Publication Date March 3, 2026

Robyn Harding is one of those authors whose books kind of grab me…and I love it! In 2017, her book The Party got 5 stars from me “for the combination of domestic suburban drama, moral dilemma, suburban skewering, and all-around good story.” Then, in 2021, I gave four stars to 

Perfect Family, in which I noted that “things escalate, secrets threaten to ruin lives, and the perfect family may not be so perfect after all — and worse, the neighbors might find out! It’s well done.” So of course I was excited to receive Harding’s latest, Strangers In The Villa, thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley. 

In this one, a young woman named Sydney Lowe has her perfect  life in New York  shattered when she finds out that her perfect husband, Curtis, is having an affair with a client. Although he claims it is meaningless, and her begs for forgiveness and vows to prove his undying love and devotion, when he suggests they relocate to a remote beautiful villa on the coast in Spain and work on their marriage while they work on their villa. 

The villa is pretty isolated, so right away I had creepy vibes…and then when an attractive young couple from Australia land on their doorstep looking for help, Sydney and Curtis invite them to stay. (My reaction this far in was ”Do NOT let them in the door!!! Haven’t you ever watched Dateline??”) But the lure of some free labor overtakes their sense (at least as much as they had to begin with), and then things start to really happen.There are some dark secrets revealed,and the bond that Sydney and Curtis claim to have gets sorely tested. And of course someone dies. 

It has Harding’s usual twisty plot, some hints of trouble looming that come to be real, and overall it is just a fun read. I am pretty sure Harding  is going onto my list of writers for whom my reaction to the announcement of a new title is “YES! PLEASE?”) Five stars once again.