The Truth about the Devlins follows an accomplished family of attorneys. TJ is the black sheep of the family, having recently spent time in rehab and jail. He’s just beginning to get his life on track when his brother, John, tells him that he killed one of the firm’s clients and he needs TJ’s help.
This novel was nicely placed and I was interested enough but the more I read, the less interested I was. TJ was the only character I particularly liked but I wasn’t very invested in the outcome of the story.

TJ hasn't drunk since his addiction led to the biggest mistake that not only made him lose his freedom, the trust from his family, his college, but also the love of his life. Now he works as an investigator for the prestigious law firm run by his family of lawyers when his older brother, the golden son, confesses to having killed a man.

3+

Lisa Scottoline is a big name but this was the first book I read by her. And I expected better. I can't evaluate her other books, obviously, so this is only about this title—she may know about law practice, but she didn't manage to get what is interesting about it to show in this story. TJ's journey against alcoholism and to get over himself was probably the best about it, although a lot of those times I just wanted to grab his neck and shake him until he opened his eyes. It would all so obviously go wrong it made me anxious to follow him take that path. But at least it got me invested.

Know that all events in the book will lead you somewhere. Still, they seem random for most of it, and I don't think any got much of my attention, aside from the main mystery, of what happened to the dead man. On the other hand, I may have had an idea of what could be going on but it wouldn't be easy to predict it all—especially when for a long time the story seems to be going everywhere, for good or for bad. In any case, the ending wasn't obvious. I just think the way there could have been neater.

It's a nice mystery/crime novel, and I might read more books by this author, but she wouldn't be my first pick with all the focus on Law instead of on what's really interesting.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Although I usually don't enjoy male narrators, this narrator perfectly embraces his reputation as unreliable while proving to be the most reliable in the room. An imperfect person guiding us through an intriguing tale of corporate misdeeds with honesty and humanity.

Thank you NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and Lisa Scottoline for the copy of The Truth About the Devlins.

This book was fantastic! I was finding myself wanting to read it nonstop, which doesn’t happen. But I did thoroughly enjoy it and would definitely recommend. It kept me on the edge of my seat!

4⭐
Genre ~ family drama, domestic thriller, crime thriller
Setting ~ Pennsylvania
Publication date ~ March 26, 2024
Est page Count ~ 400 (65 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 40 minutes
Narrator ~ Edoardo Ballerini
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ short chapters, lawyers, alcoholism, sobriety

TJ is the black sheep of the family, an ex-con, too. When his brother comes to him for help one night he finds himself on a mission that could cost him everything he's worked for.

I felt like I was tagging right along with TJ on his investigations. You can’t help but both feel bad for him and wonder why you are since what he did to land himself in the slammer wasn’t great. His father and brother are down right awful to him and their entitlement was a bit much. Sister, Gabby, on the other hand was great!

Overall, it was pretty fast paced with a good amount of action that kept me engaged. If you're a fan of legal family dramas then you'll probably like this one.

Side note ~ I was pleased to read in the author's note that she did extensive research and actually attended AA meetings in order to make sure she was writing the characters realistically. Obviously she knows her stuff on the law side of things since she went to law school.

Would you help your brother cover up a murder?

The Devlins of Philadelphia have worked hard to build their family law firm from the ground up, & they take pride in how far they’ve come; well, most of them - TJ did do that stint in prison, & is the only family member at the law firm that isn’t actually a lawyer. But when his big brother John, the golden child, comes to him on the night of their father’s birthday saying he’s killed someone, TJ does everything he can to help John. However, trying to keep his investigation into what exactly his brother got himself into a secret from his parents & sister, Gabby, proves to be challenging for TJ - he has work to do on Gabby’s pro bono case & AA meetings to attend, & all while making sure that nothing he does in his search for the facts violates his parole…

Families can be complicated, & the author did a fantastic job of painting a complex picture of this one. TJ was a compelling main character as he struggled with his sobriety, what he wanted to do in life, & what exactly his obligations to his family were. The way that he accepted responsibility for his actions & did the work to turn his life around was inspiring, & the situation that the Devlins found themselves in with their client had many twists & turns. The theme of justice was a strong one, & Gabby fighting for prisoners that had been experimented on while incarcerated was difficult but important to read about.

Thank you to NetGalley & Putnam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Side note: I loved Mango the cat!

The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline is a standalone crime mystery thriller that grips you from the start. The story is set in Philadelphia, centered around the Devlins, who are a family of successful lawyers, in their own law firm. The story revolves around TJ Devlin, who is the black sheep in the family, as he is a recovering alchoholic, as well as having spent time in prison. TJ works at his family’s law firm as investigator, working hard to redeem himself to his family.

It is his father’s birthday party, when his older brother needs help, and asks TJ to come with him. Seems John (the older successful brother) met with a client, who pulled a gun on him, and John threw a rock at the client, hitting him in the head. John fears he killed the man, but when they get to where John left him, there is no body. When they get back to the party, the family immediately thinks that TJ was in trouble. John tries to conceal where they went, making up a lie that TJ had a relapse, even though he has been sober for a while. TJ is angry with John, for lying, and when he tries to explain to the family, they brush him off as he is not telling the truth.

The next day TJ learns that John’s client was dead, supposedly by suicide, due to embezzlement, at a different site. This relieves John, and he no longer worries; but TJ is suspicious because he sees he is being followed. TJ continues his investigation, putting himself into dangerous situations. TJ is also helping out his sister, Gabby on a pro bono case, related to illegal drugs conducted on inmates in prison by pharmaceutical companies. TJ begins to suspect that John has some issues, causing his downward spiral endangering his family. Were both of these cases related?

