The Villa

How it reads

The Villa is thriller (psychological thriller, specifically), and its dominant mood is tense. The suspense is the kind you feel in your shoulders. It moves fast: plot-driven and hard to put down, the kind of book that carries you along even when you're tired.

It's set in an international setting, in the recent past, told in the first person by several narrators. Its central concerns are friendship, secrets and art and creativity. In weight it's light and escapist — easy to fall into.

It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending is left open, for you to argue about. At 276 pages it's a quick read. It's well known, the kind of book most keen readers have heard of.