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The Lucky One
An old castle ...
For more than 150 years, a grand house known as Alden Castle has stood proudly in the hills above the historic town of Paso Robles, home to a family weighed down by secrets and debt.
A fresh body ...
When, after much rancour, the castle is sold, billionaire developers move in, only to discover one skeleton after another, including a fresh corpse, rotting in the old family cemetery.
An unsolved mystery ...
As three generations of the well-respected Alden-Stowe family come in for scrutiny, detectives will discover a twisted web of rivalries, alliances, deceit, and treachery. Set amidst the rolling hills of the California wine district, and featuring gold-digger wives, a frustrated housekeeper, a demented patriarch and forbidden love, police must decide: who has died? Who has survived? And who, amidst all this horror and betrayal, is the lucky one?
For more than 150 years, a grand house known as Alden Castle has stood proudly in the hills above the historic town of Paso Robles, home to a family weighed down by secrets and debt.
A fresh body ...
When, after much rancour, the castle is sold, billionaire developers move in, only to discover one skeleton after another, including a fresh corpse, rotting in the old family cemetery.
An unsolved mystery ...
As three generations of the well-respected Alden-Stowe family come in for scrutiny, detectives will discover a twisted web of rivalries, alliances, deceit, and treachery. Set amidst the rolling hills of the California wine district, and featuring gold-digger wives, a frustrated housekeeper, a demented patriarch and forbidden love, police must decide: who has died? Who has survived? And who, amidst all this horror and betrayal, is the lucky one?
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 24, 2017
76 people are currently reading
640 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Overington
30 books575 followersCaroline Overington is an Australian author and journalist.
She has worked for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, and is is currently a staff writer for The Weekend Australian Magazine.
Caroline is a two-time winner of the Walkley Award for Investigative Journalism. She won her first Walkley for a series of articles about a literary fraud, and her second for a series about the AWB oil for food scandal.
She is also a winner of the Sir Keith Murdoch prize for excellence in Journalism; and of the Blake Dawson Prize.
Caroline has published five books. Her first, Only in New York, was about working as a foreign correspondent in Manhattan.
Her second, Kickback, was about the UN oil for food scandal. It won the Blake Dawson Prize for Business Literature.
Her first novel, Ghost Child, is about a child murdered by his parents.
Her second, I Came To Say Goodbye, takes the form of a letter from a grandfather to a Supreme Court judge. It was shortlisted for both the Fiction Book of the Year, and overall Book of the Year, in the 2011 Australian Book Industry Awards.
Her latest novel, published in October 2011, is called Matilda is Missing. It is set in the Family Court, and it is about a couple's war over custody of their two year old daughter, Matilda.
Caroline's books are proudly published by Random House Australia.
Caroline is a mother of delightful, 11-year-old twins. She lives with her kids, her husband, a blue dog, and a lizard, in Bondi.
She has worked for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, and is is currently a staff writer for The Weekend Australian Magazine.
Caroline is a two-time winner of the Walkley Award for Investigative Journalism. She won her first Walkley for a series of articles about a literary fraud, and her second for a series about the AWB oil for food scandal.
She is also a winner of the Sir Keith Murdoch prize for excellence in Journalism; and of the Blake Dawson Prize.
Caroline has published five books. Her first, Only in New York, was about working as a foreign correspondent in Manhattan.
Her second, Kickback, was about the UN oil for food scandal. It won the Blake Dawson Prize for Business Literature.
Her first novel, Ghost Child, is about a child murdered by his parents.
Her second, I Came To Say Goodbye, takes the form of a letter from a grandfather to a Supreme Court judge. It was shortlisted for both the Fiction Book of the Year, and overall Book of the Year, in the 2011 Australian Book Industry Awards.
Her latest novel, published in October 2011, is called Matilda is Missing. It is set in the Family Court, and it is about a couple's war over custody of their two year old daughter, Matilda.
Caroline's books are proudly published by Random House Australia.
Caroline is a mother of delightful, 11-year-old twins. She lives with her kids, her husband, a blue dog, and a lizard, in Bondi.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
June 10, 2017
2.5★s
Well that was weird!
When the new owners of Alden Castle dug up a body in the old cemetery away from the residence, Sergeant Mack Helber was unconcerned – after all it would be normal to find a body in a cemetery wouldn’t it! But the fact that this body had only been there a matter of months, not decades, began an intense investigation that uncovered secrets, lies and a family embroiled in greed, deceit and betrayal.
Alden Castle had been in the Alden-Stowe family for decades. But they were deep in debt and desperate to sell the old castle to get their hands on their share of the millions it would bring. But Owen Alden-Stowe, patriarch of the family – in ill health – refused to leave his home, demanding he be buried in the old cemetery when he passed on.
Would the police uncover the web of secrets and lies involving the family, and discover the identity of the bodies which were turning up?
The Lucky One by Aussie author Caroline Overington was steeped in mystery – but it was also convoluted in the extreme. And the ending?! Where did that come from? I’m really not sure what to make of this one, making it difficult to rate and review…
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.
