Member Reviews

Lisa Scottoline does it again! This is another great book from this author that just grips you right from the start. The story is fast paced and ensure you want to keep flipping the pages to see what happens next. The characters are likable and I felt like I was rooting for TJ to come out on top.

This book evolves around the Devlin family, but the main character in my opinion is TJ. He is the underdog and gets dealt the worst hands even when he is trying to improve himself. His older brother throws him under the bus more than once and the family is quick to believe the lies since TJ is a recovering alcoholic and has done some terrible things in his past. No matter how much he tried to prove he is overcoming is alcoholism and that he has paid for his past mistakes. This book has lies, deceit, romance and huge amounts of suspense. While the ending was predictable for me, it did not stop me from wanting to keep reading.

If you are a fan of Lisa Scottoline, you DO NOT want to miss this next book in her line of works. I would recommend this to all readers. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

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Devlin & Devlin is a law firm known by many as Devlin & Devlin & Devlin & Devlin, a family business consisting of Mom, Dad, Oldest Son, and Only Daughter. However, it's worth noting that there is one missing Devlin son, TJ, who is a recovering alcoholic and former convict. Despite his troubled past, TJ has turned his life around, staying sober and working as an investigator at the family firm. Unfortunately, his family does not appreciate his efforts and considers his job to be a meaningless position. TJ, on the other hand, takes pride in his work and is determined to prove his worth, having been sober for two years, despite his family's doubts.

TJ, the amiable narrator and main character, finds himself in an unusual situation when he is tasked with helping his older brother, John (the Most Valuable Devlin), who believes he may have accidentally caused the death of a client. As the case becomes more complex, TJ, who is constantly undermined by his unsupportive family, realizes that the Devlins are in danger due to John's actions. Unfortunately, his father, Top Devlin, is a bitter individual who never gives TJ the benefit of the doubt, let alone any love or trust. To make matters worse, John throws TJ under the bus, despite his brother's attempts to protect him. TJ's mother turns a blind eye to the situation, and his sister, Gabby, seems to be lost in her own world.

The author skillfully creates an empathetic character in TJ, making it impossible not to root for him. He faces the constant struggle of maintaining his sobriety, with his family being the main obstacle in his path. Personally, I found myself yearning for justice for TJ and hoping for some well-deserved comeuppance for the rest of the Devlins. To discover if my wishes were fulfilled, I highly recommend reading this exceptional domestic and legal thriller. It deserves a solid 4-star rating!

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Thank you so much to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for this ARC!

I love the way Lisa Scottoline writes. So easy to get swallowed whole by the story and cannot put down the book. Such a great ending too.

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3.25 stars out of 5.

This book started off really strong and grabbed my interest right away but it kind of fell flat in the middle and was a bit chaotic. It seemed to drag on until the ending which was pretty good at wrapping everything up. It had a somewhat predictable ending but there were some twists thrown in there as well. I really enjoyed the narrator TJ and thought he was perfectly flawed. He was a great story teller and was lovable. Now, everyone else in the family minus Gabby/ Martin were not likable at all, especially John. His gaslighting made him terrible!

In The Truth about the Devlins, TJ is working at his families law firm as an investigator after a brief stint in prison due to his alcoholism. John, TJ's brother, comes to him one night saying he killed one of his clients which related to embezzlement at the company. TJ, being a good brother, tries to help his brother get out of the mess he is in but somehow finds himself in the crosshairs of some very bad people.

Overall, this was a pretty decent read and I'm looking forward to reading more from Lisa Scottoline.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Reminiscent of What Happened to the Bennetts? I really enjoyed this book. TJ is a great character yo really root for.

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Thank you kindly to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the eARC to read and review!

As a longtime reader of Scottoline’s work, I must admit this one wasn’t my favorite, but it was still an enjoyable read. TJ is one of those flawed narrators you can’t help but love. As a recovering alcoholic, he’s relatable and easy to root for—I especially enjoyed his whit and sarcasm.

But John and his gaslighting…man, I couldn’t stand that guy. Or anyone else in the family for that matter…🤷🏼‍♀️ Definitely gave me Bloodline vibes…

My biggest criticism is the dialogue. It felt unnatural throughout and seemed to go on for pages and pages at a time, making the book feel longer than unnecessary.

𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗬 𝗤𝗨𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗦:
“Into each life some rain must fall.”

“Maybe we make ourselves, too. We start out like parts in a box, but it's not you until you build you."

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While this book was fast paced and had great dialogue. It was too chaotic and a bit of a mess at the end. It follows this recovering alcoholic that’s working as an investigator (with no credentials) at his family’s law firm. There’s some twists, betrayals, romance, plot holes, and eventually a kinda-sorta happy ending.

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In true @lisascottoline fashion this is another intriguing and fast-paced novel!!! Filled with a tight knit community of rich people behaving badly, corruption, a ☠️body that gets up and walks away(???), and the nuances of addiction and the family unit, and how it affects everyone in one way or another!!!

