The Unraveling of Julia
by Lisa Scottoline
Pub Date: July 15, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
A bestselling author crafts a sweeping gothic tale in which, after the shocking death of her husband, a troubled young widow inherits a Tuscan estate from a mysterious benefactor and finds herself thrust into the crosshairs of a dangerous conspiracy.
Having read and enjoyed ALL of Ms. Scottoline’s novels, I always look forward to a new endeavor. Although I can empathize with Julia, I just wanted to smack her and tell her to get on with her life after the murder of her husband (not a spoiler since it happens in the first few pages.) The story is somewhat interesting in connection with a bit of good luck which comes her way with a trip to Tuscany and a search for her birth mother. I am also not a fan of astrology and the supernatural which is prevalent throughout the book. This is not one of her better works and only made me yearn for Bennie Rosato and her Philadelphia law firm.

I picked up The Unraveling of Julia expecting a psychological thriller, but instead found myself reading a slow-paced story involving mediums and ghosts—something I wasn’t expecting or looking for. The supernatural angle felt out of place and wasn’t mentioned clearly enough in the description. Julia has two mysteries to solve, but the plot dragged and lacked suspense.
I also enjoyed Gianluca, but the love story there just did not work for me. I feel like there was too much the author tried to do, when she should have focused on less and gave more detail on that.

The story started off slightly slow for me, taking some time to feel connected and invested. However it picked up the pace before long. There were a few too many characters and people involved, especially at the end. But I really enjoyed the story.

Not your typical by this author, I have to say. It kind of drags for the first half or so, and you get hung up on the astrology aspect, unless that's something the reader is into. The paranormal aspect was intriguing and the history amazing. The main characters grief is completely understandable but again, can get bogged down in. The ending, however, is mind blowing! To tie all those threads together and still give it a happy ending was amazing.

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of The Unraveling of Julia, by Lisa Scottoline, from Grand Central Publishing/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

Trash, trash, trash-ity-trash.

But in the mostly good way.

Would totally recommend it as a beach read, mainly because the convoluted-y parts of it would probably go down even easier with an appropriately ocean-adjacent frozen adult beverage of one’s choice.

DESCRIPTION
A bestselling author crafts a sweeping gothic tale in which, after the shocking death of her husband, a troubled young widow inherits a Tuscan estate from a mysterious benefactor and finds herself thrust into the crosshairs of a dangerous conspiracy.

Lately, Julia Pritzker is beginning to think she’s cursed. She’s lost her adoptive parents, then her husband is murdered. When she realizes that her horoscope essentially foretold his death, she begins to spiral. She fears her fate is written in the stars, not held in her own hands.

Then a letter arrives out of the blue, informing her that she has inherited a Tuscan villa and vineyard —but her benefactor is a total stranger named Emilia Rossi. Julia has no information about her biological family, so she wonders if Rossi could be a blood relative. Bewildered, she heads to Tuscany for answers.

There, Julia is horrified to discover that Rossi was a paranoid recluse with delusions of grandeur, who believed herself to be a descendent of Duchess Caterina Sforza, a legendary Renaissance ruler. Julia is stunned by her uncanny resemblance to Rossi, and even to Caterina. Then she unearths eerie parallels between them, including an obsession with astrology.

Before long, Julia suspects she’s being followed, and strange things begin to happen. Not even a chance meeting with a handsome Florentine can ease her disturbed mind. When events turn deadly, she breaks with reality. Julia’s harrowing struggle becomes a search for her identity, a race to save her sanity, and ultimately, a question of her very survival.

I really enjoyed The Unraveling of Julia, it really started out dramatic and caught the readers attention immediately. Julia was a little frustrating at times and I was seriously worried about her mental health there for a minute!
I found myself looking forward to reading this book and I was trying to put it all together the whole time. I was 100% not expecting the "conspiracy" to actually be a thing but Lisa Scottoline wrapped it up nicely. The ending was sweet as well.

One evening on their way home, Julia's husband is brutally murdered, and the police have no clues. A year later, Julia inherits 2 million Euros and an Italian villa. She heads off to Italy and take a look and figure out why someone she doesn't know would leave her this inheritance. The villa is dilapidated and apparently the previous owner was crazy. Was this crazy woman Julia's grandmother and, if so, will Julia discover the secret of her biological mother?

There's way too much going on here. The story of Julia's grief and the secrets surrounding her birth mother would have been a great story. Unfortunately, Scottoline throws in all this mystical/supernatural/astrological stuff. There are dreams and ghosts and bright blue lights and a medium (maybe Julia is a medium herself?). I love the descriptions of the villa and the surrounding area. The Tuscan countryside and towns are actually part of the story and really put the reader in the setting. I love the history. The Italian noblewoman Caterina Sforza is a great character. I just think all the mystical stuff was unnecessary.

This was a pretty quick read, and it did keep my interest, just not particularly to my taste. I know Lisa Scottoline is a well respected and popular author, so I'm sure her fans will love this book. For me, it was just MEH.

