From the rich Italian accents to the suspenseful twists, this story was a real pleasure to experience. The narrator brought warmth and authenticity to each character, making them feel vivid and true. Hearing the Italian phrases spoken so naturally added a special touch, almost like wandering the charming streets of Italy alongside the characters.

The way the narration deepened the atmosphere stood out. Moments of tension felt real and gripping, while the romance was gentle and heartfelt. The paranormal elements slipped in smoothly, adding a quiet sense of mystery without overpowering the story. It’s impressive how all these different moods blended together so effortlessly.

The characters themselves felt layered and relatable, each with their own struggles and strengths. The voice work made it easy to connect with their emotions and journeys, which made the whole story feel more personal.

This story stays with you—not because it shouts, but because it quietly weaves together moments of mystery, romance, and the supernatural in a way that feels both real and a little magical. The Italian setting adds a special flavor that makes the whole experience feel grounded and unique. It’s the kind of story that lingers in your mind long after you’ve finished.

I love everything Lisa Scottoline writes and while this book was good it was not my favorite of hers. I would not classify this as a psychological thriller. To me it’s more of a family drama and not much thriller at all.

The audio for this book was very good. Thank you NetGalley and Hatchette audio for the chance to listen to this book.

I love this author. I will pick up any and everything that bears her name. So when I seen this audiobook, I jumped! I wasn't disappointed. This is really good. Julia inherits a house in Italy but does not know why. She is adopted. This book takes you on a journey to find all the secrets. Loved it! 5 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Hachette Audio for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It's easy to feel for Julia, as she's already lost her adoptive parents when she witnesses her husband's murder. Alone in the world, she learns she has inherited a property in Italy, and she makes her way there to find out what's going on. She doesn't know anything about her birth family and hopes to learn more.
There are paranormal aspects which I usually enjoy, but they were kind of flimsy here, and I found Julia herself to be an annoying character. She is the kind of person who asks a question, even when there is no way for the person to know the answer yet, and when the person says they don't know, she asks over and over and over again in different ways. Then she got annoyed when people didn't follow up on her speculations, which didn't always seem rational.
Overall, the audio performance was fantastic and I loved the Italian setting. It made me want to go to Italy myself. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me this early preview

I’ve read several of Lisa Scottoline’s books over the years and usually really enjoy them, so I was excited to pick up The Villa—and I’m happy to say it delivered.

The Italian setting was a big draw for me (she’s used it in other books, and it always adds something extra), and I really liked the setup of the story: Julia inherits a mysterious villa from someone she’s never heard of, and she sets out to uncover not just the story behind the house, but also the truth about her own past. I loved that there were essentially two mysteries unfolding at once—what’s going on with the villa (possibly haunted?), and how Julia is connected to this unexpected inheritance.

Julia was a great main character. Watching her process grief and move forward felt very real. I’ll admit, the romantic element that pops up not long after her husband’s death seemed a little fast at first, especially considering how devastated she was. But the book does a good job of explaining her emotional state, and it ended up working for me.

One thing I really enjoyed was the hint of the paranormal—mediums, psychic visions, strange happenings—but none of it felt over-the-top. Everything tied back into the plot in a believable way, which made it all the more fun.

The story moved quickly and kept me interested the whole way through. It’s a bit of a departure from Scottoline’s usual tone, but I thought it was a welcome shift. This book had mystery, heart, a little suspense, and just the right touch of the unexpected.

I listened to the audiobook version and thought Maria Marquis did an excellent job with the narration. Her pacing matched the tone of the story really well, keeping things engaging without ever feeling rushed. As always, her accents were believable and well done—distinct but never over-the-top or distracting.

Overall, The Villa was a great read. I’ll always pick up a Lisa Scottoline novel, and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. Thank you to NetGalley and Hatchette Audio for providing me with an ARC.

I have loved all of Lisa Scottoline’s books and this was no exception!
Filled with tension, twists and unease, this was an intriguing and creepy read that kept me wanting more. I loved the Italy setting. Make this your next read!

Julia`s husband is murdered and then she inherits a ton of money and a Tuscan villa from a total stranger named Emilia Rossi. Could this woman be related to her since she was adopted. Strange things start to happen when she arrives and then she starts being followed. This story was different from my normal read with the supernatural/mind reading aspect. I will say this story had it all with mystery, romance, murder, drama, suspense and some history. The narration was great and the writing was descriptive and well done. This story was interesting but not my favorite. I give it 3.5 stars.

The Unraveling of Julia
by Lisa Scottoline
Narrated by Maria Marquis

I enjoyed this gothic novel, very picturesque and narrator Maria Marquis brought this story to life. I wasn’t a big fan of the astrology or paranormal aspect but the plot was interesting and fast paced.

The book opens when Julia’s husband is killed protecting her during a seemingly random mugging. Six months later, she receives a large inheritance and Italian Villa from a stranger. Julia travels to Italy and encounters dangers she never imagined. Are the two events connected? Who gave her the money and why? This book contains astrological and supernatural elements, which are not my typical genre. However, the book was engaging and kept me guessing until the end. The narrator was outstanding and I enjoyed her different voices.

