Another great read by Mark Edwards. Full of suspense and edge of your seat drama and storyline. I've yet to read a bad book by this author. Highly recommended.

As always another superb book from Mark Edwards.
Everyone wants to die happy... Don't they?
Nothing is as straightforward as it seems in Marks latest offering, and this book will keep you guessing right until the end.

Another brilliant book by Mark Edwards. The storyline in this book is totally different to anything I have read. The idea of killing someone when they are at their happiest makes this novel a compelling read. This book is definitely a real page turner. It is a case of sit on the sofa and forget the outside world for a few hours. The short chapters really add to the suspense and it all flows together beautifully. I would definitely recommend this book and will be looking forward to more books by this author.

Another gripping page turner from Mark Edwards. I thought I had it sussed but as always he delivers a twist which I never guessed at all. Really enjoyed the main characters and the little romance they developed. Will be recommending to friends as I always do.

Very good story.....Would recommend. Looking forward to reading more by this author.

Another great one by Mark Edwards. He is definitely one of the best psychological thriller writers out there! A story of a serial killer whose victims seem to die happy. Ben a lovely man who has moved back to his home town from London following a divorce with his young son who is unhappy. Things then pick up and Ben is feeling very lucky. However, through various events Ben seems to be getting more and more connections with this horrific case. A fast moving, head messing, terrifying thriller...

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars. This was an enjoyable and easy to read crime book.

I've read a few other books by the author which were more psychological thriller types (follow you home was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book and highly recommended!)

However this one was more police procedural and less thriller, so for me less enjoyable

For others though this may be your thing?!

The writing as ever was great and keeps u turning those pages.

Not for me but maybe for you?!

I always enjoy Mark Edwards novels so when I was offered the opportunity to read his latest book 'The Lucky One's' out on the 15th June I had no hesitation.
As expected this psychological thriller was to the expected high standard and an exciting read. Full of good characters and many a twist and turn the book had me guessing to the very end.
When a woman’s body is found in the grounds of a ruined priory, Detective Imogen Evans realises she is dealing with a serial killer. But this is a serial killer with a difference, a killer whose victims appear to die in a state of bliss, eyes open, smiles forever frozen on their faces.

A few miles away, single dad Ben Hofland believes his fortunes are changing at last. Forced to move back to the sleepy village where he grew up following the breakdown of his marriage, Ben finally finds work. What’s more, the bullies who have been terrorising his son, Ollie, disappear. For the first time in months, Ben feels lucky.

But he is unaware that someone is watching him and Ollie. Someone who wants nothing but happiness for Ben.

I really enjoyed many of the characters in this book, Detective Imogen Evans is an excellent character who is facing a new life having moved from London after the death of a colleague. I also liked Ben Hofland who after a troubled few years is now facing up to a new future.
Another excellent novel by an author who is working his way steadily up my favourite authors list with every book I read of his. I read lots of psychological thrillers but I always find Mark Edwards novels fresh and certainly gripping.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Thomas Mercer for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me a pre release copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Moving slightly from psychological thriller to more of a police procedural thriller, there is no doubt in the ability of Mark Edwards to write an absolute stonker of a book. Other reviewers have said Mark's work gets better and better with each book he publishes, and I'd like to echo those sentiments.

About the book; there's a serial killer running around the sleepy villages of Shropshire and the police really don't have a clue - thanks to the killer's ability to clean up after himself (or herself!?!) and leave absolutely no evidence. We follow the fortunes of Ben and his son Ollie who have returned to Ben's childhood home in Shropshire from their life in London following the breakdown of his marriage to Megan. While it's clear that Ben is scheduled to be the next victim, what's not so certain is when. And as we wait for the killer to start his end game, the bodies really start to mount up.

