The Villa: A Novel

Emily and Chess were close as children, but their friendship has grown distant in adulthood. When Chess proposes a trip to Italy, Emily welcomes the chance to reconnect. They visit Villa Aestas in Orvieto, a luxury rental home that was formerly known as Villa Rosato. In 1974, rock star Noel Gordon rented Villa Rosato for the summer, inviting musician Pierce Sheldon, Pierce's girlfriend Mari, and her stepsister Lara to join him. That summer ended in Pierce's murder and produced two significant cultural works: Mari wrote one of the greatest horror novels of all time, and Lara composed a platinum album. As Emily investigates the villa's history, she questions whether Pierce's death was simply the result of excess and conflict, or if something darker occurred. She searches for clues in the works Mari and Lara created. However, her research creates tension between her and Chess, and present-day betrayals surface alongside revelations from the past. By summer's end, the villa may claim another victim. The novel draws inspiration from Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle, where Frankenstein originated.