
Book Trailer
Available July 15, 2025
“A compelling thriller with dashes of romance and excellent twists!”
— Karin Slaughter, New York Times and #1 International Bestselling Author of THIS IS WHY WE LIED
“Scottoline deftly weaves a touch of astrology through this fast-paced thriller, and the result is a stunning novel that will leave you breathless.”
—Fiona Davis, New York Times Bestselling Author of THE STOLEN QUEEN
“Pulse-pounding, propulsive, and utterly unputdownable.”
—Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times Bestselling Author of BEACH HOUSE RULES
“A page-turning exploration into love, loss, and forces larger than ourselves. This might just be my favorite Lisa Scottoline book yet, and that’s saying a lot!”
—Marie Benedict, New York Times Bestselling Author of THE QUEENS OF CRIME
“Enthralling, intriguing, and ridiculously entertaining.”
—Liz Nugent, International Bestselling Author of STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND
“A delicious escape that blends suspense, atmosphere, and heart — this is Scottoline at her finest.”
—Danielle Trussoni, New York Times Bestselling Author of THE PUZZLE BOX
About the Book
#1 bestselling author Lisa Scottoline crafts a riveting psychological thriller in which a troubled young widow inherits a mysterious Tuscan estate, shrouded in secrets. Can she unravel the mystery before it unravels her?
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.
Discussion Guide
Discussion Guide to come!
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Signed books are available at the following stores:
Barnes & Noble, Main Point Books, Midtown Scholar, Murder by the Book, Newtown Bookshop, Oxford Exchange, Reads & Co, RJ Julia Booksellers and The Poisoned Pen Bookstore