I really enjoyed all the twists and turns of this book. The main character TJ is a down-on-his-luck recovering alcoholic, and I really found him to be quite charming. His obvious love for his family and his need to atone for what he put them through while he was drinking made you want to root for him. Lisa Scottoline does a fantastic job of highlighting the hold that addiction can have on you and the toll it can take on an addict's family and loved ones.

The story has a mix of suspense with family drama that creates a tangled web that will keep you guessing. I thought I had this book figured out, and then the plot twisted again and left me reeling. Even the sub-plots had twists that I didn't expect. The story interweaves TJ trying to help his brother get out of whatever trouble he's gotten himself into with trying to keep his addiction issues under control, all while trying to rebuild his life and start over. As the underdog of the family, you can't help but root for TJ.

This just goes to show that looks can be deceiving, and who knows what's boiling under the surface of a "picture-perfect" family.

A high-octane thriller about the Devlin family: TJ is a member of a family of lawyers and big shots, while he is a recovering alcoholic who has done time. But when TJ's brother, John, the MVD-Most Valuable Devlin-confesses that he murdered an employee, things get out of hand, and they have to work together to unravel lies and deceptions to save their family. This is a plot-filled book, and I enjoyed the ride.

The Truth About the Devlins is a family drama, thriller, mystery, and legal suspense all wrapped into one. TJ Devlin is a recovering alcoholic and ex-con, definitely the black sheep in a family of lawyers, but he is trying to keep (get?) his life together, working as an investigator for the family law firm and attending AA meeting regularly. When his brother, John, reached out for TJ's help because he thinks he may have accidentally killed someone, TJ finds himself in a more dangerous and complex situation than he could have imagined, testing his sobriety and endangering his life. The Devlins have strong family loyalties despite many dysfunctional dynamics, which makes for some interesting choices and situation. The characters have depth and many of them shine; TJ himself is self-deprecating and very likeable, easy to root for despite the mistakes he has made in the past. Together with the twisty, fast-paced plot and lots of action,this book is a winner for me!

This riveting page turner is a must read! Lisa Scottoline is so good at weaving together complex plots and colorful characters that you will find yourself enthralled. This book is about family and believing in yourself. Readers will move through a roller coaster of emotions as they careen to the ending. Readers of Karin Slaughter will devour this book.

I always enjoy this author and this book was no exception. It was quite a page turner and I found myself frustrated with how TJ’s family treated him throughout the book.

3.5 ⭐️’s
The Devlins are a high powered family of attorneys that have their own law practice. TJ is the one exception, running into some serious trouble with alcohol and ending up spending time in jail, he’s now the firms investigator. There isn’t that much to do, but the job has been created to keep him out of further trouble. When his brother, John, asks him for help one night, TJ walks into a real mess, one that could cause him a lot of trouble in the future, one that others will blame him for. The Devlins empire is about to take a hit, their firm and their reputations, but will they be able to rise above their circumstances or will they crumble right along with everything else? This book was a bit on the slow side until the end, and other than rooting for TJ, the other characters were not relatable and quite frankly, unlikable! Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

The Truth About The Devlins
By Lisa Scottoline

I have read several novels of the authors. I have to say this her best yet of her thrillers. I don’t read too many thrillers but this one is the best yet. I don’t know what it is but the younger authors who write thrillers and domestic thrillers. Just don’t give a thrill as much as the older author who have been around for years.

Anyway, the novel takes place in Philly with a legal family. The family has wealth and connections of course. All the kids are well established lawyers except for TJ. TJ unfortunately isn’t exactly a black sheep. Just has made wrong decisions. His brother, John calls him during his father’s birthday celebration. He thinks he has accidentally killed someone. At the same time he’s sister a lawyer asks him to investigate a lawsuit involving a correctional facility connected with a pharmaceutical company testing inmates without consent. The victims have long term health issues after.

The novel deals with wealthy families and their connections. With your wealth and connections do you keep helping your children get out of messes. Or do you do “ tough love”? There is a lot heart, social justice, morals in the novel. You expect you know where this novel is going with TJ, you don’t. There is so much I more I can say. But, I don’t want to give it away. This is much more than a thriller, it’s family dynamics, and character without being too, too deep. Just to let you all know, it’s not preachy at all. No lessons.. But, you realize there is looking at abuse( alcohol) a different way, and the prison systems as well.

Recommend if you love Lisa Scottoline’s novels, thrillers, and stories about family.
Loved it, fast pace.

