The Unraveling of Julia

Julia thought she was escaping grief. Instead, she inherited a villa, a mystery, and a legacy coded in stars. But can she reach out toward life and happiness again?

Lisa Scottoline’s The Unraveling of Julia is a compelling, genre-blending novel that pulled me back again and again as it slowly raised the stakes. It’s a gothic thriller pulsing with suspicion, a romantic escape bathed in Tuscan sunlight, a psychological horror set in a haunted pre-Renaissance villa, and a women’s fiction journey of self-discovery and emotional rebirth.

For me, this book feels like Rebecca meets Suspicion, with echoes of the contemporary emotional suspense in Forget Me Not and the atmospheric tension of The Lake Escape. If those stories spoke to you, show more Julia’s journey will pull you into a world where inheritance is never just property—it’s prophecy, paranoia, and maybe fate.

The novel’s brilliance lies in its ambiguity: are Julia and Signora Rossi paranoid, or perceptive? Are the stars in the genealogical murals symbolic—or something else? Does the horoscope represent fate speaking to you, or is it simply your heart searching for a message? Is Gianluca a romantic lead—or a plant?

Scottoline’s pacing is taut, the emotional stakes are high, and the inheritance is never just property—it’s memory, myth, and maybe madness. Her prose is vivid and tightly controlled; as a reader, I felt as if I was Julia—caught in the tension, looking over my shoulder, questioning every glance and gesture, searching for roots that connect. This is not a book you simply read—it’s one you step inside and participate in.

And through it all, there’s a luminous thread of human connection—between love, loss, and found sisters. Julia’s bond with her best friend Courtney reminds us that even in the darkest moments, there’s a sparkle of hope. Scottoline never lets us forget: friends who are closer than family are family. show less

Julia Pritzker's life has been nothing but loss. Her adoptive parents are gone. Then one night in Philadelphia, her husband Mike is stabbed to death right in front of her during what appears to be a random street mugging — he stepped in front of her, and that was it. Julia is left alone, paralyzed by grief, guilt, and a creeping agoraphobia. In her spiral, she becomes increasingly fixated on astrology, convinced that her horoscope essentially predicted Mike's death and that her fate is therefore already written, out of her hands entirely. Then a letter arrives from Italy. She has inherited a Tuscan villa, a vineyard, and a substantial fortune from a woman named Emilia Rossi — a complete stranger. Julia, who is adopted and has never show more had information about her biological family, wonders if Rossi might be a blood relative, and she boards a plane for Tuscany.
What she finds there is unsettling. Emilia Rossi was a paranoid recluse who believed herself to be a descendant of Caterina Sforza, a ferocious and legendary Renaissance duchess who ruled Forlì in the 1490s and was famous for defying popes and armies. Julia is stunned to discover that she bears an uncanny physical resemblance to both Emilia and to historical portraits of Caterina herself. Eerie parallels between their lives begin to emerge. Strange things start happening around the villa. Julia begins to suspect she's being followed. A handsome Florentine named Gianluca enters her orbit. Events turn increasingly dangerous, and Julia begins to lose her grip on what is real and what is hallucination, what is supernatural and what is drugged. The conspiracy underneath the inheritance turns out to involve real estate corruption, child trafficking, and corrupt local police — decidedly earthly forces dressed in gothic clothes. A departure from Scottoline's usual legal procedurals, described as gothic paranormal suspense with a romance thread.

[May contain spoilers]
The paranormal elements are real rather than explained away — the connections between Julia, Emilia, and Caterina Sforza are genuinely supernatural rather than coincidental or the product of Julia's unraveling mind. The mugging that killed Mike was not random — it was connected to the inheritance and the criminal conspiracy around the Tuscan estate, meaning Julia's husband died because of forces she was about to inherit into. The ending ties up the murder, the conspiracy, and Julia's identity questions, and she and Gianluca end up together. Best friend Courtney flies to Italy mid-novel to support Julia when things get truly harrowing.
What I think: This is gothic Tuscany thriller with paranormal bones — big Scottoline energy, lots of Italian atmosphere, a grief protagonist who holds your sympathy even as she loses her grip on reality, and a conspiracy that escalates satisfyingly. It's more supernatural than her usual work which will land differently depending on your mood. The Caterina Sforza historical thread is genuinely interesting. Probably a 3.5 to 4 from you — propulsive and atmospheric but the paranormal turn may or may not fully satisfy. show less

Julia’s adoptive parents have died, and her husband is murdered protecting her from a mugger. As her life begins to unravel, foreshadowed, she believes, by her horoscope, she receives word that she has inherited a sum of money as well as a villa and vineyard in Tuscany. Julia has no idea who the woman is who left her this estate, but wonders if she could be someone related to her biological parent(s). She travels to Tuscany to investigate, where she learns her benefactor was quite eccentric, perhaps even paranoid. Julia soon finds her emotional state spiraling and her life in danger.

Let me start out by saying that I don’t typically relish what I call fairy tale stories (suddenly inheriting wealth, etc.) or paranormal elements, but show more I have always enjoyed Scottoline’s writing so I wanted to read this, her latest work. Despite my reservations, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. An engrossing read, I didn’t want to put it down. It is suspenseful and atmospheric, with twists, some spookiness, and a romance. Astrology and supernatural events are integral parts of the story, as is the search of an adopted child for her roots, along with some information about real characters in Italian history. The characterizations are strong and diverse. Even if you are not a devotee of the paranormal, suspend your belief for a while and enjoy this well-written story.

