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Villa on the Riviera cover art

Villa on the Riviera

By: Elizabeth Edmondson
Narrated by: Nicolette McKenzie
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Summary

Absorbing and escapist, The Villa on the Riviera is perfect summer listening for fans of Rachel Hore and Santa Montefiore.

Polly Smith is struggling to make a living as an artist when her friend and patron, Oliver, invites her to the south of France. But her world is unexpectedly turned upside down when she digs out her birth certificate to apply for a passport. Her parents are not who she believed them to be - even her name is different.

Fleeing to the Riviera, Polly finds that the serenity and sunshine brings her art to life as never before. But all is not well in the grand house. Oliver's father was forced to leave England in a cloud of scandal and his past is about to catch up with him. And Polly's own future begins to take on a new and fascinating shape....

The perfect listen for fans of The Villa and Summer's Child, this is a beguiling and evocative tale that will transport you away to the Riviera itself.

©2015 Elzabeth Edmondson (P)2015 Audible, Ltd

What listeners say about Villa on the Riviera

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Nice old fashioned mystery and romance

I am obviously getting a bit sentimental in my old age but I am enjoying this run of Elizabeth Edmonson stories. Yes I saw where most of the storylines were going but that really didn't matter at all. Good interesting bunch of vintage characters and a thoroughly unpleasant villain all very well portrayed by Nicolette McKenzie who suits this type of book admirably.

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21 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Compelling

A story with several twists. Nothing it what it seems! Enjoy, you will not be disappointed.

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19 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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What a lovely discovery!

Such an enjoyable book, well read too. I’m going to buy more of these to listen to.
If you like Georgette Heyer’s detective novels and stories with long sentences and interesting people that takes a while to weave diverse threads together and has a happy ending, then you will like this too.

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15 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

My kind of book

It has everything: original plot, engaging characters, nicely paced. Didn't want it to end. Would make a good movie.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Absurd! But I still Carried on

The story is ridiculous, and yet I was still committed to the end. I think this was because I had pretty much guessed the way the various threads would lead to the denouement and I wanted to see if I was right (I was, you will be too, once you are 25% in) - but also, I was keen to see how many ludicrous coincidences could be shoe-horned into one 14 hour long listen.

The start is deadly slow, the end is a mad rush of hugely improbable events, all piled up in a heap in the last 5% of the book. And yet, I kept going. It was weirdly addictive; though in the last 1/3rd, as each new coincidence was unveiled, I actually had to laugh out loud - too silly. I also completely failed to see why the main character didn't just tell everyone who needed to know about her real identity once she herself found out - not a spoiler as this is very early on.

I admire the narrator's resilience. She did her best with some grim lines and deadly characters, chiefly the main one, and the Enid Blyton style school girl she conjured was light relief.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful fairytale

Thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable story with amazing characterisation. Well narrated and I loved the descriptions of the people and scenery. Sometimes the story was a little far fetched but that didn't detract from the experience.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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All round good book

A good story well told, I really cared about the charscters. A cast of many interesting people kept my brain working overtime,

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Enchanting

The descriptions of characters and places are so detailed it makes one become part of the story.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Good book.

Really enjoyed this book, good characterisation. Well read. Takes you to the time and place.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Awful, returned, could not listen to it, gave up !

Started to listen and it was awful, narrator and story, returned. Can not recommed this book, narration and story awful!

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1 person found this helpful