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Member Reviews
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Families are complicated. TJ Devlin is a disappointment in his wealthy family. Unable to find a job due to his time in prison and rehab for his alcoholism, he is hired by the family law firm as an investigator. This takes him on a wild ride and exposes cracks in the foundation of his family.
One of my favorite authors! She is local to me so it’s enjoyable to read about places I know, which helps to make it a very visual read. Her characters are always realistic, love them or hate them. I didn’t get the heart pounding like I did from her previous books, but found myself vested in the story nonetheless. More so than in any of her previous books, I found this storyline totally realistic and relatable in today’s world. Really didn’t see the twist coming, even though subtle hints were given. She tied everything together well. Her research is thorough, in this case, handling addiction in a humanistic and understandable way. I flew thru this book that was as much legal thriller as family drama. I look forward to her next book!
Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.
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This was my first Lisa Scottine book and I was a fan! I love me a good family based thriller/drama book and this one was a hit.
Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
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I loved this book! It gets you from the first page, and I couldn't put it down! TJ, the MC, works at his family's law firm. He's been treated his whole life as the family screw-up, and it's hard for him to believe that he's not, even when he's done nothing wrong. There's plenty of legal drama, but it's not done in a boring way. I found myself rooting for TJ all the way through, and really enjoyed getting to know his character! I"ve always enjoyed Scottoline's books, and this one was a win for me! Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫/5. The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. Publication was this week. The Main Line Philly Devlins are all Range Rover driving workaholic lawyers working at their family firm except for the youngest son, TJ. TJ just finished a stint in prison and since rehab, he’s trying very hard to stay sober. At their demanding father’s birthday party, Alpha Brother John pulls TJ aside saying he may have killed a client and could TJ help. TJ plunges in trying to uncover what exactly John has done. TJ works for the family firm as an investigator and he’s eager to get back in their good graces. He soon appears to be in over his head, and it even looks like he might be tossed back in prison. Lisa Scottoline delivers quick and easy to read mysteries, and this one hit the mark. Snappy dialogue and an ending that kept me guessing. Perhaps a good beach read if you’re going away! #books #netgalley #bookstagram #whatiread #whatsinyourbeachbag #bookgram #reading #bookworm #goodreads #libbyapp #lısascottolıne
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Classic scottoline about family, justice, and fairness. But her best one yet Tj devlin is my favorite character in awhile! Couldn’t stop reading.
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4.5 stars. I enjoyed this book a lot. At times it was hard to put down! A couple parts seemed a bit slow, but overall it really was a great book! After reading the authors note at the end, I am sad that some of the events in this book are based on true things that happened. I live near Philadelphia, so it’s always interesting reading books set in places i am familiar with. I received an advanced copy, but my opinion is unbiased!
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Another great book by Lisa Scottoline!
So many twists and turns.
The character development was extraordinary, You really felt what they were feeling.
Will absolutely recommend this book, one of her best
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Thank you Prhaudio for the free audiobook and Netgalley and Putnam Books for an eARC of The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline, narrated by Edoardo Ballerini.
In the past year I have rediscovered Lisa Scottoline and remember why I love her books.
Lisa gives a complex family drama like no other - filled with layer upon layer of secrets and lies. The Devlin family has their roles. Most specifically John is the perfect older brother and TJ is the black sheep always finding trouble. But are these still accurate? You will learn so much as the story unfolds!
I really loved TJ’s character. He was perfectly imperfect, working so hard to redeem himself in the eyes of his family.
Edoardo Ballerini did an excellent job with narration. You could feel the emotion, the drama and the tension!
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The Devlins are a high achieving family with son TJ trying to stay sober. The family dynamics make for an interesting read. The story begins with the golden son asking his brother TJ for.help.after he thinks he murders someone. The book is fast paved and Lisa Scott online does not disappoint. I'm hoping this is the first in a new series from her. Highly recommend for intrigue, and a good old fashioned murder mystery.
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This is a family dram/legal thriller. The main character is so incredibly likable that I felt his emotions right along with him. There were several less than likable characters, but they were needed for the story. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened and how everything was connected.
