A review by bookishpsychologist
The Woman in the Castello by Kelsey James
4.0
I really enjoyed this novel from a promising new author! I found it a bit hard to categorize, as it combines elements of historical fiction, feminism, family drama, mystery, and suspense, but they all worked together to create a fast-paced and captivating read.
Set in mid-1960s Italy, the story follows the protagonist, Silvia, an Italian-American single mother and aspiring actress, who returns to Italy with her young daughter in tow at the behest of her mother, who is dying of cancer and desires to spend her remaining days in her homeland. There, Silvia reunites with her affluent estranged aunt, a former actress who resides in a castello (castle) in the Italian countryside. Silvia manages to land the lead role in a horror movie (think a Hitchcock-inspired film), which ends up being filmed on the grounds of her aunt's castle. Things quickly go awry, however, as her aunt suddenly vanishes, Silvia begins to uncover family secrets, and she becomes the recipient of threatening messages and gestures, realizing that life may actually be imitating art.
Overall, this was a solidly 4-star read for me, and the audiobook version was great, as the different voices and accents of the characters were entertaining. I look forward to future novels by this author!
Thanks to Kensington Books, NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the audiobook access to this novel! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Set in mid-1960s Italy, the story follows the protagonist, Silvia, an Italian-American single mother and aspiring actress, who returns to Italy with her young daughter in tow at the behest of her mother, who is dying of cancer and desires to spend her remaining days in her homeland. There, Silvia reunites with her affluent estranged aunt, a former actress who resides in a castello (castle) in the Italian countryside. Silvia manages to land the lead role in a horror movie (think a Hitchcock-inspired film), which ends up being filmed on the grounds of her aunt's castle. Things quickly go awry, however, as her aunt suddenly vanishes, Silvia begins to uncover family secrets, and she becomes the recipient of threatening messages and gestures, realizing that life may actually be imitating art.
Overall, this was a solidly 4-star read for me, and the audiobook version was great, as the different voices and accents of the characters were entertaining. I look forward to future novels by this author!
Thanks to Kensington Books, NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the audiobook access to this novel! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.