Oh Lisa. I love all of your books, but this one was missing that slow burn. I look forward to the next book.
Thank you for the ARC.

I thought this was very slow moving throughout the whole story and then the conclusion did not pay off for the slow burn. Definitely more of a character study than suspenseful thriller.

this book is a gripping, atmospheric gothic thriller that pulls readers into a haunting tale of inheritance, destiny, and identity. Julia’s journey from mourning widow to wary heiress is filled with eerie coincidences, unsettling mysteries, and a deep dive into her own tangled past. A compelling mix of suspense, history, and supernatural intrigue, it explores the fine line between fate and free will, leaving you questioning whether some legacies are impossible to escape.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance review copy of Lisa Scottoline’s latest. The mystery surrounding the murder of Julia’s husband and, shortly thereafter, word of a totally unexpected inheritance in Italy, combines to make an interesting premise. I am not a believer in the supernatural and I found its use in the book, while relevant to the story, a distraction, especially in how it was portrayed, along with horoscopes, auras, and the spirit world. The whole story was hard to believe. It did pick up about half way through. It is a quick read and the descriptions of Tuscany were fun.

One nit is that, with the introduction of the characters, there came a description of what they were wearing. At one point, in three pages there were three such occurrences. “She was fashionably dressed in a black turtleneck, leggings, and ballet flats..” And “She had a dark long braid that rested on her shoulder, and she wore a flowered shirt with a denim skirt”. Or “He was wearing a striped shirt with jeans…” The other thing of note was the over-use of one word exclamations of inner thoughts before sentences—“Arg”, “Ouch”, “Whoa”—that seemed unnecessary and distracting. I’ve read a lot of Ms. Scottolines’s books and the writing here didn’t seem as polished to me as what I’ve read of hers. What Happened to the Bennetts and The Truth About the Devlins, my two most recent reads of hers, I really liked and I was looking forward to her latest. Alas, it was disappointing for me.

Having read and enjoyed many of Scottoline's books over the years, I was happy to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. The premise of the book, a young widow with a mysterious inheritance, appealed to me, and I flew through the book. I am not a fan of astrology and the supernatural, but there ended up being an explanation for some of it, and I just suspended belief for the rest and still thoroughly enjoyed the book. The setting in Tuscany was wonderful and appealing. As always, the author created a suspenseful scenario, and I found the story compelling. I think this would make a great vacation read.

I ave read a lot of books by Lisa Scottoline and really enjoyed them. The Unraveling of Julia was not for me. Did not love the astrology and supernatural plot points.

I've read all of Lisa Scottoline's books and eagerly jumped at the chance to read this one through NetGalley. I did not anticipate how different this one would be from her typical books! While there are crimes, there are very few pages set in a courtroom. The mysteries folded into this novel--and there are many of them--take the reader down a new path. I found myself quickly sucked into the story of Julia, her husband's murder, the unexpected inheritance of a Tuscan villa, and the questions surrounding her biological origins. I was delighted at the return to an Italian setting, which Scottoline has used in her recent historical fiction. While this story is set in the present day, it folds in a lot of Renaissance history, and I loved this aspect. The use of astrology is a wonderful bridge between the two periods and plays strongly into the plot, which I found unusual and very well-done. Overall, this is a captivating story that effectively weaves together multiple plot lines, keeping the reader guessing. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

This novel is a gothic tale set mostly on a countryside estate in Tuscany. Adopted as a baby, Julia grew up in America without any information about any of her biological ties. She is baffled when contacted by an attorney who informs Julia of an inheritance of residence and money bequeathed by a recently deceased relative. The journey she is about to embark on may have all the answers to her past, or it may just be a trip that leads her into madness.