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Lisa Scottoline is a master at storytelling! This novel is a rich mixture of family drama and legal thriller! I loved the blend. My favorite books by Lisa have been her legal thrillers and this one definitely delivered. Full of suspense and twist after twist. And a few shocks too! I also loved the love for animals in this one as well! TJ and Gabby are my favorite characters in the story. Thanks to #Netgalley for this amazing ARC!
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It’s not often that a thriller makes me smile but this one posed that of the two brothers, one was a smart dumb person and the other was a dumb smart person. It’s these random witty phrases that make me love the author’s books.
TJ, the main character, is so flawed but so very relatable. I was rooting for him from the start. A former convict and former alcoholic in a family of lawyers. He is a disappointment to his family and himself. At times I just wanted to give him a pep talk. He’s a character I’d like to see more of.
The book is fast paced and has a little action and a little investigation. For a book full of lawyers, there isn’t any courtroom action, but there is a case or two. And much family drama. If only the rest of TJ’s family was as likable as he is.
Make sure and read the author’s note at the end. Not only does she discuss her research in general, but the case in this book is ripped from the headlines and based upon a real life situation.
Edoardo Ballerini narrates this one and is the perfect voice for TJ. He pulled me into the story and I felt both TJs regrets and tenseness as he navigated the investigation.
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I haven’t read a five star book in so long and this was just what I needed! The Truth About the Devlins has it all - legal drama, family drama and thriller in one but it wasn’t too much all at once.
I loved the narrator, TJ, from the very beginning. He’s the kind of guy you want to root for. Former alcoholic and black sheep of the family but he was just so lovable. Even despite his recent stints in rehab & prison. What can I say, I love an underdog.
TJ can’t get hired anywhere so he is an “investigator” at his family’s law firm - where pretty much everyone is an attorney but him. The book opens with his older brother, John, confessing to murdering one of their clients.
I absolutely loved the family dynamic in this book - there were some great twists and turns - but not so many where it made it unrealistic. Well done as usual, Lisa Scottoline.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
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I would give this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to four. I really liked the narrator who was flawed but with a good heart and a sense of humor. I admire the author, a woman, for creating a male protagonist that was very believable. The protagonist, a recovering alcoholic, is very empathetic and wrestling with that addiction makes for a very compelling character that you root for (along with his growing love for a cat). The parents were also compelling, flawed but very true to life. I liked the family dynamics.
What detracted for me was occasional slowness; there were moments that I wanted the story to move along when it was stalling.
It has been awhile since I have read this author but her prior work seemed very different. I think I might have enjoyed it more.
I don't know if this is meant to be a series but I think it has some promise for that since the characters are quirky and compelling. I would like to see, if it is part of a series, where it goes.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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This was my first Scottoline book I’ve ever read and unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. I found TJ to be very unlikeable and hard to root for. I think what he did is an inexcusable action and totally unforgivable so rooting for him totally went out the window once it was revealed.
I also didn’t fully understand his obsession with solving the case. Did he really have nothing better to do with his time? Maybe there was not enough backstory on him for me to understand his motives.
I loved Mango. Sucker for animals in books!
Overall I found this book to be well written but I just don’t think this specific storyline and cast of characters was for me. I’d still give Scottoline another try!
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So happy that Ms. Scottoline is taking us back to Pennsylvania and the legal world! In The Truth About the Devlins, we meet TJ, the black sheep of the Devlin family - a family of lawyers with stellar records/lives, except for him. The Devlins seem like great corporate and community citizens on the outside but are filled with dysfunction once you're able to get a closer look.
The book features dual story lines: TJ's work on a pro-bono case with his sister, Gabby, and then his work on a different case involving his brother, John. The Truth About the Devlins features the trademark Lisa Scottoline formula for a legal thriller. We can always count on her for an interesting story, accurate legal elements, and, sadly, in the acknowledgements, we learn that the storyline about medical experiments on prisoners was true. TJ's alcoholism and recovery challenges also rang true and surely reflected Ms. Scottoline's strong research. I would have liked to have his mother more fully developed as a character. For much of the book she just seemed to be an accessory of her husband, but her role towards the end suddenly becomes fuller.
Overall, it was a great and compelling read. I loved the characters and the storyline was interesting. Is this perhaps the first of a new series?
