It might be because I am also watching the show Succession, but there is a lot of similarity between brothers John and TJ Devlin, and Roman and Kendell Roy. The curious part is that John and TJ are meshing Roman and Kendell and switching back and forth between who is good and who is bad. Then, by the midway point, I wondered if TJ is an unreliable narrator since dear old tyrannical dad wants to put doubt into everyone’s mind, even though he does switch that up out of the blue, or if this is a giant gaslighting fever dream. Midway through the book, I was all over the place.

And then there was the Scottoline twist. A dual twist. Nope, I didn’t see that coming. It was a bit of the throw everything at the reader at once ending -- but looking back -- it was there the whole time.

I always gravitate towards Lisa Scottoline books, so of course I needed to read The Truth About the Devlins.

A family of lawyers, plus a 'bad seed' named TJ. A history of prison and alcoholism, he is trying to get back on his feet with his family's help, who have offered him the job of "investigator" at their law firm. Unfortunately, he is in real danger of being pulled back into the world he tried so hard to get out of by none other than his older, "perfect" brother John. Not only has he claimed that TJ has relapsed, but has somehow puts him in the line of fire of something even bigger.

I love the family dynamics throughout the book. TJ's sister, Gabby, is my favorite, and I love that she does pro bono work, working on bringing lawsuits for previous inmates in multiple prisons that had undergone illegal drug testing by several pharmaceutical companies.

This was a great book, and I hope that we get to see more of TJ & Gabby ion the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Pub Date: 26 March 2024

The Devlins are a powerhouse legal family with one alcoholic ex con son. All of the other family members are successful attorneys. But when an accountant from a client's company turns up dead, things take a turn for the Devlins. This has some great content regarding addiction and family dynamics. The mystery is good, too. A bit of a messy transition between cases but a strong detailed read overall

Copy provided by the publisher and Netgalley

Crazy tale of family dynamics, lawyers, crime, betrayal and so much more.

TJ is the black sheep in the family of lawyers who is trying to keep to the straight and narrow until his brother sucks him into a tricky situation.

Love the characters, good and bad. Was happy to see that some of them had redeeming qualities at least. I really enjoyed the pro bono case that TJ and his sister worked on.

True to Scolttoline form it's full of intrigue and suspense. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Thanks to netgalley and G.P Putnam's Sons for the arc.

Interesting family dynamics with the reformed bad boy, prodigal son, extreme wealth, all made for a fast, enjoyable read. I liked the secondary story’s historical elements. I could’ve done without all the extremely detailed scenarios telling us about how the main character was driving from here to there and everywhere.

This book is amazing! True character development throughout the story. You become connected with the Devlin Family. If you have a family with siblings you truly feel the interactions between the siblings. Fast paced, great story line! Twists ALL throughout the book. This one is hard to put down, you just can’t stop reading g

Reading Between the Wines book review #28/130 for 2024:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: The Truth About the Devlins
Author: Lisa Scottoline
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: Deceit. Lies. Betrayal. That is what Scottoline does best. This was another decent read. But the question is when you can’t trust family who can you trust?

Cheers and thank you to @PenguinGroupPutnam and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @TheTruthAboutTheDevlins.

#TheTruthAboutTheDevlins #LisaScottoline #PenguinGroupPutnam #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

It was fine, but also… I was kind of bored. I was not rooting for The Devlins. I didn’t really care who did the bad stuff. Just meh for me. Listened partially on audio and the narrator was meh. Liked it more reading 📖. It’s got high marks on Goodreads so I’m the minority on this one! As always, read what ya like!

A family of lawyers, minus one screw-up named TJ. After prison and alcoholism, he is trying to get back on his feet with his family's help, who have offered him the job of "investigator" at their law firm. Unfortunately, he is in real danger of being pulled back into the world he tried so hard to get out of by none other than his older, "perfect" brother John. I was so disappointed in TJ's family for most of the book that I forgot they were fictional characters. Lisa Scottoline drew me right in and I felt compassion for TJ while rooting him on to try to save his family. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

TJ is a recovering alcoholic and parolee who served time because of his lapse of judgment under the influence, trying to make ends meet by standing in as a PI for his family's law firm Devlin & Devlin. He is brought into a vicarious situation involving a suspected murder when he's pulled aside at his father's birthday party to hear a cofession by his brother John admitting that he thinks he might have severely injured and possibly killed a client.

TJ seeks his brother's love and acceptance by beginning to investigate into the supposed demise of the client and also the further suspected involvement of some shady players. His inquisition begins to reveal the true characters of his family and exposes a more sinister plot targeting them. It's a race against time to try and solve the origin of malevolence before more people get hurt.

This thriller is told from the POV of TJ Devlin and touches on his mishaps and triumphs with the law, justice, family, addiction, and recovery. I loved TJ's honesty, whit, and humor throughout the story. Even on his bad days, he stayed true to himself and did not try to make excuses, only to recognize the truth. I had my suspicions of some characters and their intents along the way and was kept engaged in the drama that was unfolding throughout the investigation and while pursuing justice.

