This was such a great mystery! Every now and then I come across a book that totally transports me and this did just that. I was legit in Tuscany while listening to this (def need a trip there now). The narrator was equally amazing and helped build the story’s atmosphere - loved how she was able to switch between accents and characters seamlessly! I totally lost myself in this book.

I did feel there was a shift in vibes during the third act of this, hence the rating. It wasn’t bad, but did change things for me. Could not recommend the audio more though you want a trip to Italy without having to buy a plane ticket 🤭

Thank you to Netgalley, Hachette Audio, and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced copy of this audio! The Unraveling of Julia is out NOW ✨

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑼𝑵𝑹𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑶𝑭 𝑱𝑼𝑳𝑰𝑨 𝒃𝒚 𝑳𝒊𝒔𝒂 𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 & 𝑵𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒔 is a suspenseful tale of identity I got to hear thanks to @hachetteaudio & @netgalley which is available this week!

I will admit, I am a fan of @lisascottoline and I will let her take me on whatever wild ride she can conjure! It often has an Italian place, in which I am ever ready to be immersed. This makes the narrators important, and this book came into full Italian atmosphere with the beautiful voice of Marquis.

This tale centers on the title character as she discovers an Italian inheritance, which is odd since she is adopted and knows nothing about her biological family. This only adds to her confusion as she is grieving the murder of her husband, just months prior. Not feeling like she has much to risk, Julia heads to Italy to see this place and possibly make plans to sell it, until she enters and the pull of the estate becomes more intense. When that pull seems to morph into strange dreams and visions, and the house begins to reveal dark secrets that may reveal more about Julia's family, Julia has to decide what message she is getting and if it is worth it.

I had no idea where this was going, but I trusted the process, and thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful journey! It had a bit of grief, friendship, romance, suspense, gothic atmosphere, and twists that I felt fit the story well. I especially liked the friendship portrayed & the family revelations which made this story deeper than just a suspense. I don't believe in astrology, which was a central part, but it made for an atmospheric element that gave a touch of a magical aire.

I recommend this for fans ready for a suspenseful, slightly magical, Gothic Italian mystery with a character you want to root for!

When you open up the latest release from author, Lisa Scottoline, be prepared for a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Murder, an unexpected inheritance, stalking, drugging, attempted murder, romance, paranormal experiences ... a little bit of everything. The characters are well developed and the time you get to spend in Italy with Julie adds to the story. Lots of twist and turns and shocking discoveries will have you pulled in as you speed through the pages as quickly as possible. This is a dramatic page turner with a wonderful climax ending. Read it as soon as you can!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Fiction
Gothic
Italy
Mystery
Mystery Thriller
Suspense
Thriller

Such an enticing title! One wonders what it making Julia unravel? Will we see her put back together again?

Here is what I really appreciated about this new release from Lisa Scottoline:

🌅Tuscany! Who doesn't dream of going there or returning if they have been? A character in the book makes the comment on the perennial appeal of 'Under the Tuscan Sun.'😎
🫄The mother-daughter bond is explored in many ways. If you have followed Scottline as I have, you know she is very close to her own daughter. That relationship shines through in the narrative.
⚖ Justice is pursued in many ways. Most all of us have that drive for the good to prevail over the bad.
Wondering if justice will be served kept me on the edge of my seat.

I'm sorry to say this got a little too 'woo-woo' for me. My daily life does not include consulting my horoscope not do I look to mediums for advice. In my opinion, Julia was too open-minded in her pursuit of the metaphysical. Not my cup of tea.

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for a DRC and to Grand Central and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
2 likes

So I just finished the audiobook version of The Unraveling of Julia, and wow — this one took me for a ride.

First off, the narration? Absolutely spot-on. The voice actor really gets Julia. There’s something so intimate and raw about hearing her story told aloud. You feel her anxiety, her spiraling thoughts, her moments of clarity — it’s like you’re right there with her, sitting across the room, watching her life slowly come undone.

The story itself is emotional and messy in the best way. Julia is complex — sometimes frustrating, sometimes heartbreaking, but always real. The way her trauma is revealed piece by piece felt very natural and well-paced. It’s not one of those “plot twist every chapter” books — it’s more of a slow, steady burn where everything builds up until you realize just how much she’s lost (and maybe still has to lose).

