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Lucky O'Toole #3.6
Lucky Now and Then: Parts One and Two
Las Vegas, the City of Reinvention.
No one knows this better than Lucky O’Toole, V.P of Customer Relations at the Babylon, Vegas’s newest, most over-the-top Strip property. As the daughter of one of the men responsible for shaping Vegas from its ignominious Mob beginnings to its full current glory, Lucky has witnessed the constant rebirth. So, when the time comes to implode her father’s first hotel, The Lucky Aces, she feels the angst, but moves on.
Until skeletal remains are found in the foundation and her father is implicated in a murder.
Then it is a race to uncover the long-buried past. A past no one wants revealed, least of all the killer, who has tried to kill Lucky once before. Lucky must unravel the twisted knot of lies, Mob hits, Vegas power plays, passions, and corruption.
Her father’s life hangs in the balance.
And when Lucky discovers a key to the puzzle is locked in her own memory, she becomes a target herself.
No one knows this better than Lucky O’Toole, V.P of Customer Relations at the Babylon, Vegas’s newest, most over-the-top Strip property. As the daughter of one of the men responsible for shaping Vegas from its ignominious Mob beginnings to its full current glory, Lucky has witnessed the constant rebirth. So, when the time comes to implode her father’s first hotel, The Lucky Aces, she feels the angst, but moves on.
Until skeletal remains are found in the foundation and her father is implicated in a murder.
Then it is a race to uncover the long-buried past. A past no one wants revealed, least of all the killer, who has tried to kill Lucky once before. Lucky must unravel the twisted knot of lies, Mob hits, Vegas power plays, passions, and corruption.
Her father’s life hangs in the balance.
And when Lucky discovers a key to the puzzle is locked in her own memory, she becomes a target herself.
130 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2014
61 people are currently reading
243 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Coonts
34 books890 followersGet a free bundle of novellas ripped from the headlines of Lucky O'Toole's world: http://deborahcoonts.com/lucky-offer/
Deborah Coonts swears she was switched at birth. Coming from a family of homebodies, Deborah is the odd woman out, happiest with a passport, a high-limit credit card, her computer, and changing scenery outside her window. Goaded by an insatiable curiosity, she flies airplanes, rides motorcycles, travels the world, and pretends to be more of a badass than she probably is. Deborah is the author of the Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure series, a romantic mystery romp through Sin City. Wanna Get Lucky?, the first in the series, was a New York Times Notable Crime Novel and a double RITA™ Award Finalist. She has also penned the Kate Sawyer Medical Thriller series, the Brinda Rose Humorous Mystery series, as well as a couple of standalones. Although often on an adventure, you can always track her down at www.deborahcoonts.com.
Deborah Coonts swears she was switched at birth. Coming from a family of homebodies, Deborah is the odd woman out, happiest with a passport, a high-limit credit card, her computer, and changing scenery outside her window. Goaded by an insatiable curiosity, she flies airplanes, rides motorcycles, travels the world, and pretends to be more of a badass than she probably is. Deborah is the author of the Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure series, a romantic mystery romp through Sin City. Wanna Get Lucky?, the first in the series, was a New York Times Notable Crime Novel and a double RITA™ Award Finalist. She has also penned the Kate Sawyer Medical Thriller series, the Brinda Rose Humorous Mystery series, as well as a couple of standalones. Although often on an adventure, you can always track her down at www.deborahcoonts.com.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 11, 2018
#3 in the Lucky Novella Series, but #3.6 in the Lucky O'Toole Series
I am not saying that this book is difficult to follow, especially since Deborah Coonts has an annoying habit of repeating too much of Lucky’s backstory and that of her parent. What is difficult is figuring out the exact order of these books since they have gone through too many cover changes and reissues that it is hard to figure out where you should be in the series.
Now and Then is a fitting title since the story bounces back and forth between 1982 and supposed current day 2012. As Albert Rothstein’s first casino is being razed, the backstory of how it all began is told in a chain of events that began when “the big boss” first broke ground on the Lucky Ace and how, in current day, old bones cannot stay buried forever. Especially when an adult Lucky is hypnotized and remembers the details that she was told to forget.
Some of the Lucky O’Toole books are funnier than others and this novel falls somewhere in the middle. I could only take this one in short bursts since the drama of the men in her personal life was too much. I understand the male dominated word of her father’s business and his mafia ties, but going into full repeated detail about each man that she is dating, her friend is dating, she once dated, is too much.
As I said, the author goes into detail about each character so you do not necessarily need to read them in order, but I would suggest that you try even if it is hard to know what that order should be.
I am not saying that this book is difficult to follow, especially since Deborah Coonts has an annoying habit of repeating too much of Lucky’s backstory and that of her parent. What is difficult is figuring out the exact order of these books since they have gone through too many cover changes and reissues that it is hard to figure out where you should be in the series.
Now and Then is a fitting title since the story bounces back and forth between 1982 and supposed current day 2012. As Albert Rothstein’s first casino is being razed, the backstory of how it all began is told in a chain of events that began when “the big boss” first broke ground on the Lucky Ace and how, in current day, old bones cannot stay buried forever. Especially when an adult Lucky is hypnotized and remembers the details that she was told to forget.
Some of the Lucky O’Toole books are funnier than others and this novel falls somewhere in the middle. I could only take this one in short bursts since the drama of the men in her personal life was too much. I understand the male dominated word of her father’s business and his mafia ties, but going into full repeated detail about each man that she is dating, her friend is dating, she once dated, is too much.
As I said, the author goes into detail about each character so you do not necessarily need to read them in order, but I would suggest that you try even if it is hard to know what that order should be.
May 10, 2017
This is more about Lucky's childhood and her parents life. It was good just not up to the normal standard I have come to expect from this series.
August 2, 2017
Loving this series. This was a great backstory interspersed with a current mystery.
November 2, 2024
History, intrigue, murder and a whole lot more in this excellent action packed read.
June 7, 2020
Another Lucky novella taking place between after Lucky Bang. This story jumps back & forth between 1982 & 2012 giving the backstory on Lucky's childhood & the Big Boss's story of his rise in Vegas. Murder & mob secrets in present day send Lucky into the past to figure who is trying to kill her with a bomb just like the bombing she was in when she was a child.
October 4, 2016
I really liked the novellas which I read immediately after the first book. The characters of Lucky, her mom Mona and the Big Boss are fleshed out and I really liked the mystery set in both 1982 and 2012. Well worth reading.
December 24, 2016
Great compare/contrast between Lucky's past and present. She's a little too distraught by Teddie's betrayal to be her usual self (tired harried not having fun) but it is nice to get the back story. Hoping to return to a bit more lighthearted and maybe more rested Lucky in the next book.
March 3, 2015
One of my favorite series! I love all of the Lucky books - Coonts writes a great story, for sure! Definitely a must-read series!
February 15, 2017
I would not read
January 24, 2016
Pretty good between the novels compilation of novellas. Since they're short, the repetition of character introductions got a bit tedious.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews