I found Lisa Scottoline a few years ago and have read about a third of her backlist, which is enough to make her an auto-read author for me. With The Unraveling of Julia, she has created an atmospheric page turner that kept me up WAY past my bedtime. If you love a good mystery (partially set in Italy!!), this is for you.

This book is a psychological thriller set in Tuscany. It follows a Julia, a young woman who has lost both adoptive parents and more recently her husband. After receiving a mystery inheritance, she travels to Italy to investigate her benefactor. The book is a quick read and kept me engaged. I thought that the build up was better than the ending which felt like everything wrapped up very neatly. Overall, I would recommend this book as a fun vacation read.

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline
Publishing date - 07/15/25
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Grand Central Publishing , Netgalley , and Lisa for this eARC. I love Lisa Scottoline’s books especially her legal thrillers. I was so excited to receive this eARC.

The Unraveling of Julia is a combination of ghost story, psychological thriller, and historical fiction. The novel follows Julia, a grieving widow from her husband’s murder, as she unexpectedly inherits a villa in Tuscany from a complete stranger. She immediately goes to Tuscany as she wonders who would be so generous. Then she begins to have horrible nightmares and believes she is losing her mind. She doesn’t know who to trust and feels that she is in danger.

Suspenseful at times. Hard to put down at times. Highly recommend this book when it releases on July 15th.

When I see a story by this author I know it’s going to be enjoyable and interesting. That I will become absorbed in the characters and all their drama and woes. This was another one of those stories. I dove in and kept wondering what was going on. Twists and turns, not sure where it’s headed. The concepts and storyline are something you definitely want to check out. Click this and prepare for a read not to be missed.

3.75 rounded up to 4⭐

I have been reading books from Lisa Scottoline for more than a decade. I love her legal thrillers, and when I saw that she'd written a stand alone novel in a different genre I was excited to try it out.

I'm not a believer or follower of astrology, but I still enjoyed this book! It has elements of romance, thriller, and paranormal mystery all wrapped up together.

I think Courtney was my favorite character, and I was kept guessing throughout. I recommend this book for anyone interested in Italy and its history as well!

Thanks to Net Galley for the book to review.

This is a different kind of book for this author and while I appreciate her abilty to venture out, parts of it didn't work for me. Julia witnesses the murder of her husband and is caught up in grief and anxiety, agraophobia. She relies on astrology, the daily prediction type and her intuition, which eventually leads to visions and hallucinations. She gets a large inheritance in Italy and goes there to see if she can find out about her past and finds danger in many forms. I liked the character of Julia and her friendship. The plot wasn't super believable to me and the bad guys too bad. It was a fast read so I stayed involved but it wasn't my favorite of hers

Many of my students like astrology and supernatural storylines so think they will like this, it has a mystery or two and personal growth and is an easy read.

I love Lisa Scottoline’s books and this book, The Unraveling of Julia, is no exception! It starts off with a bang and it kept me enthralled until the last page. Julia inherits a villa in Italy after a tragic personal event. As Julia deals with the tragic event, she travels to Italy to visit the inheritance and tries to unwind both the mystery involving the inheritance and the tragic event. It’s an engrossing thriller that promises to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Scottoline, thank you for another compelling, wild, and page turner of a story. The setting in Italy is beautiful. I've been to Florence, and it's lovely. The friendship between Courtney and Julia is wonderful. What they both go through in search for answers to questions that are dangerous and shouldn't be asked are so suspenseful.

Julias losses are many, with the death of her adoptive parents Melanie and Martin, and the witnessing of her husband Mike's death is heartbreaking 💔. Will the stars in Julia's future bring her family, love, and happiness?

The horoscope, and the supernatural are so fascinating and interesting to me. I love the way it's intertwined throughout the pages. I also love the characters of Bianco (he's so sweet), and Gianluca (a wish upon a star). The epilogue is just so Scottoline, perfect. Enjoy ❤️.

I love going down rabbit holes, and I found this video, "Catarina Sforza: The Alchemy and Power of a Renaissance Icon", it was very informative.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ebook advanced reader copy.

Title: The Unraveling of Julia
Author: Lisa Scottoline
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Psychological Thriller, with some Romance
Pub Date : July 15, 2025
My Rating: 5Stars
Pages 400

Julia Pritzker’s husband Mike was recently murdered when a would-be robber tried to grab Julia’s designer shoulder bag. Mike tried to protect Julia and got in the way of a knife. The funeral has come and gone but Julia has nightmares and still sees the hooded robber and knife

Julia had lost both her adopted parents – her mother – her best friend died of a brain aneurysm on Julia’s tenth birthday while they were baking. Her father died of heart attack when she was in college. However, he was a changed man after his wife Melanie died.
Now Julia has no family and it is a deep hurt. She believes she must be cursed as her horoscope actually predicted the deaths.
Do not be alarmed but do be aware today
You or a loved one may be in jeopardy

Times goes by but Julia checks her horoscope on StrongSign offer. One day she reads ~
Your luck is going to change today.
You are stronger than you know.
Trust yourself. It is only the beginning.
Sure enough a very strange thing happened. She gets a DHL envelope from Milan, Italy.
It is from an estate lawyer asked her to contact their office as Signora Emilia Rossi left her an inheritance.
At first she thinks it is a scam but remembers the horoscope using the words Luck and Trust. She contacts the office in Italy and is informing her that she has inherited a Tuscan villa and property. Julia has little to no information about her biological family, so perhaps Emilia is a blood relative. Julia heads to Tuscany to find out.

The lawyer doesn’t know Julia’s connection to Emilia but tells her a family investigator can help her. It appears Emilia Rossi did not have children but there is connection to Catherina Sforza, a daughter of to a legendary Renaissance ruler an important historical figure.

Although the villa is in need of a lot of repairs, actually major renovation; many of the ceiling frescos are in good shape. There is one of Duchess Caterina Sforza, and Julia is stunned as she resembles Caterina,

I am a big author, Lisa Scottoline fan; this is my twenty-ninth story. My first Scottoline read started back in the 90's with the “Rosato & Associates" before changing to " Rosato & DiNunzio".
Lisa Scottoline continues to be one of my favorite authors. She and her daughter Francesca Serritella have hosted an annual Big Book Club Party at her Pennsylvania farm, for the past twelve years. (I wanna go!!!!)
She and Francesca write a weekly column for the Philadelphia Inquirer entitled <i>”Chick Wit”</i>, a witty take on life from a woman’s perspective. It is also available via their email newsletter.
Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. in English, and cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she taught Justice and Fiction. She lives in the Philadelphia area with an array of disobedient pets and loves it!
Additionally is a big fan of the Eagles and Brady Cooper. However, if you follow her you already know THAT!

I have been enjoying Ms. Scottoline’s stories for many years and as Italian (well half but I love to call myself Italian) I love her ‘Acknowledgements’ – she tells us she believes in research and once again traveled to Italy for research. In this case Milan, Florence and visited the places served as settings for this story.
She also stares that she has been writing about family all her life as she believes it is what matters the MOST>

Want to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 15, 2025.

Lisa Scottoline’s The Unraveling of Julia is a blend of love story, ghost story, psychological thriller, and historical fiction. The novel follows Julia, a grieving widow still reeling from her husband's murder, as she unexpectedly inherits a villa in Tuscany from a complete stranger. Seeking answers, she travels to Italy, where she’s confronted with even more mysteries—her unknown birth family, a possible connection to the legendary Countess Caterina Sforza, and eerie occurrences that suggest the villa might be haunted. The suspense builds as Julia questions whether her husband’s death is linked to her inheritance and whether she’s uncovering the truth or losing her grip on reality.

Though the pacing slows at times, Scottoline keeping readers engaged with lots of twists and turns. The rich beautiful Italian setting adds to the story line. Julia’s journey is both thrilling and deeply personal. While the novel may not be a fast-paced thriller throughout, the layered storytelling make it a rewarding read for those who enjoy mysteries with a little ghost story thrown in for good measure .

I am a big fan of Lisa Scottoline so I was excited to be able to pre-read her latest book through NetGalley. Her attention to historical detail is always fascinating to me and I always learn something new when reading her works.
All that said, I was not a huge fan of this book although, once again, her historical data was very interestiing. The storyline was intriguing and held my interest throughout but she lost me with all of the astrology, the alignment of stars, etc.
Julia Pritzker is a recently widowed thirty-something consumed in fear after her husband's brutal murder (he died protecting her from a mugger). Months after, Julia receives a letter from an attorney in Italy stating that she has inherited a villa in Tuscany and a huge amount of money. Battling her fears, she travels to Tuscany to find a run-down villa, a big white dog and two odd house/groundskeepers. Then she begins to have horrible nightmares and believes she is losing her mind. She doesn't know who to trust and feels that she is in grave danger.
There are several storylines here: who murdered her husband in Philly, why was this villa left to her by an unkown person, will she be able to find her birth mother and is it too soon to fall in love again.
At best, I would give this book 3.5 stars. I felt it was a bit contrived (especially in the romance department) but still worth the read.
I thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

After suffering a tragic loss in her life, Julia Pritzker discovers out of the blue that she has inherited a villa in Italy and a large amount of money from a woman she has never heard of or met. She travels to Italy to try and unwind the mystery of why she has received this incredible windfall, and who she really is. The book was atmospheric, but it really didn't pick up until the second half of the book. There were a lot of things that were just too much for me to suspend disbelief on, and some of the characters were very one-dimensional and unbelievable. It wasn't for me, but I do think a lot of people will enjoy it. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I’ve read most of the authors books and I was anticipating a good mystery filled with suspense. However, this was a book filled with the supernatural and romance. For me personally this was not a book for me. However, I am basing my review on this being a well written book with a sound storyline. It is a book which will be enjoyed by those who are into the supernatural.

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline If you can suspend your disbelief, it is a readable mystery. A gripping beginning and premise soon gave way too many supernatural events, unresolved motivations, and disappearing characters. Not a favorite by the author.
Thank you to the author, Grand Central Publishing, and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book

Lisa Scottoline, known for her legal thrillers, steps into gothic suspense with *The Unraveling of Julia*, a novel that intertwines mystery, history, and psychological intrigue. It follows Julia Pritzker, a grieving widow who unexpectedly inherits a Tuscan estate from a mysterious benefactor, Emilia Rossi. As Julia deals with her husband’s murder, she confronts dark secrets and eerie parallels between herself and historical figures, including Renaissance duchess Caterina Sforza.

The novel excels in its immersive setting, with vivid descriptions of the Tuscan landscape enhancing the story's gothic tone. Julia’s character is deeply engaging—flawed yet determined, grappling with her belief in astrology and her fears about her destiny. While some sections slow down with exposition, Scottoline delivers a finale that is both thrilling and emotionally impactful.

*The Unraveling of Julia* showcases Scottoline’s versatility, presenting an engrossing gothic thriller that explores identity, fate, and the past. It promises to captivate fans of atmospheric suspense with its haunting narrative.

Lisa Scottoline is one of my auto-approved thriller authors, and I always enjoy grabbing one of her books, settling into my favorite couch, and devouring her words as the tension escalates, keeping me on the edge of my seat. This time, she takes a different approach, blending paranormal thriller and women’s fiction. The Tuscan setting and the incorporation of astrology immediately drew me in—especially as someone who has spent years studying astrology and dreaming of visiting every Italian city (me: an Aries rising, Scorpio sun, and Sagittarius moon).

Before diving into the plot, I have to say—this book is a page-turner! Two central mysteries drive the story: what’s really happening in the Tuscan villa, and who Julie’s biological family is (not to mention, who killed her husband). Both are executed in an exciting, gripping way, and the pacing is absolutely heart-throbbing. However, I found some of the paranormal elements—despite being explained—over the top, and the way the Italian characters accepted them so easily without seeking a logical explanation had me shaking my head. Maybe it’s a cultural thing—artistic, creative nations tend to be more open-minded about the unexplained. If this story were set in the U.S., Julie would likely have ended up locked in a room wearing a straitjacket, and the ending would have taken a much darker turn.

There’s a lot happening in this book, and while some of the twists felt a little far-fetched, most of the plot holes were filled in, and many of the surprises were well-executed (though some had me rolling my eyes). That said, I always appreciate authors taking risks to create something unique. By the time I finished, I had an irresistible urge to pour myself a glass of Chianti!

Now, let’s talk about the plot: Julie Pritzker, in her mid-thirties, believes she’s cursed after witnessing her husband’s brutal murder—stabbed in the middle of the street by a hooded stranger. The most shocking part? He sacrificed himself to protect her. But why would anyone want to harm Julie? Now paralyzed by fear, she barely leaves her house, struggling to make ends meet, with only her best friend, Courtney, to talk to. Having lost her adoptive family years ago, she’s completely alone in the world. Or is she?

One day, she receives a letter from an Italian lawyer’s office, informing her that she has inherited a villa in Tuscany from a woman named Emilia Rossi—a complete stranger. Could Emilia be the biological grandmother Julie never knew, or is this an elaborate scam?

