I can always count on Lisa Scittoline to put out a solid thriller. The story begins with a bang - Julia's husband has been brutally murdered, and naturally, Julia is devastated. By the way, Julia was adopted and was also grieving the death of her adoptive parents. She soon receives a message from a relative she had never heard of. She has been left a villa in Tuscany, which is the good news. The bad news is there is danger awaiting. This was a fast-paced mystery chock-full of twists and turns. The narration was top-notch.

3.75⭐️ Lisa Scottoline’s latest book tells the story of Julia, a widow who inherits a mansion in Tuscany from a mysterious woman she’s never met. Soon she is experiencing strange occurrences both inside the house and beyond.

Overall, I enjoyed this gothic mystery with its elements of the supernatural and astrological. I could have done with a little less of the astrology and a more to the point ending, but the story held my attention most of the way through. Julia is an easy character to get behind, but I didn’t buy the romance (especially the epilogue) and don’t think it was necessary.

If you enjoy gothic suspense with a hint of romance and the supernatural, in addition to an Italian back drop, considering checking this one out. Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I almost quit this one because it was a bit scary. But, it got better! I enjoyed the thrilling part and the unraveling of the past. It was a great suspense title and a perfect stay-cation adventure!

Lisa Scottoline knows how to write an exciting story. I felt like this book has me hooked from the beginning. I like how she weaved things together and brought past into the current. Very well written. The narrator was great.
Thanks to the author. NetGalley and publisher for an Audio arc in exchange for my honest review. Definitely check this one out if you like thrillers.

I really enjoyed The Unraveling of Julia! The story pulled me in right away—Julia’s husband is murdered in front of her, and then she gets a mysterious letter saying she’s inherited a villa and vineyard in Tuscany from someone she’s never heard of. That twist had me instantly hooked.

I loved the paranormal elements woven into the mystery. The connection to Duchess Caterina Sforza and the astrology angle added a unique and eerie vibe. Julia’s journey to uncover the truth about her identity was full of suspense, and the Tuscan setting made it all feel so atmospheric and immersive.

This book kept me on my toes from beginning to end, and I’ll definitely be picking up another Lisa Scottoline novel soon!

Really enjoyed this as an audio book! Had several twists. I rated it 4 stars and would recommend to other readers who enjoy the mystery or thriller genres.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

I had such a great time reading this book! It pulled me in right from the start and kept me turning the pages. The writing flowed so well, and I found myself completely invested in the story and characters. It’s one of those reads you just don’t want to put down.
huge thanks to the publisher for sending me an early copy!! I’m so glad I got to read it ahead of the release day and can't wait for the world to get to enjoy it too!!

Whimsical, Wistful, and Wonderfully Woven

The Unraveling of Julia shares emotional and atmospheric DNA with Eat, Pray, Love and The Others, with just a sprinkle of While You Were Sleeping. I loved the lush Tuscan setting and the threads of local history that added richness to the unfolding mystery.

There’s a touch of magical realism—or is there?—that lends a thought-provoking twist, blurring the lines between memory, grief, and imagination. Scottoline masterfully leaves just enough space for the reader to decide what's real.

Both whimsical and heart-wrenching, this story held me from beginning to end. A truly enjoyable and unique read.

<b>3.5⭐️</b>

Went back and forth on what to rate this one.

Scottoline knows her craft, and dang if she can’t pace a story well. This was mysterious and deeply intriguing, with more than a little creepiness at the beginning. And even with a swift-moving plot, she managed to work in a very real portrait of grief, especially early in the story.

Julia’s husband is murdered within the first few minutes of the novel, yet the emotional fallout she experiences doesn’t feel rushed or surface-level. Her ache feels real, and the book manages to keep that depth of feeling alive even as the plot moves at a solid thriller’s pace. I was honestly surprised by how raw and grounded the emotional core of the story felt.

Around the 57% mark, the book shifted from “pretty good” to “stay-up-way-too-late-to-continue-reading” levels of investment. That’s where it fully hooked me.

I LOVED that there was a supernatural element to the narrative and that she managed to weave Caterina Sforza into the story in a fascinating way. (Plus, I had the unique reading experience of looking up and saying, “Wait…was Sforza in <i>Assassin’s Creed</i>?” Only for Julia to literally confirm it moments later. I could have Googled that myself, but hey, nothing like having an MC answer your question for you.).

If you're wondering why the 3.5⭐ rating after all the glowing praise... It's the romance.

Gianluca is LOVELY on paper: a handsome Italian librarian who enjoys literature and history. He’s sweet, dependable, romantic, and he rides a motorcycle? It was so refreshing that he and Julia's budding relationship was built on thoughtful, quiet conversations, instead of barbs and banter.

But then it got weird.

Gianluca had already struck me as a man who was a little TOO in love with love, but the tells Julia out of the blue that he's falling in love with her. And oof, red flags. Red flags as far as the eye can see! <b>SIR. IT'S BEEN LESS THAN A WEEK.</b>

In a thriller, that kind of instant devotion doesn’t read as romantic—it reads as suspicious, especially after he‘d already shared that he’d once uprooted his life for his forever great love. And truthfully? I was a little excited about the prospect that he might be a baddie. <I>Ooh, is he part of the weird things happening to Julia? Part of the danger?</i>

No. No, he's not. He’s just an overly perfect, overly romantic... love interest.

I mt got worse because of his wildly protective sister who was openly hostile to Julia. I understand loyalty to family, but her antagonism made it impossible to buy into the fantasy of a happily-ever-after. Family dynamics like that can wear a relationship down, especially when the romance already feels like a rebound.