Well that was weird!
When the new owners of Alden Castle dug up a body in the old cemetery away from the residence, Sergeant Mack Helber was unconcerned – after all it would be normal to find a body in a cemetery wouldn’t it! But the fact that this body had only been there a matter of months, not decades, began an intense investigation that uncovered secrets, lies and a family embroiled in greed, deceit and betrayal.
Alden Castle had been in the Alden-Stowe family for decades. But they were deep in debt and desperate to sell the old castle to get their hands on their share of the millions it would bring. But Owen Alden-Stowe, patriarch of the family – in ill health – refused to leave his home, demanding he be buried in the old cemetery when he passed on.
Would the police uncover the web of secrets and lies involving the family, and discover the identity of the bodies which were turning up?
The Lucky One by Aussie author Caroline Overington was steeped in mystery – but it was also convoluted in the extreme. And the ending?! Where did that come from? I’m really not sure what to make of this one, making it difficult to rate and review…
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.
July 10, 2017
This was an unusual novel. One that I had to keep reminding myself was not set in Australia. Caroline Overington is an author I always enjoy, she is synonymous with true and gritty Australian settings. I had trouble with reconciling everything here. I do not know a lot about the wine country in the United States, but Australia kept creeping up at me as being the place I was reading about. The castle existence was off-putting as well.
Characters that were not enjoyable, a strange kind of storyline involving greed and inheritance. I did elude to the person 'who dunnit' in a way, but the sinker was still pretty good. But oh my, and an ensemble cast of icky characters. I only liked two, one of which was the 17-year-old granddaughter (of the patriarch) and the hippy kind of girlfriend of another of the grandchildren. She high-tailed it out of there quick smart!
This one is not for me, would rather read the author's books set in Australia. I just found it odd! In saying that though, I do love the author and will always read her works.
Characters that were not enjoyable, a strange kind of storyline involving greed and inheritance. I did elude to the person 'who dunnit' in a way, but the sinker was still pretty good. But oh my, and an ensemble cast of icky characters. I only liked two, one of which was the 17-year-old granddaughter (of the patriarch) and the hippy kind of girlfriend of another of the grandchildren. She high-tailed it out of there quick smart!
This one is not for me, would rather read the author's books set in Australia. I just found it odd! In saying that though, I do love the author and will always read her works.
August 21, 2017
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Australian Book Industry Awards for 2017 nominee Caroline Overington brings a whole different style of novel to her audience with her latest release, The Lucky One. Still a psychological thriller of which Overington is best known for, The Lucky One is a clever whodunit novel, which delivers a shocking late twist. It is a novel that will definitely leave you scratching your head in pure disbelief.
Alden Castle situated in the wine dominated country location of Paso, California, is at the centre of this psychological mystery novel. The Alden-Stowe’s have owned this expansive property for over 150 years. However, the costs associated with keeping this grand estate running to capacity can no longer be sustained by the Alden-Stowe’s and the property falls into the hands of developers. When the developers start to move in on the property, they make a grim discovery, a fresh corpse in an old family graveyard. As questions begin to mount up over the identity of the dead body, as well as the possible murder suspect, the police place the whole Alden-Stowe clan under suspicion. The Lucky One is a twisted tale of lies, deceit, greed and self-preservation.
Caroline Overington is a favourite author of mine, I have read all her fiction releases to date. Her books are also an immediate auto buy for me as soon as they are released. I love her focus on the psychological. Overington’s novels seem to have the ability to make me turn the pages as quickly as I can possibly go and I frequently have difficulty physically tearing myself away from her novels. So, I went into this book with the high expectations of loving The Lucky One. My expectations were not quite met with this novel, it certainly had the potential to be a very good whodunit novel, but I think I had issues with a couple of areas, which I will go into within this review.
The Lucky One is an ambitious novel character wise. The character count is high in this novel and I have to confess I had trouble keeping track, as well as connecting to another of them. Eden is one of the main characters in the novel and part of the Alden-Stowe family, she showed glimmers of likeability. Her family members are all pretty unlikeable and perform some fairly despicable acts through the novel. There is a shroud of mistrust that follows this family for the majority of the novel.
The Lucky One has a cracker of an opening, which immediately drew me in to the story. The middle of the novel on the other hand tended to drag and my interest seemed to wane. However, the pacing picked up in the final quarter or so of the novel, drawing a shocking final conclusion that floored me. The ending, especially the final sentence, left me reeling.
A favourable part of this novel was the setting. I thought Overington really excelled in this part of the book. Alden Castle is portrayed well on the page by Overington’s setting descriptions. It is the ideal setting for a classic whodunit to play out. With an array of suspects and motives aplenty, Overington keeps the reader on their toes on this side of the novel.
The Lucky One is definitely an entertaining novel but it left me pining for Overington’s earlier works, mainly the topical social issue based psychological thrillers. I would recommend Caroline Overington’s 11th novel to readers of crime fiction and the classic whodunit mystery.
