This was the first book I have ever read by this author and it won’t be the last! Fantastic start, very captivating. Slightly slow in the middle and a really nice ending. Overall an enjoyable read!

Not my favorite Lisa Scottoline book. I felt this one was a little over the top unbelievable. At the end there were too many things that fell into place when throughout the rest of the book everything was chaotic and messy.

An Italian murder mystery! This book felt a little too fantastical and predictable to me so I had a hard time engaging with it. But interesting idea.

Julia is recently widowed and shocked by the death of her husband. She has curiously inherited a Tuscan estate from a mysterious benefactor. Upon taking possession of the run down villa, she finds herself in the throws of a dangerous conspiracy.

With so many things going wrong, Julia Pritzker begins to wonder if she could be cursed. She’s lost her adoptive parents, then her husband is murdered. Oddly enough, her horoscope foretold his death. She us spiraling!

This strange benefactor and total stranger is named Emilia Rossi. Being adopted, Julia has no information about her biological family, so she wonders if Rossi could be a blood relative. Possibly, so she takes off for Tuscany seeking answers.

In addition to the neglected state f the villa, Julia is horrified to discover that Rossi was a paranoid recluse with delusions of misled grandeur. Nevertheless, Julia is intrigued by her uncanny resemblance to Rossi. Another weird connect is they both have an obsession with astrology.

As things progress, Julia suspects she’s being followed, and strange things begin to happen. Then events turn deadly, and she begins to lose her grip on reality. Can Julia save her sanity, as well as her own survival.

This s a good story that started strong but then my interest waned due to the supernatural and gothic themes. If you are a fan of supernatural then you will find this to be a very goid read.'

This is the second Lisa Scottoline book I have read, and I was not disappointed. I liked the story and how every character came together. I liked the suspense and mystery, although sometimes it was a bit slow and repetitive.

There were many parts of the story that intrigued me. I have to say the last 30% of the book had the most action/suspense. The integration of horoscopes and paranormal was a plus for this story. I enjoyed it very much.

Julia finds out she might be a medium or have certain powers but doesn't really want to accept it. She is skeptical because of what was given to her without her knowledge. She has always had premonitions/dreams and "gut feelings" that always end up coming true. Her friend Courtney was a real trooper and helped her throughout the whole ordeal.

I liked that Julia was able to have closure about everything she had questions about. The author did a great job in the execution of this story. I enjoyed it very much. This is a good YA read; my teen would absolutely love it!

This was a 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me! I recommend to anyone who enjoys reading about horoscopes and the paranormal.

Thank you to Netgalley/Grand Central Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sometimes you read a book and just say WOW! This was one of those stories. Julia has lost her husband to a violent act. The police have nothing to go on and the case goes cold. Julia inherits a rundown villa in another country. Why and who would give a stranger a villa and money? Julia goes to see the home and talk to the lawyer. She begins to research and begins to feel like someone is following her. Could all the separate strands of the story be connected? If so, Why?
This book is one not to be missed. It is one that is a must read for anyone that likes psychological thrillers.

I LOVE Lisa Scottoline's older books, and as usual this one was well written - great characters, amazing setting, and a good thriller. However, this had a supernatural slant and that's just not my thing. I read until the end but because of this, not my fave. 2 1/2 stars rounded up to 3
I appreciate the ArC and will purchase this title for our library when it's released.

While The Unraveling of Julia might ostensibly be categorized as a psychological thriller, such a classification proves reductive in light of the novel’s complex thematic architecture and genre-blending narrative. The text deftly interweaves elements of psychological suspense, supernatural folklore, historical fiction, and even romantic intrigue, producing a multi-layered literary experience that transcends conventional genre boundaries.

At its core, the novel follows the psychological and emotional deterioration of Julia, a recently widowed woman grappling with the traumatic aftermath of her husband’s violent death. The narrative is catalyzed by her unexpected inheritance of a villa in Tuscany—bequeathed to her by an anonymous benefactor—which initiates a journey not only across continents but into the recesses of her own psyche. Upon arrival in Italy, Julia is beset by disturbing nightmares and increasingly erratic perceptions of reality, prompting a profound interrogation of her own mental stability and the reliability of those around her.

