The Truth About the Devlins

By: Lisa Scottoline

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Lisa Scottoline

Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

USA Today Bestseller

Lisa Scottoline, the #1 bestselling author of What Happened to the Bennetts, presents another pulse-pounding domestic thriller about family, justice, and the lies that tear us apart.

TJ Devlin is the charming disappointment in the prominent Devlin family, all of whom are lawyers at their highly successful firm—except him. After a stint in prison and rehab for alcoholism, TJ can’t get hired anywhere except at the firm, in a make-work job with the title of investigator.

But one night, TJ’s world turns upside down after his older brother John confesses that he murdered one of their clients, an accountant he’d confronted with proof of embezzlement. It seems impossible coming from John, the firstborn son and Most Valuable Devlin.

TJ plunges into the investigation, seizing the chance to prove his worth and save his brother. But in no time, TJ and John find themselves entangled in a lethal web of deception and murder. TJ will fight to save his family, but what he learns might break them first.

©2024 Lisa Scottoline (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Pick

One of Mystery Tribune's Best Crime, Mystery, and Thriller Books of March 2024
One of Brit+CO's Most-Anticipated & Best New Books of 2024

"Family dysfunction and life-threatening circumstances are the least of the variety of twists and turns with which Scottoline peppers this labyrinthine plot. . . . The Truth About the Devlins is a romp with exacting amounts of soul and sabotage, surprise and success, that even the most jaded mystery reader will find it to be a jolt to his or her system.”—Bookreporter

"[Scottoline] plunges right into a story and piles the twists on along the way . . . [and] gives us a conclusion that is not only surprising but much more satisfying."—St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"[In] The Truth About the Devlins, Lisa Scottoline introduces a dysfunctional family that really puts the “fun” in “dysfunctional . . . Scottoline explores those deliciously screwed-up family dynamics with gusto . . . Part family drama, part legal thriller, Scottoline proves once again why she’s a master of the genre. You’ll burn through this book in no time flat."—Mystery Scene

"A multi-layered and well plotted story that takes narrative twists and turns . . . An emotionally stirring and powerful story about justice, repercussions, redemption, and the strength of family bonds." —Fresh Fiction

another winner from Scottoline

Scottoline writes from the heart and draws you in to know and care for her characters. I tend to prefer female narrators but enjoyed Mr. Eduardo's cadence and inflection.

Entertaining!

Very enjoyable and entertaining read while also shedding light on some happenings in Philly that I didn’t remember. Well researched and although some storylines are based on real life events, the story was well told, drew you in from the beginning and kept you guessing. Lisa is a great storyteller and I love her use of humor even in serious plots. The reader was fantastic as well. Overall, a very entertaining listen!

Family drama

Love the narration by my favorite Eduardo Ballerini he makes a good book come to life - story was interesting and fast moving - good characters and plot -

Another winner

4.5 STARS

Lisa Scottoline has done it again.

The Devlins are a prominent family of lawyers in the Philadelphia suburbs, with the exception of youngest son TJ who’s fresh out of prison and two years sober. Older brother John, the golden child and his father’s favorite, enlists TJ’s help after a work-related incident. John isn’t telling everything he knows and he may not be as golden as everyone thinks.

Narrated by TJ, as THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVLINS unfolds, it’s quite clear that most of the Devlins are hiding secrets from each other.

The audiobook is narrated by three pitch-perfect Edoardo Ballerini.

Great characters

I listened to this book on audible. I enjoyed it so much I finished it in a day and a half! I couldn’t wait to see what happened next! The narrator was excellent. Extremely entertaining

Couldn't put it down!

Lisa hits another home run with a book that keeps you so engaged you can't stop listening to it. Her characters are complex but likeable (at least the protagonists). The plot is twisting, complex and yet easy to follow. Suspense, humor, intrigue and mystery all rolled into one. Loved it! And loved the ending. Oh, and it also had historical relevance. Wow. Amazing story teller.

Why did his brother lie?

This was extremely enjoyable. I always love lisa's books. The show's family dynamics and how some addictions are shown to be worse than others when really an addiction is an addiction. I felt all of t j's pain, though. I'm not an alcoholic.

The humor! Refreshing!!

Great explanations of alcoholism and recovery! I learned quite a lot about support and praise being given instead of making someone feel guilty and ashamed.

A wonderful and intricate mystery

I loved the humanity in this book. Weaving family and forgiveness with mystery that kept you on the edge of your seat due to great twists and turns. We have all made mistakes, but this book shows that owning up to them along with hard work can lead to redemption. I loved the author’s sincere acknowledgments at the end. It takes a village to bring an excellent book to life and she graciously thanked all of her team. Kudos to all!

More TJ Devlin!

Enjoyed the story and pace. Not too many characters to keep track of. Hope the author continues with the character TJ.