The Truth about the Devlins

"Which brings us to the final book on the ITW shortlist for the best standalone thriller of 2025: Lisa Scottoline’s The Truth About the Devlins. It features a Philadelphia clan of elite, high-achieving lawyers—and one drop-out son, T.J., who has struggled with alcoholism and spent time in prison. But when his more ambitious brother accidentally kills a client during a charged confrontation, T.J.’s criminal past proves surprisingly useful. This is a long (400 pp.) but fast-moving story that rattles along, and will keep you happily occupied for a good few days while you top up your tan or wait in departure lounges. If you fancy a character-driven story featuring sibling rivalry, a sobriety journey and white collar crime, this could be the book for you. If none of these catch your eye, you might be interested in the winners of several other categories. Kellye Garrett won the award for ‘best standalone mystery of 2025’ for her novel Missing White Woman , which flips the cultural and media obsession with a certain kind of victim on its head. Jaime deBlanc won the ‘best first novel’ category for her debut After Image , a suspense novel about a high-profile cold case, which might finally be on the verge of being solved. And David Baldacci won the award for the best new novel in a series for To Die For , the latest book in his Travis Devine sequence. What new thrillers have you enjoyed best so far in 2025? Let us know on social media or by email."