Strangers in the Villa by Robyn Harding

A psychological thriller about a couple rocked by infidelity who moves to a villa in Spain’s Costa Brava to rebuild their relationship, only to welcome a pair of visitors who have no intention of leaving.

Sydney Lowe’s life in New York is shattered when her husband, Curtis, admits to a meaningless affair with a client. Begging for forgiveness and vowing to prove his devotion, Curtis suggests the couple retreat to a remote hilltop house in Spain to repair their marriage.

High above the Mediterranean, Sydney and Curtis are working on the isolated property and their relationship when a pair of Australian travelers turns up at their door in dire need of help. Lonely for companionship and desperate for free labor, Sydney and Curtis invite the attractive young couple to stay. But as the days pass, dark secrets come to light, the Lowes’ bond is tested, and not everyone will leave the villa alive.

Kindle Edition, 336 pages

Expected publication March 3, 2026

 by Grand Central Publishing

4.5/5 stars

Robyn Harding is a Canadian author who has long been an auto-read for me, so I was thrilled to get an early look at Strangers in the Villa, which releases in March...yea I couldn't wait to read it.  I picked it up one evening 'just to start' and before I knew it, I had devoured the whole thing within a couple days.

The story follows Sydney and Curtis, a couple from bustling New York hoping that a dramatic change of scenery and pace will help them reconnect and reset their marriage. Their solution? Buying a secluded villa in Spain, a gorgeous property full of promise, potential, and the hope of second chances. But isolation can be a double-edged sword and when an Australian couple shows up on their doorstep with car trouble, Sydney and Curtis welcome the company… at first. It doesn’t take long before the cracks begin to show, the atmosphere tightens, and the sense of unease slowly but steadily creeps in.

What unfolded was a intriguing and twisty mystery that kept me on my toes from start to finish. Every character comes with their own baggage, some heavier than others - and while I wouldn’t say I sympathized with any of them, that actually worked in the book’s favor. The different povs kept me on alert as to what was slowing playing out.  It was suspenseful with a nice pace, shortish chapters and cliff hanger chapter endings.  Everything I love in a good suspense mystery.

Another winner from an author I’ll always read.

Big thanks to  Grand Central Publishing for a digital arc (via Netgalley) in exchange for a honest review.

The Haters by Robyn Harding

The bestselling author of The Party and The Drowning Woman returns with a twisted tale of fame, obsession, and the dark recesses of social media.

Camryn Lane is living her dream. After years of struggle and rejection, her first novel has finally been published. Her editor is happy; her teenage daughter is proud; and her boyfriend and friends are all excited for her. She’s on top of the world—until she receives a disturbing message from an unknown sender.

Rattled by the accusations she finds there, Camryn swallows the sick feeling in her stomach and resolves to put the missive out of her mind. But when she checks her ratings on a popular book site, she finds a scathing one-star review. The reviewer is so articulate and convincing that soon, Camryn’s book is flooded with bad reviews. Could the reviewer be the same person who sent the ugly email? And why do they want to ruin her?

As the online harassment creeps into Camryn’s personal life, she vows to find out who’s behind it. Is it really a disgruntled reader? Or could it be someone she knows? The troll’s actions are escalating, and when the abuse turns deadly, it will take everything Camryn has to unmask the enemy so intent on destroying her—and finally learn why she's being targeted.

Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Expected publication July 2, 2024

 by Grand Central Publishing

4/5 stars

Author Robin Harding has yet again written another captivating read that kept me glued to the pages.

For any aspiring writer, Camryn,  this would be your dream come true after years of rejection. Her first novel is finally published and what is supposed to be a celebration turns ugly and personal. Who is this mystery reviewer leaving bad reviews that quickly escalates into something personal. For Camryn her emotions get the better of her, doing things out of character.

I enjoyed this book, though I had my suspicions, they would get blocked with the twists that came within the pages. As a devoted guidance couselor Camryn struggles with the accusations. Going through a messy divorce, could it be the ex husband, jealous teachers or friends, students?  A quick read with shortish chapters.

I finished this in a day and half. Look for it on shelf’s in a months time.

My thanks to Grand Central Publishing for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding

The bestselling author of The Party returns with a deliciously twisted story of friendship, retribution, and betrayal about a homeless woman fleeing a dangerous past—and the wealthy society wife she saves from drowning, who pulls her into a dark web of secrets and lies.

