Book Review: Something About Julia

By Melissa Amster

One murder. Three women. And the therapist who knows all their secrets.

Julia Teller’s perfect life shatters the day she finds her husband stabbed to death in their hilltop San Diego home. Blair Banks, a high-powered pharma exec and Julia’s neighbor, may know more than she lets on when detectives ask her what she saw. Sixteen-year-old Isabel Hartley remembers Julia acting strangely that morning when she ran into her at the library, but she doesn’t believe that her neighborhood friend could be so violent. Inconsistent stories leave detectives wondering if the three women are conspiring to hide the truth—especially when they learn that they share more than just an elite zip code. They also share a therapist.

Dr. Kate Cooper finds herself torn between acting in her patients’ interests and seeking justice for a brutal crime. Julia’s marital problems always surface during therapy sessions; obsessive Blair might be overly invested in her neighbor’s life; and lonely Isabel clings to anyone who shows her affection. Intimate knowledge of each woman’s life positions Dr. Cooper to help detectives unravel the crime, but pulling the thread puts her on a dark path to a truth she may not want to find. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I've enjoyed all the rom-coms I've read from Holly James and was interested in checking out her first thriller, Something About Julia. I'm pleased to share that Holly is as skilled at thriller writing as she is at rom-com writing!

This story kept me on my toes and had me turning the pages quickly. There were surprises around every corner. I was only able to guess at one aspect but nothing else was what it seemed. I liked how the story unfolded and was told from different perspectives. Something About Julia was so gripping and suspenseful! It was also easy to visualize everything, thanks to the attention to detail throughout. I don't want to say too much more to avoid spoiling the story. 

I hope Holly will write more thrillers in the future as she definitely has a knack for them. Check this one out on Kindle Unlimited!

(Trigger warnings below, aside from the obvious. May contain spoilers.)

Movie casting suggestions:

Julia: Maika Monroe

Dr. Kate Cooper: Lucy Hale

Detective Mercer: Alan Ritchson

Detective Ramirez: Lorenza Izzo

Chris (Kate's husband): Patrick Ball

Jacob: Colin Woodell

Blair: Elizabeth Gillies

Isabel: Juliet Donenfeld

More by Holly James:

The Alias Agenda

Nothing But the Truth

In Between Forever

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

TW: Sexual assault, suicidal ideation, bullying, death of parents, loss of money, toxic relationship.