The Lucky Ones by Mark Edwards
Published by Thomas & Mercer on June 15, 2017
Pages: 380
Source: Wunderkind PR and the publisher
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It was the happiest day of her life. Little did she know it was also the last.

When a woman’s body is found in the grounds of a ruined priory, Detective Imogen Evans realises she is dealing with a serial killer—a killer whose victims appear to die in a state of bliss, eyes open, smiles forever frozen on their faces.

A few miles away, single dad Ben Hofland believes his fortunes are changing at last. Forced to move back to the sleepy village where he grew up following the breakdown of his marriage, Ben finally finds work. What’s more, the bullies who have been terrorising his son, Ollie, disappear. For the first time in months, Ben feels lucky.

But he is unaware that someone is watching him and Ollie. Someone who wants nothing but happiness for Ben.

Happiness…and death.

The Lucky Ones is the terrifying new thriller from the #1 bestselling author of Follow You Home.

I received this book for free from Wunderkind PR and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review:

The Lucky Ones is my first book by Mark Edwards! I’ve noticed his books when browsing on Amazon, but I hadn’t read one until a few days ago. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire length of the book, especially during the second half. The prologue starts off with a meeting between the killer and one of his victims – we get both points-of-view – and it never really lets up.

One thing I like about this story is that it is easy to identify with so many of the characters. An example of this is single-dad Ben Hofland, who is struggling to carve out a new life with his son after a big move to a new town. He wants the best for his kid, but Ollie is having a hard time. There is bullying. There is anger. Ollie misses his mother. Ben is trying to respect Ollie’s independence while also being his parent, but he definitely blurs these lines and OH MY GOSH.

I have a kid the same age as Ollie, and I think the Ben-Ollie parts had my heart pounding as much as the serial killer parts. I’ll be a little vague here on purpose, but just like Ollie, my 11-year-old boy has made the “Why can’t I have a cellphone? All of my friends have cellphones?” argument. And just like Ollie, my boy has been resentful that he has an iPod instead of a cellphone. NO SPOILERS  here, but the things that go down in the story between the father and son with this argument (and others like it) had my heart pounding out of my chest. Terrifying, but it was great reading.

Another thing that I love is the creepy premise for the story. The “victims…die in a state of bliss, eyes open, smiles forever frozen on their faces” — WHAT? Sounds horrifying. The multiple points-of-view add to the creepy-factor, especially since the killer is one of those POV’s. (I really do love hearing from the bad guys sometimes, and this one does not disappoint.)

I think my favorite character has to be Detective Imogen Evans. She is leading the investigation, and just when she thinks she has found the connection between the victims, there are some breaks in the killer’s pattern and things get a little crazy. I love Imogen. Her personality is fiery and her leadership is tight. She is brave, even when she is afraid. I love the little bits of humor and personality that the author gave her, and I (selfishly) would love another book featuring her.

I had a great time reading The Lucky Ones by Mark Edwards. When I wasn’t reading, I wanted to be reading. I was suspicious of several characters, but I never could decide exactly why I was suspicious of them; this kept me turning the pages. A couple of times, I found myself wondering why the police were having a hard time solving this crime and catching the killer – why they were taking so long with such a small crime scene – but this didn’t take away from how invested I was in the story and how thrilled I was at the ending. It was a great mystery, a great crime thriller.