The Lucky One
The Lucky One
By: Jessica Payne
“No matter who Hansel is, if I ever encounter him again, I’ll have a fighting chance. And if it’s a copycat, I have no doubt I’ll win. It’s what I do.”
Wow, this was a really gripping psychological thriller!
I had a hard time putting it down. I always told myself one more chapter, but they’re so short I ended up reading several more every time.
The only thing keeping this book from ‘must-read’ status is that there is quite a bit of language.
The first chapter reads: “According to my former therapist, the chance of falling victim to a serial killer is .00039 percent. The chance of being the victim of a serial killer twice is so small as to be… nearly impossible.”
Well Norah is the ‘lucky’ one.
Here’s a brief summary and some other comments:
Brief Synopsis
The main character is Norah. She and her friend, August, were kidnapped by a serial killer (nicknamed Hansel because his MO involved ‘breadcrumbs’) on prom night. Norah watched her friend die but managed to escape in a surprising way.
The killer was never caught.
Norah lives a somewhat paranoid life and had to escape Kansas because of it. She landed in LA where she became a successful MMA fighter and coach.
Her dad’s sudden death brings her back to Kansas where her past catches up to her and more people close to her start dying in similar ways to a decade before.
Hansel wants her back.
Can she figure out who it is before more people die? And can she use her newfound fighting skills to finally end the anxiety and paranoia and get rid of Hansel once and for all?
Comments
Norah’s character reminded me a lot of Nina Guerrera, Warrior Girl, from Isabella Maldonado’s series (beginning with The Cipher). Nina also escaped from a killer when she was young and knows he’s still out there. They both grow up in careers that enable them to keep their vow- Never to be a victim again.
I really liked this book and the Guerrera series so the similarities are a positive thing.
My first guess of who the killer was was wrong. My second, also wrong. My third, correct. Even though I figured it out, it was okay. The suspense was definitely still there and there were times I questioned. I think if the killer is a surprise out of left field it probably meant the clues weren’t really there for the reader to follow and that’s sometimes not as fun!
I think my biggest criticism of the book (other than language) is the premise that she didn’t tell the cops ‘everything’ that happened the night she got away. That there was something she had to keep hidden or didn’t want people to know about.
The prologue reveals how she escaped. She convinced him that she loved him and she would return. But there were still comments throughout the book making it seem like there was something else to be revealed about that night. Unless I missed something there was never something else. This was it. And we know it immediately.
Which is fine, it didn’t necessarily need something else, but then don’t play it up like it’s going to be a big reveal in the end. Because then it feels like the author forgot something.
I also felt like the parts describing her actual encounter with the serial killer were pretty short so the trauma she lives with after the fact doesn’t feel as visceral because the reader’s vision of the encounter seems too shallow. We didn’t really get to understand what Norah means when she says, “she doesn’t know what it’s like to stare into the eyes of someone who enjoys, no relishes— the thought of killing you.”
Not that I wanted a graphic account by any means, but even her friend’s killing happened in a matter of a few sentences.
Then there were the two stupid things:
- Once Janie went missing, Detective Cron didn’t take it seriously, which considering the murder of their friend days prior and their suspicions that Norah’s dad was drugged, you would think they would want to investigate that a bit.
- When you find out who the killer is, and that they drugged people, best not to drink anything they give you…
There is also the fact that reporters and journalists are just THE WORST. I have yet to read anything involving them that makes me think they’re decent people. At least in the fiction world. All they want is the big story and the next promotion. Prove me wrong.
Recommendation
Even though I had a few criticisms, I would still recommend this book because of how hard it was to put down. That’s how a thriller should be.
If you can look past the content and the one oversell, then I think you’ll really like this book!
And if you like this one, definitely check out Maldonado’s series!
Jessica Payne also wrote a book called ‘Make Me Disappear’ that I’m tempted to read now.
[Content Advisory: 65 f-words, 43 s-words, 27 uses of God’s name in vain, an LGBTQ relationship between two characters]
**Received an ARC via NetGalley**
This book released September, 2022. You can order a copy using my affiliate link below.
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