I’m super excited to be on this book tour for The Secret Of Villa Alba by Louise Douglas. Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the gifted ebook in order to write an honest review.
1968, Sicily. Just months after a terrible earthquake has destroyed the mountain town of Gibellina, Enzo and his wife Irene Borgata are making their way back to the family home, Villa Alba, on roads overlooked by the eerie backdrop of the flattened ghost town. When their car breaks down, Enzo leaves his young wife to go and get help, but when he returns there is no trace of Irene. No body, no sign of a struggle, nothing.
2003. TV showman and true crime aficionado Milo Conti is Italy’s darling, uncovering and solving historic crimes for his legion of fans. When he turns his attention to the story of the missing Irene Borgata, accusing her husband of her murder, Enzo’s daughter Maddi asks her childhood friend, retired detective April Cobain, for help to prove her father’s innocence. But the tale April discovers is murky: mafia meetings, infidelity, mistaken identity, grief and unshakable love. As the world slowly closes in on the claustrophobic Villa Alba, and the house begins to reveal its secrets, will the Borgata family wish they’d never asked April to investigate? And what did happen to Enzo’s missing wife Irene?
Bestselling author Louise Douglas returns with an irresistibly compelling, intriguing and captivating tale of betrayal, love, jealousy and the secrets buried in every family history.
Told over dual timelines The Secret of Villa Alba is an atmospheric read that I was immersed in from the start. Louise Douglas just has that knack. I have enjoyed everything she has written previously and was quite impatient to start the book.
Set in Sicily over dual timelines, this is a mystery that simply oozes atmosphere. Told by dual narratives also. We meet Irene from the 1960s and April in 2003. Maddalena Borgato’s stepmother Irene vanishes in May of 1968. Maddalena’s father Enzo is suspected of killing her, but due to the fact of finding no body, ever. The case is left to go cold.
Fast forward to 2003, and Maddalena contacts April Cobain, her friend requesting help. There is a TV programme called ‘Cold Case’ and Maddalena is worried they will frame her father, Enzo, for Irene’s disappearance. April is an ex – detective but isn’t quite sure whether to help or not. She decides to do it and arrives at Villa Alba. Will she be able to get to the real truth before the TV programme? It’s almost a race against time with the question bring, what did happen to Irene?
Louise Douglas excels at writing atmospheric stories. The sense of place is always strong when I read a book by her. Her descriptions of Sicily took me right there. Such vivid details of the country and Villa Alba. The earthquake of 1968 is also featured. The author expertly describes the devastation and impact this had on Sicily and the area.
The tension and suspense just build from the start. The fact that Irene has never been found as yet does raise the question, has a crime been committed? If not, where is Irene?
As the story develops, the mystery becomes deeper, leading to me feeling really on edge. I felt like I was waiting for something horrendous to come to light. Tension wasn’t the word here. It was something bigger. I do appreciate this type of book. It gives my blood pressure medication a test!
Purchase Link https://mybook.to/secretvillaalbasocial
Author Bio
Louise Douglas is the bestselling and brilliantly reviewed author and an RNA award winner. The Secrets Between Us was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. She lives in the West Country.
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