The Truth About the Devlins
Lisa Scottoline
Pub Date: Mar 26, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I am a fan of Scottoline so I was thrilled to read this book first.
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.
This book was pulse pounding and as great as Scottoline's last book!
5 stars

A chance to read an advanced copy of a Lisa Scottoline book is always a thrill (pun intended). Unfortunately—for me—I started reading “The Truth about the Delvins” in the middle of grading final exams, so I could not read it as quickly as I wanted to, but it was still a book that I did not want to put down.

Most of Scottoline’s books focus on strong Italian Catholic women but this story was told through the eyes of T.J. Delvin, the family ne'er-do-well and recovering alcoholic, in a family of successful attorneys. Not only is T.J. not a lawyer, but he served time for leaving the young child of a former girlfriend asleep in a car while he sat in a bar and drank.

Yet, big brother John finds himself in trouble and reaches out to T.J. for help. However, the more T.J. tries to help John, the more he gets tangled into his brother’s mistakes—though because of T.J.’s past, his older brother does not hesitate to point the finger at T.J. Meanwhile, working as a private investigator at the family law firm, he helps his sister prepare for a lawsuit against pharmaceutical and research companies that performed experiments on prisoners, eager for the money. The two plotlines twist together in the most surprising way.

Scottoline can voice her male characters as well as her female ones, and I really liked T.J. who was genuine and willing to accept responsibility for his mistakes. Plus, he adopts Mango, the diabetic cat, when his owner in suddenly killed, and instantly falls in love with being a cat dad, even if Mango isn’t so thrilled with him. I also liked Gabby and the glimpses we got of T.J.’s mom, but his dad and John were not quite as well developed. I admired how T.J. put his family first, even when they looked down on him. While I thought the story wrapped up a little too neatly, I’d love to see T.J. (and Mango) again in a sequel.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/ G. P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with a digital review copy of “The Truth About the Devlins” in exchange for my opinion.

I finished this book in 2 days but only because I could not guess how this would end. I din not like John using TJ and I'm glad he stood up in the end. The mom was the center of the family but lacked trust in TJ's ability's to stay sober and the Dad was always looking for the worst in him. Gabby and her husband Martin did not play a big part but kind of circled around the story. I feel like so the of the players had back stories I miss. All in all it was a good book not great like some of her other books.

I’m rounding up from 4.5. The Truth About the Devlins is Scottoline at her best. This story revolves around the Devlin & Devlin Law Firm and the Devlin family: parents, Paul and Marie, “perfect” brother John, sister Gabby, and black sheep of the family, TJ. TJ Devlin is an alcoholic in recovery, fighting every day to stay sober. He has already lost true love Carrie and the trust and respect of his family. Working as an investigator in his family’s law firm, he becomes embroiled in a murder that may or may not involve his older brother John. At the same time, he works with Gabby on her pro bono cases to hold parties accountable, in this case, for wrongs done to inmates at Holmesburg Prison. TJ opined “justice should be the same way, free and available to everyone”. As work progresses on the cases, trust and honesty are in doubt and what it meant to be a Devlin was questionable. There is a lot to this on what recovery entails and what justice looks like, especially for those who can afford it. “You pay people off and you hire lawyers and you think you make it better, but you just make it smooth. You don’t make it right. Smooth isn’t right.”

The story is fast-paced and told with Ms. Scottoline’s signature wit. As a result, it’s a quick read with a great payoff. Thanks so much to NetGalley for the advance copy of The Truth About the Devlins.

A family of lawyers, the Devlins, with one black sheep, TJ, who has actually spent a year in prison due to an accident caused by him being drunk. Now he does investigations and leg work for the rest of the family. When his older brother asks for his help, he tries to help him but manages to violate his parole conditions. His family believe he has fallen off the wagon but TJ actually discovers secrets about his brother that the family does not know about. A fast paced book with a few twists. Enjoyable.

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!