When Julia witnesses the murder of her husband, a mental spiral is expected. Then, an unexpected inheritance from a woman she doesn't know in Tuscany, Italy gives her the separation she needs from the memories of her late husband. What she doesn't realize is the continual Visions, nightmares, and new realizations are going to help her find out who this Italian stanger is that gifted her millions of Euro and a Tuscan villa, but help her find her husband's killer.

I love Lisa Scottoline’s style of writing. It makes me immersed by the story. The story was not what I expected but I still had a hard time putting it down!
The ending was so heartbreaking.

Maria Marquis has such a beautiful voice and drew me even further into the story. I love how accurate her accents and pronunciation of Italian is. Definitely going to check out more of her work because of this audiobook.

Such a great audiobook. I couldn't stop listening to it. Had it playing all day long. Can't wait to see what else this author has out already. Thank you for letting me read this in advance.

just devoured The Unraveling of Julia in one sitting, what an incredible ride. From the very first page, I was drawn into Julia’s world. Her character has such depth and quiet strength, and watching her evolve into the woman her ancestors always knew she could be was both inspiring and emotional.

This book truly has it all, mystery, murder, romance, and just the right amount of suspense to keep me flipping pages late into the night. It never felt forced or overdone. The story unfolded in such a natural way that I could feel the tension and triumph right along with Julia. As someone who reads constantly and dabbles in writing myself, I really appreciated the rich, layered storytelling.

This wasn’t just a good book, it was an experience. I’ll be thinking about Julia for a long time. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a strong female lead, a twisty plot, and a story that stays with you.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I recently read a description of this book as a “suspense with a passport,” and that is the perfect way to describe this story.

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline is a story about Julia Pritzker. She’s recently lost both her adoptive parents, and her husband has just been murdered. 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. Having been adopted. Julia has no information about her biological family, so she wonders if Rossi could be a blood relative. Bewildered and curious, she heads to Tuscany for answers.

There, Julia is horrified to discover that Rossi was a paranoid recluse, who believed herself to be a descendant of Dutchess Caterina Sforza, a legendary Renaissance ruler. Stunned by her uncanny resemblance to Rossi, and even to Caterina, Julia is further unnerved when 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 troubled mind. When events turn deadly, Julia’s harrowing struggle becomes a search for her identity, a race to save her sanity, and ultimately, a question of her very survival.

This was my first Lisa Scottoline book. She is a talented author, and I loved the combination of travel and suspense and psychological thriller. There was a lot happening in this story, however: some paranormal, some drama, some suspense- phew- it was a lot. Overall, I enjoyed it, and it was a nice change of pace from my usual reads. Narrator, Maria Marquis did a great job with the audio. Thank you to NetGalley and to Hachette Audio for the opportunity to have an early listen to this audiobook.

Thank you Netgalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Hachette Audio for the Advanced Listeners Copy!

The Unraveling of Julia was my first novel by Lisa Scottoline.

I loved the picturesque setting of the novel and the description of the dilapidated villa inherited by Julia, however, I didn’t love the story.

Maria Marquis’ performance during this story was phenomenal; this alone increased my rating. The male voices were quite convincing and her accents were perfect.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book started out interesting, but ultimately fell flat. Ideas just seemed kind of thrown together and rushed towards the end without really plausible explanation. I did like the idea of mixing paranormal and spiritual elements in with the mystery, but I wish it would have played a little more into the supernatural than what it did. The pacing was also very slow and repetitive throughout, which caused it to be a little disengaging. The encounter also at the end just felt awkward, but did add to the story some. This is my first experience with the author, and though I was not impressed with this book, I would give her another try as many have said she is a good author, and this was not her normal.

This was an unusual style for LS and I couldn’t quite get into it like some of her other works. I liked the characters well enough but I’m not into astrology much or the paranormal. Might just be me. I enjoyed the narrator. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

Thank you to the publisher and author for this ALC! As an audiobook, I really enjoyed the voice actor's portrayal of the book. This was an interesting story with an captivating premise. I did, however, find the MC to be rather unlikeable in nature - I have thought on it for a bit, and am finding difficulty determining what exactly it is that I didn't love about Julia - IMO, the only word that comes to mind is she is a bit too fantastical for a MC.
I think, ultimately, there were too many story arcs going on here, between Gianluca, Fiamma, Rossi/Sforza, astrology, spirituality/paranormal elements, conspiracy, inheritance, and on. The story felt a little too chaotic for me, which ultimately led me to not buy what Scottoline was selling this time.
Regardless, I remained entertained and for that reason I am giving this one 3.5 stars.

This was such a twisty, moody read. Lisa Scottoline went a little darker with this one and I was into it. Grief, family secrets, a creepy Tuscan villa, astrology, murder—it had a lot going on but somehow it worked.

Some of the paranormal stuff was a stretch, but I appreciated the risks she took. I read it fast and stayed hooked. If you’re into gothic thrillers with a little edge, give this one a shot.

This book should be every thriller lovers summer beach read.

While certain aspects made the book feel a little rushed, it's still a really fast read & a pretty fun time. I wish there was more about Julia's grandfather and how/why he ends up hurting Julia's bio mom. I also wish Julia's romantic relationships has a little more depth. But this is still a book I plan on recommending to anyone I know who reads