Thanks to Netgalley and GP Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read The Truth About the Devlins.
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i think we can all relate a little bit to T.J. Devlin. He's made mistakes, but he's trying to live a better life, and he has a deep attachment to his family. I love his snark, and I love the fact that he adopted a diabetic cat named Mango. He's dogged in his pursuit of justice, and he doesn't give up. This is classic Lisa Scottoline, and, although it's been a while since I've read one of her novels, I have remembered why I love her writing style. I'm really hoping we'll see more of T.J. in the future.
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Lisa Scottoline is an auto-buy author for me. I look forward to her new book every year with great anticipation. I have probably said it before but I truly believe this is her best! The Truth About the Devlins is a legal thriller mystery but at the heart it is about family. TJ Devlin might be my favorite character she’s written. He’s flawed, funny, smart, self-deprecating and the underdog you want to root for. This book takes on addiction, what it does to a family each in different ways, recovery and relapse in a beautiful and respectful way. Bravo, Lisa, you have done it again!
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The Truth About The Devlins is a fantastic legal thriller with family issues mixed in. The Devlins have 3 children, John, Gabby, and T.J. John and Gabby work as lawyers for their parents firm and T.J. works as an investigator for the firm. T.J. has recently gotten out of prison after serving 1 year for leaving a toddler unattended in a car. It was his girlfriend's daughter and he loved her very much, but he forgot she was in the car when she fell asleep. T.J. is an alcoholic and wanted a cold beer so bad that he forgot about the girl in the backseat. He didn't know he had done it until the police were called when someone saw the girl in the car. By that time, T.J. was very drunk, but he was devastated that he had done this. His girlfriend broke up with him even though they'd been living together and had plans for the future. T.J. held out hope that someday she would forgive him and they could get back together. He plead guilty at trial and was sentenced to a year in prison.
T.J. was the black sheep of the family. John was the golden boy that could do no wrong and Gabby was always doing good pro bono cases for people that needed help. That's why T.J. is shocked when John pulls him aside at their father's birthday party. He's really stressed out. He tells T.J. that he thinks he killed someone. He wants T.J. to come with him to see if the guy is dead. He was meeting with an accountant of a company that is a client of John's. John tells T.J. that he had found a discrepancy in the bills and needed to find out where the missing money was. When he got to the meeting point the accountant pulled a gun on John. John didn't have a weapon and picked up a rock. He threw the rock at Lamaire and hit him in the forehead. The man dropped and started bleeding badly. John left. When T.J. and John go back to the place it happened there's blood on the ground, but the body is gone.
John tells T.J. there was a maroon car in the lot that he assumed was Lamaire's but it's gone. T.J. says he'll help John but they have to get back to the party before their parents wonder what's going on. Will T.J. be able to find the accountant? Did John kill him? If he did, who moved the body? Why is there no mention of the missing man on the news? Why didn't he show up to work if he's alive? Where is the missing car? Did anyone see John at the scene? As T.J. does all he can to help John, they end up at odds. John makes up a story about T.J. to cover for the reason they left the party. T.J. is furious as John always deflects and blames everything on him. As things progress and John looks like he's in over his head, T.J. is struggling with his sobriety. Nothing is going right and he's sick of passing his favorite bars. Will T.J. be able to stay sober and help his brother and his sister with her pro bono case?
Things get really tense as you get further into the book. I couldn't stop reading and it would be 3 a.m. with me still reading this book! I really felt for T.J. after all he'd been through and wanted him to get a good outcome. This book will keep you guessing who is behind all of the things that happen to the Devlins. I really enjoyed The Truth About The Devlins and rate it 4 stars with a high recommendation. I'd love to see another book with T.J. and the Devlins in a series. As usual, Lisa Scottoline, has written a book with an unforgettable story and unforgettable characters. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group/Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced copy of The Truth About The Devlins in exchange for a fair review. #TheTruthAboutTheDevlins #bookreview
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Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC ebook.
This one started off as a fast paced thriller, and continued with a few twists, but wasn't really a page turner. I liked the main character and his story, but most of the other family members were undeveloped and mostly unlikable. Once the main mystery is solved , the rest of the book was a slow wrap up of loose ends, and mostly uninteresting. Not bad, but nothing special.