JUST MY LUCK

When a middle-class British family wins the lottery, the money causes more problems than anyone could have imagined.

For 15 years, Lexi and Jake Greenwood have been best friends with the Pearsons and the Heathcotes. Together these couples have raised children, traveled, shopped, enjoyed weekly dinner parties, and imagined each other more like family than friends. They also play the lottery together every week. Lexi collects the money and buys the ticket, always choosing the same set of numbers. But one week, this tight group has a falling out. Patrick Pearson declares the lottery “common” and says he’s tired of participating in their syndicate. He wants out, and the Heathcotes follow suit. Lo and behold, one week later, Lexi buys the winning ticket, and now she and Jake have no intention of sharing the money. Instead, Jake begins buying himself and their teenage children everything they’ve ever wanted. Lexi, who works for an organization providing services to the needy, would much rather donate large portions of the winnings. As the Greenwoods battle over how to spend the money, the Pearsons and Heathcotes learn of the win and come out swinging. As the story unfolds and the friends vie for the money, damaging secrets emerge and characters begin double-crossing each other at every opportunity. Money brings out the worst of each of the players in this dark tale, as people grow increasingly bold in fighting for a cut of the winnings. Although Lexi is the lead, the narrative is told from the perspectives of many characters, including Jake; their daughter, Emily; family friends; and even a homeless client of Lexi’s. Jumping among many characters and time frames results in a narrative that sometimes feels choppy and disjointed, and between physical beatings, hostage situations, murder, and adultery, there's so much action that it can feel unrealistic. Even so, each individual chapter is so well crafted and engaging that the story’s intrigue and suspense continue to build, and the characters' emotions ring true and evocative throughout.

A thrilling and suspenseful story about how money can bring out the very worst in all of us.