This page turner is by far one of the best books I've read so far this year. And also one of the best by this author. The story just flows out of the pages urging you to carry on reading, even when you know it's getting late and you've got an early start in the morning you feel compelled to keep reading. And there are more twists and turns than the country lanes of the villages in which the book is set! From about half way in, the evidence that the police have points to a suspect. But I couldn't help feeling that it was too easy so I was pretty convinced that was a red herring. Indeed, I had my own thoughts on who the killer was pretty early on.

If you want a book that's going to keep you guessing and keep you reading, then this is absolutely the book for you.

What a fantastic read from mark Edwards. I love all his books, they are always full of suspense and take us on a journey where everyone is under suspicion right until the very end, and this was no exception. Would highly recommend.

Wow. I was one of the lucky ones to be approved for this book in Netgalley. I have read all of Mark Edwards books to date but this is by far the best. A great plot, fantastic characters and an ending that will keep those pages turning.
It is out now for pre order (release 15th June). I would highly recommend it. Thanks Mark

Wow! Still reeling after finishing this book last night. A serial killer 'The Viper' is on the loose in Ironbridge, England. A beautiful part of the world. Detective Imogen Evans has been moved down from London and is investigating. Father to Ollie, Ben Hofland has also moved back to the area. He grew up here but moved away and had lived in London.
Some pretty major twists and turns await you. The best type of psychological thriller that there is. I can see and only hope that Imogen Evans will return with more cases to solve. Highly recommend. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of The Lucky Ones a standalone set in modern day Shropshire.

Ben Hofland has returned to his home town of Ironbridge from London to lick his wounds after the breakup of his marriage. In the meantime DI Imogen Roberts, also a refugee from London, is hunting a serial killer, nicknamed The Shropshire Viper, for his method of injecting his victims with morphine.

Despite his phenomenal success Mr Edwards is a new author to me and I was interested to read his work. The Lucky Ones has a clever plot - several times I was sure I had identified the perpetrator, only to be wrong every time so the ending came as a surprise. I like a well disguised killer as the novel then holds my attention. I was less keen on the narrative style which has first person accounts from Ben and the killer and a third person for Imogen and the police. I think this is a wrong choice as a first person narrative from Imogen would have given the novel more immediate impact and a third person narrative for Ben would have cut out much of the tedious detail of his failed life, which, while germane to the overall plot, takes a lot of ploughing through to get to the "action". I have absolutely zero interest in the killer's viewpoint and regard most of it in this novel as fairly pointless until later on in the novel.

The characters are sufficiently well drawn for a plot driven novel like this but I never felt I got to know them or was able to empathise with them, even with Ben's first person narrative.

The Lucky Ones is an easy way to pass a few hours.

I am a huge Mark Edwards fan so I have been waiting not so patiently for this book and it definitely delivered. It had me hooked right from the very beginning. I'm usually pretty good at figuring out who is responsible basically whodunnit but on this occasion I was stumped. Lots of twists to keep you turning the pages and a plot that will keep you awake at night. Absolutely brilliant

Having read several of Mark's other books I couldn't wait to read this one, and it did not disappoint. If it's possible I think his books get better and better! A brilliant book which I highly recommend

The Lucky Ones is an intriguing and complex serial killer thriller by Mark Edwards who continues to perfect his writing style so that each time you read him you get a little more addicted to his clever, fast paced, and unpredictable novels. This particular novel shows his attention to detail, realistic dialogue and adept hand at character development.

Edwards has created some interesting characters amidst beautiful scene work, particularly DI Imogen Evans who is easy to care about as she’s trying to navigate this new life in a small town. Very few can make settings that include dead bodies seem so intrinsically peaceful and lovely. This clever plot read perfectly as it began quickly then took you towards a conclusion that will keep your fingers glued to the pages through the attention grabbing twists and turns.

There are few authors you can truly depend on anymore to keep their writing fresh, interesting and worth the time spent reading their work but Edwards has yet to let me down. If you Google “quality” Mark Edwards will surely be used as an example in the definition.

Mark Edwards has done it again. He's a master at his craft. He creates realistic, relatable characters and plot lines that drive you to turn page after page and still leave you reeling from surprising twists and unpredictable outcomes. The Lucky Ones is the latest in a line of books that are unsurpassed in their ability to draw the reader in and take you in the minds of the killers: their motivations, their lives, what drives them, The switching between the protagonists and the one stalking their every move is cinematic in his ability to inspire visualizations of the story as it happens. As the plot line reveals itself and you go back to see if there were any clues that would have driven you to this conclusion, the author is brilliant in the subtlety in which his killer has been there lurking all the while, leaving the reader clueless until the final pages. His protagonists are genuine and relatable, one line in particular struck me personally, (no spoiler here) the protagonist's mother is dying of cancer, and after a visit to see her he thinks that he didn't want her to die, but he didn't want her to be in pain anymore. "I was torn between two emotions, one of which I knew to be selfish." My father has terminal lung cancer which has metastasized to his brain and I was able to completely empathize with the character. Mark Edwards adept ability at including these details of the everyday lives of his characters without getting bogged down in repetitious detail is a hallmark of the best writers. I highly recommend this book. It was gripping, suspenseful, and completely unpredictable. A completely thrilling read.

This book was fantastic I loved it. I found myself reading late into the night because I couldn't put it down. The story was brilliant, I loved the characters and it was extremely well written.

In my opinion this book is more a crime thriller/police procedural which is my favourite type of read. It is fast paced, the characters are believable and likeable. I have read most of Mark's previous books and I can honestly say that I think this is one of his best. I really don't know how he comes up with such complex and unusual plots, brilliant

3.5 out of 5 stars!

The Lucky Ones has all the right elements for a serial killer themed psychological thriller, and they’re all executed really well. It’s got great suspense with the end being quite unexpected. Even if you have figured out a part of it, there’s a whole lot more to the conclusion that you will not see coming. It’s got the right amount of gore, disturbing descriptions, and suspicious characters. And it’s got a relentless pace with something interesting happening on almost every page.

What I liked most about the book was the depth with which it went into the antagonist’s point of view. Many novels tend to have more implied explanations of why people do the things they do. But Edwards leaves nothing to your guessing capabilities. He lays it all out clearly, and that gives the story this rounded feel that I have always enjoyed. At the same time, it gives you insight into some seriously twisted ideologies that act as motivation for the antagonist’s actions. In fact, Edwards even goes on to say that the inspiration for this book was a conversation he’d overheard at a café. And this leaves you wondering just what people of our the world may be capable of thinking and doing.

All the characters are well-defined and you get a very real view of their struggles. Although protagonists, Ben and Evans have their own demons. Their decisions and emotions aren’t clearly segregated into black and white. Much like with most people in real life, they fall in a gray area. This realistic take on his characters adds good value to the book and allows you to relate with it on a much stronger level.

There were two aspects, though, that I thought could have been done better. There should have been more detail about how Ben and Imogen felt about their own emotional lives individually before that aspect abruptly appears in the latter part of the book (I would’ve called this a spoiler but c’mon… like you hadn’t already expected this angle to be present!). The second is that there were some parts, although not exclusively evident, that seemed to be missing depth. This was more of a feeling than a line or paragraph that I could point out – but the result was that it made certain parts of the story, and hence the book, stay just below the ‘this is brilliant’ line.

In spite of those problems, I would highly recommend The Lucky Ones to:
- fans of thrillers, serial killer stories, crime fiction, and psychological thrillers
- people interested in trying out a new author – Mark Edwards does not disappoint
- people wanting to add a new author to their ‘I need to read all his books’ list

I’m definitely going to be reading more of Mark Edwards’ work. In fact, I’d had another of his books on my TBR pile for a while. Which is why I was even more excited when I got this book from NetGalley.

The Lucky Ones is expected to come out on June 15. Don’t miss this psychological thriller!