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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline
Thriller.
Widow Julie Pritzker is alone in life after her husband is killed by a late night mugger. She receives a letter that she’s inherited a Tuscan villa from an Emilia Rossi. Julia doesn’t know anyone in Italy but decides to listen to the attorney and travels to the property, hoping she can find a connection with her birth mother. Julia finds out the woman who owned the villa was a paranoid recluse and all her personal items have been burned. So much for trying to obtain DNA for testing. Then she starts having usual nightmares and gets the feeling she’s being followed. As more strange things happen, Julia wants to talk to an investigator but doesn’t trust the referral. Why is she getting buy offers when she’s told the selling agent no? Why is she being followed? Julia doesn’t know what’s going on but she’s not going to walk away either. She’s found a connection.
🎧 I alternated between and ebook and an audiobook narrated by Maria Marquis who does an excellent performance. The nightmares are terrifying. The worry and fear is suspenseful. Julia’s longing for connection and family is heartbreaking and it all comes through clearly in the audiobook. I was actively listening to the recording and often following along with the print version. I did listen at 1.5 or higher to more closely match my reading speed.
Compelling and chilling. She meets someone she can talk to and he’s run off the road and in a coma. Who can she trust without putting anyone else in danger?
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Hachette Audio.
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline surprised me at first as it appeared to be the a “slow descent into madness” story, which having read one recently, I was really not interested. Oh, thee of little faith. When it all started unraveling I was pleased and not surprised. But soon, here was the Scottoline I knew and loved. Julia had suffered through the random stabbing and death of her husband on the street and was having trouble coping. When she saw the first email she thought it was along the lines of “stuck in Nigeria,” and ignored it. Eventually she got a letter. She had indeed inherited a great deal of money and a villa in Tuscany from a woman she had never heard of. She went, partially pushed into it by her best friend, Courtney, who had also pushed her to see a therapist. When she arrived she was amazed and not in a good way. The place had been allowed to deteriorate until it was little more than a ruin. Thankfully the caretakers, a couple, were friendly and helpful. She might have run screaming home.
Julia slowly came out of her funk, curious about what was happening to her as well as why this woman had left her so much money and why she hadn’t taken care of the place when she obviously could afford to. She was pestered by realtors. No one in town would speak of Rossi, the women from whom she had inherited. The lawyer put her in touch with a family investigator. She was an intelligent woman who was beginning to put two and two together. This was a well-thought-out plot, full of twists and turns, much like real life. She met people along the way who could help and some who hindered. Curious things happened but she hung on to her sanity and finally figured it out. She was not a stupid woman. She still missed her husband but was now open to a new relationship. Excellent characters; frightening nightmares; constant curious behavior from those around her. Scottoline has done it again!
I was invited to read The Unraveling of Julia by Grand Central Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #GrandCentralPublishing #LisaScottoline #TheUnravelingOfJulia
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑼𝑵𝑹𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑶𝑭 𝑱𝑼𝑳𝑰𝑨 𝒃𝒚 𝑳𝒊𝒔𝒂 𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 & 𝑵𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒔 is a suspenseful tale of identity I got to hear thanks to @hachetteaudio & @netgalley which is available this week!
I will admit, I am a fan of @lisascottoline and I will let her take me on whatever wild ride she can conjure! It often has an Italian place, in which I am ever ready to be immersed. This makes the narrators important, and this book came into full Italian atmosphere with the beautiful voice of Marquis.
This tale centers on the title character as she discovers an Italian inheritance, which is odd since she is adopted and knows nothing about her biological family. This only adds to her confusion as she is grieving the murder of her husband, just months prior. Not feeling like she has much to risk, Julia heads to Italy to see this place and possibly make plans to sell it, until she enters and the pull of the estate becomes more intense. When that pull seems to morph into strange dreams and visions, and the house begins to reveal dark secrets that may reveal more about Julia's family, Julia has to decide what message she is getting and if it is worth it.
I had no idea where this was going, but I trusted the process, and thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful journey! It had a bit of grief, friendship, romance, suspense, gothic atmosphere, and twists that I felt fit the story well. I especially liked the friendship portrayed & the family revelations which made this story deeper than just a suspense. I don't believe in astrology, which was a central part, but it made for an atmospheric element that gave a touch of a magical aire.
I recommend this for fans ready for a suspenseful, slightly magical, Gothic Italian mystery with a character you want to root for!
I will admit, I am a fan of @lisascottoline and I will let her take me on whatever wild ride she can conjure! It often has an Italian place, in which I am ever ready to be immersed. This makes the narrators important, and this book came into full Italian atmosphere with the beautiful voice of Marquis.
This tale centers on the title character as she discovers an Italian inheritance, which is odd since she is adopted and knows nothing about her biological family. This only adds to her confusion as she is grieving the murder of her husband, just months prior. Not feeling like she has much to risk, Julia heads to Italy to see this place and possibly make plans to sell it, until she enters and the pull of the estate becomes more intense. When that pull seems to morph into strange dreams and visions, and the house begins to reveal dark secrets that may reveal more about Julia's family, Julia has to decide what message she is getting and if it is worth it.
