Five lifelong friends gather at a picturesque farmhouse nestled amidst the lavender fields to celebrate a birthday, but beneath the sun-drenched skies of Provence, their dream escape will end in murder.
Steph spent months planning her perfect birthday celebration. Five days in an idyllic setting with her best friends. Long lazy lunches, crisp white wine by the pool and a climb up the beautiful Mont Ventoux. She couldn't wait. They’ve been there for each other through the good times and the bad. This was the break everyone needed.
After their first night partying, they begin their hike. But as the lavender-scented air turns acrid from local wildfires, fierce winds whip up smoke – and tensions in the group. They become separated. Hours later, when the smoke clears, one of the friends lies dead on the mountainside.
As shadows lengthen across the limestone farmhouse, Steph’s birthday transforms into a nightmare of police questions. Now there are only four friends. And the way they avoid each other's eyes suggests one unspeakable truth – the killer might be sitting around this kitchen table.
From multimillion-copy bestselling author Simon McCleave comes a consuming ‘just one more page’ psychological thriller that explores the dark side of friendship and the devastating consequences of long-buried secrets. Five Days in Provence will leave you breathless until the final, jaw-dropping twist. Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley, T.M. Logan and Lisa Jewell.
Praise for Last Night at Villa Lucia:
‘I was gripped by Simon McCleave’s dark, whodunnit, captivating in every way... You can feel the hum of the cicadas and the corrupting beauty of the Italian landscape. A perfect summer read.' Abi Morgan, Emmy / BAFTA winning screenwriter of Netflix hit ‘Eric’ and BBC's ‘The Split’
‘Smart, evocative… full of the kinds of twist and surprises that makes a first-time reader into a lifelong fan. Terrific!’ Gregg Olsen, bestselling author of If You Tell
‘Had me gripped from the first page to the last, outstanding!’ J M Dalgliesh
‘Absolutely loved it. It was totally absorbing and I didn’t want to put it down. The setting was perfect and just superbly crafted… satisfying, stunning and stylish.’ Rachel Lynch
‘Wow! What a fantastic plot! I could not put the book down once I began reading it… I will recommend it to everyone I know!’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Oh my gosh, this book was fantastic!! So many twists and turns, you never knew who did it until the very end! Kept me wanting to not put it down!’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I loved the setting of this book and I devoured it in one sitting as I was gripped to find out what would happen next as I eagerly turned the pages. I was hooked!’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Ohh this was a rollercoaster of a thriller. There was so many twists and turns I could not put it down once I stated I was gripped. It was full of suspense...’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A very satisfying twist at the end… a very enjoyable read and I would highly recommend it to fans of writers such as Lucy Foley and Lisa Jewell.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Had me guessing to the end with all the plot twists and turns… A great murder mystery for the thriller lover in us all!’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This story had me hooked from the start.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wow, what a great book! It was so engaging and kept me turning pages until the very end!’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A page turner, keeping the reader guessing until the very end… a highly recommended beach read which has a satisfying depth.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I was hooked from the very first line, it was very fast-paced!’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
