The Lucky One

By: Jessica Payne

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book!

On prom night, Norah and her friend August were kidnapped by a serial killer.  Norah made it out, but August did not.  She left her hometown and made a life for herself in Los Angeles.  10 years later, Norah finds herself back in her hometown, another close friend killed.  The serial killer was never found – are they back?  Or is it a copycat?  The clock is ticking….

Payne knocked it out of the park with her sophomore book!  The Lucky one starts with setting the atmosphere quickly – creepy and uneasy.  The book continues that way, fully of suspense and keeping the reader guessing.  That is, until a certain part – I was able to narrow it down between two of the characters and one of them was right.  I found it a little too easy to figure out the serial killer prior to the reveal of the serial killer, but this didn’t happen until I neared the end of the book.

Payne also did something else with this novel – she really made me think.  I like true crime things – podcasts, documentaries etc… But she really brought up another perspective, the victim behind the story.  While I had thought about this in the past, reading it from the character’s first-person point of view made it hit a little different.

I didn’t love her first book, but this one was MUCH better.  I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a fast-paced, suspenseful thriller.

Pre-order your copy here.