Lisa Scottoline has done it again with This Changes Everything—the sequel to last year’s psychological thriller The Unraveling of Julia. Five years after the murder of her first husband, Mike, the discovery of her biological parents, and the inheritance of a crumbling villa in Tuscany, Julia is living a new life: married to Gianluca and mother to three-year-old Leni. That hard-won peace shatters when her psychic abilities flare during a phone call with her lifelong friend Courtney back in the States. In that moment, Courtney discovers her grandmother has been murdered.
Julia flies home to support Courtney, testing the new life she has built in Italy. Torn between loyalty to her best friend and devotion to her family, she faces difficult choices. Skeptical of the local police’s ability—or willingness—to solve the crime, she and Courtney launch their own investigation, aided by several of the victim’s friends.
I’m not usually a fan of supernatural thrillers, so I was glad Scottoline kept Julia’s psychic powers to a minimum. They serve the story without taking it over. The friendship between Julia and Courtney feels genuine and lived-in, and the tension between Julia’s Italian life and her loyalty to Courtney gives the book real emotional weight.
The pacing is tight, the small-town secrets are well-handled, and the ending was a complete surprise—I didn’t see it coming.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars ⭐
Highly recommended if you enjoyed The Unraveling of Julia or just want a smart, twisty thriller with heart.
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