I had no idea where this was going, but I trusted the process, and thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful journey! It had a bit of grief, friendship, romance, suspense, gothic atmosphere, and twists that I felt fit the story well. I especially liked the friendship portrayed & the family revelations which made this story deeper than just a suspense. I don't believe in astrology, which was a central part, but it made for an atmospheric element that gave a touch of a magical aire.
I recommend this for fans ready for a suspenseful, slightly magical, Gothic Italian mystery with a character you want to root for!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Unraveling Of Julia is a quick and atmospheric read.
- Pros: crime story/murder mystery, finding one's family roots, lush overseas setting.
- Cons: the writing style didn't land for me. It felt quite YA, which is not at all what I was expecting. Also, elements such as astrology felt a bit out of place among the other storylines.
Thank you to @grandcentralpub for my gifted copy for review.
Released yesterday, July 15.
- Pros: crime story/murder mystery, finding one's family roots, lush overseas setting.
- Cons: the writing style didn't land for me. It felt quite YA, which is not at all what I was expecting. Also, elements such as astrology felt a bit out of place among the other storylines.
Thank you to @grandcentralpub for my gifted copy for review.
Released yesterday, July 15.
The Unraveling of Julia is the latest book by veteran thriller writer Lisa Scottoline. This book is a bit of a departure from her standard legal thrillers- it’s a paranormal mystery.
After the death of her husband, Julia Pritzker receives word from Italy that she has inherited a large estate in Tuscany as well as a sizeable monetary inheritance. Julia, having been adopted and knowing nothing of her birth family, assumes it is coming from her biological family and heads to Italy to find out. While there, she experiences crazy visions and paranoia, just like her benefactor has before her death. Is she losing it? Or is something else going on?
Admittedly it took me about 50% to get in to this book. For the first half, I found Julia to be exceedingly annoying and sometimes wanted to stop reading. I’m glad I stayed the course, though. The story really picks up in the usual Scottoline way.
Thanks to the authors in a, the publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The Unraveling of Julia is a delicious escape that grips you from the very first page—a captivating blend of suspense, atmosphere, and heart. Set against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of a crumbling Tuscan villa, the novel delivers both emotional depth and spine-tingling intrigue. When a shocking murder shatters the serenity of Julia’s retreat, she finds herself at the center of a mystery as layered as her own grief. Still reeling from a tragic personal loss, Julia must summon strength she didn’t know she had to confront buried secrets, both within the villa and herself. The story is rich with moody settings, complex characters, and a slow-burning tension that builds to a satisfying and emotional climax. Readers will be swept away by the lush descriptions of Tuscany, the undercurrents of danger, and the poignant journey of a woman rediscovering her resilience. This is more than just a thriller—it's a story about healing, identity, and the courage it takes to unravel the truth.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline
Things I enjoyed about this story are that I enjoyed the setting of the Tuscan villa and vineyards and the historic places that Julia visits while in Italy. I am a homebody but still enjoyed the idea of how interesting it would be to tour this region and enjoyed getting to do so from my home side of the book. I also enjoyed that there is a great big dog who knows the value of getting his beauty sleep above all else. Thank you to the author for allowing this dog to get his sleep and relaxation while making sure he got taken care of properly whenever he needed attention.
I can't say I got much of a gothic feel from the book but I think it was because I had a hard time relating to Julia. We meet her after her husband was murdered as he tried to protect her and Julia's grief and feelings of guilt are bottomless pits. When Julia is told she's inherited a huge sum of money and a villa in Italy, she doesn't want to go see the villa but her best friend encourages her to do so as a great way to get moving and to possibly find out just who the stranger is who would leave all this to her. So off Julia goes, from grieving, hermetic widow to an heiress in a foreign country.
Julia is very big into astrology, just so you know. I don't think you'll forget it as you read the book since it's mentioned often. But is she into dead people communicating from the other side? Apparently she's getting vibes, lights, bad dreams, and visions from somewhere and she's just as likely to act on those things as to opt for more traditional choices as she tries to learn who left her this fortune and if they might be related to her. She is also trying to avoid bad guys who are trying to do her and those she cares about major harm. While staying very busy, Julia has a meet cute that progresses very quickly despite Julia still wearing her wedding ring. See, Julia is conflicted about stuff!
Overall, Julia reads a immature, gullible, and prone to making about the last choice I'd ever make in her situation (although I'd love to inherit all the goodies she inherits). Julia also tromps all over pesky things like preserving evidence, even in the presence of the law, telling the truth, and self preservation. At least Julia comes out of her grieving shell for a while although she has reasons to dive right back in at some point. I enjoyed the last two books by Lisa Scottoline and look forward to reading more but I'd prefer to leave astrology and the paranormal out of the mix next time.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.
