Chess and Emily have been best friends for most of their lives. Now in their thirties, their relationship has been strained by the demands of adulthood. When Chess suggests a summer vacation in Italy, Emily jumps at the chance of a new adventure and to rekindle their friendship. 

When Emily arrives at Villa Aestas in Orvieto, she is blown away. But it’s not an ordinary vacation home. It’s one with a complicated past that sparks her curious mind. Back in 1974, known then as Villa Rosato, it was the summer home to notorious rock legend Noel Gordon. Looking to reignite his creative spark, Noel invited up and coming musician Pierce Sheldon to join him along with Pierce’s girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. Unknowingly, the invitation set in motion a chain of events that led to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album, and Pierce’s brutal murder. As Emily begins to dig into the past, she soon realizes that it may not have been all sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Secrets soon come to light and it seems that history has a way of repeating itself. 

Wow! Just wow! I loved every second reading this book and I think Rachel Hawkins is now one of my top favorite authors!