The Night Villa

By: Carol Goodman

Narrated by: Susanna Burney

Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

An evocative tale of intrigue, romance, and treachery, Carol Goodman's spellbinding new novel, The Night Villa, follows the fascinating lives of two remarkable women centuries apart.

The eruption of Italy's Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 buried a city and its people, their treasures and secrets. Centuries later, echoes of this disaster resonate with profound consequences in the life of classics professor Sophie Chase.

In the aftermath of a tragic shooting on the University of Texas campus, Sophie seeks sanctuary on the isle of Capri, immersing herself in her latest scholarly project alongside her colleagues, her star pupil, and their benefactor, the compelling yet enigmatic business mogul John Lyros.

Beneath layers of volcanic ash lies the Villa della Notte - the Night Villa - home to first-century nobles, as well as to the captivating slave girl at the heart of an ancient controversy. And secreted in a subterranean labyrinth rests a cache of antique documents believed lost to the ages: a prize too tantalizing for Sophie to resist.

But suspicion, fear, and danger roam the long-untrodden tunnels and chambers beneath the once sumptuous estate - especially after Sophie sees the face of her former lover in the darkness, leaving her to wonder if she is chasing shadows or succumbing to the siren song of the Night Villa. Whatever shocking events transpired in the face of Vesuvius's fury have led to deeper, darker machinations that inexorably draw Sophie into their vortex, rich in stunning revelations and laden with unseen menace.

©2008 Carol Goodman (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Goodman deftly mixes cultural and religious history, geography, myth, personal memory, dream and even portent without sacrificing narrative drive, against the beautiful backdrop of the locale with its echoes of unimaginable loss." ( Publishers Weekly)
"The pleasure of a Carol Goodman novel is in her enviable command of the classical canon - and the deft way she [writes] a book that's light enough for a weekend on the beach but literary enough for a weekend in the Hamptons." ( Chicago Tribune)

Spellbinding

Amazing story. Had me stumped about the villains for quite a while. A great combination of archeology, mythical gods, cults, and present day mystery. The narrative was okay. Narrator's accents could use some work.

Historical lesson with a predictable plot

I'm not saying it was bad, but I hate predicting the outcome within the first 2 chapters. Narrator did well with what she had to work with.

what a pleasant surprise

I have never read this author before and I was pleasantly surprised. Her story telling draws you in and leaves you wanting more!

very good story

i enjoyed the story and the plot. Some day I am sure, I will listen to it again.

Interesting Story

I liked the premise of the story, although it started a little slow for me. I did not enjoy the narrator. She didn’t have enough inflection and her cadence was similar to a children’s book reader at the library: slow and deliberate. It’s not awful, it just wasn’t my favorite.

Enchanting

I love this story, history, mystery, romance and so much more. Carol Goodman is amazingly detailed and every story weaves its own magic spell. Audible needs to get every Goodman story in their catalog. Nothing she writes ever disappoints.

I’d recommend

Pretty good storyline but the ending seemed a bit abrupt. It was well written and the characters were interesting

This was fantastic

I wish I could write a review. But I cannot because I am crying. This is beautiful it is written well and is narrated well. I would suggest that anyone with an interest in classic mythology listen to this and remember we all come from the same source.

hard to get into

very slow at the beginning and too much religious history for me. by the time I got into it it was done.

Intelligently written

This is my second Carol Goodman novel. Both had me staying up late to just one more chapter…or two. Most authors cannot hold both the plot’s secret and the reader’s attention for the same length of time - one usually lost before the other. In this case, however, I found the twist to be surprising up until a few paragraphs before it was officially announced.
Also, the narrator did a fantastic job. She has a delightfully alto voice with a little bit of morning huskiness and a dab of southern honey. Perfect to zone out to for an hour or so.