The Unraveling of Julia

Written by Lisa Scottoline

Narrated by Maria Marquis

An international bestselling author crafts a “compelling thriller with excellent twists!” (Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author) in which a young widow inherits a mysterious Tuscan estate and finds herself thrust into the crosshairs of a dangerous conspiracy—twisty and transportive, this is suspense with a passport.
 
One awful night, Julia Pritzker witnesses the murder of her beloved husband during a mugging on a Philadelphia street. Later, while grieving him, she’s suddenly fearful that her fate is written in the stars, not held in her own hands.
 
Her luck seems to change when stunning news arrives from Italy, informing her that she’s inherited a fortune, a Tuscan villa, and a vineyard. But she’s mystified by her Italian benefactor, a total stranger named Emilia Rossi. She flies to Tuscany for answers.
 
There, Julia learns that Rossi suffered from delusions of grandeur, believing herself to be a descendant of Caterina Sforza, a powerful Renaissance duchess. Julia doubts that is true, but she can’t deny the uncanny resemblance between her, Caterina, and Rossi. She starts to unearth eerie parallels between them—and disturbing secrets.
 
Before long, Julia suspects she’s being followed and experiences disorienting delusions of her own. Even meeting a romantic Florentine doesn’t quiet her unease. Then events turn deadly, and Julia finds herself in a harrowing struggle for sanity and survival.
 
 
 
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette Audio
• Release date: Jul 15, 2025
• ISBN: 9781668648278

Lisa Scottoline

Lisa Scottoline is a #1 bestselling and award-winning author of more than thirty-two novels. She also co-authors a bestselling non-fiction humor series with her daughter, Francesca Serritella. There are more than thirty million copies of Lisa's books in print in more than thirty-five countries. She lives in Pennsylvania with an array of disobedient but adorable pets.

Reviews for The Unraveling of Julia

[Emily Lassiter Branch · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lisa Scottoline is another of those authors who've been on my radar (and even in my personal library) for years, and much as I've meant to actually read one of her books, I've never gotten around to her. When I saw that she'd written a gothic mystery, I couldn't pass it up. I really enjoyed this story about a young widow who's husband is murdered in front of her in a street mugging. In the aftermath of that tragedy she begins to spiral a bit, becoming more reclusive and obsessing over her horoscope. The shocking news that she's inherited a villa in Tuscany from someone she has never heard of both brings her out of her shell and begins a different type of unraveling. Is she seeing ghosts, or losing her mind? And surrounded by strangers, who can she trust in this new environment? I really enjoyed the mystery. The descriptions of food made me hungry (and had me searching for some recipes!). The descriptions of Tuscany made me want to go there. The excellent narration of the audiobook by Maria Marquis made me glad I was listening (and not butchering the Italian words and names in my head as I read!). And while I realize gothic isn't her usual genre, I enjoyed the writing style and absolutely am now inspired to pull out those Lisa Scottoline books on my Kindle shelf and finally read them.
My thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

[Andrea Author · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Haunted by tragedy, widow Julia inherits a Tuscan villa from a stranger, awakening a family secret. A deadly mystery unfolds, forcing her to confront her identity and fight for her survival.

This paranormal Gothic mystery is atmospheric and entertaining. The conspiracy aspects aren’t particularly believable, but it’s a fun read nevertheless. The audiobook narration is well done.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[susan.h.schofield · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is a very generous 2 stars only because I normally like Lisa Scottoline books. But this was not good - the writing was very YA and unpolished. The story itself was unbelievable and repetitive. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

[bookczuk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A mystery set in Italy, that got a little fraught at times, and has a lot of speculation going on. I read it mostly because the author is from where I live, and the book takes place in an enchanting land (Tuscany). But... the playing out of the plot didn't enchant me.

[jfe16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review of Digital Galley Edition

As Julia and Mike are walking home one night, they are attacked by a man attempting to steal Julia’s purse. When Mike tries to protect Julia, their assailant stabs him with the knife he is carrying.

Having lost her adoptive parents and now devastated by her husband’s murder, Julia finds it difficult to leave her home. After all, she was an eyewitness and the murderer knew what she looked like. Punished by feelings of guilt for having carried a designer bag, she is haunted by nightmares.

And then an unexpected surprise . . . Emilia Rossi has left her a significant amount of money as well as a villa, vineyard, and land in Tuscany.

Who is Emilia Rossi? And why has she left her estate to Julia?

=========

With historical perspectives woven into the telling of this tale, the central character [Julia] consistently grapples with her destiny, astrology, and the alignment of the stars. The descriptions of the Tuscan setting are immersive; the plot takes some surprising twists and turns as the unfolding narrative traces Julia’s efforts to find her birth family and her possible connection to Emilia Rossi and Countess Caterina Sforza.

Frustratingly, Julia continually allows her horoscope to dictate her actions; supernatural events add to the building tension in the unfolding story. But for readers who enjoy a bit of history woven into their mysteries, there is much to appreciate in this intriguing mystery.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley
#TheUnravelingofJulia #NetGalley