This is my second of Scottoline’s books and it did not disappoint! I loved the setting and atmosphere of novel! I so badly want to go to Italy, mostly for the food! Ironically enough, my parents just returned from there so I had tons of pictures to look at while reading.

I did not have this book figured out at all! As soon as I thought I had a thread to hold on to, it would slip away; or I would be distracted by another theory! The character development was so engaging. And can we talk about the quotes?!?! Oh my word! I literally had to run back to my phone to write things down so many times…so you know I’m going to have a ton to list. Sorry, not sorry. Overall, just really well done!

Thank you NetGalley

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“If feeling connected to someone means being connected to them, I would be connected to Taylor Swift.” 😂

“ I am director, a euphemism for head geek.” I love this phrase!

“If I must lose because I am a woman, I want to lose like a man.”

“History is about the story of humans over time, we fall in love and sometimes we make children, it’s profoundly human.”

“You’re not crazy…you’re heartbroken…love is all…you’re grieving a man you loved very much. You suffered a loss that broke your heart. You saw something you can never unsee and never forget…That injury, it breaks your heart and soul too, your sense of self too.”

“Keep grieving, grieving heals you.”

“You can’t avoid sadness, you mustn’t try. Nor can you wait for it to end so you can be magically healed. There’s no line between sadness and happiness like borders of a country. Sometimes sadness leads to happiness and sometimes both emotions exist in the same space at the same time.”

“Love is all, nothing matters more.”

“Maybe that’s what love at first sight is two souls recognizing each other.”

“The thing about a broken heart is that it’s open.”

“So money talks.
Yeah, and speaks Italian.”

“She wondered if every family should start talking about the things they were afraid to discuss, to start saying the unsayable. Keeping secrets hurt people, but so did keeping silence.”

“She imprisoned herself too, for you! Is that a mother’s love? I don’t know, you tell me.”

“She learned not everything was knowable whether for good or for ill.”

“She learned there was evil in the world and sometimes it wore a tie.”

Julia Pritzker has become obsessed with horoscopes and astrology following her spiral after watching her husband murdered before her eyes. But she beings to think her luck has changed when she inherits a large sum of money and a house in Italy, from a woman she doesn't know. Intrigued about the inheritance and her potential relationship with this woman, Julia takes a trip to Italy to investigate her biological family she has never met.

She is shocked to learn her benefactor, Emilia Rossi, was seen as a paranoid recluse who believed that she was related to a famous Renaissance ruler. The more time Julia spends at her new home in Italy, the more strange things begin to happen around her and she questions if paranoia is starting to take root in her own mind. Julia embarks on a journey to learn who she is, save her identity, and remain ALIVE!

This book combined a few different things - finding ones identity, supernatural elements, astrology, and a mystery. The astrology component was a bit too much and heavy in the book for me, but the mixing of the other elements were interesting. And I was unable to figure out what was happening before it was spelled out for me at the end - a good ending to a mystery book for me. The book did have some slow parts at times and had some elements of disbelief. But in the end, the story comes together well.

Thank you to Hatchette Audio, Grand Central Publishing, NetGalley and Lisa Scottoline for this eALC in exchange for my honest review.

This will definitely be another huge hit for Lisa Scottoline! This is actually only the second audiobook I've listened to because I'm a visual learner, not an auditory one and it's difficult for me to concentrate when I'm not reading the words! This narrator kept me intrigued though and made it more suspenseful for me, especially when it got closer to the ending! I would definitely recommend this physical or audiobook to anyone who loves psychological thrillers!

This was my first Lisa Scottoline book, and it was an enjoyable mystery with a touch of paranormal and a lot of heartache.

I am a huge Lisa Scottoline fan, but this wasn't my favorite book. I got a bit lost with the characters and was surprised at the supernatural element. The book is very well-written with a logical and engaging plot, so this is more about my personal preference than a reflection on the author. If a reader enjoys the ghost aspect they will love this!

Unfortunately this was not a hit for me. Julia is self-proclaimed astrology lover whose internal monologue is full of words like “gulp”, “aww”, and “arg.” Most of the characters are highly unlikable, especially Julia’s best friend who is extremely unsupportive of Julia even after her husband is murdered. The plot seems to be all over the place and then wraps up extremely quickly at the end. Julia finds insta-love about 6 months after her husband passes. It’s just a lot to unpack. The audiobook loses points for me too because that is the worst italian accent I’ve ever heard.

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline is a gripping thriller that completely pulled me in. I especially loved the vivid Italian setting—it added a rich, immersive layer to the story. I truly had no idea how it would end, which made the experience even more exciting. This is one of those perfect “get lost in it” stories, which is exactly what I’ve come to love about Scottoline’s books. I highly recommend it, especially as an audiobook—the narration was fantastic. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity!

I really enjoyed this dark little book. I think the author does a few things really well - setting, characters, and uniqueness of her books. I loved the setting and ominous tone throughout.

Thank you Hachette Audio, Grand Central Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC!

This was a fun novel that combined haunted house, complex backstories, and murder mystery. I loved the character of Julia, her balance of smart and naive. The conspiracy that surrounds her and the house, the haunting of her ancestor, and the current killer out to end her allowed for an interesting plot. However, I had to suspend disbelief in the first few chapters of the book, as it was far too easy for her to just inherit that house and be located. I know that it later becomes relevant, but I almost put the book down from that. Otherwise, everything was fun and enjoyable in the way a thriller should be.

