“They’re all killers, but only one will resort to murder. The stunning new novel from international bestseller Kayte Nunn, for all fans of Lucy Foley and White Lotus.

Successful beauty entrepreneur Vivi Savidge is about to celebrate her fortieth birthday at the Palazzo Stellina, a historic former convent in the foothills of the Italian Alps.

Vivi’s little sister is flying in from Brisbane with her sixteen-year-old twins in tow. Her ex-colleague and his new husband are coming from Boston, and old university friend Caroline is driving from Turin. Every one of them is hiding a shameful secret.

Amid a suffocating heatwave, the holiday ignites an explosive cocktail of obsession, jealousy, and greed. Before the week is over, secrets will be exposed and the gathering will turn deadly, leaving one victim, a handful of suspects, and a murderer in their midst.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of The Palazzo by Kayte Nunn. The Palazzo was published by Bedford Square Publishers on 22nd May 2025 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free eARC of The Palazzo but that has in no way influenced my review. My grateful thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to join the blog tour and for sending me a digital copy of the book.

I am a HUGE fan of the destination thriller. Where murder, mayhem and devilish deeds happen in exotic, sun-soaked places (other destination thriller settings are available – see my recent TTT post for more on that!). I first saw this book on a popular galley site. It piqued my interest, caught my eye and I kept on returning to it. That’s how strong the pull was. So imagine my glee when a blog tour invite for this very book arrived in my inbox. It was meant to be. I was destined to read The Palazzo.

Beauty entrepreneur Vivi Savidge is on the brink of turning forty. Having recently lost her husband who was also her business partner, she decides to treat her nearest and dearest to a few days of sun and relaxation at the exclusive Palazzo Stellina, located at the foot of the Italian Alps. The only thing the group really have in common is their connection to Vivi. Sure, they’re all aware of each other and how important they are to grieving Vivi, but truth be told, they’re far from friendly. As tensions simmer over in the Italian sun, as envy and greed reach breaking point, and as the unpalatable truth rises to the surface there’s one thing for sure. Not all of Vivi’s guests will make it out of Palazzo Stellina alive…

The Palazzo is a highly intriguing, suspense-filled thriller where everyone has a secret they will do anything to keep. And don’t just think we’re talking about Vivi’s invited guests here. Even the staff are hiding things you would probably rather know about BEFORE booking! But let’s start at the beginning with the setting. Oh my gosh, the Palazzo Stellina – a former convent at the foot of the Italian Alps in the middle of an unprecedented heatwave was such a great setting for the book. The author has done a stellar job of setting the scene. Creating heat and humidity for the reader and transporting them to a world away from home. As the story moves towards the night of Vivi’s special dinner, tensions are rising, helped a little by the relentless heat of the day. I loved the setting. I loved the luxury, the history and the darker undertones. There is a fairly large cast of characters but it was easy enough to keep track of who everyone was. Vivi’s own personal shadow is her young assistant, Jade. Then you have the friends and family who have been invited to stay gratis to celebrate the big birthday. Alice is Vivi’s younger sister who flies in from Australia with her twin teenage daughters, Mia and Isla. Ex-colleague Peter brings his new husband, Nick, along for the ride. And the odd one out, quite literally, is Caroline. On top of that you have Marco and his staff who run the Palazzo. All of the characters in the book had their own personality and contributed to the story. They’re certainly not likeable but I found myself drawn into their lives. Keen to see how things were going to turn out for them.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Palazzo is a well-written, immersive thriller full of drama, secrets and lies. The characters are intriguing, the plot moves at a good pace with twists and turns along the way, and the setting was just gorgeous and came to life on the page. You would have thought a free holiday would bring the best out in people but no. These characters are full of festering resentment, full of envy, full of bristling hate and I loved it. Oh the drama! This is the first book I have read by this author who I believe has mostly written historical fiction in the past. I hope this isn’t the first and last thriller she writes as I would love to read more by Nunn. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Palazzo. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Palazzo by Kayte Nunn was published in the UK by Bedford Square Publishers on 22nd May 2025 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Kayte Nunn is the internationally bestselling author of seven novels including The Botanist’s Daughter, The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant, The Silk House, The Last Reunion and The Only Child. They are available worldwide in English, and have been translated into eleven languages.

The Botanist’s Daughter won the 2020 Winston Graham Historical Fiction Prize and was selected as the National English Honour Society Common Reader for 2023/4.

Her books have been described as ‘deliciously immersive’ (The Daily Telegraph), offering ‘compelling storytelling’ (Australian Women’s Weekly), and ‘sensitive, atmospheric and often heartbreaking’ (Who Weekly).

She was brought up in England, lived in the US for a number of years as a child and now calls the Northern Rivers of NSW, Australia home.