THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVLINS

4 stars out of 5

Honestly, I really enjoyed this book - even stayed up 45 minutes later than my bedtime to finish it. That said, if I had parents like the couple in this saga, I'd have bailed out of house and home before I was even in kindergarten. Yowsa!

Everyone in the Devlin family is a lawyer - following, of course, in the footsteps of their illustrious father and mother. That is, John and Gabby did; T.J., the youngest, went in an entirely different direction. Plagued by alcoholism that led to a stint in prison, he's always been the black sheep for whom all the others in the family tried to not only compensate for, but cover up. Now, he's out but on parole, staying on the wagon with help from AA meetings. Of course, his parents took him in at their prestigious law firm, where he functions as an unlicensed private investigator and gopher. His drunken actions also cost him his wife and daughter, so as far as the world is concerned, he's walking around with a big "L" on his chest (he even sees himself that way).

But one night, brother John tells T.J. that he "accidentally" murdered an accountant who works for their biggest client - one whose company is in the final stages of acquisition that will make the owner - and the Devlin firm - a boatload of money. John apparently discovered proof of serious embezzlement at the company and confronted the accountant - who then reacted badly.

Against T.J.'s better judgment, he agrees to keep everything secret from the parents, who would be devastated at best to learn that their golden boy was tarnished (and certainly not happy that the murder wouldn't set well with the company that's acquiring their client). But T.J. also pledges, at least to himself, to investigate; when the accountant's body isn't where it's supposed to be, questions arise. Even more questions surface the following day, when the accountant turns up in a different location, shot dead by a bullet - definitely not the rock John claims to have used as a weapon.

As T.J.'s investigation - and that of the police - move forward, it becomes clear that the parents will do anything to keep their law firm's good name intact, including throw T.J. under the bus (he's the black sheep, after all; hopefully, nobody will spot him under there). Meantime, to pay his bills, T.J. helps his sister Gabby as she prepares a precedent-setting lawsuit on behalf of former prisoners on whom life-altering drugs were tested during their incarceration. Pro bono work looks good on a law firm's books, don't you know, and her parents can turn her loose and let their golden son shine in the "real" courtroom.

The rest of the book follows T.J.'s investigation, which quickly begins to turn dangerous, as well as the fallout that threatens the family dynamics. It's nonstop action right up to the end, when all the issues get resolved (and I almost - almost - begin to somewhat sort of warm up to the parents kinda). Very entertaining, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. 

The Truth about the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline (G.P. Putnam's Sons, March 2024); 379 pp.