I have other gripes that knocked the rating down a bit further for me, but I’m afraid they get too spoilery for this review. Suffice it to say, there were some Plot Decisions (™) I found…perplexing.

<b>🎧 Audio-Specific:</b>
The production quality on this one is wonderful and Maria Marquis absolutely SHINES as the narrator. Her performance brings Lisa Scottoline’s already sparkling prose to life, adding warmth, trepidation, or panic exactly where needed. I especially appreciated the accents she gives all the characters, but her Italian pronunciation and the accents for the Italian characters are next level! There are subtle but distinct variations based on how fluent in English each character is. She's probably the most talented voice actor I've heard this year.

<b>TL;DR</b> — A fast-paced thriller with a touch of the paranormal, set against a stunning Tuscan backdrop. If you can look past the overly idealized and unearned romance, this is a solid read.

The Unraveling of Julia
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WoW!! This book was soooo good!! It grabs you from the very beginning & you can't stop! The Audio was great. Hurry & read this great book.
Thank you NetGalley!

Thank you Netgalley for the ALC. I gave this a 4 star. The drama and suspense was good and the descriptions of places was good but some parts were like ok already, move it along. I was like is this a true ghost story or is this something different, so not real ghosts but “feelings” and “I can see dead people” type stuff. It was interesting though. Good job there Lisa Scottoline! Describe Rittenhouse Square more though because it does have some lovely nooks and crannies!

Dear The Unraveling of Julia,
You pulled me into your complicated twisty world of back stabbing and betrayal, death and curses. You were a heck of a ride as you took me into the dark past of Tuscany. I was in for your world of intrigue. Julia's hidden past was interesting to me and I liked being in her head. You were compelling and a heck of a ride.

Recently widowed Julia inherits a fortune and a villa in Tuscany, so she travels there in search of information about her birth family. Things end up being way more difficult than what they seemed at first.

This is an enjoyable thriller that would be a great vacation read. Though it had a few predictable twists, there were some surprises too. I wasn't wowed by the ending but enjoyed the book nevertheless.
I loved the setting (and the descriptions of food) and that aside from the thriller storyline, the author also spends time to explore Julia's feelings about grief and being adopted. Personally I wasn't a fan of the paranormal elements and Julia's relationship with Gianluca was a little bit too insta-love for me.

I listened to the audio book and enjoyed it a lot. The narrator, Maria Marquis, does a great job giving each character a unique voice. She also is really good with all the accents present in the book (there's UK and US English, Irish, Italian), without making them sound cringey or overdone.

3,5 ⭐

This was my first Lisa Scottoline novel, and while I usually love thrillers—especially those with an international setting—it didn’t quite land.

Julia is a grieving widow who unexpectedly inherits a villa in Tuscany from a woman she’s never met. Her journey to Italy is meant to be one of discovery and healing, but what unfolds is a slow, often confusing, gothic mystery. I listened to the audiobook, which may have contributed to my disconnection—I struggled to stay engaged and found myself frequently zoning out. The characters didn’t feel fully developed, and the plot, while intriguing in concept, didn’t deliver enough tension or emotional payoff.

I’m sure fans of gothic suspense or moody thrillers might enjoy this more than I did, but it didn’t hold my attention or leave much of an impression. I’ll likely try another Scottoline title before making up my mind on her work.

Book: The Unraveling of Julia
Author: Lisa Scottoline
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Thriller, Crime/Mystery
Places Featured: Tuscany, Italy
Review Score: ★★½ (rounded up)

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline is one of those mysteries that throws everything at you - murder, mysterious inheritances, astrology, paranoia, and a Tuscan villa hiding more secrets than wine bottles. Julia Pritzker has already lost her parents and husband when she inherits a vineyard from a stranger. What follows is a whirlwind trip to Italy, a tangle of family mysteries, eerie coincidences, and a possible curse.

At times, the plot feels overstuffed, but it’s never dull. I didn’t expect the subtle paranormal thread, but it worked, adding just enough strangeness to keep things interesting. The Tuscan setting is gorgeous, and Maria Marquis’ narration keeps the twists feeling fresh without losing the suspense.

⭐️ 3.25/5 - A little chaotic, yes, but atmospheric, twisty, and thoroughly entertaining. My first Scottoline, but definitely not my last.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced reader's copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Hmmm. This one had a good storyline and great ideas but there was a lot to keep track of while listening to the audio and did not keep me engaged. I finished it, but barely. I’m sure some will really enjoy but it just wasn’t for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own. 2.5 ⭐️⭐️s

This book was a decent thriller if you are looking for something easy to read with predictable plot points. The story is compelling at first and there are plenty of mysteries but so many plot points are wrapped up too quickly and too easily. About halfway through I didn’t really care much because it was a bit slow, I didn’t like the romance aspect (does it really need it???) or the very predictable occurrences, and there were just too many loose ends that magically vanished.

First, I would like to thank Netgalley, Hachette Audio for this Advanced Listener Copy of the audiobook.

After the loss of her husband, Julia gets a letter letting her know she seemingly inherited a house, money, and land from someone she doesn't know. Being adopted, Julia thinks maybe this is a clue to her birth family. Once there though, the staff are acting weird and as things progress she realizes that maybe she's in danger.

It wasn't the strongest, I feel it starts out strong and doesn't quite stick the landing.

I'm give it 3 1/2 out of 5

I will say this, although a slow burn of a read, this book had me until the end when it kind of fizzled out for me. I think that the author had a great idea and really made use of that idea and rich history of Italy, but I think the ending was just kind of blah. Almost as if the author wanted to finish it fast and move on. Other than that it was fantastic. Will be recommending to my friends and family.