New Book Alert: Dead Winner by Kevin G. Chapman; Suspenseful Murder Mystery Over a Winning Lottery Ticket Marred By Length and Too Many Plot Twists

 

New Book Alert: Dead Winner by Kevin G. Chapman; Suspenseful Murder Mystery Over a Winning Lottery Ticket Marred By Length and Too Many Plot Twists

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Winning the lottery brings with it a host of problems: taxes taken out, strangers pretending to be long lost relatives, gold diggers and fortune hunters, harassed by shady organizations, many threats, and sometimes death. That's enough to make one wish they never bought a ticket.

On its own that would be an interesting premise for a murder mystery in which a lottery winner is found dead shortly after their win but before it is made public. Unfortunately, Kevin G. Chapman's Dead Winner is not that book. It takes that premise and mar it with too many plot twists that are used to justify its length.

Tom Williams just won the lottery and he has only told his wife, Monica and his former schoolmate, Rory McEntyre, who is his financial advisor. Unfortunately, the day after he gives this news, Tom is found dead by Monica. Monica insists that Tom's death was suicide but there are some inconsistencies to that version. Not to mention, that Tom's former employers and assistant are involved in separate subplots involving him. Tom has his own secrets and Riley and Monica are harboring a not so secret infatuation for each other.

The lottery plot is interesting. There are moments when greed overtakes the characters along with the promise of new big money. There is a seriocomic sequence when Tom and Monica discover that the lottery ticket is missing and someone holds it for ransom.

There are some real truthful moments particularly as Riley reevaluates his friendship with Tom and interest in Monica. He realized that the more aggressive and choleric Tom always took the lead in their friendship, so Riley is realizing that he now has to take control. One of those means is being there for Monica and being more available for her more than Tom was.

However, the book has too many red herrings and subplots that the narrative runs away with itself. Some of the characters don't amount to very much and others become too involved with the action. This is one mystery that needs focus and to develop one potential plot at a time instead of over crowding the Reader.

The worst is saved for last. There is a final plot twist that I won't reveal but makes absolutely no sense based on the previous information that we have been given. The twist seems to have pulled out of thin air rather than the clues and mystery itself. It's not an ending to make you wonder or marvel so much as it's an ending to make you roll your eyes or throw the book down in disgust.

For me, Dead Winner is actually a Live Loser.