July 2025

I love how Lisa Scottoline changes things up, especially with her last few books. We went with her to Italy for ETERNAL, the story of three childhood friends who come of age during World War II. LOYALTY brought us through the beginning days of the Mafia. While she kept us stateside with WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BENNETTS and THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVLINS, she continued to examine justice and family.

Now, in THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA, Julia’s husband tragically dies at the hands of an unknown assailant in Philadelphia while protecting her. She lost her adoptive parents at a young age, and it feels like she is not destined to be forever happy. After her husband’s death, Julia is barely going through the motions of her life when she receives a letter that she has inherited an Italian villa and a vineyard. Cautious but also ready to try something new, she heads to the Italian countryside to learn more about this piece of property. A surprise awaits her there.

As Julia tries to settle in this quiet town and visit the surrounding area, she is put in the position of wondering what is real and what is an illusion. Strange occurrences have made her leery of anything that will bring her happiness and who she should be trusting. Julia definitely unravels as she tries to figure out why she is being followed and who wants what from her. Her horoscope seems to portend what will be happening, even her husband’s death.

Layer in Lisa’s vivid descriptions of the landscape, food and culture of Italy, and you will feel like you are doing armchair travel, peeking over Julia’s shoulder as you explore the villa and the surrounding area.

To enhance your reading experience, Lisa has a fabulous video series on her website where she shares the locations and flavors of Italy. When asked what’s next, she says that she loves Julia’s character and wants to spend more time with her. So they will be together again for her next book, this time here in the States. Or at least that is the way she sees it now!