The Night Villa Audiobook

" It had a slow start and had the feel of a made-for-TV movie, but the action picked up about 1/2 way through. It was then I realized why it could've been seleceted for a Reader's Choice book at the library. There were a lot of twists and turns. I was happy to see the one I thought was the bad guy ended up being the bad guy. The ending was maybe a little too good, and I would've like to see a little bit more resolution between the two main characters. Overall it was pretty good. "

" So far everything I've ever read by Carol Goodman has been intriguing and thought-provoking. This book was utterly fascinating. "

" I really liked the historical-component of the fiction, even more so the mythological aspect. :) "

" Set in the ancient city of Herculaneum, this mystery/thriller is filled with little tidbits about ancient Rome. It has two main plots: an ancient story of a female slave in Herculaneum involved in mystery rites and early Christianity, and a modern plot involving an archeological dig, classics studies, a Pythagorean cult, and a school shooting. While parts of the story are more believable than others, it is a quick, interesting read. I was especially pleased with the ending of the story. I wish the main character, Sophie, had a little more backbone. "

" Another good read from Carol Goodman. I especially liked the location of this book with the plot mostly taken place on Pompeii. "

" Great setting in southern Italy, on Capri, Naples and Herculaneum near Pompeii. The story of the Vesuvius eruption of 79AD is interspersed with a current tale of the excavation of The Night Villa. There's also a mystery regarding a secret cult and a search for a lost scroll. Goodman's writing is lovely and she does a great job evoking the atmosphere of present-day Capri and ancient Herculaneum. There are a couple of nice twists in the mystery and a nice discussion of the author's writing process follows. "

" Good suspense - this one reminds me a bit of Phyllis Whitney or Mary Stewart in their prime; intrepid heroine with a history, exotic location, mysterious events, several romantic possibilities. Entertaining. "

" Listening to it on CD's. Love the narrator. Very intriguing story. Can't wait to get into my car to continue listening. A little disappointed in the ending. "

" Okay, so I'll admit, by the end I was just skimming because it just felt overdone. I love Carol Goodman, but this wasn't my favorite. "

" Well the atmosphere was nice and the descriptions as well. Otherwise it was completely predicatable. No different than a James Rollins or Child and Prescott adventure without the fast pace. I'd make a 2 and 1/2 but that would be pushing it. "

" Like the DaVinci Code, this book has mysteries and secrets. They focus on Greek/Roman mythology rather than Christianity. Between cults, maenads, buried cities, Italy, and Austin, there is a lot going on and worth the journey. "

" Love the history connection with Italy. Will read again "

" I loved Ms. Goodman's first 3 or 4 books, but the ones since then just bore me. Sad. "

" Light summer mystery that feels more literary than most. "

" Long winded and slow to get into - worth reading if you have nothing better to do other then that don't bother "

" What an interesting way to construct a story! And the characters were all intriguing...there were some parts that were a bit far-fetched, but overall a great and compelling read. A fortunate accident that I picked this one up, and I'm looking forward to exploring more of her work. "

" Not one of Goodman's best, but still a good read. I love how much background info she includes on the history of Pompeii "

" This is the first book I've read by this author and I absolutely loved it. I had a hard time putting it down. "

" I liked her Sonnet Lover and this one really had the same vibe. It would be a great beach book. She does a nice job of teaching the reader something about history in the guise of a mystery. I like her twists and her characters. I'll definitely read more Goodman. "

" decent read, but ending was predictable.. "

" A nice change from her other mysteries-exotic setting and not as easy to predict. "

" Great little thriller set at an archaeological dig of all things. I hated the first chapter or so, but once the plot got going, I couldn't put it down. Lots of classical references throughout. She was killing my inner English Major softly and whatnot. "

" It was good, I liked the whole villa in Italy thing. The whole story of Herculaneum is very interesting. The whole classic/Latin thing was above me as usual, but I did like reading about it. "

" Loved it! I enjoyed the historical aspect as well as the present story. The setting was wonderful. "

" This took me forever to get through. I think it was a combination of the characters being completely unlikeable and the subject matter. It was a very interesting theme (finding ancient scrolls, cults etc.), but unlike Carol Goodman's other books, I just could not get into this one. "

" Cult worship of gods/Pythagorians cult; good read-suspenseful & historical "

" I liked her Sonnet Lover and this one really had the same vibe. It would be a great beach book. She does a nice job of teaching the reader something about history in the guise of a mystery. I like her twists and her characters. I'll definitely read more Goodman. "

" as always carol goodman delivers with a smart and fascinating mystery! "

" Listening to it on CD's. Love the narrator. Very intriguing story. Can't wait to get into my car to continue listening. A little disappointed in the ending. "

" Love this author but this was not my favorite of hers. Still an entertaining mystery. "

" Good suspense - this one reminds me a bit of Phyllis Whitney or Mary Stewart in their prime; intrepid heroine with a history, exotic location, mysterious events, several romantic possibilities. Entertaining. "