Australian Book Industry Awards for 2017 nominee Caroline Overington brings a whole different style of novel to her audience with her latest release, The Lucky One. Still a psychological thriller of which Overington is best known for, The Lucky One is a clever whodunit novel, which delivers a shocking late twist. It is a novel that will definitely leave you scratching your head in pure disbelief.
Alden Castle situated in the wine dominated country location of Paso, California, is at the centre of this psychological mystery novel. The Alden-Stowe’s have owned this expansive property for over 150 years. However, the costs associated with keeping this grand estate running to capacity can no longer be sustained by the Alden-Stowe’s and the property falls into the hands of developers. When the developers start to move in on the property, they make a grim discovery, a fresh corpse in an old family graveyard. As questions begin to mount up over the identity of the dead body, as well as the possible murder suspect, the police place the whole Alden-Stowe clan under suspicion. The Lucky One is a twisted tale of lies, deceit, greed and self-preservation.
Caroline Overington is a favourite author of mine, I have read all her fiction releases to date. Her books are also an immediate auto buy for me as soon as they are released. I love her focus on the psychological. Overington’s novels seem to have the ability to make me turn the pages as quickly as I can possibly go and I frequently have difficulty physically tearing myself away from her novels. So, I went into this book with the high expectations of loving The Lucky One. My expectations were not quite met with this novel, it certainly had the potential to be a very good whodunit novel, but I think I had issues with a couple of areas, which I will go into within this review.
The Lucky One is an ambitious novel character wise. The character count is high in this novel and I have to confess I had trouble keeping track, as well as connecting to another of them. Eden is one of the main characters in the novel and part of the Alden-Stowe family, she showed glimmers of likeability. Her family members are all pretty unlikeable and perform some fairly despicable acts through the novel. There is a shroud of mistrust that follows this family for the majority of the novel.
The Lucky One has a cracker of an opening, which immediately drew me in to the story. The middle of the novel on the other hand tended to drag and my interest seemed to wane. However, the pacing picked up in the final quarter or so of the novel, drawing a shocking final conclusion that floored me. The ending, especially the final sentence, left me reeling.
A favourable part of this novel was the setting. I thought Overington really excelled in this part of the book. Alden Castle is portrayed well on the page by Overington’s setting descriptions. It is the ideal setting for a classic whodunit to play out. With an array of suspects and motives aplenty, Overington keeps the reader on their toes on this side of the novel.
The Lucky One is definitely an entertaining novel but it left me pining for Overington’s earlier works, mainly the topical social issue based psychological thrillers. I would recommend Caroline Overington’s 11th novel to readers of crime fiction and the classic whodunit mystery.
May 16, 2017
Was Overington writing for two-year-olds? The narrative, dialogue and style reflected simplistic, cliched featherweight fiction that tore my eyes away from any interest in plot. Disrespectful to intelligent readers.
June 30, 2017
Weird!! Not what I was expecting at all. Nothing like her last book, which I enjoyed. A shocker of an ending. Creepy and kinda gross but so help me, I couldn't put it down, especially towards the end. I'm not happy but it definitely delivered a "woah, hold on a second!" twist. I will probably always be on the fence with this one. So 3 stars seems fair.
May 30, 2017
If I could give this less than one star I would- I've really enjoyed her other books so I'm especially disappointed. This is a weak story with appalling characters and plot points obviously written just to tick boxes of what's selling else where.
June 11, 2017
I disliked Overington's last offering, The One Who Got Away but returned for her latest book given I am such a fan of her previous work, I Came To Say Goodbye was a standout.
However, like her last offering, this one missed the mark for me. Strange, American, undeveloped characters and story threads, and an even stranger wtf twist in the dying pages. I have resolved to only read her next book if she returns to the style of writing present in her earlier works.
However, like her last offering, this one missed the mark for me. Strange, American, undeveloped characters and story threads, and an even stranger wtf twist in the dying pages. I have resolved to only read her next book if she returns to the style of writing present in her earlier works.
December 4, 2018
I don’t know how to rate this book. It was weird!
That ending.
That twist.
🙅🏼♀️🤦🏽♀️🤢
That ending.
That twist.
🙅🏼♀️🤦🏽♀️🤢
May 29, 2017
Four stars - I think.
There's something about this book that I can't quite put my finger on. While reading, I wavered between being mildly interested, to being eager to finish it to find out what happens. And I hated the fact there were no chapters, but that's just me!
My main issue was the structure. We begin in one character's head - Fiona - which sets up the story. This is done very well. It gets you intrigued to read on.
We then move to Mack -the main detective in the case and stay in his point of view for a little while. I liked the character of Mack, he was distinctive without being a cliche.
Then we are again shifted to first person point of view with a character called Eden. This is where the story slowed for me a little. There was quite a lot of set up - which I guess was necessary - but it did tend to bog the story down. I felt Eden was hiding something, so therefore was wary of her version of events.
