A solid legal/domestic thriller. I found it to drag a tiny bit in the middle but it really takes off and gives a good ending. I have never read this author before and I’m interested in her very extensive backlist now.

This novel left a lot to be desired. As a fan of Lisa Scottoline, I found this book to be quite the bore. Even after reading half of the book, I felt like the story was not engaging.

Lisa Scottoline is an auto-buy author for me, and the Devlins are a prime example of why. This saga is a messy family drama featuring rich people behaving badly, and I absolutely flew through these pages.

TJ, a recovering alcoholic, is working hard to put his life back together by working at his family's law firm as an unlicensed investigator. His older brother John, the family's golden child, calls TJ for help one night after he thinks he may have killed a man. It's way more complicated than that, though, and the twists and turns were a fun ride. I expected the drama, the thrills, and the twists, but the number of time I laughed out loud at this book was such a pleasant surprise. I think TJ and I would be excellent friends.

Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Lisa Scottoline for taking me along on this adventure through the Philly streets in exchange for my honest review.

This is a great thriller that keeps you guessing what the truth about the Devlins really is. It centers around TJ Devlin, the black sheep of the family - didn't go to college, recently out of prison, and a recovering alcoholic. The rest of the family are all lawyers at the family law firm Devlin & Devlin, while TJ is just the investigator. On the night of their father's birthday, TJ's brother John pulls him aside saying he just killed someone, the accountant of one of their clients. TJ goes into investigator mode trying to protect his brother, but unfortunately for him the spiral of crimes and secrets is out of control.

I think what really kept me reading was TJ. He's a great character and you really feel for him as the black sheep, and when people throw him under the bus, you get mad for him. TJ is trying to turn his life around after he did something terrible. I was rooting for him the whole time!

This is a fast-paced domestic thriller with great characters.

I have read many books by the extremely talented Lisa Scottoline and she never disappoints. “The Truth about the Devlins” is no exception. In this thriller we learn what appears to be is not always what truly is there. TJ is the black sheep of the family, but unexpectedly finds himself helping other members more than they could have ever anticipated. We get to follow along with TJ as many family secrets and hidden dangers, some even deadly, are uncovered. Just when you think you know what is going to happen you realize you definitely do not. This book is a thrilling ride, and I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next. I highly recommend “The Truth about the Devlins” as well as the authors other books. You will not be disappointed!

This was a typical Lisa Scottoline book- twisty, short chapters that have you saying "just one more" for like 14 chapters in a row... I knew something was fishy in the very beginning, but the ending was still a surprise to me. I was really rooting for the main character, TJ, throughout this novel, and did feel sad about one of his choices. Finished this one in less than 24 hours! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for the eARC of this novel.

Definitely enjoyed this one more than her last. I think I DNFed Loyalty. The Devlins are a messy family and I do love family drama. Also, I am a lawyer so legal thrillers are novels that I connect with.

In true Lisa fashion this book knocks it out of the park. Lisa weaves a great story about a family with issues of alcohol and gambling addiction all while keeping you in suspense with a murder mystery.
I was so grateful to be an ARC reader for this book. Thank you Lisa Scottoline, Net Galley and Putnam Books. Allison opinions and thoughts are my own.

**SPOILERS**
Intriguing story/mystery/what-exactly-is-going-on-here that is well-plotted, and TJ is a narrator that you grow to care about and he tells the story well. The Dad is a narcissist and overall, the family kind of sucks except for Gabby and TJ. Definitely a lack of unconditional love until they realize they all have faults. It was hard for me to feel bad for anyone else in the family. Definitely kept me saying... "But what about...." till nearly the very end.

Excellent!

This book is another winner for Ms. Scottoline! I think I’ve read all of her books, and this is up there in the top of my list, getting back to her roots.

Part legal, all thriller, lots of action, this book has it all. The Devlins are on top of their profession, except for TJ, an ex-con, alcoholic with a sinecure role in the family firm. He’s been sober two years, but the family still is wary about his sobriety. Until one day his brother asks for help, and like a snowball, it all goes downhill and grows quickly.

Highly recommend!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Everyone in the Devlin family is a successful attorney in the prestigious Devlin and Devlin law firm, except TJ ,who is the family screwup. He is a convicted criminal, a college dropout,,and a recovering alcoholic. As the narrator,, we see the family dynamics through his eyes. TJ is working as an investigator for his family firm. As he is investigating the sale of a client’s company. he unearths irregularities in the transaction that put him and his family in danger. This is a satisfying read with great character development, and a good story. We root for TJ to solve the embezzlement case and be recognized as worthy by his family.

This book was kind of a slow burn. It was interesting at certain points but others felt just like filler. I liked the story line though.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Mar. 26, 2024
Best-selling author Lisa Scottoline brings family secrets, justice and the lengths we will go to to protect the ones we love with her thirty-fourth novel, “The Truth About the Devlin’s”.
In a prominent family like the Devlin’s, where every member is a renowned lawyer in the family’s firm, youngest son T.J. is the black sheep. After a stint in rehab and jail, T.J. knows he is the disappointment in the family, especially to his father. But T.J.’s life is completely turned upside when his older brother, John, tells T.J. that he killed one of his clients, and asks T.J. to not only cover it up, but to keep it a secret from their high-profile family. T.J. does what he can to help his brother but it isn’t very long until the spotlight turns to T.J. Using every tool in his arsenal, T.J. investigates the crime in order to clear his name, and uncovers something he never expected.
“Devlin’s” is an addictive page-turner that I found hard to put down. The action starts right away and doesn’t let up until the gripping conclusion. Scottoline, once again, has delivered a dynamic family thriller full of twists and turns.
T.J. is the protagonist and as he narrates the story we learn about his criminal past and the intense pressure put on him by his influential family, especially his father. Although families like the Devlin’s tend to be automatically disliked by the average reader for their unrelatability and arrogance, Scottoline has written them as the rags-to-riches success story, with a common upbringing that only changed with the success of the family legal practice. This also helps cement the drastic efforts made by the family to maintain the practice that made them who they are.
T.J. is likable and, as an alcoholic, he adds an emotional depth to the plot. His story is heartbreaking and real, and it is hard not to root for him. Scottoline explores the many levels of addiction through T.J.’s story, portrayed in an honest and non-judgmental light, and you can’t help but be touched by his struggle.
There are many twists and turns in this novel, building the perfect level of suspense that Scottoline delivers perfectly. The ending is just and satisfying, with all of the plot points coming together effortlessly. “The Truth About the Devlin’s” proves that Scottoline is not slowing down, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

The Devlins are a family of successful lawyers: mum, dad, son and daughter. But then there’s another son, TJ, the black sheep of the family. We learn early on that he’s had trouble in his life and we’re to learn more about that as the story plays out. Meanwhile, he’s working as an investigator for the family law firm, thrown a bone by them, not really expected to do much of any value. But then one night his brother, John, a man who TJ has always looked up to, revered in fact, asks for TJ’s help. John is in trouble, or at least he thinks he is.

The family are an entitled bunch, hard to warm to, and it’s not initially clear what shadow, or shadows, from TJ’s past are haunting him. But perhaps by helping his brother some kind of redemption may be achieved, perhaps then he’ll be considered something more than just an unfortunate appendage to this otherwise high achieving family. More importantly, maybe TJ will achieve some semblance of self-worth.

It all had the feel of a routine thriller with a twisty plot but populated by characters who seemed largely shallow and one-dimensional. But slowly, as the story developed, the characters began to evolve a degree of depth and complexity. It turns out that TJ’s sister, Gabby, was not the same driven money making machine as her parents and brother John – in fact, she was working pro bono on a case involving the abuse of prison inmates. TJ was actually closer to Gabby than the others and in time he became involved with this case too, helping her out. John and TJ's parents also had a little more going on than I'd initially glimpsed, though I found it hard to warm to any of them.

The problem is, I'm not sure that the story ever really takes off. In time, TJ comes to recognise John for who he really is and there’s some excitement as we approach the end, with a pretty good action scene. Loose ends are tied off, conclusions are reached. But really it’s a pretty low-key tale that retained my interested without ever truly exciting me.

The Truth about the Devlins
Lisa Scottoline (This review is from an ARC sent to me by Net Galley)
“Lisa Scottoline, the #1 bestselling author of What Happened to the Bennetts, presents another pulse-pounding domestic thriller about family, justice, and the lies that tear us apart.”
The parents, the Devlins are a powerful family of lawyers, who founded a prosperous insurance and reinsurance firm, and his more successful siblings, John and Gabby.
TJ is the wayward member of the family who has lost his way, not a lawyer but an investigator who has made many mistakes and is the black sheep of the family. He has been in prison and is a recovering alcoholic.
His world is turned upside when his older brother confesses to a murder.TJ decides he must investigate the murder to save his brother. The lies, deception and what follows could ruin the family. The dysfunction of the family is evident as the story develops. Lisa Scottoline once again delivers a griping tale of fiction that readers will enjoy

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

I enjoyed this book much more than some of her other more recent books. It hooks you right in with the requisite murder, then all the twists and turns of a family drama complete with long held secrets.

TJ Devlin is the outcast of the Devlin family; a convicted felon and recovering alcoholic, while everyone else is a successful lawyer working for the family law firm. Since getting out of jail, TJ has been working for the family as an investigator. When his brother confesses to a murder, it sets in motion a whole series of events that ends with a shocking conclusion.

Recommended for all public libraries.

I have always enjoyed Lisa Scottoline's novels and this one was no exception. The Truth about the Devlins is a thriller/mysery. The Devlin family consists of the parents, and siblings John, TJ and Gabby who all work for the Devlin Law Firm. There are many twists and turns in this story that one is never sure what is going to happen next. Very well thought out and will surprise you at the end as to who was after who. Easy to read and follow. A great book to read.

Bestselling author, Lisa Scottolini, has released another fascinating thriller, The Truth About the Devlins , and it will keep readers on the edge. TJ Devlin is the black sheep in his family – he has served time in prison and is a recovering alcoholic. His brother, John is the favorite, and can do no wrong. The Devlins are a family of lawyers, and keeping the legacy is the most important thing to the parents. One of the senior Devlin’s clients is working with John to put through a merger with a large company, and John tells his brother that he has found embezzlement in the accounts and may have murdered the accountant. TJ is the investigator for the firm, and investigates, making sure he can clear his brother and find the murderer. TJ is close to his sister, Gabby, and helps in her pro bono cases that cause some problems.

Scottolini has done her research as far as Alcoholics Anonymous, and much of the story rings true. She is an excellent storyteller, and there are ups and downs that are unexpected. The Devlin family is a bit dysfunctional, but hides it well and is respected in the community. Scottolini also develops her characters so that they seem real. TJ’s investigations uncover several issues that don’t seem to add up, and puts him and his family in danger.

All told, this is an interesting domestic thriller that will keep readers’ interest throughout.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Many thanks to the NetGalley for the ARC! I really enjoy Lisa Scottoline's novels. They always provide an entertaining read and keep me guessing until the very end. As I was reading this book, I found myself frustrated for the positions that TJ's family was putting him in. I think my favorite part of this book was that there was a HEA-ish ending, which are always my favorites!