What distinguishes this novel is its atmospheric use of astrology, fate, and buried familial secrets as both literal and symbolic devices. These motifs enrich the psychological depth of the protagonist’s descent while simultaneously situating her experiences within a broader metaphysical framework. The villa becomes a liminal space—both geographically and psychologically—where past and present, reality and hallucination, self and other begin to blur.

The narrative’s structure is marked by unexpected plot reversals and a persistent sense of unease, which sustain the reader’s engagement and subvert predictive reading strategies. Just as the reader begins to form coherent theories, the plot deftly undermines them, reinforcing the themes of disorientation and mistrust that pervade the protagonist’s experience.

In sum, The Unraveling of Julia offers a compelling exploration of grief, identity, and the unreliability of perception. It will appeal to readers who seek fiction that challenges expectations and invites interpretive complexity, particularly those drawn to narratives that operate at the intersection of psychological realism and gothic intrigue.

Great book! Was so invested in every second of the story. Thank you for letting me read in advance. Cannot wait to read other things from this author.

I didn’t NOT enjoy this, but I didn’t necessarily love it. It felt like lots of build up for a rushed and not very satisfying resolution. Too many conflicting storylines got thrown together at the end in a sort of “mish mashed” fashion but I enjoyed each of them separately. The insta-love (just why), the paranormal v drugged loose ends, and the anti-climactic meeting of the birth mom who had nothing to do with the story. I did love the research that the author clearly did on Tuscany and the renaissance and astrology.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

Absolutely loved this story. The Unraveling Of Julia is a very profound book. It dove deep into life, loss, and love. It had you reflecting on your family, your life, your loved ones who have passed.
I enjoyed all the many quotes from the book. The deep meaning behind them. My favorite would have to be ‘She famously lifted her skirt, showed them her privates, and said, “ kill him, I can make more!” ‘

3.5- I guess I enjoyed this book but it felt like lots of build up for a rushed and not very satisfying resolution. Too many conflicting storylines got meshed together at the end in a sort of “mish mashed” fashion but I enjoyed each of them separately. Reasons for the lost points? The insta-love (just why), the paranormal v drugged loose ends, and the anti-climactic meeting of the birth mom who had nothing to do with the story. Thank you to NetGalley for the ch ace to read and review this book.

This book is an easy 5star kept me interested in the very last page I love it loved how the story came together I will recommend

Not my cup of tea. It was my first time I read anything by Lisa Scottoline and personally, it almost read as fanfic to me. The beginning is suppose to be this intense scene, but felt so flat? It felt really underwhelming.

In general it didn't capture my interest very much. But its a fast thriller, so you might enjoy it.

Thanks NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book and the mail character, Julia, with all her losses. Loved the setting of Tuscany, Italy. Overall a lovely but mysterious story.

I'm a big Lisa Scottoline fan, and per usual, this was well written - great characters, amazing setting, and a good thriller. However, this had a supernatural slant (the character has visions etc) and that's just not my thing. I read until the end but because of this, not my fave.

Fantastic book! I would highly recommend both this book and other books by this author. Be sure to read this book!

II was very excited to receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I have read many of Lisa Scottoline's books and always enjoyed them. This book is no exception. The book has a little bit of everything - grief/murder/friendship/astrology/crime/love/happiness and beautiful Italian locles. I enjoyed reading this book.

Reading a book by my favorite author means I don't want to be disturbed until I finish the last page. The book is absolutely mesmerizing to read. There’s a lot happening in this book, and while some of the twists felt a little far-fetched, most of the plot holes were filled in, and many of the surprises were well-executed but knowing the author everything had an explanation. One of my all time favorites to read over again.

I'm a long time fan of Lisa Scottoline and was sadly disappointed with this newest book. Putting aside the modest amount of fantastical plot lines, the bulk of the story was just hard to believe. The relationship between the main character and her friend was completely one sided and the relationship between the main character and her love interest was not believable. There were some elements of the story that I enjoyed and I did want to see how the book ended - that is what allowed me to give it three stars instead of two. But overall, not the author's typically consistent mystery/thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.