The story stays with Eden for a good bulk of the book, before we are shifted again for the impending trial. This section is a kind of weird point of view. It's sort of Mack's but then feels kind of omniscient as well. The trial is interesting.
Then yet again for the final few pages - almost like an epilogue - we are shifted to the character of Earl who we met earlier during Eden's section. This ties up all the loose ends, but with a weird, unsettling twist.
It's hard to say much about this book without recounting the story or revealing spoilers. I like Overington's writing for the most part, but as I mentioned, I found the structure difficult for reasons I can't explain. I think it was a great story, but possibly there was a better way to tell it. Which is why I sit somewhere between three and five stars for this book. I'd certainly recommend it though.
There's something about this book that I can't quite put my finger on. While reading, I wavered between being mildly interested, to being eager to finish it to find out what happens. And I hated the fact there were no chapters, but that's just me!
My main issue was the structure. We begin in one character's head - Fiona - which sets up the story. This is done very well. It gets you intrigued to read on.
We then move to Mack -the main detective in the case and stay in his point of view for a little while. I liked the character of Mack, he was distinctive without being a cliche.
Then we are again shifted to first person point of view with a character called Eden. This is where the story slowed for me a little. There was quite a lot of set up - which I guess was necessary - but it did tend to bog the story down. I felt Eden was hiding something, so therefore was wary of her version of events.
The story stays with Eden for a good bulk of the book, before we are shifted again for the impending trial. This section is a kind of weird point of view. It's sort of Mack's but then feels kind of omniscient as well. The trial is interesting.
Then yet again for the final few pages - almost like an epilogue - we are shifted to the character of Earl who we met earlier during Eden's section. This ties up all the loose ends, but with a weird, unsettling twist.
It's hard to say much about this book without recounting the story or revealing spoilers. I like Overington's writing for the most part, but as I mentioned, I found the structure difficult for reasons I can't explain. I think it was a great story, but possibly there was a better way to tell it. Which is why I sit somewhere between three and five stars for this book. I'd certainly recommend it though.
May 15, 2017
I've read a few of Caroline Overington's books now, including No Place Like Home, Can You Keep a Secret and The One Who Got Away - all of which I've reviewed on my blog (debbish.com).
The thing I always find fascinating about Overington's books is that each one seems so very different. It's not quite as if she's changing genres, but it's almost as if they could be by different authors.
Having said that however, there are a few common themes throughout and she tends to focus on contemporary issues; and the online world, social media (blogging etc) has featured in a few of her books now - and not always in a good way.
I must admit I didn't enjoy this as much as I've enjoyed her earlier work.
The timing felt a little out. Even in the early stages, we're with Mack - the detective - and going through the investigation in detail, but then an entire day passes. I struggle when the timing isn't consistent in crime fiction / suspense novels as it feels as if I've missed entire parts of an investigation.
Similarly the point-of-view was a tad unusual. Other than an intro from Fiona's point of view, we spend a little while in Mack's head. All in third person. However when we switch to Eden's point of view it's in first person. And I enjoyed my time there and Overington keeps us with Eden for most of the book. She's likeable - unlike some of her family members - and very engaging.
Then we jump to the court case and I wasn't sure if we were viewing it from anyone's point of view. We're back in third person but it felt like an unknown narrator.
And then of course there was the ending. Now I usually love a good twist, but for some reason this one just felt wrong. I'm not sure if it was the lack of closure / justice or just plain weird (in a left-field kind of way), but it did leave a not-pleasant taste in my mouth. (Which of course, is part of the point.)
I didn't dislike this book, and I was intrigued enough to keep reading and understand the fate that befell our characters, but I didn't feel any satisfaction on finishing the story.
The thing I always find fascinating about Overington's books is that each one seems so very different. It's not quite as if she's changing genres, but it's almost as if they could be by different authors.
Having said that however, there are a few common themes throughout and she tends to focus on contemporary issues; and the online world, social media (blogging etc) has featured in a few of her books now - and not always in a good way.
I must admit I didn't enjoy this as much as I've enjoyed her earlier work.
The timing felt a little out. Even in the early stages, we're with Mack - the detective - and going through the investigation in detail, but then an entire day passes. I struggle when the timing isn't consistent in crime fiction / suspense novels as it feels as if I've missed entire parts of an investigation.
Similarly the point-of-view was a tad unusual. Other than an intro from Fiona's point of view, we spend a little while in Mack's head. All in third person. However when we switch to Eden's point of view it's in first person. And I enjoyed my time there and Overington keeps us with Eden for most of the book. She's likeable - unlike some of her family members - and very engaging.
Then we jump to the court case and I wasn't sure if we were viewing it from anyone's point of view. We're back in third person but it felt like an unknown narrator.
And then of course there was the ending. Now I usually love a good twist, but for some reason this one just felt wrong. I'm not sure if it was the lack of closure / justice or just plain weird (in a left-field kind of way), but it did leave a not-pleasant taste in my mouth. (Which of course, is part of the point.)
I didn't dislike this book, and I was intrigued enough to keep reading and understand the fate that befell our characters, but I didn't feel any satisfaction on finishing the story.