Things I enjoyed about this story are that I enjoyed the setting of the Tuscan villa and vineyards and the historic places that Julia visits while in Italy. I am a homebody but still enjoyed the idea of how interesting it would be to tour this region and enjoyed getting to do so from my home side of the book. I also enjoyed that there is a great big dog who knows the value of getting his beauty sleep above all else. Thank you to the author for allowing this dog to get his sleep and relaxation while making sure he got taken care of properly whenever he needed attention.
I can't say I got much of a gothic feel from the book but I think it was because I had a hard time relating to Julia. We meet her after her husband was murdered as he tried to protect her and Julia's grief and feelings of guilt are bottomless pits. When Julia is told she's inherited a huge sum of money and a villa in Italy, she doesn't want to go see the villa but her best friend encourages her to do so as a great way to get moving and to possibly find out just who the stranger is who would leave all this to her. So off Julia goes, from grieving, hermetic widow to an heiress in a foreign country.
Julia is very big into astrology, just so you know. I don't think you'll forget it as you read the book since it's mentioned often. But is she into dead people communicating from the other side? Apparently she's getting vibes, lights, bad dreams, and visions from somewhere and she's just as likely to act on those things as to opt for more traditional choices as she tries to learn who left her this fortune and if they might be related to her. She is also trying to avoid bad guys who are trying to do her and those she cares about major harm. While staying very busy, Julia has a meet cute that progresses very quickly despite Julia still wearing her wedding ring. See, Julia is conflicted about stuff!
Overall, Julia reads a immature, gullible, and prone to making about the last choice I'd ever make in her situation (although I'd love to inherit all the goodies she inherits). Julia also tromps all over pesky things like preserving evidence, even in the presence of the law, telling the truth, and self preservation. At least Julia comes out of her grieving shell for a while although she has reasons to dive right back in at some point. I enjoyed the last two books by Lisa Scottoline and look forward to reading more but I'd prefer to leave astrology and the paranormal out of the mix next time.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m torn about how to rate this, because there were too many elements thrown in there for the sake of plot that didn’t really need to be there - yet most of the elements got connected and wrapped up by the end, and I was entertained.
I think I preferred telling my husband about how wild this story was over my experience reading it, which enhanced my enjoyment of the book. But that doesn’t make up for the storyline where you must suspend disbelief for it to work in any capacity. The pacing was way too fast; I kept forgetting that the majority of this book takes place over 7 days because Julia would do so many things during one day where it felt like it should have taken more than that.
Julia is my least favorite type of protagonist in a thriller – she’s the type of person in a horror film who you expect to die first but are surprised they are the only one still alive by the end. But none of the rest of the characters in the book were believable, anyway, so it worked. I wanted more character development from everybody, and this book was more plot heavy.
This was my first Lisa Scottoline book, but from the looks of her Author’s Note this was a departure from her typical storytelling, so I’m willing to read another book of hers to see if I like it better.
Thank you Grand Central Publishing, NetGalley, and Lisa Scottoline for the ARC.
medium-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One day, Julia had a premonition that something terrible would happen, and it did! Her husband, Mike was brutally stabbed. Later when she saw her unread horoscope, it backed up this feeling. Much to the dismay of her best friend, Courtney, Julia becomes obsessed with astrology. She rarely leaves her Philadelphia apartment until she receives a strange message telling her she has inherited a villa in Tuscany, as well as a large sum of money. Julia decides to go to Italy to collect her inheritance and find out why a total stranger has named her as the beneficiary.
The book can be classified as both a Gothic Thriller and a Psychological Thriller. There is a lot going on in this story - it has a strong Gothic feel and has paranormal elements, as well as some romance. The story follows Julia as she tries to move on from her grief while also trying to figure out why Emilia Rossi left her such a large inheritance.
At times Julia worries about her sanity when she fears the villa could be haunted. It soon becomes clear that her life may be in danger, but the police aren't taking her seriously. The book is suspenseful, but not always realistic. I could never have guessed all of the complex plot twists, but I like the way things wrapped up at the end. This book is different from any of the other books I've read by Scottoline, and I enjoyed my visit to Tuscany with Julia.
Thank you, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for the review copy of the ebook. My review is voluntary and unbiased.
The book can be classified as both a Gothic Thriller and a Psychological Thriller. There is a lot going on in this story - it has a strong Gothic feel and has paranormal elements, as well as some romance. The story follows Julia as she tries to move on from her grief while also trying to figure out why Emilia Rossi left her such a large inheritance.
At times Julia worries about her sanity when she fears the villa could be haunted. It soon becomes clear that her life may be in danger, but the police aren't taking her seriously. The book is suspenseful, but not always realistic. I could never have guessed all of the complex plot twists, but I like the way things wrapped up at the end. This book is different from any of the other books I've read by Scottoline, and I enjoyed my visit to Tuscany with Julia.
Thank you, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for the review copy of the ebook. My review is voluntary and unbiased.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief