The Lucky Ones by Mark Edwards (A Thriller, If You’re Feeling Lucky)

I have been on a thriller kick lately! So this next one was creepy. It’s basically revolving around a serial killer in this small village and he’s killing off people (while leaving a smile on their face!). The story takes the perspective of a few different characters. You have Ben, father to Ollie, and who somehow finds himself in the heart of this thriller. He’s dealing with finalizing his divorce, getting back into good graces with his son who now lives with him, dealing with unruly neighbors, and also trying to make himself a successful freelance writer. It’s a lot to handle! Yet oddly, things start to turn around for him.

Then you have Detective Imogen Evans who has moved to this small town from London and it’s her first serial killer case. It’s tough because she’s trying to manage her team, prove herself worthy of this position she’s in, and trying to figure out exactly how these people are connected who have been killed.

Oddly the book only deals with mostly two different perspectives – Imogen and Ben. You also occasionally have the perspective of Ben’s wife’s lover Michael (very convoluted, I know) who works as a reporter and he’s trying to get the big scoop on Imogen (but oddly finds himself roped into this serial killer story). Oh and you also occasionally get the perspective from the killer himself.

I was a bit thrown off by the varying perspectives. That’s always a bit confusing to me at times and this took me a bit to get into. I was captivated in the book when Ollie got involved in the middle of the serial killer case. That peaked my interest and I couldn’t wait for the father to question what was going on with his son.

It’s not quite the “edge of your seat” thriller as some books, even as it nears towards the end. But it’s that feeling of HAVING to know what’s going on that kept me going back and reading the book. And there’s also an unexpected twist at the end that made this book pretty exciting.

Unlike a lot of thrillers that I’ve read, the romance is very light in this book. The focus mostly is on the relationship between Ben and the people around him, including his ex-wife, Ollie, and the people involved in the case. Ben is a sympathetic character, but I didn’t quite root for him enough in the story, though. I really liked Imogen’s character. I really connected with her and her passion for finding the killer and doing the right thing by her team and by the case made her very likeable.

I’d give this three and a half stars. It’s worth reading, although a bit of a rocky start for me.

This is available on Amazon for pre-order (the book is not officially available for purchase until June 15, 2017). Purchase now.

It’s actually not available to add to your book list on Goodreads but follow the author and check out some of his other books! Follow now.

I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.