June 15, 2018
Not a fan of this book. Unlikeable characters and a few too many cliches. The ending was surprising but distasteful. My biggest hurdle was trying to believe that anyone could be so stupid and disrespectful to try and cremate a family member in a pizza oven.
May 26, 2017
Review up on http://www.dearshirleyx.wordpress.com
I was immediately sold at the mention of a “castle”. My friends all know that I have this weird obsession with castles and mansions – perhaps it’s from watching too many Disney princess movies when I was younger, but I think the haunting aesthetics and historical value have something to do with it too. So a book about a family living on a 150 year old castle?
Now that’s a book I cannot miss.
The Lucky One was certainly a satisfying read. Divided into 4 parts, my feelings jumped from intrigue, to understanding, to skepticism and then finally, jaw-dropping surprise. The ending was unsettling – but the best kind of unsettling.
Part 1 set the scene. Two corpses had been dug up on the land that was formerly owned by the Alden-Stowes. One was of a burnt old man (Owen) and the other of a child from 6 years ago. While the two corpses seemed unrelated, the police are not ruling out a potential serial killer. We hear bits and pieces of this Alden-Stowe family, and the drama, and complicated family dynamics really piqued my interest. I wanted to know who these people were, why they hated each other, and did someone from this family kill the 2 people that were found? There was the perfect amount of mystery, suspense and anticipation on my part to read on and find out exactly what happened.
Part 2 is where I got my answers. Told from the perspective of Eden, whose mother was married to Owen’s son before he passed away several years ago, we learned the story about what happened in the weeks leading up to Owen’s death and why he was buried unceremoniously in the cemetery on the estate.
To be completely honest, a good chunk of Part 2 felt unnecessary – there was too much dialogue and I would skim whole pages without missing anything important. The bickering between Jesalyn (Eden’s mother) and practically every other Alden-Stowe was occasionally dry and other times too dramatic. But perhaps that’s actually what happens within certain families? The story was very straight-forward: you have a bunch of money-hungry people who are buried under mountains of debt, whose eyes shine brighter than the stars at night when faced with the possibility of walking away with almost a million dollars. If murder was what caused Owen’s death, then you certainly have a motive here.
Despite everyone’s greediness, however, it was apparent that no one within the family was a murderer. They were selfish, disrespectful, condescending assholes, but they weren’t evil. That was my impression of them anyway.
But the question remained: could they have been desperate and money-hungry enough to kill an old man with dementia in order to secure the money?
Part 3 wrapped up the mystery. Back in the present, the police are gathering evidence and deciding whether they have enough to arrest and prosecute the “conspirators”. There’s a trial, witnesses, everything seemed to add up but the case is still circumstantial. Throughout the whole trial, I thought “this can’t be right. I don’t believe this is true.”
Then Part 4 caught me off guard. I was simultaneously dumbfounded and awestruck because everything made sense. Part 4 was so eerie, I got goosebumps just reading it. Especially the last paragraph – that’s going to stay with me for a while.
Overall, i was immensely impressed with The Lucky One. It’s a psychological thriller that is on par with some of my favourites – The Girl on the Train and Dark Places. Corrington will now officially be on my list of authors to look out for in the coming years.
I was immediately sold at the mention of a “castle”. My friends all know that I have this weird obsession with castles and mansions – perhaps it’s from watching too many Disney princess movies when I was younger, but I think the haunting aesthetics and historical value have something to do with it too. So a book about a family living on a 150 year old castle?
Now that’s a book I cannot miss.
The Lucky One was certainly a satisfying read. Divided into 4 parts, my feelings jumped from intrigue, to understanding, to skepticism and then finally, jaw-dropping surprise. The ending was unsettling – but the best kind of unsettling.
Part 1 set the scene. Two corpses had been dug up on the land that was formerly owned by the Alden-Stowes. One was of a burnt old man (Owen) and the other of a child from 6 years ago. While the two corpses seemed unrelated, the police are not ruling out a potential serial killer. We hear bits and pieces of this Alden-Stowe family, and the drama, and complicated family dynamics really piqued my interest. I wanted to know who these people were, why they hated each other, and did someone from this family kill the 2 people that were found? There was the perfect amount of mystery, suspense and anticipation on my part to read on and find out exactly what happened.
Part 2 is where I got my answers. Told from the perspective of Eden, whose mother was married to Owen’s son before he passed away several years ago, we learned the story about what happened in the weeks leading up to Owen’s death and why he was buried unceremoniously in the cemetery on the estate.
To be completely honest, a good chunk of Part 2 felt unnecessary – there was too much dialogue and I would skim whole pages without missing anything important. The bickering between Jesalyn (Eden’s mother) and practically every other Alden-Stowe was occasionally dry and other times too dramatic. But perhaps that’s actually what happens within certain families? The story was very straight-forward: you have a bunch of money-hungry people who are buried under mountains of debt, whose eyes shine brighter than the stars at night when faced with the possibility of walking away with almost a million dollars. If murder was what caused Owen’s death, then you certainly have a motive here.