Intrigued, Julie abandons her reclusive life and flies to Tuscany, only to find the villa in a state of disrepair. As she tries to learn more about Emilia, she’s met with hostility from the townspeople and vague, unhelpful answers from the lawyer. The villa’s caretakers insist Emilia never had children and describe her as a paranoid woman on the verge of a breakdown, convinced she was related to Italian royalty, Caterina Sforza. Meanwhile, a pushy realtor pressures Julie to sell the property, but soon, she begins experiencing strange visions of Caterina and eerie nightmares that leave her with unexplained scratches.

Could the villa be haunted? Is Julie losing her mind, just like Emilia supposedly did? Or is something far more sinister happening behind the villa’s closed doors? On top of it all, she realizes she’s being stalked. The only person willing to help is the charismatic librarian Gianluca, who urges her not to sell the villa and instead uncover the truth about her birth parents. But what if the visions she’s experiencing are trying to warn her? What if she’s in more danger than she realizes? As she gets closer to unraveling the villa’s dark past, she also inches toward the truth about her own origins. And she won’t back down—no matter the cost, even if it means risking her sanity.

Overall: This is a riveting thriller that I mostly enjoyed! The romance had a bit of a Hallmark feel, with some elements of instant and eternal love that didn’t fully work for me. The resolution of the main mystery was mostly satisfying, though parts of the scheme felt a bit exaggerated. However, I’m rounding up my 3.5-star rating to 4 because of the unique concept, intriguing mystery, and strong characterization (even though I don’t always get along with Cancer women!). I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an unputdownable page-turner that will have you searching for flights to Tuscany!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this intriguing paranormal mystery in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you, Grand Central Publishing for providing the copy of The Unraveling Of Julia by Lisa Scottoline. I can always rely on Scottoline’s book for an enthralling read and this was no exception. I loved how we got right into the action, but I would have liked to know more about Julia and Mike’s relationship. I didn’t understand Julia’s obsession and belief in her horoscope, but I can see how it set the stage for the more supernatural happenings. This is a fast-paced read and it’s full of surprises. I’m not sure I completely bought into the reason for what was going on, but I enjoyed the read so much it didn’t matter. 4 stars

Lisa Scottoline has just done it again! She has written another book that I couldn’t put down, once I started it! With The Unraveling of Julia, the mysteries were so complex that I began to question everyone’s sanity, even my own for being so paranoid For Julia, the protagonist. It was a Wild ride!

Poor Julia. She never really grew up with a firm family dynamic, and she experienced so much loss during her life that I would question reality, too, if I were her. The magic and mysticism that Scottoline sprinkled onto the pages of the were enough to take this gothic thriller in the realm of mystical realism, in the best way. Her appreciation of astrology was fun and added to the story in a way befitting a Tuscan tale with ancestral roots to the Renaissance.

After Julia loses everything that she held dear in her Philadelphian world, she is shocked to find that she inherited an Italian villa and acreage. With little to lose, she travels to Tuscany and is determined to find out more about herself, and to take a shot at her unknown (as she was adopted in the US) roots. When her DNA results come back with Italian ancestry, she feels justified in her assumption that the inheritance Had to be from some sort of relation.

Unfortunately, external forces seem determined to have Julia sell her property and go back to the US as soon as possible, even though the villa looks to be in absolute shambles. When Julia enlists the help of a local librarian, she digs in with her intense need to find out Anything regarding her heritage and familial origins. The external forces seem to take a malevolent turn, and soon Julia, the librarian, and even the villa’s dog seem to be targeted, but leave no proof for Julia to take to the police.

Will Julia’s hunches and vibes be enough to either get the cops on her side (or so save her own backside) from whoever is stalking her? Will Julia ever find out where she comes from and find anyone related to her that is still alive?

This crazy good novel will have you at the edge of your seat until you know the answers to these questions (and so much more). Go and grab a copy. It’s a fabulous and suspenseful good time!!

And if you’re an Eagles fan, there are Easter eggs for you to find all over this book.


Thank you So Much to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this outstanding ARC!!

I absolutely love Lisa Scottoline. This book is no different. It’s very fast paced. Things happen so quick you blink and you’re like what has even happened. This poor woman. Is she crazy? We don’t know for awhile. I feel for her. She has things happen so fast she doesn’t know right from left. This gripped me from BMW Z4 because my favorite is the Z3. Definitely a solid 4 stars.