I enjoyed the exotic Italian setting and found this novel's initial premise quite intriguing. All of the main ingredients for a thrilling mystery are currently present and accounted for. I wanted to love this book much more than I did. I should have been able to race across the pages filled with excitement and suspense. Unfortunately for me, the tension was crippled by a stilted narrative that seems contrived and unnecessarily verbose at times. I feel like stronger developmental edits could make vast improvements to this manuscript and deliver the scintillating novel it was meant to be.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of The Unraveling of Julia for my unbiased evaluation.  3 stars

Gothic, glamorous, and deeply psychological, The Unraveling of Julia is a lush, slow-burn thriller that blends ancestral mystery with astrological fate in the golden hills of Tuscany.

After suffering the brutal murder of her husband and grappling with a string of personal tragedies, Julia Pritzker is raw, fractured, and primed for a descent into darkness. When she unexpectedly inherits a sprawling Tuscan villa from a woman she’s never met, her curiosity leads her into a world of secrets, superstition, and possibly madness. Is this a fresh start—or the final chapter in a life written by forces far beyond her control?

Lisa Scottoline masterfully balances suspense with emotional complexity, crafting a protagonist whose grief is palpable and whose paranoia feels earned. Julia’s unraveling is both literal and metaphorical as she explores the eerie legacy of Emilia Rossi, a reclusive woman obsessed with her supposed lineage to the formidable Duchess Caterina Sforza. The novel is steeped in gothic tradition—ancient stone corridors, flickering candles, mysterious portraits, and a steady drumbeat of “is it real or imagined?” suspense.

The astrology motif adds a unique layer of tension, positioning destiny and identity as twin forces pulling Julia toward either revelation or destruction. While the pacing meanders at times and some side characters fall a bit flat (the handsome Florentine love interest feels more like a plot device than a person), the immersive atmosphere and emotional stakes keep the pages turning.

In THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA, a psychological thriller written by Lisa Scottoline, Julia and her husband, Mike, are walking home after dinner. Julia watches Mike die after being stabbed while protecting her from an unknown assailant. Julia believes a horoscope predicted Mike’s death before it happened. I wonder about the reason behind Mike’s death and read on.

I think Lisa Scottoline has created an interesting character as a protagonist. I immediately care about Julia and want to know what happens to her, especially about her adoption. The plot moves at a good pace, with an inheritance setting off the motion. The study of astrology appears as a character in the story. The ending is satisfying. I look forward to reading future books written by Lisa Scottoline. Thank you, Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley, for the chance to read and write a review of an advance reader copy of THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA.

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

I was super excited about the plot of this story, but some of the plotlines were so contrived, and so unrealistic that I could not get behind it. I found Julia to be incredibly juvenile and I tended to be pretty unsympathetic to her cause. For example, she's understandably devastated over the sudden loss of her husband, but immediately falls in love with the first person to give her a second look?

I found this novel to be incredibly ridiculous with too many side storylines, and the solution was just so farfetched and unbelievable.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a ARC.

Julia Pritzker's life has been rough. She's lost her adoptive parents and most recently she watched her husband be murdered on the street. She's still reeling from this when she receives a call that she's inherited a villa in Italy. Almost as soon as she arrives at the villa things start happening but Julia is determined to figure out who she is and where she's from.

Honestly, this book was pretty meh to me. It didn't grab me with anything. Julia was also very blah as a character. This is a generous 3 stars for me.

This book did not disappoint! Lisa is a wonderful writer. I was excited to get this copy early and am grateful to NetGalley, Lisa, and the publisher for the opportunity!

Lisa never disappoints. Such a wonderful writer with meticulous research on her settings and characters. Both come fully alive while reading the book. Fast paced with twists and turns as is her style. I look forward to reading her next book.

I struggled to get through “The Unraveling of Julia”. It was extremely long, lagged at most parts, and I felt as though facts were just quickly told TO the reader instead of painting a believable image. It felt corny? The FMC’s plights were repeatedly beaten into your head but I didnt feel for her because again, these things were just told with not enough backstory to make you even care. Overall I really didnt enjoy beginning, middle, or end of this one but I never DNF a book JUST in case it gets good. This one, sadly, did not.

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.