Book Synopsis:
Death and mayhem erupt on an exclusive island as it plays host to a reality television show like no other . . . From bestselling author Ruth Kelly, The Villa is an electrifying summer read, perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Catherine Cooper.
A VILLA IN PARADISE
It’s destined to be the ultimate reality TV show. Ten contestants. A luxurious villa on a private island. Every moment streamed live to a global audience who have total control over those competing for the cash prize.
A JOURNALIST UNDERCOVER
Reporter Laura is told to get the inside scoop on her fellow contestants. But once the games begin, she soon finds herself at the mercy of a ruthless producer willing to do anything to increase viewer numbers.
A REALITY SHOW TO DIE FOR
There is more to every contestant than meets the eye, including Laura. They all have secrets they’d like to keep buried, and the pressure in paradise quickly reaches boiling point. How far will the contestants go to secure audience votes? And would somebody really kill to win?
My Review:
The Villa is a dark, gripping and unsettling thriller that will make you look at reality shows in a completely different way.
The story is told from the point of view of three people, The reporter, the Producer and The viewers. This made the story very intriguing especially as the Reporter was told mainly in the present tense with a few flashbacks to events before the show while the producer was told from the future after the show had finished. I loved following the two timelines and trying to work out what had happened. It helped create a bit of tension in the book as events are revealed in one timeline which made me curious how they would impact the other.
I thought that most of the characters were very unlikeable though as the story goes on and we find out more about their backgrounds or as events in the villa unfold I did start feeling sorry for a few of them. It was a bit uncomfortable at times to see how easily they could be manipulated and what they’d be willing to do to win.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to everyone. The story had a great pace to it and I soon found myself drawn into the story, unable to put the book down as I wanted to know what on earth would happen next. It was quite chilling to see how the game was changed throughout the book and how it affected the people inside the villa. It has definitely made me think more about reality shows and to wonder how much of the show is scripted or changed to make for better viewing.
The ending was absolutely brilliant and I read the last 100 pages very quickly as there was so much happening. I especially loved the surprise twist at the end just when I thought everything had been tied up as I really wasn’t expecting that.
Huge thanks to Chloe from Pan Macmillan for my copy of this book. I can’t wait to read more from this author in future.
About The Author:
Ruth Kelly is an award-winning journalist who has ghosted a string of Sunday Times top ten bestsellers – most recently THE PRISON DOCTOR, which sold over 250,000 copies, and THE GOVERNOR, which went straight in at number one on the Amazon charts and number five in the Sunday Times bestseller list.
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