The Devlins are a wealthy, powerful family who run a law firm. Dad and Mom are in charge, and their 2 sons and daughter work there as well.
The book is narrated by TJ, the younger son, who is an investigator for the firm. He’s an ex-convict, having served time in prison, and a recovering alcoholic. TJ is struggling to earn his place as a valued family member, despite his brother John, and sister Gabby appearing to be the bright, shining light in his father’s eyes.
We follow TJ’s quest to help solve a mystery, involving his older brother, and the firm’s business.
This book is full of action, intrigue and twists.
It’s a well written, enjoyable look at a family dynamic in a stressful combination of events.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam books for the ARC.
My review is my honest opinion of this book.

This compelling novel is told by TJ, a recovering alcoholic who is the youngest brother in a family of high powered lawyers. TJ is accustomed to the role of the screwed up younger brother and plays the part well, but when both his brother and his sister ask for help, TJ tries to help. This story moves FAST and there are lots of plot twists. Very fun read.

I really enjoyed this family drama/thriller/legal drama. Lisa Scottoline is back in her wheelhouse writing about law and family.

The Devlins were a realistically dysfunctional family and main character TJ is a sympathetic black sheep of the family who has battled his demons and come out on top.

Until his "perfect" older brother comes to him, panicked, and says he killed someone. What? This book then sets off at a frantic clip as TJ ties to help his brother and his brother proceeds to throw him under the bus. There's also a subplot involving a fascinating real-life case.

While I enjoyed Scottoline's latest legal drama, I do feel that it was lacking on the twists. Compared to other books of hers, the pacing feels a little off, with a bit of a slow start and an ending that felt rushed. I would recommend this to someone looking for more of a family drama as opposed to a fast-paced, edge of your seat thriller. Not my favorite title by this author, but still enjoyable.

The Truth about the Devlins is that the story moves very slowly [I tried to be funny here...]. Might have been too slow of a burn for me but, TJ was an awesome main character. This covers a lot about addiction, law/crime and justice and make sure to read the acknowledgements!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for this free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Devlins are a seemingly homogenous group of lawyers except for TJ, who has done prison time. The dynamics of the family group is interesting, TJ always being the bad guy and his older brother, John, being Mr. Wonderful. John pulls TJ away from his father's birthday dinner-a real family nono, John needs TJ's help as he claims he has killed one of their clients. With layers of lies, this fast paced mystery is a page turner. A satisfying ending for this reader.

I like the author's writing style, it's very easy to read and feels so informal that I feel as though I'm reading a story between my friends. It was honestly hard to put down because of how easy and quick it is to read! I love a suspenseful book that reels you in immediately. Everyone loves a good dysfunctional family, at least I do because I can totally relate. Not to the crime part but to the disfunction. I love that they're a lawyer family who may end up breaking the law to save their son's reputation, though it may not end up being that easy. I also enjoyed the sincerity behind TJ's character and his alcoholism. It's a disease and was written very well in this book, in my opinion. I physically ached for him at times during this book. That's how you know you're truly loving a character, and that's all thanks to Lisa Scottoline's writing.

This was my first Lisa Scottoline novel. “The Truth about the Devlins" is a fast-paced, addictive crime mystery that grips you from the very first page. With its well-constructed characterization and a realistic approach to a highly dysfunctional family dynamic, power struggles, and legal battles, this book is a thrilling rollercoaster ride.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! I will definitely be picking up her other novels!

Lisa Scottoline’s latest novel is an absolutely gripping page turner, equal parts legal thriller and domestic drama as a family of lawyers strives to hold it together in the face of lies and violence.

TJ Devlin has always been the screw-up of his high-achieving family. While his parents and siblings worked hard to establish the family law firm, he partied even harder and landed himself in jail. With a criminal conviction and no college degree, he’s since sobered up and become the law firm’s in-house investigator, a position he’s been told in no uncertain terms is mostly decorative and entirely dependent on his good behavior.

So he’s taken aback when his seemingly perfect older brother comes to him with a confession one night:

QUOTE
“What?” My mouth dropped open. “Did you just say you <i>killed</i> somebody?”

“Yes.” My brother nodded, jittery. His blue eyes looked unfocused, which never happened. Lasers have nothing on John Devlin.

“That can’t be. Not <i>you</i>. You’re, like, the best–”

“I did it,” John said, panicky. “I <i>killed</i> a man. TJ, what should I do?”

“How do I know? You’re the lawyer.” I didn’t get it. John and everyone else in my family were lawyers in our family firm, Devlin & Devlin. I’m a convicted criminal. On second thought, maybe I would’ve asked me, too.
END QUOTE

According to John, the killing in question was entirely accidental. While going over the paperwork for the upcoming acquisition of Runstan Electronics, one of the Devlins’ clients, John had uncovered significant financial discrepancies. He’d confronted Runstan’s accountant, who’d threatened him with a gun. In the ensuing scuffle, John believed he’d killed the guy. Panicking, he left the scene and went to get help, in the form of his ex-con younger brother.

