Lately, Julia Pritzker is beginning to think if 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 with delusions of grandeur, who believed herself to be a descendent of Duchess Caterina Sforza, a legendary Renaissance ruler. Julia is stunned by her uncanny resemblance to Rossi and even to Caterina, then 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 disturbed mind. When events turn deadly, she breaks with reality.
Julia’s harrowing struggle becomes a search for her identity, a race to save her sanity, and ultimately, a question of her very survival. - scottoline.com
This thriller starts slow but the then creepy factor really starts to build and gets under your skin. I love when I can predict a few of the twists in a thriller along the way but still be surprised by some of them too and this book kept me guessing. This book also has a lot of heart mixed into the mystery. Julia's struggles with heartbreak and grief as she mourns the loss of her husband and works to rebuild a new life are relatable to anyone who has experienced loss. However what really makes this book shine are Lisa's beautifully immersive descriptions of Italy and the food. When this book wasn't giving me the chills from reading about the scary things Julia is witnessing at the vineyard, I was salivating over the delicious meals she was enjoying. the wine and finally understanding why my coworker runs off to Italy every summer for a long vacation - it's just gorgeous.
The Unraveling of Julia is a great summer read. It's got a little bit of everything; a thrilling mystery with a dash of romance, adventure and the supernatural.
I was lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy of The Unraveling of Julia thanks to the publisher, Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on Tuesday, July 15th but it's available for pre-order now. Visit Lisa's website for more information on pre-orders, her upcoming book tour and a "Behind the Book" video series.
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