⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4 stars)
Lisa Scottoline knows her way around a page-turner. With thirty-six novels under her belt, she’s mastered the mix of family drama, legal thrills, and a dash of mystery. Her latest, The Truth About the Devlins, has all of that in spades.
The Devlins are a powerhouse family of attorneys—except for TJ, the black sheep who’s fresh out of prison and working hard to stay sober. He’s barely getting his life back together when his golden-boy brother confesses he may have killed a client. Suddenly TJ is pulled into a mess that could blow up his family’s reputation, and for once, he’s the only one who might be able to save them.
The novel is fast-paced, laced with humor, and undeniably gripping. TJ is a narrator you can’t help but root for, flaws and all. What really got to me, though, was the way his family treats him. Their judgment and dismissiveness are infuriating, especially as he’s the one carrying the weight of their secrets. Not every twist sticks the landing, and the ending feels too neat, but the family dynamics give the story its emotional punch.
Still, this is vintage Scottoline: engrossing, brisk, and filled with enough suspense to keep you turning the pages late into the night.
** Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for a comp. The opinions are my own.