Lee Gulliver never thought she’d find herself living on the streets—no one ever does—but when her restaurant fails, and she falls deeper into debt, she leaves her old life behind with nothing but her clothes and her Toyota Corolla. In Seattle, she parks in a secluded spot by the beach to lay low and plan her next move—until early one morning, she sees a sobbing woman throw herself into the ocean. Lee hauls the woman back to the surface, but instead of appreciation, she is met with fury. The drowning woman, Hazel, tells her that she wanted to die, that she’s trapped in a toxic, abusive marriage, that she’s a prisoner in her own home. Lee has thwarted her one chance to escape her life.

Out of options, Hazel retreats to her gilded cage, and Lee thinks she’s seen the last of her, until her unexpected return the next morning. Bonded by disparate but difficult circumstances, the women soon strike up a close and unlikely friendship. And then one day, Hazel makes a shocking request: she wants Lee to help her disappear. It’ll be easy, Hazel assures her, but Lee soon learns that nothing is as it seems, and that Hazel may not be the friend Lee thought she was.

 Kindle Edition, 336 pages

Expected publication

June 13, 2023 

by Grand Central Publishing

4/5 stars

Releasing in just under a month, The Drowning Woman is Robyn Harding‘s new suspense thriller.

Told from a number of different points of view. this story is shrouded in mystery revolving around two women. Lee, having escaped for the past finds herself in Seattle, living out of her vehicle . Then there is Hazel the very well to do unhappy wife. The story takes off when one woman tries to end her life while the other rescues her.

This was an addicting read. I found myself connecting more with Lee versus Hazel, maybe because of her down and out status or Hazel was just a bit too snooty. But these two women become friends, share confidences and make plans.  And we all know what happens to the best laid plans.

The Drowning Women was a intricately woven suspenseful read, there were lots of twists and turns that I did not anticipate. It had an ending I enjoyed even if I did guess at it. So all in all very entertaining read.

My thanks to Grand Central Publishing (via NetGalley) for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding

The bestselling author of the The Swap—praised by Samantha M. Bailey, author of Woman on the Edge, as “wickedly delicious, addictive, utterly compelling”—explores what happens when a seemingly perfect family is pushed to the edge by cruel, vindictive, and increasingly dangerous attacks.

Thomas and Viv Adler have a picture-perfect family. Affluent and attractive, with two well-mannered kids almost out of the nest, they live in a beautifully restored Craftsman house in a well-to-do neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. Their jobs are secure; their children are thriving; the world is their oyster.

Until one morning, when they wake up to find that their house and car have been pelted with eggs. Thomas dismisses it as the work of a few out-of-control kids, but when a smoke bomb is tossed on their front lawn, and the tires on their BMW are punctured, he begins to worry. The family installs surveillance cameras but they show nothing but grainy images of shadowy figures in hoodies. Unable to identify the perpetrators, they are helpless as the assaults escalate. The police assure them that this is just the work of bored teenagers. But no one in the Adler family believes it. After all, each of them has a secret—kept not only from the outside world but from each other.

Seventeen-year-old Tarryn is dabbling in a seedy online world; her older brother, Eli, has dropped out of college and refuses to tell his parents why; and Thomas and Viv have their own secrets that began as harmless fun and relief from the pressures of everyday life, but have grown into something darker and more dangerous. As the Adlers grapple with their guilt, fear, and shame, the assaults grow deadly. Their “perfect” façade is crumbling, and it may be too late for any of them to do anything about it in this addictive and twisty suspense novel that will keep you turning pages until its explosive ending. 

Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Expected publication: August 10th 2021 

by Gallery Books

4/5 stars

The Perfect Family might look like the perfect family from the outside but as we all know looks can be deceiving.  I wouldn't exactly call this a thriller but rather a family drama where each of them has secrets that appears to be known to someone else.  But which someone else is the one wreaking havoc on the sanity of all four of them - Viv, Thomas, Tarryn and Eli?

Told from the POV of all 4  makes for a great view of how this family functions and their relationship.  I can't say that I liked them all, in fact Eli is the only one I actually felt some compassion for. As the story progressed and more of the past comes to light the tension ramps up.

This is my 3rd book by Canadian author Robyn Harding, I like her writing style with the shorter chapters that had me reading just one more chapter. She kept my attention throughout and also kept me guessing. I liked the ending, it was fitting and worked for me.

The Perfect Family releases on August 10th, my thanks to Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster CA) for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.