I really liked TJ, who was dedicated to proving himself to his family, despite them treating him like a lost cause; which was heartbreaking at times. Only his sister, Gabby was always believing in him; as his mother usually did. His father was harsh to him, always believing the worst; especially with John’s lies to defend himself. TJ also closer to the end will find the perfect woman for him, as they made a great couple.
The Truth about the Devlins is an exciting, fast-paced story in the last third of the book, with a dangerous lethal web of deception and murder. I was unable to put the book down, as it was a heart-pounding, captivating page-turner. The Truth About the Devlins was very well written by Lisa Scottoline.

I love Lisa Scottoline’s books and I love a family black sheep underdog! This book had me loving TJ from the get go and rooting for his success. Lisa S does a great job researching for her books which makes the stories so good and so believable. Fantastic thriller and another great Lisa S read!

I found this one enjoyable. I loved that the story is set where I live. I didn't realize it going in, but I loved reading about local places that I know. The Devlin family had tons of drama and I enjoyed getting to read about it. I also enjoyed how the legal case was woven into the story.

This book was longer than I expected, but I loved the short chapters! I was not jealous of all that TJ had to deal with and handle for his family. I would like to read more about him please!

I have read several books by this author and just like them, this book is fantastic. Characters are developed in a smooth manner-some to love, others to seriously dislike, others to empathize with. The story rolls out in perfect tempo, allowing for the reader to think in tandem with the characters.
I highly recommend this novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Dutton Books for this review copy via NetGalley. I enjoyed this family drama, I rarely read books that center on brothers so The Truth about the Devlins was a welcome change of pace with that focus. I always appreciate the storytelling with a Scottoline book and that she tends to bring in the human side of mystery and crime, to center stories on families and relationships.

While I enjoyed the themes in this book, it was overall a bit slow for me, I had trouble connecting with the characters and plot, it just never got the liftoff for me to make this a win for me. I think it's a miss for me as a reader, not quite a theme/focus that resonated with me versus a book that isn't good. So grain of salt with my review, take a look at this if the themes and author are wins for you!

Thank you PRH audio for the audiobook review copy as well.

This book has a little something for everyone. It dealt with addiction, human experimenting on humans by rogue drug companies, murder, attempted murder, courtroom drama, and family hijinx. And despite the serious topics addressed, Ms. Scottoline manages to use a fair amount of humor to make it all palatable.

The Devlins, a family of mostly lawyers, have many secrets; and what family doesn't? But the Decline' secrets are, at times, of a criminal nature. And that makes the secrets all the more juicy.

Ms. Scottoline, in this, her 36th book, has written an absolute winner. I loved the characters, the story, and the writing. I highly recommend it.

The Truth about the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline is a good domestic suspense that I enjoyed.

I enjoy reading this book. The characters are well developed and thought out.

The story was twisty and had a good premise.

The Truth About the Devlins is the story of a well-known family of lawyers, at the center of which is TJ Devlin. TJ is not a lawyer; but he is a recovering alcoholic who works for the family's firm as an investigator. His brother, John, tells TJ that he murdered one of his clients, and TJ immediately jumps in to try to help John. However, TJ's assistance comes with his brother lying to the family about TJ's sobriety, involvement in the crime, and more.
I love a good legal thriller, and this fits the bill. The book kept me interested and wanting to know what would happen next. Several of the characters were relatable and I enjoyed this book very much.
Thank you to the publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book started a little slow, but boy did that last half make up for it. I really enjoyed the plot of this book and trying to figure out “the who done it” parts.

I thoroughly enjoyed making my way through this story, even the parts that made me so mad I could spit nails. Great concept and expertly crafted execution, Lisa Scottoline fans and anyone who enjoys a well-told story will fall through the rabbit hole with this one!

TJ Devlin is the black sheep of the family. He is a recovering alcoholic and ex-con. He works with the family law business as an investigator and can do nothing right in the eyes of his father. When the good son, John, confesses to TJ that he has killed somebody and needs his help, it is the start of a dangerous series of events that will test his sobriety.

This book was addictive! i got so caught up in the story and I loved TJ. He had such a big heart and was always being hurt. I only wanted the best for him, and was saddened by the way he was treated. His relationship with Mango the cat made me laugh.

A family drama with lots of thrills. It certainly had me hooked from start to finish. Another winner from this author.

Thanks so much to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published on March 26th.

This was a story full of twists and turns! This is a tale about the whole Devlin family and contains family secrets, deception, and lies. I especially enjoyed the character of TJ. He was very real and worked through his problems in a healthy way. My favorite part of the whole book was the ending to his story!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a chance to read and review "The Truth about the Devlins" by Lisa Scottoline.

TJ Devlin is a recovering alcoholic and ex-con in a family of lawyers. Though things are going well for him now, it isn't the case for long as TJ's older brother gets himself into a bit of a bind when he confesses that he murdered someone to TJ. Now it is up to TJ to find out what exactly happened and what he has to do to make sure this doesn't tear the whole family apart.
This was a pretty good novel, it is my first from this author though I've heard many good things about her books. I did feel at times very bored as the narrative dragged on a bit too much for my liking and some stuff was pretty unbelievable. I did like the main character TJ and you couldn't help rooting for him. Overall I think this was a pretty decent thriller but maybe not exactly for me.