The Villa

An Addictive Summer Thriller From The Bestselling, Richard & Judy Book Club Pick Author

By: Ruth Kelly

Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Evie Hargreaves, Laura Aikman

‘A deliciously addictive thriller’ – T.M. Logan, author of The Holiday

An exclusive island plays host to a reality show like no other. Cutthroat, twisting and unputdownable, The Villa is a killer beach read from bestselling author Ruth Kelly.

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?

'A scorching, smouldering, turbo-charged cocktail of sun, sex and secrets' – Veronica Henry

Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Catherine Cooper.

People love The Villa:

'I couldn't wait to see how it ended'

'Brilliantly narrated'

'Fast-paced and exciting'

'I absolutely loved this'

Critic reviews

‘A deliciously addictive thriller that will hook you in like the best – and scariest – reality TV show you’ve ever seen’ (T.M. Logan, bestselling author of The Holiday and The Mother)

Set to be the hottest read of 2023, The Villa is a scorching, smouldering, turbo-charged cocktail of sun, sex and secrets. Ruth Kelly has redefined the airport thriller for our times. Fantastic! (Veronica Henry, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Impulse Purchase)

A 'Love Island' type setting, an undercover journalist and a cast of characters who can't be trusted - what could possibly go wrong? A glamorous backdrop and some unexpected twists - great fun (Catherine Cooper, author of The Chalet)

The Villa provides a dark, shocking and compulsive look both in front of and behind the cameras of a glamorous reality show –from a talented writer with true insider know-how. I was riveted! (C. M. Ewan, author of The Interview)

Packed with sex, secrets and drama, with a sun-drenched Spanish island setting, The Villa is the perfect holiday read! (Allie Reynolds, author of Shiver)

Brilliantly pacy, unique, and terrifyingly poignant, The Villa is a scorcher of a read to put on your list this summer! (L. V. Matthews)

A clever idea paired with Ruth Kelly’s brilliant writing, this book is as current and relevant as it gets. The pace doesn’t let up - I’ve stayed up way too late every night I’ve been reading this and loved every page of this delicious thriller (Caroline Corcoran, Sunday Times bestselling author of Through the Wall)

The Villa is a morality tale for the modern age; The Hunger Games meets Love Island, as wannabee influencers debase themselves for the sake of fame and fortune . . . at a deadly cost. Deliciously dark fun (Lizzy Barber, author of Out of her Depth)

Timely, dark, sharp and sexy - you won't watch a dating show the same way again (Katy Brent, author of How To Kill Men And Get Away With It)

A sizzling debut! A brilliantly tense and claustrophobic page-turner right to the end (Emma Christie, author of The Silent Daughter)

Full of emotion, passion and twists and turns, which are guaranteed to keep the pages turning as you top up your tan on the beach, this summer

Glossy, addictive thriller with a terrifyingly manipulative undercurrent (Michelle Frances, author of The Girlfriend)

A compelling, behind-the-scenes thriller with some wicked twists

A gripping thriller with some wicked twists

Different

It was a bit of lord of the flies meets reality tv with a little 1984 mixed in.

Loved it!

This was so good- easy listening great story! I couldn’t stop- took longer hikes just so I could keep listening!!

Good then better then boring

The first few chapters were good although it took me a couple listens to get into them. Then it got a little better, then I got boring then I got better and then the last 45 minutes or so was just a complete dumpster fire. Don’t think I’ll buy any books by this author again.

Absolutely Brilliant

This is a fantastic book. Ruth Kelly paints a wonderful picture of a reality game show gone murderously wrong where no one is who they appear to be. The descriptions of the locations, the characters, the fast paced action make this an addictive read. The audio book is one of the best I've heard with the three narrators bringing it to life perfectly.

Predictable story line.

Predictable storyline. Had to force myself to read until the end. In need of character development.