The murder happens close to rhe beginning iof the book and the history and sexrets of the other of the characters play out. There is a good couple of twists and misdirection. I did gueese who the killer was despite this. There were a few loose ends that were left to add to the mystery. This was throughly enjoyable especially as the character flaws were on display throughout .
The burb gives a good insight into the story basically a family rent out a villa and one is found dead. I would recommended this to all mystery lovers.
Thank yoy netgallery and publisher and author for this cracking 5 star read.

I thought that this book was alright nothing too special though. It was a good mystery/thriller book though,

This book took me a while to get into. It was sort of slow about getting to the point. It didn’t have a good plot and definitely a twist I didn’t see coming.

Lots of twists and turns. Multiple POVs and timelines; however, the ending was dragged out. Still a good read. #LastNightatVillaLucia #NetGalley.