Robyn Harding, the internationally bestselling author of THE HATERS and THE DROWNING WOMAN, returns with STRANGERS IN THE VILLA. Set in a remote Spanish villa, this scintillating work of domestic suspense hides more than its share of secrets, especially when it comes to the couples it houses.

Still reeling from the death of her mother, Sydney’s life is further shattered when her husband confesses that he has slept with a client. Curtis is desperate to win back Sydney’s trust and affection, but while they attempt couples’ counseling, Sydney’s faith in Curtis and their marriage has been lost. Deeply remorseful --- and embarrassed in front of most of their friends, who are aware of his infidelity --- Curtis knows that only something life-changing will allow them to regroup and reunite: a move to Spain, where they have just purchased a gorgeous but rundown villa.

Nestled high on Mount Pení overlooking the picturesque town of Cadaqués, the villa’s sprawling grounds boast expansive views, the potential for growing grapes and opening a winery, and (Curtis hopes) the kind of forced proximity that will prove his dedication to his wife. Knowing that Sydney is still distrustful of him, Curtis provides her with the passwords to all of his accounts, his email and his phone. Well, at least the phone that Sydney knows about. His other phone is to help him tie up some loose ends.

When we meet the couple, Sydney is just beginning to thaw, though sex remains firmly off the table. Even though she is able to tolerate life with Curtis, at night she torments herself by looking up the Facebook page of the woman he slept with. By day, she wonders if she will ever be able to forgive him and move on. However, their tepid companionship is revitalized when Bianca and Damian knock on their door one day. Their van has broken down, and Sydney invites the traveling Australian couple to stay the night.

"With a real ripped-from-the-headlines final twist and a shocking but deeply satisfying ending, STRANGERS IN THE VILLA combines all the best of domestic suspense with Harding’s clear-eyed and unflinching explorations of the ambiguities of attraction and fidelity."

Even better, Damian has experience with building and offers Curtis advice and guidance on rehabbing one of the sheds on the property toward their goal of opening a winery. Bianca provides some much-needed friendship for Sydney, who has become a bit stifled by the remoteness and isolation. When the couple learns that the part they need to fix their van will not be available for almost two weeks, Sydney says that they can stay as long as they need.

But with Bianca and Damian’s arrival comes several odd occurrences: cigarette butts, gloves and a machete are located on the property, almost as if someone has been watching them. A former client of Sydney’s dies by suicide, and his father vows to take revenge. And Curtis’ ex-lover abruptly deletes her Facebook page, preventing Sydney’s late-night, self-induced torture.

All the while, Bianca and Damian provide both some much-needed levity and a creeping sense of the erotic. Bianca is gorgeous and flirts openly with Sydney, telling her that Damian encourages her love of women and their open relationship. Damian is strapping and charming, and his little touches --- a hand on Sydney’s hip as he passes her, a caress of her shoulder when he hands her a drink --- have started to ignite something in her that she hasn’t felt since before her husband’s transgression.

At the same time, though, Curtis and Sydney have spotted minor discrepancies in the Aussies’ stories, vagaries that don’t quite stand up to logic. Was their van mishap really an accident, or do they know something about the American couple that they’re not letting on?

In alternating perspectives, we hear from the Aussies themselves, who are indeed hiding something, though Robyn Harding takes her time revealing exactly what that is. Curtis begins to get anxious and paranoid, departing at strange hours to make calls on his secret burner phone. And all the while, Sydney wonders if this villa will be the site of her marriage’s revival or its utter demise. As the two couples embark on a dance of intrigue, sexuality and secrets, Harding crafts a tension so palpable and thick that you could cut it with a knife…or a machete. When the real reason behind the Aussies’ arrival is revealed, one thing becomes apparent: these couples are hiding the kinds of secrets one would kill to protect…and not everyone will make it out of the villa alive.

STRANGERS IN THE VILLA is full of all the morally gray characters and situations that Harding is known for, along with her trademark blend of sex and danger, attraction and fear. Employing a dual-perspective format, she expertly unpacks not just the secrets and motives of each couple, but also their inner workings and dynamics, how each couple cares for and responds to each other, and the ways in which the lines between attraction and infidelity gradually start to blur. The pacing of the book is outstanding, with secrets being exposed slowly and dramatically, never showing their hand entirely yet giving readers just enough to know and understand them. Paired with the beautiful Mediterranean setting --- and lots of pool swims and wine --- the suspense is every bit as immersive as the warm Spanish air, as vivid as the gorgeous flora and fauna.

Although Sydney is our ostensible main character, Harding pays equal attention to all four of her stars, with Curtis’ and Bianca’s stories standing out as strong, compelling character studies. Having already admitted to his affair long before the book’s first page, Curtis quickly stands out as a potential villain with his burner phone and secrets, but readers will never --- and I do mean never --- guess at what he’s hiding, or how it involves Bianca and Damian.

With a real ripped-from-the-headlines final twist and a shocking but deeply satisfying ending, STRANGERS IN THE VILLA combines all the best of domestic suspense with Harding’s clear-eyed and unflinching explorations of the ambiguities of attraction and fidelity. Readers will devour this sexy, twisty thriller, and with summer fast approaching, this immersive novel will transport you to the Spanish coast in a blink. Just don’t open the door for any Aussie hotties.