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The Villa in Italy
 
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The Villa in Italy (Paperback)

by Elizabeth Edmondson (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd (4 Dec 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0007223773
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007223770
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 586 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review
Praise for Voyage of Innocence: 'I loved it.' Woman 'A very interesting book, not only because it gives a flavour of life in the thirties...it's a way of imbibing history.' Oxford Times 'Well written and superbly researched...a thoroughly enjoyable read. A must.' Yours Praise for The Frozen Lake: 'Charming.' The Bookseller 'Dark family secrets, long buried,if not forgotten, bubble to the surface. A novel that is vivid and engrossing.' Choice 'An intriguing read.' Woman The Frozen Lake: 'An excellent read.' Evening Echo 'A great book to curl up with on a cold winter afternoon.' Belfast Evening Telegraph

Product Description
This is a marvellously atmospheric tale of four strangers summoned to a grand but neglected villa on the Italian coast. Each of them has been named in a will, but not one of them knows their benefactress...Four very different people are named in a will: Delia, an opera singer robbed of her voice by illness; George, an idealistic scientist who cannot face what his skills have created; Marjorie, desperately poor and unable to dislodge her writer's block; and Lucius, ostensibly in control but whose personal life is in chaos. All are summoned to the Villa Dante, home of the late Beatrice Malaspina. But who was she? While they wait to find out, the villa begins to work its seductive magic. With its faded frescoes, overgrown garden and magnificent mediaeval tower, it is unlike anywhere they have been before. Slowly, four characters who have gone to great lengths to hide their troubles find that change - and even hope - is possible after all. But the mysterious Beatrice has a devastating secret to reveal that will affect them all! A beautiful evocation of Italy in the aftermath of World War Two, the personal consequences of living through such a time, and a celebration of humankind's ability to heal and learn to love again, this most absorbing novel will win Elizabeth Edmondson a host of new fans.

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Customer Reviews

17 Reviews
5 star:
 (10)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
56 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Cleverly done. Lovely tale of delightful intrigue, 10 April 2007
By Jenna (Greater Manchester) - See all my reviews
Having just finished reading "The Villa in Italy", quite honestly I wish I hadn't. It had become a restful yet highly entertaining companion for those private relaxing moments which are so special in life. It also gave me food for thought, which is always an excellent diet.
The four main characters are drawn to the Villa Dante by being named in the will of the deceased owner, a lady who is a complete stranger to them all. Beatrice Malaspina soon becomes a richly engrossing enigma and her cleverly laid plan creates an atmosphere where they begin to interact with each other at a deeper level, and to shine a torch into all the dusty corners of their lives. Gradually, as the mystery starts to unravel amid the magnificent yet tranquil magic of the Italian coastal landscape, the characters learn the truth about the whens, whys and wherefores of their visit. Then the healing can begin and the myriad gifts contained in the will can be discovered and accepted.
This author writes with a gently flowing style which is totally absorbing and the story is populated with well drawn characters who are easy to become attached to and interested in. What isn't easy is the predictability of any of the outcomes. Ms Edmondson never telegraphs much about the details of her plot before they are revealed, providing the reader with a constant flow of surprises to keep the pages turning.
This is the second of Elizabeth Edmondson's books I have read, and I relish her style and great ability to weave a clever mystery.
If I have one complaint it would be that I find it hard to believe that these characters could suddenly take so much time off from their daily lives at such short notice to spend a month or so in Italy. There again I think that could be just plain old jealousy!!
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written mystery, 19 Feb 2007
By K. A. Brenchley "Karen" (Tadley, Hampshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Having read The Frozen Lake I was keen to read another of Elizabeth Edmondson's novels and have not been disappointed. Four strangers collect at the Italian home of the late Beatrice Malaspina, drawn there by a legacy to each of them which they can only claim if they can find a codicil to her will. None of them knew the deceased, and their gradual discovery, first about their own lives, and then about how they are connected with her, is a fascinating and wonderfully written tale. Ms Edmonson perfectly captures the sense of peace and calm that they all find at the villa, and I found it hard to put down. Little of the outcome can be guessed at, and if I have a tiny complaint it is that so much is unravelled in the final few pages, and I wanted a few more to find out how they all settled after discovering the truth. Though perhaps it was just that I didn't want the book to end. I am a big fan of her writing style and look forward to reading more by her. Many books I purchase get passed on or given to the charity bins, but this is one to put back on the shelf to be enjoyed again sometime. Highly recommended if you like Rosamund Pilcher, Michelle Pavey.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story, 20 Jul 2007
By Janice Pickup "Avid reader" (Yorkshire England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This story was a wonderful experience of observation and a great build up to the final chapter, you feel as though the characters are your friends or even your relatives going through this wonderful Italian mystery, the story is told in such a way that you feel as though you are lay on the terrace watching everything unfolding, I was never once disappointed with the twist and turns of the story.
The author has spent just the right time on each characters, you know how they will react to a situation,the details that they see are explained in such an in depth exciting way that you can see them too!
A fabulous read that unfolds and captures you to the very last page.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely book with lots of twist and turns in the story line.
I loved this book because it kept me guessing right up until the end to why these people from different walks of life were named in the will of a woman they didn't know. Read more
Published 12 days ago by B. L. Radcliffe

3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting read...
This was a very pleasurable book to read.Not a great work of literature and the rather naive style of writing occasionally irritated me, but it was enjoyable. Read more
Published 16 days ago by brooklawncello

5.0 out of 5 stars a beautiful book
I just loved this book, i am not going to write loads as it will spoil it for you, but it is a book that is well written and absorbing, the people are not all nice and do have... Read more
Published 24 days ago by Mrs. T. SALMON

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
I really enjoyed this book, easy to read, characters which come to life and a intriguing story line. A great book to take on holiday as it is easy to dip in and out of. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Campbell79

5.0 out of 5 stars A family affair in Italy
Elizabeth Edmondson has written a rather unusual and fascinating mystery story. She writes in a rather oldfashioned style which suits the times she is writing about admirably... Read more
Published 4 months ago by S. Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars A really great read
This was onother book that sat on my bookshelf for a couple of months, because I bought it to fill an order to get free P&P (when free P&P was £15) and thought it would be a... Read more
Published 5 months ago by John Meanwood

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, could not put it down
This is a cleaver, warm and at times shocking book. There are so many twists and turns that you just don't see coming. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Ms. J. L. Brown

4.0 out of 5 stars Gentle Mystery
This novel really is a feel good read, the setting is lovely and the characters each with their own demons are the kind of characters you come to care about. Read more
Published 10 months ago by A. Hope

3.0 out of 5 stars Spoilt by the style
The magical effect on four strangers brought together for a month in Italy is a theme previously explored by Elizabeth von Arnim in `The Enchanted April'. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Suzie

4.0 out of 5 stars A charming summer story
I thoroughly enjoyed this old fashioned, friendly, life affirming story. It all worked out in the end as it should if that isn't too much of a spoiler. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mrs. Katharine Kirby

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