The blurb does a great job of describing the story line. TJ, the recovering alcoholic, the ex-con, the screw-up is the main character of the book. He struggles with being the least favorite child of a very successful family, his alcoholism, his lost chance at a family of his own, and low self esteem. But he's actually the best of the best.

This is a great thriller. Who's doing what and why? Who is working in the shadows? Who are the really scary people?

Loved the book and read it in one day.

Legal thrillers aren’t my usual genre. In fact, I don’t think I’ve read more than a few. However, after reading The Truth About the Devlins and enjoying it immensely, I’m eager to read more of Scottoline’s books. She’s a former lawyer herself who, in her own words, hews “as close to the law when there are legal situations in the novels.”

In this story about a family of lawyers and TJ (the narrator, the youngest sibling, the college dropout, and the recovering alcoholic), the plot revolves around the mysterious death of a corporate accountant and how TJ and his older brother John are caught up in the mystery, to the point that they’ve put themselves and their entire family in the criminals’ crosshairs. However, it’s also about addiction and the lengths those afflicted will go to chase the high, the selfish actions they take that put people at risk, and the toll it takes on their loved ones.

Daughter Gabby Devlin, who is dedicated to her pro bono work, elicits TJ’s help as the family firm’s investigator on an actual civil case involving men incarcerated in Holmesburg Prison between 1951 and 1974. Without informed consent, they were subjected to legal, but unethical medical experimentation led by Dr. Albert Kligman, a dermatology professor at UPenn, that left them with horrendous scarring and often fatal illnesses as well as PTSD. Although the men in the book are fictional, the horrors the actual former inmates faced and the lengths the complicit corporations (who benefitted from the experiments), doctors, and our military and CIA went to avoid any civil or criminal liability are as appalling as what the Nazis did to concentration camp prisoners. You can read more about this in the novel Acres of Skin by eyewitness Dr. Allen Hornblum who believes these experiments violated the Nuremberg Code.

The pacing of this story is perfect, keeping you on the edge of your seat while trying to figure out how all the puzzle pieces fit together. TJ’s narration is charming, vulnerable, and honest, and you can’t help but hurt for him while also cheering him on. Whether or not you’re a legal thriller fan, I highly recommend you read this story.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam's Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #PenguinGroupPutnam for the book #TheTruthAboutTheDevlins by #LisaScottoline. This book is about the Devlins and the secrets they all have. It contains murder, conspiracy, secrets and money that lead up to an explosive ending and how they pay for their crimes. I love it and read it in one sitting!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam GP Putnam Sons for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by an all-time favorite, Lisa Scottoline - 5 stars!

TJ is the black sheep of the Devlin family. His parents, brother and sister are all lawyers in the family firm, Devlin & Devlin, while he is an ex-con only working in the firm because he is family. Everything gets turned upside when his older brother, John, comes to TJ and tells him that he needs his help. John has accidentally murdered one of his clients that he had accused of embezzlement. TJ throws himself into the investigation to help John, but soon realizes that trouble runs very deep and he's in the middle of it.

Another fabulous thriller by Scottoline - I couldn't put this one down because I was so invested in TJ! I kept rooting for him to be okay, to stay sober, and to do the right thing. This is family drama at its best, with sibling and parent turmoil aplenty. I was also horrified by the medical experiments inflicted on inmates at the Holmesburg Prison. and loved Gabby's passion towards social injustice. This book addresses this issue, along with addiction issues, sensitively but truthfully. Highly recommended!

The Devlins - at least on the outside - have a perfect family. Lawyers by profession, except for TJ (the younger son) who got himself in a bit of trouble. But, he's working his way out - and working for his family's legal firm as an investigator. His brother, John, comes to him begging for his help - he believes he killed a man. Of course, since Lisa Scottoline's writing this book, nothing goes as planned and TJ is in deep - trying to save his sobriety, as well as his family. Ms. Scottoline is an absolute master of legal thrillers, Each one is very different, but they carry her characteristic sharp and smart narrative, as well as wonderful twists! The Truth About the Devlins will keep you up well past your bedtime. It's simply fantastic! Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced reader of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Devlin’s as a family infuriated me and the overall plot was a little slow, but a 3.5 rounded to 4 stars for TJ and how endearing he was as a character. I was rooting for him from the first second, and even as he made mistakes and let his heart lead him astray, he was so sweet, I had to see him through. I thought the rawness in his portrayal of his battle with alcoholism was really impressive and emotional and I kept thinking how positively this addiction is handled - a nice change for fiction that I’d definitely feel comfortable recommending to people struggling/recovering. There’s a lot of law speak (of course, it’s scottoline) and the police are mostly very unlikable - especially toward TJ who’s on parole. I don’t want to give spoilers, so I’ll just say that this book is good. A nice standalone with some unique plot points and interesting characters. I didn’t have a hard time following anything and I was pleased with the ending. I’d recommend whether you’re a longtime fan of Lisa Scottoline or not.