There’s a strong psychological depth to the whole thing, which works really well in audiobook form. You get to sit with Julia’s inner monologue, and it’s intense. If you’ve ever struggled with mental health, or known someone who has, this one hits close.

That said, it can get heavy — definitely one of those audiobooks you might want to take in smaller doses if you’re sensitive to emotional topics. But it’s worth sticking with.

I first discovered Lisa Scottoline’s writing with her 2019 novel Someone Knows, a suburban thriller rich with emotion and deeply drawn characters. I remember enjoying it, but for whatever reason, I never picked up another of her books—until now. When her publisher graciously shared a copy of her latest, The Unraveling of Julia, I jumped at the chance to dive back in. Based on my prior experience, I expected another grounded character study woven into a twisty thriller. What I got instead was something altogether different.

If anyone had reason to believe in curses, it’s Julia. Her life has been one tragedy after another—first the loss of her adoptive parents, then the violent murder of her husband, which she witnessed in horror. Since that terrible day, Julia has blamed herself. After all, her horoscope practically foretold his death. If she’d only paid attention, maybe she could have prevented it. Instead, she let fate take its course, and now she’s trapped in what feels like a cursed life.

But everything changes when a mysterious letter arrives. Julia has been named the sole heir to a villa and vineyard in Tuscany, left to her by a woman she’s never heard of, Emilia Rossi. Having never searched for her birth parents, Julia wonders if Rossi could be a relative. With nothing tying her down, she heads to Italy in search of answers.

In Tuscany, Julia finds more than just a crumbling villa. She uncovers eerie parallels between herself, the reclusive Emilia Rossi, and a legendary Renaissance duchess obsessed with astrology. As unsettling events unfold and danger creeps closer, Julia must confront the truth about her identity and whether fate is guiding her... or hunting her.

I went into The Unraveling of Julia expecting a grounded, character-driven thriller. What I got instead was a wild ride of shifting fortunes, psychological suspense, and over-the-top twists. That’s not a complaint. It just wasn’t what I expected. Scottoline clearly has fun with this story, unraveling her heroine both mentally and literally in ways that blur the line between the supernatural and the real. Not every plot thread lands, but that didn’t stop me from racing through the pages. There’s something refreshing about a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s different, yes, but it’s also a whole lot of fun.

I loveeeee Lisa Scottline and she is so back! Her last two books fell flat for me and did not hold my interest, but this was amazing!! I loved it so much and the setting was to die for (LOL).

The Unraveling of Julia is a bit different than past books I've read by Lisa Scottoline. Not that this is bad. I'm sure authors want to try new things, just like anyone else. Past books were more firmly in the mystery camp. The Unraveling of Julia has a mystery at its heart, but it also has some romance, as well as a paranormal element.

The book starts with Julia reeling from the horrific murder of her husband at the hands of a mugger. He dies in her arms, stabbed after trying to protect her, and she is left shattered. Then Julia receives a letter from a lawyer in Italy stating that she has inherited an Italian estate from a woman unknown to Julia. The fact that Julia is adopted makes her believe she may have ties to this mysterious benefactor.

Once Julia gets to Italy, she is stunned to see what all she has inherited. Then mysterious events begin to occur, and Julia begins to feel threatened by a man who seems to be following her.

I enjoyed this story, and although some of the plot lines, like the romance, seemed a little simplistic, it still made for an enjoyable read with a satisfying conclusion. I would rate this a 3.75 and I'm rounding up.

I listened to an audio version and the narrator had a nice voice to listen to and seemed to really nail the Italian accents, which made the listening experience extra enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Scottoline, and Hachette Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Julia’s life feels like it’s falling apart. Barely six months after the tragic loss of her husband, she is notified of a large inheritance, which includes a villa in Tuscany. The problem is that she doesn’t know anyone in Tuscany and can’t imagine where this hugely generous gift would have come from.

In hopes of trying to get to the bottom of it all (and hopefully find out more about her birth family), she travels to Italy, but it would appear the drama is just getting started.

While this book has quite a bit going on (royal connections, car chases, budding romance, real estate deals, supernatural presences and lots of art history), I did enjoy it overall.

Since there was a good bit going on, it might not have been best-suited for audio, but that is entirely a me thing and no fault of the book.

I’d be remise if I didn’t let you know that there is also a presence of domestic abuse, which could be triggering for some, as well as an adoption storyline.

