Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Truth About the Devlins. The story started out fast paced and kept my attention the whole way through! I love Lisa Scottoline’s work and the research she puts in to her books! I love the importance of family to her and how it is showcased in her books. 5 stars from me!

This is another heart pounding domestic thriller by Lisa Scottoline. This book deals with family, justice, and lies that can tear any family apart. The black sheep of the family turns out to be doing good work but keeps getting accused of drinking again. He is really trying hard to safe his brother and sister. The family is wealthy and eventually they lose everything. A page turner that you will want to finish in one setting. A great book club discussion book.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. This book is told by the family black sheep TJ who is charming even though he has a checkered past. Hang on to your seats, the intertwined stories will weave a thrilling tale. Great job Lisa Scottoline for another winner.

TJ Devin is a disappointment to his family of lawyers. After being in prison and rehab, the only job he can get is as an investigator at his family’s firm. TJ’s world is turned upside down when his brother John confesses that he murdered a client. They become entangled in a web of deception and murder. TJ will do anything to save his brother and his family. But the truth may destroy them all.



Thanks to Lisa Scottoline and Penguin Group Putnam

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Thank you, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, for the gifted copy of The Truth About The Devlins by Lisa Scottoline. The book started out great and I really liked TJ. The pace was a little uneven and the book would be exciting and intriguing and then slow down and I would lose interest. It felt like the main story was too long and convoluted and the other, more interesting, story wasn’t long enough. If you like books about dysfunctional families with a good surprise reveal and ending, you should read this book.

I really enjoyed this book and kept turning the pages. We get to know the Devlin family well. Paul and Marie founded “Devlin and Devlin” and the firm has grown to be hugely successful. Their oldest son John and daughter Gabby are also lawyers in the firm.

TJ is the black sheep of the family, the only non-lawyer, he is employed as an “investigator” for the firm. He is a recovering alcoholic with a criminal record, constantly having to prove himself to his father.

TJ is our narrator and what a character he is!! I loved everything about him. He is self-deprecating, funny, big hearted and really wants to turn his life around.

As in all of Ms. Scottolne’s books, the characters are well described. When the golden boy, John, gets in a jam, he turns to TJ for help. This will set the course for the rollercoaster ride that commences.

There are two cases in this novel. The one will involve finding out who is following TJ and what exactly John has gotten himself, and the firm into.

The other case is a heart tugger. Gabby is working a pro bono case involving illegal experiments and tests conducted on inmates in multiple prisons. These tests resulted in cancer and other health issues from the tests that were conducted, Gabby is able to find a handful of survivors willing to press ahead against big Pharma.

Ms. Scottoline’s background as a former trial lawyer and law professor shine through in this novel. The case against the pharmaceutical companies is based on a horrifyingly true account of inmates being used as test subjects for a multitude medical experiments.

I was rooting for TJ throughout and fell in love with his character. He came across as a fundamentally good person who was willing to work hard to restart his life. The fact that he rescues a cat, of course, makes him extra special to me.

I can recommend this novel to anyone who wants to read a fast paced family drama/thriller with great characters.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

The Truth About the Devlins

TJ Devlin is the black sheep of his family. He is a recovering alcoholic who is working hard to right the wrongs from his past. He earns a living by working as an investigator at his family’s law firm Devlin & Devlin, where his siblings and parents are attorneys. As part of his effort to make things right, he is determined to expose the corruption he senses going on around him. But first, he must figure out who is behind the corruption and what exactly is going on. Then, he must present his facts/findings about the corruption to the very people who doubt him the most, his family. Will they believe him? Who will he bring down in the process? Will this be the break he needs to stop being viewed as the “black sheep”?

The Truth about the Devlins was my first novel by Lisa Scottoline and it did not disappoint. There were many times when I caught myself saying, “just one more chapter.” It would in fact, never be just one more chapter. I was always wanting more. I felt the characters were easy to relate to which says a lot for me because I typically struggle to relate when the main character is a male. I felt like this was an easy, fun and suspenseful read that will be enjoyed by many.

I think this will be good for the readers who like a thriller that revolves around dysfunctional families. I don't care to read about the dynamic of a spoiled man not caring about this siblings because he messed something up. I really just can't be bothered to care about that storyline. It is not the book or the author's fault, I'm just tired of reading about it. I think this will be received well though!

Tj is one charming guy. He is also a disappointment to his family who are all attorneys. After he returns from prison and rehab TJ’s brother admits that he killed someone. TJ starts to look into this and his perfect family is anything but. There is a web of lies intrigue and murder that you can only see in Rich powerful families. I really loved the way that Lisa laid this book out and found myself really caring about this family even though they leave a lot to be desired in the likability dept.

Fast paced book about a family of lawyers (except for one former alcoholic and convicted felon). On the night of the patriarch's birthday, the eldest brother is mixed up in a crime. He reaches out to the ne'er do well to get him out of trouble, except it seems like maybe brother is in deeper than he is saying.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really really wanted to like this one after seeing all of the reviews about how much people are liking it! I unfortunately DNF this one around the 20% mark. I don't know if it was the storyline being much deeper than I normally read and enjoy or if it were the characters but it seemed to be going so slow. I even tried to leave the book for a week or so and pick it back up to see if I was just in a reading funk and I still couldn't get into it. I'm giving it 2 stars though because I think it has potential and after seeing the reviews I really wish I could have gotten into it.