⚖️ The Truth About The Devlins ⚖️

This was a good one! Filled with suspense, mystery, lawyers and law enforcement, embezzlement, a diabetic cat, and so much more.

I really connected with TJ and was rooting for him the entire time. His alcoholism and recovery was handled gracefully. I admired his loyalty to his family, even when they were at times undeserving. He was charismatic, intelligent, and his personal growth was inspiring.

There was good pacing, great setup for the conspiracies, and short chapters egging you on to read more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date: 3/26/24

[TWs: alcoholism, mention of murder/suicide]

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“We’re falling apart.’ ‘The Devlins? Never.’ Nancy waved me off. ‘You’re not a family, you’re a force.’”

3.5 stars for this family of successful lawyers and all of their drama. And there is A LOT of drama.

I really liked TJ’s character as he came through as a very genuine man struggling with alcoholism in a family where any type of mistake is unacceptable. The Devlin matriarch is brutal man. And the eldest brother John? Another devious character with initially unknown motives.

The audiobook has dual narrators and is so well done. The angst of this family and the struggles with addiction come through clearly in the narration, adding that extra emotional
element to the story.

If you enjoyed We Are The Bennetts, as I did, then I am sure you will also enjoy The Truth About The Devlins.

Thanks for the free audiobook @PRHAudio #PRHAudioPartner and to Netgalley, Putnam Books, and the author for the ARC.

I loved this book. I loved the drama, the mystery, the dysfunction. I am a tough critic with books about family dynamics and I think this one was so good. I also really enjoyed that it took place in the area that I grew up and live in! The characters - main and side were all really well developed and their relationships were well thought out. I loved the imperfections - it made the people and relationships real. A prominent family in the Philly suburbs - all lawyers except one son who struggles with alcoholism and spent time in prison. When his brother seems to be tangled up in a less than ideal situation, the family has to figure out how to save them. Despite it being a long book, I flew through this. I was drawn in from page one and it lasted throughout the entire book.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I always enjoy Lisa's books so when I see her name I try to grab it right away! I have been reading Lisa Scottoline’s books for years. I absolutely love her series! I’ve been hit or miss with her stand-alone books. But this latest was a big hit! I would love to see these characters be incorporated into a series in the future. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this domestic thriller. Crime, law and justice at work. A distinguished families trust questioned. I highly recommend this to anyone who finds a crime suspense novel a thrill. Page-turner!

Lisa Scottoline has done it again! Developed an intriguing book with believable characters, an interesting plot, and incorporated courtroom drama as well as a dysfunctional family.
The Devlins are a family of lawyers including both parents who founded a well respected Philadelphia law firm, their oldest son, John, and daughter, Gabby. On the surface, all seems well with the family except for the younger son TJ who partied through college, has a history of alcoholism, and served time for a tragic event. After his release, the family takes him into the firm as an investigator. Much of the story centered on TJ and his investigations starting with one that John discovered while working on the merger of 2 firms that would give the firm (and him) a lot of money. However, John discovered instances of embezzlement and sent TJ to look into the people responsible for it. at the same time, TJ was helping his sister on a pro bono case involving medical experiments for big pharma. companies on Philadelphia prisoners (without consent). An integral part of TJs life is wrestling with the demons of alcoholism and doing the right thing. In addition, his family generally had low expectations for this man, and little respect for his battle to stay sober, and to be accepted by his family and to find someone to develop a relationship with. The short chapters 53-58 were exciting and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Here, the author showed the outcome of a family working together -something missing in most of the book - and it was gratifying to me to read that. The ending was hopeful and I thought that everyone got what they deserved.
I received a complementary ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and am leaving my own opinions of it.

The Truth About the Devlins is a standalone read. I was really looking forward to readding this one. The description was interesting, but it soon turned into a story about a self-entitled wealthy family that wasn't interesting or did I care about.

