3.0 (2 ratings)
The Unraveling of Julia
a psychological thriller
An international bestselling author crafts a gothic "thriller with dashes of romance and excellent twists!" (Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author) in which a young widow inherits a Tuscan estate from a mysterious benefactor and finds herself thrust into the crosshairs of a dangerous conspiracy--twisty, transportive, and haunting, this is suspense with a passport.
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 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.
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 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.
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9781538769997
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3.0
2 ratings
Beth .
Mar 15, 2026
2.5 stars, generously rounded up to 3 since GR still doesn’t allow half stars.
2 stars for me is a rage read. One I should DNF but am too annoyed to even quit. 3 stars is just meh. This was 2 stars until the last 1/3rd and it’s only getting 3 because it had a decent ending and gift wrapped a HEA in a nice little bow.
The astrology obsessed (seriously she plans her days around her horoscope app…) FMC’s husband is murdered in Philly, and she then finds out she inherited 3 million euro and a random villa in Tuscany. She heads over there to find out the story of this random lady who willed it to her. She’s adopted so who could it be. She falls asleep and dreams the fresco painting on the ceiling attacks her. She then spent the entire book jumping from one unhinged theory to another. Is the decedent her grandmother, even tho this lady didn’t have kids. Is she being drugged with psychedelics by the property keepers and hallucinating or is she somehow psychic. Is she channeling Catherine Sforza. Was her Sforza obsessed grandmother actually part of a child trafficking ring. Are the local police out to get her. Throw in a random insta-love with a Tuscan librarian despite the fact that she was JUST widowed. Wait, was her grandmother actually a DV victim. Oh wait she is actually medium and she can telepathically converse with her now comatose insta love boyfriend. Conspiracies.
I mean. What in the actual Tuscan fuck did I just read?
Nevermind. 2 stars actually.
2 stars for me is a rage read. One I should DNF but am too annoyed to even quit. 3 stars is just meh. This was 2 stars until the last 1/3rd and it’s only getting 3 because it had a decent ending and gift wrapped a HEA in a nice little bow.
The astrology obsessed (seriously she plans her days around her horoscope app…) FMC’s husband is murdered in Philly, and she then finds out she inherited 3 million euro and a random villa in Tuscany. She heads over there to find out the story of this random lady who willed it to her. She’s adopted so who could it be. She falls asleep and dreams the fresco painting on the ceiling attacks her. She then spent the entire book jumping from one unhinged theory to another. Is the decedent her grandmother, even tho this lady didn’t have kids. Is she being drugged with psychedelics by the property keepers and hallucinating or is she somehow psychic. Is she channeling Catherine Sforza. Was her Sforza obsessed grandmother actually part of a child trafficking ring. Are the local police out to get her. Throw in a random insta-love with a Tuscan librarian despite the fact that she was JUST widowed. Wait, was her grandmother actually a DV victim. Oh wait she is actually medium and she can telepathically converse with her now comatose insta love boyfriend. Conspiracies.
I mean. What in the actual Tuscan fuck did I just read?
Nevermind. 2 stars actually.
Carla B.
Feb 8, 2026
Julia Pritzker is having a rough year. Her husband was murdered, her grief is unraveling her sense of reality, and now she’s inheriting a sprawling villa and vineyard in Tuscany from a woman she’s never even heard of. With no knowledge of her biological family, Julia heads to Italy hoping for answers. What she finds is a legacy of paranoia, a long-dead duchess, and some deeply unsettling similarities between herself and the mysterious Emilia Rossi. Oh, and did I mention she might be cursed? As strange events start stacking up and danger creeps in, Julia is forced to confront whether the truth lies in her bloodline, in the stars, or somewhere much darker.
Spillin’ the Book Tea:
This was my first Lisa Scottoline book, and clearly I’ve been missing out. It gave me everything I didn’t know I wanted in one sitting: secret inheritance, spooky mansion, creepy lineage theories, and a woman losing her grip on reality in the most relatable way. Julia isn’t just dealing with grief; she’s untangling a legacy that could be more than coincidence. Or fate. Or astrology. It’s layered, it’s moody, and honestly, it gave off that delicious "is this happening or is she unraveling?" vibe I live for.
The setting? Total Tuscan escapism with just enough unease to keep your shoulders tense. The plot walks a tightrope between realism and the possibly supernatural, and it does not trip. I stayed hooked the whole time. And let’s not ignore the historical mystery running under it all, giving the story some serious depth without getting too earnest about it. This isn’t a dusty historical lecture. It’s a smart, eerie mystery with emotional stakes and just enough weirdness to make you second-guess every character.
I was also really into the pacing. No drag. No filler. Just steady tension and that growing dread you don’t want to admit you love. The ending? Don’t worry, I’m not spoiling a thing, but let’s just say it sticks the landing. Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!
The Vibes It Brings:
Spillin’ the Book Tea:
This was my first Lisa Scottoline book, and clearly I’ve been missing out. It gave me everything I didn’t know I wanted in one sitting: secret inheritance, spooky mansion, creepy lineage theories, and a woman losing her grip on reality in the most relatable way. Julia isn’t just dealing with grief; she’s untangling a legacy that could be more than coincidence. Or fate. Or astrology. It’s layered, it’s moody, and honestly, it gave off that delicious "is this happening or is she unraveling?" vibe I live for.
The setting? Total Tuscan escapism with just enough unease to keep your shoulders tense. The plot walks a tightrope between realism and the possibly supernatural, and it does not trip. I stayed hooked the whole time. And let’s not ignore the historical mystery running under it all, giving the story some serious depth without getting too earnest about it. This isn’t a dusty historical lecture. It’s a smart, eerie mystery with emotional stakes and just enough weirdness to make you second-guess every character.
I was also really into the pacing. No drag. No filler. Just steady tension and that growing dread you don’t want to admit you love. The ending? Don’t worry, I’m not spoiling a thing, but let’s just say it sticks the landing. Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!
The Vibes It Brings: