Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1881 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Review
'This book's great for escaping the cold UK winter' Closer 'Enthralling!this is an enchanting read from start to finish.' Woman 'Deeply satisfying!rich and compelling. The perfect read' Oxford Times 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 The Villa in Italy 'This well-made tale springs from a classic device!The author has a fine feel for time and place' Nottingham Evening Post 'Must read' Reading Post 'A sweet-tempered and engaging tale!Edmondson's honeyed prose offers the solace of escape from the mundane. She is worth indulging.' Sydney Morning Herald 'Immensely readable and satisfying' Good Reading 'An intriguing story' Australian Women's Weekly

About the Author
Born in Chile, and educated in Calcutta and London before going to Oxford University, Elizabeth Edmondson now divides her time between the countryside north of Rome and the spires of Oxford. She is married to an art historian and has two children.

Customer Reviews

Cleverly done. Lovely tale of delightful intrigue
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!!

Beautifully written mystery
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.

Great Story
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.