TJ and John immediately go to the quarry where the altercation had taken place. To their surprise, the body is no longer where John left it, though there is certainly enough blood to corroborate his version of events. John is relieved: surely this means that the accountant was merely knocked unconscious, but eventually recovered and walked away. TJ, however, is a far better investigator than his family gives him credit for, quickly sussing out alternate explanations and, perhaps more importantly, precautions as to what John should do next. At first, John thinks TJ is just being overly cautious, if not outright paranoid, until TJ’s predictions as to accomplices and shadows start coming true.

As it becomes more and more clear that someone is targeting John, TJ finds himself balancing on the fine line between protecting his family – sometimes from themselves – and continuing to take their abuse as the family scapegoat. Perhaps the only member of his family who doesn’t treat him like a failure is his sister Gabby, who also prioritizes her pro bono work instead of focusing on raking in the wealth the way that their parents and brother do. But as all of the Devlins get swept up in the net of a terrible criminal conspiracy, the family will have to pull together and overcome their own deep-seated prejudices in order to survive.

In addition to being an absorbing legal thriller, The Truth About The Devlins is an excellent look at dysfunctional family dynamics, and what it takes to overcome them in order to heal. It also shines a spotlight on a little known but horrifying facet of American history, when prison inmates were unethically tested on by pharmaceuticals and cosmetics industries in the mid-20th century. Gabby is filing a complaint for several of the survivors, and TJ is helping by conducting interviews, as here where he asks the ailing Joe Ferguson:

QUOTE
“Did they explain what product they were testing?”

“No.”

“And you were in Holmesburg in 1966, for only one year?”

“Yeah, I was there before my trial. They charged me with aggravated assault, but I didn’t do it and I couldn’t make bail. That was the reason I did the test, to make bail. The judge set five grand, so I needed five hundred bucks. I couldn’t get it.”

<i>My God</i>. “So you were only there awaiting trial? You were innocent?”

“Yes.” Joe blinked matter-of-factly. “They picked up the wrong guy. I tried to tell them, but they didn’t believe me.”
END QUOTE

Poignant and smart, this novel deals sensitively with both legal and family history, as well as with what it means to take sobriety seriously. Wry, reflective TJ is so easy to root for as he confronts hard truths about both himself and his family. With plenty of humor and a touch of romance to perfectly counterbalance the dramatic tension, this book had me hooked till the very last page. It is, perhaps surprisingly, my first novel by Lisa Scottoline, but it definitely won’t be my last.

Now available!!!

Procedural/ family drama. Was a bit slow for me and lost interest at times.

The Devlins are a highly reputable family who have a very prestigious law firm, other than our narrator, TJ, the whole family works there. Was quite frustrating and depressing the way TJ was treated by his own family. The plot was good. Didn’t particularly care for any of the characters though and they all had flaws that had you upset or disliking them at times. Good just wasn’t great for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Lisa Scottoline’s gripping novel, ‘The Truth about the Devlins,’ weaves family drama, justice, and deception into an unputdownable thriller. TJ Devlin, the black sheep of the prominent Devlin family, embarks on an investigation that unravels deadly secrets. A pulse-pounding read!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TJ has always been the odd one out in the Devlin family. Unlike his siblings and parents, who all lead successful law careers at the family's firm, Devlin & Devlin, TJ, a recovering alcoholic, is still dealing with the repercussions of one night years ago that landed him in a prison cell. Now, trying to move forward in his life, he tries to earn back his family's trust while working as the firm's unofficial investigator.

One night, things get turned upside down when TJ's can-do-no-wrong brother, John, comes to him for help, confessing that he might have accidentally murdered one of the firm's clients after confronting them with proof of embezzlement. When TJ and John return to the scene of the crime, they discover the body is missing, and there are no signs as to what happened. TJ promises to investigate what happened, but the more he looks into it, the more things keep happening, and he finds himself in a tangled web of his family's secrets, leaving him wondering who he can trust.

I really enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down, especially once the investigation started to unfold. This was a great, fast-paced mystery with plenty of family drama. I loved TJ's character and how much growth he showed throughout the book. It was evident that he really valued his sobriety and was intentional about making amends for his actions. His friendship with Mango made me smile! Overall, I gave this book four stars on Goodreads and look forward to reading more books by Lisa Scottoline in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This novel was an excellent family drama/legal thriller with well-developed characters. You can’t help but fall in love with sweet, flawed TJ.
I was engrossed from page one and the unexpected, heart pounding second storyline was a great addition. The ending brought the entire story together beautifully!!