Lisa Scottaline's diverse writing styles have consistently captivated my attention throughout her literary works. In this particular novel, she adopts a legal thriller approach reminiscent of John Grisham's style. The common characteristics of her books include well-developed characters, a well-paced narrative, and engaging plots that keep readers engrossed.

While I personally found the conclusion somewhat unsatisfying, please note, it is MY opinion and not reflective of this book. My colleague also received an ARC copy and she found the conclusion extremely plausible.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC digital copy for my honest review.

This book was much more of a legal thriller than I originally expected. I felt a lot of the times that things were repetitive. I did like that TJ had a happy ending, but not with his old girlfriend.

Lisa Scottaline has such a great writing style, this does not disappoint. From page one you are hooked and want to keep reading more and more. She develops these characters so well that you feel like you know them all.

The Truth about the Devlins is a suspenseful book. Scottoline delivers another intriguing story that will have the reader guessing how this story will end. I highly recommend reading any Lisa Scottoline book.

TJ Devlin has been a constant disappointment to his successful family so when his older brother is looking to cover up a possible murder, he turns to TJ for help. TJ, at the time, has no idea what he's getting himself involved in and that he'll question everyone and everything before he finds out the truth!

I've always enjoyed Scottoline's writing style and story development and The Truth About The Devlins was no different! The characters were well developed and enjoyable and the story kept me questioning till the end! The conclusion of the story was pretty anticlimactic but, overall, I enjoyed the story and found parts that were difficult to put down!

3.5 stars.

I feel like the first half of this was a little slow and I wasn’t really into it at first. But I really enjoyed the second half! Loved the drama between the family members and really felt for TJ. A lot of action at the end too! Overall not my favorite from this author but a solid read.

Honestly, I really enjoyed this book - even stayed up 45 minutes later than my bedtime to finish it. That said, if I had parents like the couple in this saga, I'd have bailed out of house and home before I was even in kindergarten. Yowsa!

Everyone in the Devlin family is a lawyer - following, of course, in the footsteps of their illustrious father and mother. That is, John and Gabby did; T.J., the youngest, went in an entirely different direction. Plagued by alcoholism that led to a stint in prison, he's always been the black sheep for whom all the others in the family tried to not only compensate for, but cover up. Now, he's out but on parole, staying on the wagon with help from AA meetings. Of course, his parents took him in at their prestigious law firm, where he functions as an unlicensed private investigator and gopher. His drunken actions also cost him his wife and daughter, so as far as the world is concerned, he's walking around with a big "L" on his chest (he even sees himself that way).

But one night, brother John tells T.J. that he "accidentally" murdered an accountant who works for their biggest client - one whose company is in the final stages of acquisition that will make the owner - and the Devlin firm - a boatload of money. John apparently discovered proof of serious embezzlement at the company and confronted the accountant - who then reacted badly.

Against T.J.'s better judgment, he agrees to keep everything secret from the parents, who would be devastated at best to learn that their golden boy was tarnished (and certainly not happy that the murder wouldn't set well with the company that's acquiring their client). But T.J. also pledges, at least to himself, to investigate; when the accountant's body isn't where it's supposed to be, questions arise. Even more questions surface the following day, when the accountant turns up in a different location, shot dead by a bullet - definitely not the rock John claims to have used as a weapon.

As T.J.'s investigation - and that of the police - move forward, it becomes clear that the parents will do anything to keep their law firm's good name intact, including throw T.J. under the bus (he's the black sheep, after all; hopefully, nobody will spot him under there). Meantime, to pay his bills, T.J. helps his sister Gabby as she prepares a precedent-setting lawsuit on behalf of former prisoners on whom life-altering drugs were tested during their incarceration. Pro bono work looks good on a law firm's books, don't you know, and her parents can turn her loose and let their golden son shine in the "real" courtroom.

The rest of the book follows T.J.'s investigation, which quickly begins to turn dangerous, as well as the fallout that threatens the family dynamics. It's nonstop action right up to the end, when all the issues get resolved (and I almost - almost - begin to somewhat sort of warm up to the parents kinda). Very entertaining, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Truth about the Devlins is the newest novel by Lisa Scottoline. The story follows TJ, a recovering alcoholic, ex-con who is working as an investigator at his family's law firm. When the accountant at a company in the midst of a merger/acquisition deal the law firm is representing is murdered, things start to get intense for TJ and his family.

I've read several of Lisa Scottoline's books and I enjoyed this one. There were several characters to keep track of, but once that was understood, the story flowed quickly and smoothly. Definitely an author who will continue to be an auto-read for me!