Title: The Lucky One
Author: Lori Rader-Day
Published: February 2020, William Morrow Paperbacks
Format: ARC Paperback, 400 pages
Source: Publisher
Summary:
“This might well be
my favorite Rader-Day so far: a brilliant premise intriguingly
developed, totally believable characters and a climax that took my
breath away.” — Ann Cleeves, New York Times bestselling author of The Shetland and Vera Series
From the acclaimed
author of Under A Dark Sky comes an unforgettable, chilling novel about a
young woman who recognizes the man who kidnapped her as a child,
setting off a search for justice, and into danger.
Most people who go missing are never found. But Alice was the lucky one…
As
a child, Alice was stolen from her backyard in a tiny Indiana
community, but against the odds, her policeman father tracked her down
within twenty-four hours and rescued her from harm. In the aftermath of
the crime, her family decided to move to Chicago and close the door on
that horrible day.
Yet
Alice hasn’t forgotten. She devotes her spare time volunteering for a
website called The Doe Pages scrolling through pages upon pages of
unidentified people, searching for clues that could help reunite
families with their missing loved ones. When a face appears on Alice’s
screen that she recognizes, she’s stunned to realize it’s the same man
who kidnapped her decades ago. The post is deleted as quickly as it
appeared, leaving Alice with more questions than answers.
Embarking
on a search for the truth, she enlists the help of friends from The Doe
Pages to connect the dots and find her kidnapper before he hurts
someone else. Then Alice crosses paths with Merrily Cruz, another woman
who’s been hunting for answers of her own. Together, they begin to
unravel a dark, painful web of lies that will change what they thought
they knew—and could cost them everything.
Twisting and compulsively readable, The Lucky One explores the lies we tell ourselves to feel safe.
My thoughts: Lori Rader-Day is still a relatively new author to me, having read only one other book by her, but I loved that book, so I knew I wanted to read more. I actually had the pleasure of meeting her this past fall at Bouchercon and gushed to her about how much I loved Under a Dark Sky. I couldn’t wait to read her latest and it was just as good.
Taking on what seems to be the new current fascination with true crime and everyone thinking they are or can be armchair detectives, Lori Rader-Day gives us one twisted, dark thriller that is completely compulsive and engaging. It involves two quirky, yet interesting main characters who end up coming together because of one missing man – a man that somehow seems to be connected to these girls for very different reasons.
I loved this book. I really enjoyed the way it was set up, and while at times it was a little slow, for the most part, the pace really kept me flipping the pages to see where it would all lead. I was completely captivated by the idea of these women trying to solve these cases on their own – yes, I know it happens and there are groups out there that actually do this, but it still just fascinates me. I loved the threads from the online group – they added another layer that just enhanced the story.
As the women get deeper into the search, they begin to learn things they never imagined learning. Secrets and lies seem to be at the heart of this case and ever so slowly Alice and Merrily are uncovering them little by little.
This book is nothing shy of brilliant the way it is crafted. I was captivated from the start and found myself completely on edge as bits and pieces started to come together. The twists and turns are not always in your face; some are quite subtle, yet they all come together in an ending that you will be hard-pressed to guess. I love that one thing I can count on from Lori Rader-Day is her ability to always shake things up just when I think I know where things are heading.
About the author: Lori Rader-Day is the author of Under a Dark Sky, The Day I Died, Little Pretty Things, and The Black Hour. She is a three-time Mary Higgins Clark Award nominee, winning the award in 2016. Lori lives in Chicago.
Author links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Purchase Links: HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Be sure to check out all the other stops on the blog tour and follow the tour on Twitter (hashtags: #TLCBookTours & #theluckyone).
I am so glad you enjoyed this one!! Thank you for being on this tour. Sara @ TLC Book Tours