Hold onto your hat! This thriller starts setting the stage in the first chapter and it will be pages of unexpected surprises. I was riveted by the stunning happenings. At every turn there was another twist. I never did figure out what was happening until the book told me. A sign of a great book and it was!! Highly recommend.

Objectively fine but not good.
Something a 60+ who reads a book per day would enjoy.

The use of astrology as a plot tool was a weak attempt. It could have been interesting to create a stronger link between the popularity of astrology in during the Renaissance and today, possibly through the main character’s interest in art (a facet of the character which was severely lacking).

I disliked how the BFF was used for comedic relief in the last line of several chapters, which disrupted any tension previously built in the chapter. It also left her feeling like a very flat character who did nothing to enrich the plot nor the main character.

Overall, there are too many little plot points happening, sacrificing any depth. I did not feel invested in the outcome and felt little “thrill”.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I usually love Lisa Scottoline books, but I made it to 12% in this book and I am giving up. It is a little ridiculous and doesn't read like a thriller, just a weird character study of a woman obsessed with astrology and predictions about her life. From what I read of other reviews, this nervous, loner character does a complete 180 turn as she goes to Italy, starts a whirlwind romance and is traveling all over. I was expecting a thriller or at the very least a mystery and this book was not that at all, so I'm not interested in continuing. Thank you anyway for the ARC.

Interesting premise and poor Julia she just keeps getting messed with but she ends up solving the mystery and it keeps you guessing about the conclusion. It was a slow build but once it got going man it just sucked you in and the ending just ties everything together really well .
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I'm generally a huge fan of Scottoline. This one was just okay for me.i really loved the original premise, but when the paranormal stuff came in, it made it less good for me.
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline is a mystery/thriller mixed with paranormal and historical elements. The thriller aspect was engaging and I also liked the historical aspect. It was interesting reading about a historical female Italian figure. The setting was also interesting. I didn't quite enjoy the paranormal aspects and it was a little confusing for me. Overall, not a bad read but not my best of Lisa Scottoline
I got the ARC from Grand Central Publishing via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are mine

If you like a little paranormal mixed in with your fiction, you will love this book. This is about Julia who received a large inheritance from someone she did not know....which led her to Tuscany. The story revolves around Julia trying to find out who left her the inheritance, dealing with her husband's murder and Julia trying to find out who her biological parents may be. The pace was good, made me want to keep reading. The story's ending was satisfying, wrapped it all up nicely. I will be honest though, there were a couple parts along the main character's journey that I felt were a little much but it was minor. Did not take away from the book at all . I definitely recommend!
Comes out July 15th
Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy in digital form.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DI9K3rEgWbo/?igsh=bnhvY24zNThlZGp3

Juli’s Fritzker is mourning her husband who was killed protecting her. When she learns that she has inherited a villa and vineyard in Tuscany she has no clue to the identity of her benefactor as she is adopted. She embarks on a journey to claim her inheritance and to discover if this will lead her to her biological family. This is a gothic tale that deals with astrology and survival for Julia as she searches for her identity.

I’m a big fan of Lisa Scottoline and this probably my least favorite book of hers. Sorry, so sorry!

It all begins when Julia’s husband is murdered right in front of her. She then inherits a Tuscan villa from an unknown benefactor…very strange indeed. She travels to Tuscany where strange things start happening. Things that are very hard to explain. This where the story gets really hard to believe…supernatural kind of stuff. Just not my thing.

So much is going on in this book and I found a lot of it quite unbelievable. Disappointed.

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, it was an incredible page turner that takes place in Italy (a place I am very excited to go visit this summer!!) It takes you on a wild ride with lots of twists and turns. There is some paranormal and astrology thrown in there, I'm not big into "ghosts and horoscopes" but I really enjoyed this book! I was surprised at the negative reviews, if you are looking for a quick, engaging & suspenseful read, I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advance copy of this book!

Lisa didn’t again! Another banger of a book! Julia is on a search for answers if you will for her birth family, and a quest to find out if fate is in her hands or really in the stars because her husbands fate was predicted. The twists and turns on this book were absolutely on point like all of Lisa’s books and I was there with a spoon eating it all up !!!

As an avid thriller reader, it isn’t often that I am surprised by the plot of a book, but this book? Wow. The first few chapters gave me whiplash and I had no idea where the story was headed. I was glad to see all the pieces come together in the end, but the book felt rushed and I didn’t feel a connection with the main character.

DNF. So disappointed. I typically love Lisa Scottoline books and I ALWAYS finish my books. But I just couldn’t do it this time. The story started off strong enough, with an attention-grabbing beginning. From there the plot line deteriorated as fast as, main character, Julia’s mental health. I loved the descriptions of Italy and the people there, but there was a huge chunk of paranormal activity that I was not there for. I’ll probably skip to the end to answer the big question- who is Julia related to?
Just couldn’t handle the mental spiral and ghostly activity enough to finish the book.