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline
Thriller.
Widow Julie Pritzker is alone in life after her husband is killed by a late night mugger. She receives a letter that she’s inherited a Tuscan villa from an Emilia Rossi. Julia doesn’t know anyone in Italy but decides to listen to the attorney and travels to the property, hoping she can find a connection with her birth mother. Julia finds out the woman who owned the villa was a paranoid recluse and all her personal items have been burned. So much for trying to obtain DNA for testing. Then she starts having usual nightmares and gets the feeling she’s being followed. As more strange things happen, Julia wants to talk to an investigator but doesn’t trust the referral. Why is she getting buy offers when she’s told the selling agent no? Why is she being followed? Julia doesn’t know what’s going on but she’s not going to walk away either. She’s found a connection.

🎧 I alternated between and ebook and an audiobook narrated by Maria Marquis who does an excellent performance. The nightmares are terrifying. The worry and fear is suspenseful. Julia’s longing for connection and family is heartbreaking and it all comes through clearly in the audiobook. I was actively listening to the recording and often following along with the print version. I did listen at 1.5 or higher to more closely match my reading speed.

Compelling and chilling. She meets someone she can talk to and he’s run off the road and in a coma. Who can she trust without putting anyone else in danger?

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Hachette Audio.

This was a quick novel in audiobook format, narrated well by Maria Marquis, and set in Philadelphia and Tuscany. The main character is Julia, a young woman who witnesses the murder of her husband Mike in the opening chapter of the book. Some months later she is contacted by an Italian attorney who informs her that she is the beneficiary of the estate of a woman in Tuscany. Initially believing the notification is a joke or scam, since she has no knowledge of the deceased woman, Julia eventually decides to travel to Italy to see the estate she has inherited and perhaps to learn more about her connection to the deceased. Having been adopted as an infant, Julia wonders if the woman could be her biological grandmother.

The novel follows several plot threads: the investigation into Mike's murder (although only Julia seems to be pursuing it with any energy), the bizarre setting and tales about the deceased woman and her estate, and Julia's efforts to find out about her birth family. Also woven through all of that is a series of events that could be visions, or hallucinations, or communications with the spirit world and for me, this thread was the weakest part of the novel, coming across as both paranoid and silly.

I enjoyed many books in Scottoline's early mystery series set in Philadelphia and featuring a team of female attorneys, but as she's tried to branch out into historical fiction and now gothic psychodrama, I'm finding her books not really to my taste. Thank you to #NetGalley and #GrandCentralPublishing for providing a complimentary audio download in exchange for an objective review. I regret that I didn't enjoy it more.

This audiobook spoke to my heart. As an adoptee myself, I loved reading about Julia and how she went through and processed everything. The emotional side of the book was what appealed to me the most. The narration was so good! There was also action and a lot of mystery, but the end was super satisfying. I will look into more books from this author.

I enjoyed The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline. The location and descriptions of Tuscany were my favorite part of this story. I’ve been to Tuscany and this story brought me back! The novel’s mystery and resolution were satisfying. The primary characters were written in a way that made them feel real: imperfect and flawed like other humans. The narration was adequate – the characters’ voices were different, and it was easy to tell them apart from each other. The Tuscan accents seemed good, but that’s an inexpert opinion based on one visit to Tuscany.
I think that if I was reading this book without narration, I would imagine the character’s voices differently. I plan on reading the hard copy version next!
Thank you Grand Central Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This one had an amazing amount of potential and the first half had me on the edge of my seat. Once our main character develops psychic powers and the ghost of her dead husband walks out of the sun, I was out. It started off so great, but the end lost me.

This was my first book by Lisa Scottoline, and I can say with confidence—it won’t be my last. Huge thanks to @netgalley and @grandcentralpub for the opportunity to listen to this one early! From the very first chapter, I was completely drawn in. I went in blind, not even reading the full synopsis, and I was so pleasantly surprised. The story hit several of my favorite tropes and themes—clairvoyance, found family, and rich Italian culture—which kept me hooked from beginning to end. The ending was especially satisfying, tying up most of the major questions I had. My only critique (and the reason for knocking off half a star) was some occasional repetitiveness and a couple of minor plot holes. Still, overall, this was a strong, engaging read. If you enjoy thrillers or mysteries with a touch of the paranormal, definitely keep an eye out for this one when it releases on July 15, 2025!

Very good. Thrilling. Captivating.
I really enjoyed listening to this book, Lisa Scottoline has been a favorite of mine for a while.

Julia Pritzker is struggling. Her husband was recently murdered, and both of her adoptive parents are dead. Then, she gets a shocking phone call and letter, telling her a woman in Tuscany has left a large sum of money and a villa to her. But who is this mysterious woman, Emilia Rossi? Julia was adopted, so could Emilia somehow be related to her? Julia heads to Tuscany to find out.

This was my first book by Lisa Scottoline. The premise of the book really drew me in. I found myself really enjoying it in the beginning. However, once Julia got to Tuscany, the plot seemed to slow down. This was definitely a slow-burn, which I don’t usually love. I did enjoy the character of Julia and the descriptions of Tuscany. However, the plotline was just a bit too slow for me. If you enjoy slow-burn mysteries, this one is for you. The narration by Maria Marquis was enjoyable. I give this one 3 out of 5 stars.

I was excited for this book, because I have been a Lisa Scottoline fan for years. But this book was just ok, to me. I love her family drama/thriller aspects, but this one felt more supernatural and unrealistic to me, which was a let down.

Lisa Scottoline’s The Unraveling of Julia is a breathtakingly emotional and fiercely powerful novel that grabs hold of your heart and refuses to let go. With her signature blend of legal suspense and deeply human storytelling, Scottoline delivers one of her most compelling characters yet in Julia, a woman caught between the trauma of her past and the complexities of her present.

I’m a huge fan of Lisa Scottoline! This book definitely reminded me of why. I listen to it on Audible while cleaning the house and exercising in my pool.
I would say that this is a mystery romance. Full of twist and turn that will have you on the end of your seat.
I give this a five star rating and wish it could be more!