Yet again, this another book that made me want to pack my suitcase… this time dreaming of Tuscan sunsets and charming villas and allll the gelato.

Today seems to be pretty big pub day… anything you’re excited to get your hands on?

I love this author, this story wasn't my favorite but the author still managed to make it interesting and I wanted to finish it.

🎧 Audiobook Review The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline Narrated by Maria Marquis | ALC Gifted by Hachette Audio

This audiobook swept me away into the lush, haunting beauty of Tuscany—one of my favorite places in the world 🌻🇮🇹. Lisa Scottoline's storytelling is vivid and layered, and Maria Marquis's narration? Flawless. Her voice brought Julia’s emotional journey to life in a way that made me feel every beat of suspense and longing.

It’s a deeply absorbing tale of secrets and self-discovery, set in a world where a warm breeze blows through olive groves. I was hooked, immersed, and even found myself lingering in chapters to soak in the atmosphere.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | A gripping listen that’s as much about place as it is about plot. Perfect for anyone with a love for Italy, strong characters, and perfectly narrated audiobooks that pull you in and don’t let go. Maria Marquis' narration was so good that I didn't feel like it was just one narrator, and the different accents? Splendid!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ALC and to Grand Central Publishing for my gifted copy.

3.5 stars, rounded up. Story was entertaining, but too long and convoluted. I feel like it could have been 100 pages shorter without missing any key parts. It was suspenseful, but the twists weren’t as twisty as I expect from a thriller. I also think the romance in it was odd, like it didn’t quite fit. All in all a decent read, but not one I’d go out of my way to recommend.

Narrator was great! Loved all the voices and sounded credible throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me an advanced audio version of this book.

Lisa Scottoline is who hooked me into reading. I love all of her thriller books. This book was no exception. It was a great listen for anyone who prefers audiobooks. Great narrator. Not confusing to follow. I really enjoyed listening to this book as I have never listened to any of her books before.

It kept my interest, and some moments had my heart racing- that is basically the only thing I ask for from thriller books! I want to feel like I am there in the story and the things are happening to me.

I would reccommend this book for sure!

I had a hard time getting into this one. The main character was a little flat, and it was a bit slow, I think. The concept drew me in, and the astrology angle was interesting, but I just couldn’t really get into it.

Thank you, Net Galley, for the advanced audio of Lisa Scottoline's THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA. I have read all of Lisa's previous novels and this one did not disappoint. This is a suspense novel with a little bit of astrology thrown in for good measure. As indicated by the title this novel is about a character named Julia (Pritzker) and how she responds to the events that occurred in her life. Originally living in Philadelphia, Julia is somewhat at loose ends following the death of her husband so when she is notified of an unexpected inheritance from someone in Italy, Julia takes an open-ended flight to Italy to find out more about this inheritance, the mysterious person who left it to her and find out if this inheritance had anything to do with her birth family. This novel held my attention my beginning to end and I vacillated between wanting to know what was going to happen and not wanting to finish it because it was such a good story that I didn't want it to end.

Grieving the loss of her husband, Julia receives notice that she has inherited a Tuscan villa from a mysterious benefactor. Since she was adopted at a young age, this could be the missing link to discovering more about her biological family, so off she goes to Italy. What she uncovers is a villa in need of work, and an eerie feeling of being followed. Is this her own paranoia or is something more sinister afoot?
This was a twisty story with gothic vibes, it was such a different read from the last book I read by this author but as a huge fan of this type of book, I loved it.

WHAT?! This was so surprisingly unique and refreshing!
I loved the scenery, the historical fiction, generational trauma and secrets!
HATED the "argh" all of the time from the narrator.
I thought this was pleasantly eerie but somehow magical.

The Unraveling of Julia is a spooky ghost story taking place in Italy. The book starts with a murder and leads to Julia moving from the States to Italy, trying to figure out the mystery of her family. With mysterious blue lights, ghosts, car chases, mystery tunnels, and no one who is trustworthy, Julia feels she is losing her mind, but cannot give up the need to find out what is happening around her. This fast paced novel keeps you wondering and guessing the whole time as to what the secret is, and why is it such a secret. I recommend it if you like the mysterious, astrology, and ghost stories.