Thanks to #NetGalley and @GrandcentralPub for the DRC. show less

"The Unraveling of Julia” by Lisa Scottoline is a thrilling 4-star read! Julia Pritzker has all but stopped living her life after witnessing the murder of her husband. She finally decides to leave her home after receiving surprising news from Italy, she has inherited a Tuscan villa and vineyard. But the inheritance comes with a catch: Julia has no idea why Emilia Rossi, a woman she’s never met, would leave her such a gift. Determined to find answers, she books a flight to Italy and soon finds herself facing one obstacle after another in her quest to uncover the truth.

I was completely hooked after Chapter 1! The pacing is a roller coaster, intense action followed by lulls where not much seems to happen, then right back into the show more suspense. The book includes a supernatural element and several mentions of astrology, which I found fascinating. It even inspired me to check my horoscope while reading! Some things initially seemed a bit far-fetched, but they were explained in later chapters, which I appreciated. Julia’s character evolves throughout the story as she learns who she truly is and what she’s capable of.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who likes a thriller with a touch of the supernatural!

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing, Lisa Scottoline, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review. show less

Wow! What a story! This was a riveting and richly detailed psychological and spiritual thriller.

Julia Pritzker is reaching up to touch bottom. Her adoptive parents have both passed and her husband was murdered on the streets of Philadelphia. To top that, the investigating officer suggests that the perpetrator may believe that Julia could identify them and that they may go after her next. She is trapped alone in her apartment, afraid to leave it, and she ostensibly ceases living. That is until, she receives a letter from an Italian solicitor informing her that she's inherited a Tuscan villa and a sizable sum from a woman Julia has never heard of. At the prodding of her best friend, it's off to Tuscany Julia flies. It is at this point show more that the action really takes off with hallucinations, spirit visions, covert tailings, highspeed chases, poisonings, spirit channelings, and of course, more murder attempts. Will Julia be able to get to bottom of it all before she goes stark raving mad? Only time with this thrilling read will tell.

Ms. Scottoline has done it again - delivered a rich and exciting story. The writing is solid, pulse pounding, and enthralling. The mise en scène is beautifully crafted and highly atmospheric. The Tuscan scenery, as described, makes one want to hop on a plane and be there tomorrow. The chases through Florence reminded this reader of all the city's rich treasures and beauty. I highly recommend this book to arm-chair travelers and fans of thriller fiction.

I am grateful to Grand Central Publishing for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication date: July 15, 2025
Number of Pages: 400
ISBN: 978-1538769997 show less

Scottoline has a magic pen that creates real page-turners. Her latest, which she labels a ‘psychological thriller’ is no exception. I was hooked. I am not a fan of the Gothic, and this is not high literature, but Scottoline never fails to entertain.

Scottoline takes us to Tuscany, Italy, a land of vineyards and centuries old manors, motorcycles and busy streets. She tempts us with descriptions of glorious local cuisine.

Julia is in grief after her husband is murdered. She inherits money and an estate in Italy from someone she had never heard of. She decides to go to Italy; perhaps she can link her benefactor to her birth mother. Adopted as a child, she knew nothing about her birth family. But, DNA testing revealed that she was show more Tuscan.

The once stunning estate is run down. The caretakers tell her about the deceased, Emilia Rossi, who claimed to be descended from Caterina Sforza, an important family. And how in her last years, the deceased became a recluse and was perhaps mentally unhinged.

Julia is pressured to sell the property by a local realtor, but she decides to stick around and search for a connection between her and Rossi. She meets a librarian who helps her. But strange occurrences abound. She discovers a secret, hidden room. She experiences weird hallucinations and visits a medium. She is being followed. Accidents occur, the caretakers disappear. But Julia persists, and finds her heritage and love.

What a great summer read! Pure entertainment.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley. show less

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline

Real Rating: 3.25* of five

The Publisher Says: From a #1 international bestselling author, a gothic, suspenseful tale in which a young widow inherits a Tuscan estate from a mysterious benefactor and finds herself thrust into the crosshairs of a dangerous conspiracy—a “compelling thriller with dashes of romance and excellent twists!” (Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author).

Lately, Julia Pritzker is beginning to think she’s cursed. She’s lost her adoptive parents, then her husband is murdered. When she realizes that her horoscope essentially foretold his death, she begins to spiral. She fears her fate is written in the stars, not held in her own hands.

Then a letter arrives show more out of the blue, informing her that she has inherited a Tuscan villa and vineyard —but her benefactor is a total stranger named Emilia Rossi. Julia has no information about her biological family, so she wonders if Rossi could be a blood relative. Bewildered, she heads to Tuscany for answers.
There, Julia is horrified to discover that Rossi was a paranoid recluse, who believed herself to be a descendent of Duchess Caterina Sforza, a legendary Renaissance ruler. Stunned by her uncanny resemblance to Rossi, and even to Caterina, Julia is further unnerved when she unearths eerie parallels between them, including an obsession with astrology.

Before long, Julia suspects she’s being followed, and strange things begin to happen. Not even a chance meeting with a handsome Florentine can ease her troubled mind. When events turn deadly, Julia’s harrowing struggle becomes a search for her identity, a race to save her sanity, and ultimately, a question of her very survival.

Twisty, transportive, and haunting—this is suspense with a passport.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: Sudsy summer fun. Very much in the vein of Gothic mistress...nay, creatrix...Ann Radcliffe and, more especially, The Italian (1797).

In common with what I honestly feel sure is the source material, it's convoluted and overcomplicated; it repays close attention; and gives the frisson of uncertainty and unreality that the character is undergoing to the reader as well.

Grand Central Publishing asks $14.99 for an ebook. Entertainment at a reasonable price to my mind. show less