Lucky O’Toole is the chief problem-solver at a top-ranked Las Vegas casino and hotel, where a sequined semblance of life goes on frenetically 24/7 and causes problems without fail on a daily basis. She is somewhere north of 30, six feet tall, the daughter of one of the city’s leading madames, and wicked smart. Lucky possesses boundless energy and an upstairs neighbor and best friend who is celebrated female impersonator, a graduate of Harvard, and looks better in Lucky’s dresses than she does herself. Under these circumstances, it’s no surprise that Lucky has no life. Deborah Coonts‘ well-written novel, Wanna Get Lucky? relates how Lucky (a) solves a high-profile murder, (b) unmasks a serial blackmailer, (c) dethrones The Big Boss’ chief competitor, (d) maneuvers successfully through a wife-swapping convention and the porn industry’s annual awards show, and (e) gets a life.
Comparisons between Lucky O’Toole and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum are inevitable, and they’ll probably multiply, as Wanna Get Lucky? is reportedly the first in a series. After all, they’re about the same age, both crimesolvers, and both champion wisecrackers. However, the settings are wildly different — the drabness of old neighborhoods in a New Jersey town vs. the glitter of Las Vegas. Stephanie is forever struggling to find two nickels to rub together, while Lucky is paid what even she thinks is an outrageously high salary. And Lucky is cynical beyond measure. Also, unlike Stephanie, she has little trouble deciding whom she’s really in love with.
Wanna Get Lucky? is a funny, sexy, well-plotted, and well written novel that promises a lot of fun in the episodes to come.
Wanna Get Lucky? (Lucky O’Toole #1) by Deborah Coonts ★★★★☆
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