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The Night Villa Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,699 listener ratings
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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 AD 79 buried a city and its people, their treasures, and their 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.
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"I've become a big fan of Carol Goodman's literary/romance/ mysteries, many of which are based on Goodman's classics background as Latin teacher/scholar. This book may be my favorite of hers--set primarily in Capri and environs, the plot deals with the search for and translation historical scrolls buried in the ruins of ancient Herculaneum--Goodman expertly interweaves history, Roman mythology and the relationships among her contemporary protagonists."
— bookinglibrarian (5 out of 5 stars)
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[A] complex and lyrical literary thriller…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 -
“Sophie Chase, the feisty and intelligent professor at the heart of this historical mystery, is aptly portrayed in Susanna Burney’s lively narration.”
— AudioFile -
“Her darkest, most complex novel to date…Goodman always seamlessly blends present-day suspense with a mystery from the past…Highly recommended for all fiction collections.”
— Library Journal
The Night Villa Listener Reviews
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" 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. "
— Angie, 2/5/2014 -
" So far everything I've ever read by Carol Goodman has been intriguing and thought-provoking. This book was utterly fascinating. "
— Moodyfeline, 1/26/2014 -
" I really liked the historical-component of the fiction, even more so the mythological aspect. :) "
— Kathy, 1/23/2014 -
" 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. "
— Megan, 1/21/2014 -
" Another good read from Carol Goodman. I especially liked the location of this book with the plot mostly taken place on Pompeii. "
— Melanie, 1/17/2014 -
" 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. "
— Jeanne, 1/11/2014 -
" 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. "
— Maura, 1/8/2014 -
" 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. "
— Nancycrosbie, 12/2/2013 -
" 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. "
— Coral, 11/28/2013 -
" 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. "
— Alleycatfan, 11/26/2013 -
" 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. "
— Jana, 11/11/2013 -
" Love the history connection with Italy. Will read again "
— Kim, 10/12/2013 -
" I loved Ms. Goodman's first 3 or 4 books, but the ones since then just bore me. Sad. "
— Angela, 7/31/2013 -
" Light summer mystery that feels more literary than most. "
— Becky, 11/1/2012 -
" Long winded and slow to get into - worth reading if you have nothing better to do other then that don't bother "
— Miche, 8/3/2012 -
" 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. "
— Janet, 5/28/2012 -
" Not one of Goodman's best, but still a good read. I love how much background info she includes on the history of Pompeii "
— Annie, 4/18/2012 -
" This is the first book I've read by this author and I absolutely loved it. I had a hard time putting it down. "
— April, 4/2/2012 -
" 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. "
— Kelly, 12/9/2011 -
" decent read, but ending was predictable.. "
— Jolie, 6/25/2011 -
" A nice change from her other mysteries-exotic setting and not as easy to predict. "
— Maryellenmrphy, 6/9/2011 -
" 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. "
— Rendizz, 6/9/2011 -
" 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. "
— Eva, 6/2/2011 -
" Loved it! I enjoyed the historical aspect as well as the present story. The setting was wonderful. "
— Karen, 5/2/2011 -
" 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. "
— Diana, 4/11/2011 -
" Cult worship of gods/Pythagorians cult; good read-suspenseful & historical "
— Michelle, 4/1/2011 -
" 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. "
— Kelly, 4/1/2011 -
" as always carol goodman delivers with a smart and fascinating mystery! "
— Heaether, 1/25/2011 -
" 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. "
— Nancycrosbie, 1/5/2011 -
" Love this author but this was not my favorite of hers. Still an entertaining mystery. "
— Jennifer, 1/4/2011 -
" 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. "
— Maura, 1/2/2011
About Carol Goodman
Carol Goodman (a.k.a. Juliet Dark) is a critically acclaimed literary suspense writer. Her novels have won the Hammett Prize and the Mary Higgins Clark Award and have been nominated for the Dublin/IMPAC Award and the Nero Wolfe Award. After graduating from Vassar College, where she majored in Latin, she taught Latin for several years in Austin, Texas. She then received an MFA degree in fiction from the New School University, where she teaches writing.
About Susanna Burney
Susanna Burney has appeared in a wide range of plays on stages in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Minneapolis, and Seattle. Her favorite roles include Hamlet, Olga in Three Sisters, Mrs. Wilcox in a stage adaptation of Howard’s End, and as the solo performer in Man to Man, for which she was named best actress of the year in the Seattle weekly, the Stranger. She received her BFA in acting from Boston University.