Despite everyone’s greediness, however, it was apparent that no one within the family was a murderer. They were selfish, disrespectful, condescending assholes, but they weren’t evil. That was my impression of them anyway.
But the question remained: could they have been desperate and money-hungry enough to kill an old man with dementia in order to secure the money?
Part 3 wrapped up the mystery. Back in the present, the police are gathering evidence and deciding whether they have enough to arrest and prosecute the “conspirators”. There’s a trial, witnesses, everything seemed to add up but the case is still circumstantial. Throughout the whole trial, I thought “this can’t be right. I don’t believe this is true.”
Then Part 4 caught me off guard. I was simultaneously dumbfounded and awestruck because everything made sense. Part 4 was so eerie, I got goosebumps just reading it. Especially the last paragraph – that’s going to stay with me for a while.
Overall, i was immensely impressed with The Lucky One. It’s a psychological thriller that is on par with some of my favourites – The Girl on the Train and Dark Places. Corrington will now officially be on my list of authors to look out for in the coming years.
June 18, 2017
cant wait for this book how exciting!!!
Finished, Great read Caroline Overington never disappoints. There was a lot of characters in this book however, it never became confusing, as so often happens. There was a few twists amd turns throughout this novel, however nothing prepared me for the last page.
The only disappointment with this book was no chapters, which kind of did my head i as i always finish chapters and the next time i start to read i start a new chapter.
When is the next novel Caroline.. i am waiting
Finished, Great read Caroline Overington never disappoints. There was a lot of characters in this book however, it never became confusing, as so often happens. There was a few twists amd turns throughout this novel, however nothing prepared me for the last page.
The only disappointment with this book was no chapters, which kind of did my head i as i always finish chapters and the next time i start to read i start a new chapter.
When is the next novel Caroline.. i am waiting
December 27, 2017
Shame on me, I let Caroline Overington fool me twice. Another boring, poorly written story about a bunch of boring, poorly written characters. Why her editor didn't pick up on her inability to use any word other than "said" to describe speech is beyond me. I guess that's the journalist side coming through but it's just one of the niggly little things that distracts me when reading Overington's writing.
July 5, 2017
Strange book, strange story, strange characters but strangely enough it kept me interested to keep going until the strange ending and even more strangely I'm even considering reading another of Overington's books.
May 16, 2017
I really did not enjoy this book and I usually LOVE her stuff!
Although I thought the ending was great, the middle 100 or so pages really dragged on for me.
Although I thought the ending was great, the middle 100 or so pages really dragged on for me.
June 18, 2023
Abandoned at 6%.
I just really don't want to read it. I'm not sure why I ever downloaded it.
I just really don't want to read it. I'm not sure why I ever downloaded it.
June 11, 2017
‘This is going to be my first dead body.’
It should be straightforward. A family trust owns a decrepit, heavily mortgaged estate, in the hills of Paso Robles, California. The estate can only be sold if all the direct descendants agree to the sale. The descendants agree, certain conditions are stipulated. What could possibly go wrong?
The developers who purchased the estate, in violation of the agreed conditions of the sale, start removing the magnificent oak trees. They also start demolishing the family cemetery on the estate, where a partially singed, recently buried body is discovered.
The police are involved, and then another much older body is discovered elsewhere on the estate. Are the deaths connected?
Three generations of the Alden-Stowe family are scrutinised by the police as they try to find out the truth. And what a complicated, convoluted tale they will uncover: deceit, rivalry, self-serving alliances and treachery. Just who will be ‘the lucky one’?
‘Someone had a secret. You can bury bones but not secrets.’
There are plenty of twists and turns in this novel, some more believable than others. I kept turning the pages, trying to work out exactly who was responsible for what (and I didn’t work it all out before the final reveal). There are quite a lot of different characters in this story. While many are quite stereotypical, they fit the story perfectly. I am in two minds about the ending. On one hand, I liked the neatness and cleverness of it. On the other hand, it irritated me. No spoilers, though, because that would ruin the impact of the read.
If you like fast-paced psychological thrillers, you may enjoy this novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
It should be straightforward. A family trust owns a decrepit, heavily mortgaged estate, in the hills of Paso Robles, California. The estate can only be sold if all the direct descendants agree to the sale. The descendants agree, certain conditions are stipulated. What could possibly go wrong?
The developers who purchased the estate, in violation of the agreed conditions of the sale, start removing the magnificent oak trees. They also start demolishing the family cemetery on the estate, where a partially singed, recently buried body is discovered.
The police are involved, and then another much older body is discovered elsewhere on the estate. Are the deaths connected?
Three generations of the Alden-Stowe family are scrutinised by the police as they try to find out the truth. And what a complicated, convoluted tale they will uncover: deceit, rivalry, self-serving alliances and treachery. Just who will be ‘the lucky one’?
‘Someone had a secret. You can bury bones but not secrets.’
