Format: 400 pages, Hardcover
Release Date: July 15, 2025
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thriller / Suspense
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thriller / Suspense
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.
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.
Lisa Scottoline, a prolific author known for her legal thrillers and standalone suspense novels, ventures into bolder gothic territory with The Unraveling of Julia. This psychological thriller follows Julia Pritzker, a young widow grappling with profound grief after witnessing her husband Mike's brutal murder during a mugging in Philadelphia. Believing herself cursed—especially after her horoscope seems to predict the tragedy—Julia spirals into depression and agoraphobia.
An unexpected inheritance from a stranger, Emilia Rossi, offers a lifeline: a crumbling Tuscan villa and vineyard in Chianti, along with a substantial fortune. Hoping Emilia might be a biological relative (Julia was adopted), she travels to Italy to uncover the truth, only to find herself entangled in secrets, dangers, and questions about her own sanity. The Tuscan setting is vividly rendered, transporting readers to sun-drenched hills, wild vineyards, and historic sites tied to figures like Caterina Sforza, a fierce Renaissance warrior whose story parallels Julia's journey of resilience.
The novel explores themes of grief, identity, ancestral echoes, female empowerment, and the blurred line between reality and delusion, with light supernatural touches involving astrology, visions, and premonitions that add an ethereal layer without overwhelming the plot. Julia is a compelling protagonist—vulnerable yet determined—as she confronts loss and seeks rebirth. Her emotional arc, from bedridden despair to fierce self-discovery, feels authentic and poignant.
Supporting characters, including potential romantic interests and enigmatic caretakers, add depth and suspicion. The exploration of how past traumas and ancestral histories resonate in the present is thoughtfully handled. Excellent twists keep readers guessing, with dashes of romance providing emotional balance. The subtle astrology elements explore sanity versus madness in a fresh way.
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