If a thriller were an Italian dish, the pasta would be the plot filled with twists that stretch to the point of almost breaking but ultimately unravel in both an inexplicable and a believable way. The protein would be the characters who each have add their own flavored and textures that enhance that specific dish. The sauce and/or seasonings would be the atmosphere and irony that brought everything together with the spice being the romance. This book brought all of those elements together into one of the better thrillers I’ve read. This psychological thriller leans on the psychological, driven by the mindset of the characters like those by Alice Feeney. Two aspects of this work that I found especially captivating is the inclusion of captivating quotations that will stop you in your tracks as well as a beautiful motif that extends throughout the book. The two elements that I think could have been rethought are minor. The book mentioned that a knife was a hunting knife with a serrated edge. While I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hunting knife with one, a military-style knife would have one. The only other aspect that I kept thinking is I wish the book were just entitled “The Unraveling” instead of including the name of Julia. I do think it made me focus more on the main character than was necessary. With that said, that could have been the author’s intent. Overall, this thriller far exceeded my expectations, and I would highly recommend giving it a read.
Thank you Hachette Audio and Grand Central Publishing for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Title: The Unraveling of Julia
Author: Lisa Scottoline
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Maria Marques
Publisher: Hachette Audio/Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Psychological Thriller, with some Romance
Pub Date : July 15, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pages 400

Julia Pritzker’s husband Mike was recently murdered when a would-be robber tried to grab Julia’s designer shoulder bag. Mike tried to protect Julia and got in the way of a knife. The funeral has come and gone but Julia has nightmares and still sees the hooded robber and knife

Julia had lost both her adopted parents – her mother – her best friend died of a brain aneurysm on Julia’s tenth birthday while they were baking. Her father died of heart attack when she was in college. However, he was a changed man after his wife Melanie died.
Now Julia has no family and it is a deep hurt. She believes she must be cursed as her horoscope actually predicted the deaths.
Do not be alarmed but do be aware today
You or a loved one may be in jeopardy

Times goes by but Julia checks her horoscope on StrongSign offer. One day she reads ~
Your luck is going to change today.
You are stronger than you know.
Trust yourself. It is only the beginning.
Sure enough a very strange thing happened. She gets a DHL envelope from Milan, Italy.
It is from an estate lawyer asked her to contact their office as Signora Emilia Rossi left her an inheritance.
At first she thinks it is a scam but remembers the horoscope using the words Luck and Trust. She contacts the office in Italy and is informing her that she has inherited a Tuscan villa and property. Julia has little to no information about her biological family, so perhaps Emilia is a blood relative. Julia heads to Tuscany to find out.

The lawyer doesn’t know Julia’s connection to Emilia but tells her a family investigator can help her. It appears Emilia Rossi did not have children but there is connection to Catherina Sforza, a daughter of to a legendary Renaissance ruler an important historical figure.

Although the villa is in need of a lot of repairs, actually major renovation; many of the ceiling frescos are in good shape. There is one of Duchess Caterina Sforza, and Julia is stunned as she resembles Caterina,

I am a big author, Lisa Scottoline fan -this is my twenty-ninth story. I read and enjoyed the galley however; I do love a good audiobook so was delighted to listen to it as well. Narrator Maria Marquis did a fabulous job in performing the characters. Her Italian accent was ‘spot on’ and made the story even more enjoyable.

My first Scottoline read started back in the 90's with the “Rosoto & Associates “before changing to Rosato & DiNunzio.
Lisa Scottoline continues to be one of my favorite authors. She and her daughter Francesca Serritella have hosted an annual Big Book Club Party at her Pennsylvania farm, for the past twelve years. (I wanna go!!!!)
She and Francesca write a weekly column for the Philadelphia Inquirer entitled <i>”Chick Wit”</i>, a witty take on life from a woman’s perspective. It is also available via their email newsletter.
Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. in English, and cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she taught Justice and Fiction. She lives in the Philadelphia area with an array of disobedient pets and loves it!
Additionally she is a big fan of the Eagles and Brady Cooper. However, if you follow her you already know THAT!

I have been enjoying Ms. Scottoline’s stories for many years and as Italian (well half but I love to call myself Italian) I love her ‘Acknowledgements’ – she tells us she believes in research and once again traveled to Italy for research. In this case Milan, Florence and visited the places served as settings for this story.
She also stares that she has been writing about family all her life as she believes it is what matters the MOST.

Want to thank NetGalley and Hachette Audio/Grand Central Publishing for granting me this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 15, 2025.