There are plenty of twists and turns in this novel, some more believable than others. I kept turning the pages, trying to work out exactly who was responsible for what (and I didn’t work it all out before the final reveal). There are quite a lot of different characters in this story. While many are quite stereotypical, they fit the story perfectly. I am in two minds about the ending. On one hand, I liked the neatness and cleverness of it. On the other hand, it irritated me. No spoilers, though, because that would ruin the impact of the read.
If you like fast-paced psychological thrillers, you may enjoy this novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
May 19, 2020
Thrilling but I just did not like the ending.
June 25, 2017
An enjoyable read but totally unbelievable. A Castle in California- nah!
May 14, 2017
I liked it but didn't love it.
I miss the uniquely Australian characters and themes of her earlier novels.
This is a good whodunnit , but for me , not a great story.
I miss the uniquely Australian characters and themes of her earlier novels.
This is a good whodunnit , but for me , not a great story.
December 21, 2017
Ugh I didn’t like this book. Horrible cliched characters and an awkward storyline and setting that was hard to believe. A castle in California, a family cemetery set high on a hill & difficult to access, the distances and accessibility of everything in the story, a handy just-finished but empty resort right next door, so many clunky constructs in order to force the story. And the ending, ew yuck revolting.
September 10, 2017
I really WANT to enjoy Overington's books, especially given she is a local author, but I think this is my last attempt to enjoy her work. I found the ending very unsatisfying to top off a fairly poorly written novel.
December 24, 2024
earl is a little FREAK wdym u killed ur childhood crushes dad and grandad plus some random seven yr old boy AND then get into a relationship with her even though u both found out you’re actually half siblings 😋
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2017
The Lucky One
By Caroline Overington
Synopsis
Keep your secrets. Tell your lies. The gripping new psychological thriller from the author of the bestselling The One Who Got Away.
An old castle ...
For more than 150 years, a grand house known as Alden Castle has stood proudly in the hills above the historic town of Paso Robles, home to a family weighed down by secrets and debt.
A fresh body ...
When, after much rancour, the castle is sold, billionaire developers move in, only to discover one skeleton after another, including a fresh corpse, rotting in the old family cemetery.
An unsolved mystery ...
As three generations of the well-respected Alden-Stowe family come in for scrutiny, detectives will discover a twisted web of rivalries, alliances, deceit, and treachery. Set amidst the rolling hills of the California wine district, and featuring gold-digger wives, a frustrated housekeeper, a demented patriarch and forbidden love, police must decide: who has died? Who has survived? And who, amidst all this horror and betrayal, is the lucky one?
Review
Caroline Overington did a fantastic job at pulling the wool over my eyes. I thought I was reading a three star thriller, satisfying but nothing special and then I got to the end and realized, that I had missed some subtle clues that when added together, led me to an ingenious conclusion.
This is one of those books you just have to read, its a slow burn but is ultimately satisfying because its cleaver and very well written. Filled with anger, resentment, this dysfunctional family who thrive on an atmosphere so toxic, its no surprise when people end up dead.
I dare you to read this and tell me who the killer is, I never suspected this person at all.
5 Stars
By Caroline Overington
Synopsis
Keep your secrets. Tell your lies. The gripping new psychological thriller from the author of the bestselling The One Who Got Away.
An old castle ...
For more than 150 years, a grand house known as Alden Castle has stood proudly in the hills above the historic town of Paso Robles, home to a family weighed down by secrets and debt.
A fresh body ...
When, after much rancour, the castle is sold, billionaire developers move in, only to discover one skeleton after another, including a fresh corpse, rotting in the old family cemetery.
An unsolved mystery ...
As three generations of the well-respected Alden-Stowe family come in for scrutiny, detectives will discover a twisted web of rivalries, alliances, deceit, and treachery. Set amidst the rolling hills of the California wine district, and featuring gold-digger wives, a frustrated housekeeper, a demented patriarch and forbidden love, police must decide: who has died? Who has survived? And who, amidst all this horror and betrayal, is the lucky one?
Review
Caroline Overington did a fantastic job at pulling the wool over my eyes. I thought I was reading a three star thriller, satisfying but nothing special and then I got to the end and realized, that I had missed some subtle clues that when added together, led me to an ingenious conclusion.
This is one of those books you just have to read, its a slow burn but is ultimately satisfying because its cleaver and very well written. Filled with anger, resentment, this dysfunctional family who thrive on an atmosphere so toxic, its no surprise when people end up dead.
I dare you to read this and tell me who the killer is, I never suspected this person at all.
5 Stars
May 29, 2017
The Lucky One
By Caroline Overington
Synopsis
Keep your secrets. Tell your lies. The gripping new psychological thriller from the author of the bestselling The One Who Got Away.
An old castle ...
For more than 150 years, a grand house known as Alden Castle has stood proudly in the hills above the historic town of Paso Robles, home to a family weighed down by secrets and debt.
A fresh body ...
When, after much rancour, the castle is sold, billionaire developers move in, only to discover one skeleton after another, including a fresh corpse, rotting in the old family cemetery.
