In the amusing, often poignant Lucky, Marissa Stapley's fourth novel, Luciana "Lucky" Armstrong's entire life has been one big con, bilking people out of their money, sometimes their friendship or love.
Lucky was born into the con game. As an infant, her father, John, rescued her from the church steps where she'd been left, and then talked a nun into giving the baby her gold crucifix. Lucky's childhood was spent in deceit, crisscrossing the country as John bamboozled people. When they had enough money to stop, John either gambled it away, had duped the wrong people or became restless, as he does after they briefly live with a rich widow who's in love with him. At age 26, Lucky's skills as a con-woman surpass those of her now-imprisoned father. When the Ponzi scheme she and her boyfriend, Cary, hatched in Boise fails, the couple escapes to Las Vegas, where Cary disappears with their money. Lucky has another problem--the lottery ticket she bought in Idaho is worth $390 million. But she can't claim the money without being arrested or killed by hardened criminals on her trail.
Stapley alternates the clever, high-stakes plot between the past and present with breakneck pacing that shows how each character, except the lovable dog Betty, plays out a con. Strongest is the intriguing depiction of Lucky, who thrives on the thrill of the con, but longs for a "normal" life--though she has no idea what that means or how to achieve it. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer