[3] Choosing a female protagonist -an ordinary, easily relatable woman- had the series have a large following of woman readers,[2] unusual for a crime fiction comic.

The first album in the series, titled Gli occhi del abisso ("The Eyes of the Abyss") was published in October 1998.

She works as a professor at Hollyhock University and as a freelance consultant to the local police, helping them to solve crimes.

The cases Julia deals with put her in extremely dangerous situations, as her skills in psychology and her relations with Garden City Police Department lead her on the trail of vicious serial killers (above all the ruthless Myrna Harrod, a recurring character in the series) and unscrupulous criminals.

Characteristic of the series is the extensive use of Julia's diary, where the protagonist writes her thoughts and impressions about the cases, working as a first-person narration.