An unsolved mystery ...
As three generations of the well-respected Alden-Stowe family come in for scrutiny, detectives will discover a twisted web of rivalries, alliances, deceit, and treachery. Set amidst the rolling hills of the California wine district, and featuring gold-digger wives, a frustrated housekeeper, a demented patriarch and forbidden love, police must decide: who has died? Who has survived? And who, amidst all this horror and betrayal, is the lucky one?
Review
Caroline Overington did a fantastic job at pulling the wool over my eyes. I thought I was reading a three star thriller, satisfying but nothing special and then I got to the end and realized, that I had missed some subtle clues that when added together, led me to an ingenious conclusion.
This is one of those books you just have to read, its a slow burn but is ultimately satisfying because its cleaver and very well written. Filled with anger, resentment, this dysfunctional family who thrive on an atmosphere so toxic, its no surprise when people end up dead.
I dare you to read this and tell me who the killer is, I never suspected this person at all.
5 Stars
By Caroline Overington
Synopsis
Keep your secrets. Tell your lies. The gripping new psychological thriller from the author of the bestselling The One Who Got Away.
An old castle ...
For more than 150 years, a grand house known as Alden Castle has stood proudly in the hills above the historic town of Paso Robles, home to a family weighed down by secrets and debt.
A fresh body ...
When, after much rancour, the castle is sold, billionaire developers move in, only to discover one skeleton after another, including a fresh corpse, rotting in the old family cemetery.
An unsolved mystery ...
As three generations of the well-respected Alden-Stowe family come in for scrutiny, detectives will discover a twisted web of rivalries, alliances, deceit, and treachery. Set amidst the rolling hills of the California wine district, and featuring gold-digger wives, a frustrated housekeeper, a demented patriarch and forbidden love, police must decide: who has died? Who has survived? And who, amidst all this horror and betrayal, is the lucky one?
Review
Caroline Overington did a fantastic job at pulling the wool over my eyes. I thought I was reading a three star thriller, satisfying but nothing special and then I got to the end and realized, that I had missed some subtle clues that when added together, led me to an ingenious conclusion.
This is one of those books you just have to read, its a slow burn but is ultimately satisfying because its cleaver and very well written. Filled with anger, resentment, this dysfunctional family who thrive on an atmosphere so toxic, its no surprise when people end up dead.
I dare you to read this and tell me who the killer is, I never suspected this person at all.
5 Stars
April 18, 2020
I had very high hopes going into this novel because I am a huge fan of Overignton's novels. Although the book did deliver, I preferred her others (The One That Got Away and The One's You Trust) a little better (that's why this is 3 stars only).
The novel follows multiple perspectives, of the same family, in light of a fresh body discovered on their estate - with much more to be discovered.
Now, I can't really reveal more than this because the best part of Overington's novels, for me, is her amazingly intricate, surprising and thrilling plot. Overington always does an incredible job at building suspense and this was no exception. There was an extreme shock towards the end (even though I had a little inkling) and as many other reviews describe it: the termination was truly unexpected.
Apart from the plot, the protagonists are also admirable, in that they all are multi-dimensional and, to an extent, there is some character development as the story unfolds.
With all this being said, the reason I gave this 3 stars only was there was just something lacking in the end. By this I mean, although the ending was very intriguing, it felt a little rushed to me. The entire culmination to the novel came down to around 4 pages which felt like Overington attempting to end the novel in an ambiguous manner in a really quick way.
Overall, I did enjoy the novel and loved the plot of the whole thing. I also really liked how well Overington constructed the scenery to her book, which created a different connection to the novel for me.
The novel follows multiple perspectives, of the same family, in light of a fresh body discovered on their estate - with much more to be discovered.
Now, I can't really reveal more than this because the best part of Overington's novels, for me, is her amazingly intricate, surprising and thrilling plot. Overington always does an incredible job at building suspense and this was no exception. There was an extreme shock towards the end (even though I had a little inkling) and as many other reviews describe it: the termination was truly unexpected.
Apart from the plot, the protagonists are also admirable, in that they all are multi-dimensional and, to an extent, there is some character development as the story unfolds.
With all this being said, the reason I gave this 3 stars only was there was just something lacking in the end. By this I mean, although the ending was very intriguing, it felt a little rushed to me. The entire culmination to the novel came down to around 4 pages which felt like Overington attempting to end the novel in an ambiguous manner in a really quick way.
Overall, I did enjoy the novel and loved the plot of the whole thing. I also really liked how well Overington constructed the scenery to her book, which created a different connection to the novel for me.
October 1, 2017
The pages turn easily enough but the story doesn't go anywhere interesting except for one rather unbelievable scene.
June 3, 2018
I really want to like Caroline Overington’s books but this, like her other novels, left me wanting more.
Unbelievable characters, settings and actions and then a completely left of field ending....
Unbelievable characters, settings and actions and then a completely left of field ending....
February 11, 2021
Just weird and eww
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