The absolutely best thing about ‘The Truth About the Devlins’ is Lisa Scottoline’s strength in writing character driven novels. The Devlins are a family of 5 with origins in one of the lower middle class suburbs of Philadelphia, who have moved on up to a very affluent area. They are professional and new money prominent. As I live in the same county as Lisa, I felt she nailed the cultural aspects of the locations.
Mom and dad Devlin are attorneys who have their own firm along with two of their attorney children, John and Maggie. The other family member who is an employee of the firm is the senior Devlin’s son TJ.
Unlike his siblings, he does not have a college degree let alone a graduate level one. He is basically the family screwup, having dropped out of school, has a beer related alcohol problem and a criminal record for a nonviolent crime. He strongly feels his failures and has had this amply reinforced by his family. Now out of prison, and thanks to his mother’s largess, he is doing investigative work for the law firm.
The Devlin family has a bit of a varied take on moral principles and ethical behavior ranging from highly principled to ‘ethics - what’s that?’ and everything in between. In true Scottoline fashion there are a dysfunctional family, crimes, including murder, and justice served as well as justice denied.
There is a secondary storyline of completely unethical medical experimentation at Holmesburg Prison taken right out of the pages of Philadelphia history. This could have been the subject of a book by itself, but as the title says, the objective here is getting at the truth about the Devlins. And there are skeletons in this family’s closet.
I loved the story, the writing, and the pacing. TJ got into my psyche. I was holding my breath for his safety and success. Whenever an author has the ability to make me that invested in a character, I feel that it’s more than 5 star read.
Thank you to the publisher, GP Putnam’s Sons and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC. And to Lisa, ancora grazie mille.

I enjoyed this book! It sucks you in from the first page. There is suspense, people following people, shady things going on. The main character is struggling with his alcoholism and trying to avoid drinking when things seem to be falling apart around him.

I was a little bummed at the ending because it all seemed a little too… repeated? of a storyline. But then there was a nice twist at the end that made it worth it! This was more of a slow burning suspense crime novel than a mystery. I loved that the ending tied things up in a way that made me feel like things were (mostly) resolved.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of The Truth About The Devlins. While I enjoyed this book, I thought it felt some parts were slow. I absolutely loved the characters though and felt like I was in the room with them on a couple occasions throughout the book. If you like suspenseful family drama, this is the book for you. I would recommend this one!

📖 Book Review 📖

📱”The Truth About The Devlins" by Lisa Scottoline

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
To be published March 26, 2024

Thank you @netgalley for the eARC of this novel. 

My fall Disney World trip always seems to line up with the reading of Lisa Scottoline’s latest book. It just takes me awhile to get to the reviews…

This is a domestic thriller about family, and as a former trial lawyer and adjunct law professor Scottoline knows her stuff. The main character TJ Devlin is the disappointment in the prominent Devlin family, all lawyers at their own successful firm. John, the oldest is ambitious, cut throat and in line to take over when his dad retires. Gabby is justice driven and really strives to make a difference with her pro bono work. TJ is a recovering alcoholic and works for the family as an investigator. When John pulls TJ into a mess of an accountant being murdered and possible embezzlement, he learns his perfect brother isn’t so perfect.

This is not my favorite Scottoline book but it was an easy read and I liked learning about the Holmesburg Prison in Pennsylvania, where human subjects of medical experiments from 50s to the 70s occurred. These inmates tested many health and beauty products via skin tests without informed consent for area medical schools and big Pharmaceutical
Companies. They received small compensation but years later had cancer and horrible health issues.




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With twists and turns of the best kind, this book will keep you hooked. It is intense, it is compelling and it is so exciting. I’m in awe of Lisa Scottoline’s writing and I will read every book she writes.

The story is told from TJ’s point of view, the only Devlin who isn’t a lawyer. In fact, he’s an alcoholic ex-con who works for the Devlin & Devlin Law Firm simply because he’s family. TJ tries to help his brother out of a predicament, only to find that the “good” Devlin has been keeping some pretty big secrets. The family business is put in peril and TJ realizes this is his chance to prove he’s a changed man.

My 5-star recommendation is a no brainer. I was entertained and enthralled throughout this entire book. I honestly loved it. Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.

Another great fast paced novel by Lisa Scottoline. She keeps you guessing at every turn! Can't wait for more.


TJ Devlin is the charming disappointment in the prominent Devlin family, all of whom are lawyers at their highly successful firm—except him. After a stint in prison and rehab for alcoholism, TJ can’t get hired anywhere except at the firm, in a make-work job with the title of investigator.

But one night, TJ’s world turns upside down after his older brother John confesses that he just murdered one of the clients, an accountant he’d confronted with proof of embezzlement. It seems impossible coming from John, the firstborn son and Most Valuable Devlin.

TJ plunges into the investigation, seizing the chance to prove his worth and save his brother. But in no time, TJ and John find themselves entangled in a lethal web of deception and murder. TJ will fight to save his family, but what he learns might break them first.

Lisa Scottoline never lets me down! She managed to make a topic I'm not particularly interested (fraud, etc) in, interesting. That said, it still isn't my favorite kind of plot/novel so it was a three star read for me!

As a Philadelphia lawyer, I am always excited to read a new Lisa Scottoline novel and The Truth About The Devlins did not disappoint!! This book is a great legal thriller involving the prominent Devlin family, all lawyers except the proverbial black sheep TJ. When TJ gets a panicked called from his “golden” brother John stating John thinks he killed someone, it begins a thrilling storyline that opens Pandora’s box in this seemingly perfect family. I have to say I fell in love with TJ a bit! Would love to see more novels involving him! Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for this fantastic ARC!