Ms. Scottoline simply put, just knows how to do domestic suspense thrillers!!! A forever auto-buy author for me past, present, and in the future!!!

5.0⭐️

Special thanks to @putnambooks and @netgalley for the review copy!!

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This is the perfect family drama/mystery book to settle in with. TJ is an engaging and interesting (and flawed) narrator.

There are a couple of "cases" in play throughout the novel but I was hooked from the beginning.

However, more engrossing to me was the story of the inmates that were tested on. It's not a sole plot point but it is very real, and what happened to those men is absolutely horrible and should be the subject of MORE books. It gets cursory treatment here, although you learn the basics of what happened and the horrible notion that justice isn't given to everyone. 3.5 stars

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I usually love Lisa Scottoline’s book, but The Truth About the Devlins fell kind of flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

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Lisa Scottoline really does her research with books. I love how truthful she is in her stories. As a child of somebody who struggled with alcohol, beer of all things, it was so truthful with every word about recovery. The story follows a prominent family of lawyers when something goes wrong. The whole story is a big who done it, but it flowed effortlessly. I really enjoyed the crossover with a case that’s going on in the real world today. This book was overall a good read.

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I really enjoy most of Lisa Scottoline books. This is a crime thriller about a family of lawyers. Tj is a recovering alcoholic. He is trying to get his life back on track after a prison sentence. He works at the family law firm with his parents, sister and his brother. It’s clear that he has broken a lot of trust with his family and they are prepared to offer him some “tough love”. Although I thought I knew where the story was going I did find this book enjoyable.

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I loved this book! I love how the author grabs your attention from the start and holds on to it until the very end.

Excellent!

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Lisa Scottoline writes fast paced engrossing novels and The Truth about the Devlins is another hit out of the ball park.

TJ is the outcast of a prominent family of lawyer. Having spent time in jail and rehab, he finds he cannot get a job as a private investigator.
Until his oldest brother admits to murdering a client who was embroiled deep into embezzlement.
TJ sets out to investigate the situation but soon both of them are entangled in a web and it takes all that he has to fight for his family, Unless they implode first

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I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
OMG I absolutely devoured this book! Scottoline is a great author- I have loved everyone of her books.
TJ is the black sheep in the Devlin family- the others are lawyers. TJ is an alcoholic whose been in prison and is determined to turn his life around, He begins work as the investigator in their firm. When one night his brother draw him into his troubles saying he thought he had murdered someone he thought was embezzling. TJ begins investigating as things starting amping up- he finds bugs in his home and car, he feels like he is being followed. Someone doesn’t want him digging. What is going on? The more he digs the more he wonders if his brother is telling him the truth? To get to the bottom of this will he hurt his family? What is his brother hiding ? And then—the shocking conclusion. A musts read!!

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The Truth about the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5

I am really excited for this to be my first Lisa Scottoline book; I have a lot of her other books on my list to read. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style and thought the story line was well thought out— to the point of being jaw-dropping in certain places. I really appreciated how, at the end, everything tied together. With that being said, this was not my favorite story. Character development seemed very stereotypical to me, and the characters made me cringe overall. In my opinion, my dislike of this book has more to do with my personal preferences and is not due to the author. I will still be reading other books by Lisa Scottoline because I liked her writing style.

#lisascottoline #thetruthaboutthedevlins #netgalley #arc

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I have read Lisa Scottoline since I was a teenager and she only keeps getting better with time. New book=GREAT!

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I really enjoyed this crime thriller about a family of lawyers and one investigator, TJ. It is TJ who helps John when he believes he committed murder, and TJ discovers a web of lies and crime that may unravel the entire family. I thought there was excellent character development, and the storylines and relationships had many layers. There are a lot of heavy elements, too, so the author delves deep into real life trauma. A really gripping and fast-paced book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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What an absolutely riveting book. I was hook from page 1 and couldn’t stop turning the pages. I loved TJ. He’s flawed and made some really bad decisions, but he owned up to them and paid for his crimes. There are a lot of twists and turn in this book and I enjoyed every one of them. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

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A charming story about TJ Devlin, the black sheep of his family as he struggles to prove himself to his family following incarceration. TJ is doing his best. His very wealthy and powerful family discounts him and generally are embarrassed of him and his mistakes but he is trying to show that he has changed. He faithfully works as a gofer and undercover detective for his dad's firm while attending AA meetings and straightening out his life. When his brother gets caught up in a dangerous group of men, TJ comes to the rescue but finds himself tangled in something a bit more complex than it appeared. Can TJ safe the family, the family name and himself?

I liked this very much and would love to follow TJ in his career. He had a great voice and personality. I did find the discounting by the family, especially the dad a bit too much and just hard to take. All in all, a great thriller/detective story with family characters! #Penguin #Lisasottoline #Thetruthabouthedevlins

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