This is a stand-alone novel, but I would love to see TJ's character brought back into another adventure!

I can always count on Lisa Scottoline’s stand-alone novels for my reading enjoyment. They are always a 4 or 5 star read for me, which is why I’ve read so many of them. They are normally easy to follow page-turners with likeable characters and entertaining storylines. This one is no different – I became hooked right away. It’s a family drama that includes troubles with addiction and its effects on both the addict and their loved ones as well as some criminal/legal issues thrown in there to keep you on your toes.

Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam’s Sons for the complimentary copy of this book. As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
What can I say....it is typical Lisa Scottoline and I sure loved this book as much as all her other ones!
The story is so captivating that you just can't stop.to take a break or put it away. You want to keep on reading to find out what's next. The protagonist was not very likeable at all in the beginning up until about 1/2 way through the book; after his 'true downfall,' he became a very likeable character!
The story was very well played out and not predictable at all. I loved that the ending has a thorough explanation of what happened with everyone and what is going on in their lives. Nothing was left out or forgotten!
Excellent book and again a top rating from me for Lisa Scottoline! 5 🌟

I just struggled to get into this one. Her typical great writing style was there, but I wasn't wowed by the plot. Love Lisa Scottoline; look forward to her next book!

I couldn't stop reading this book, but I oddly did not enjoy it very much. I think I kept waiting for the big ending, but by the time it came, I didn't care anymore. Also, I could absolutely tell that this was a female author writing in a male's voice, because something about it just didn't ring true to me. I had to keep reminding myself that the main character was male. I don't know that I've ever noticed something like that before, and it was really distracting.

The Truth About The Devlins follows the Devlin family who are a family full of attorneys and own their own law firm in Philadelphia. The exception to the lawyer rule is son, TJ, who feels like the black sheep of the family since he is an alcoholic and has previously spent time in jail. This family drama thriller is full of family secrets, lies, and a few heart wrenching moments. If you love family dramas that include a lovable black sheep, then I recommend checking this book out.

Thank you @putnambooks for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website)

4 1/2 stars

This is my first book by Lisa Scottoline and I can't believe as prolific as her backlist is that I've never read her. I'll definitely be remedying that after reading this gem.

This book was such a fun read. It combined some of my favorite things in a book - - family drama and mystery. The book revolves around the Devlin family. An upper class family made up of all attorneys and TJ. TJ is the one child who not only didn't finish college, but was also a functional alcoholic. He was so good at it that most people didn't realize he was an alcoholic until it was too late and he made a huge mistake and was arrested. That day changed his life and became ground zero for him. He pledged not to drink again after that.

You find yourself pulling for TJ because he's done his time, gone through rehab and he's trying. He's relatable. Meanwhile, everyone else seems to talk down to him or doubt him. It makes it difficult to like them at times.

Tucked in with the family saga is a mystery that eventually has murders and murderers at play. This story will keep you turning the pages to find out what will happen next. I was glued to it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this early copy.

I loved the detail and back story of the characters. So many twists and turns. Excited to share this book through readers advisory and at checkout. I am a new fan of this author.

3 stars.*

I downloaded this ARC because I thought I had read previous books by Lisa Scottoline. However, when I dug into my Goodreads I realized I hadn't. Nonetheless, this is an interesting novel.

It is a family saga-the story of the Philadelphia based Devlins. Attorneys all, except TJ, the black sheep who is a recovering alcoholic recently out of prison for endangering the daughter of his ex-girlfriend while on a bender.

Scottoline does a good job of developing the family dynamic as well as the characters so that the reader is invested. The family law firm is at risk due the death of a client's bookkeeper. TJ finds himself at the center of the drama-suspected of foul play, of relapsing, and due to the family dynamic...he has little hope of clearing his name.

I found some of the twists too much, but I did like the writing.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

TJ Devlin is the disappointing child in the prominent Devlin family. After a stint in prison and rehab for alcohol addiction, the only place he can get a job is at his family's law firm as an investigator. But when TJ's oldest brother and family favorite, John, confesses to killing a client, TJ's life is about to be rattled. TJ begins investigating and he learns that not all is as well with the family as it appears.

I've now read several of Lisa Scottoline's books and her currently thrillers have been page-turners...except this one. I thought the premise of this one was good - black-sheep son investigating a crime to save his family - but it felt a little boring and more intricate than it needed to be. I think TJ is a great, complicated character. TJ's sister's plotline seemed...kind-hearted but unnecessary. I found I hated John more every time his name popped up, which I'm sure was the point.

Overall, a decent thriller, but not necessarily my favorite of Lisa Scottoline's and not really one I'd recommend to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam Son's for the digital copy. My review is honest and voluntary.

Family drama, full of lies and crimes that will keep you guessing. There are twists and red herrings that are so much fun and surprising.