Wanna Get Lucky

Written by Deborah Coonts

Narrated by Patricia Santomasso

“Evanovich…with a dash of CSI.” – Publishers Weekly (review of Lucky Stiff)

Everyone Has a Hidden Talent

For Lucky O’Toole it’s murder…solving it.

Surviving in Sin City takes cunning, a pair of five-inch heels, and a wiseass attitude. Lucky has mastered them all and has a pair of legs she uses to kick butt and turn heads.

As the Chief Problem Solver for the Babylon, Las Vegas’s most over-the-top destination, mischief is in her job description.

She’s good at her job.

She’s less good at life. But who has time for a life when there’s a killer on the loose?

WANNA GET LUCKY?

A woman falls from a tour helicopter to the horror of the 8:30 Pirate show crowd.

Was it suicide? An accident? Could she have been pushed?

Lucky’s day began with the invasion of the Adult Video Awards and Trade show convention.

It got more hectic when the spouse-swapping annual event checked in.

And if adding a body to the mix wasn’t enough, Lucky’s got a new suitor. Her best friend, Teddie, a female impersonator who is pressing to take their relationship to the next level.

Can she really date a man who looks better in a dress?

What happened to the woman over the pirate show?

Will her sleuthing skills catch the killer and save her job?

A light, funny, romantic mystery providing a Vegas escape appropriate for anyone looking for a good laugh. Pick up a copy now and start your adventure.

PRAISE FOR Wanna Get Lucky?

"Wanna Get Lucky? hits the proverbial jackpot." - Booklist

"A winner on every level." - Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Watch out, Janet Evanovich. The new hot number is Deborah Coonts." - Gayle Lynds, New York Times bestselling author 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chestnut Street Press
• Release date: Feb 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9781944831417

Deborah Coonts

Deborah Coonts swears she was switched at birth. Coming from a family of homebodies, Deborah is the odd woman out, happiest with a passport, a high-limit credit card, her computer, and changing scenery outside her window. Goaded by an insatiable curiosity, she flies airplanes, rides motorcycles, travels the world, and pretends to be more of a badass than she probably is. Deborah is the author of the Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure series, a romantic mystery romp through Sin City. Wanna Get Lucky?, the first in the series, was a New York Times Notable Crime Novel and a double RITA™ Award Finalist. She has also penned the Kate Sawyer Medical Thriller series, the Brinda Rose Humorous Mystery series, as well as a couple of standalones. Although often on an adventure, you can always track her down at www.deborahcoonts.com.

Reviews for Wanna Get Lucky

[Leslie C · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this listen. Can't wait to hear the rest of the series.

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Surprisingly enjoyable for a free kindle book. Certainly enough so that I will be reading the next in the series. Fun quirky characters, fast moving plot ... overall just a fun read.

[cissa_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an entertaining read!The mystery was good and handled well- and I LOVED all the Vegas context, with its over-the-top personalities and locations.I will mention that there was quite a lot of raunchy content, though Lucky herself is amazingly prim for a girl raised in a brothel.The characters were well-drawn- the more important ones were well-rounded, and the others entertaining.I enjoyed it, and will likely read more in the series.

[treehousereader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

DESCRIPTION, NOT REVIEW: A young woman plunges from a Las Vegas sightseeing helicopter, landing in the Pirate Lagoon in front of the Treasure Island Hotel in the middle of the 8:30 Pirate Show. Almost everyone writes her off as another Vegas victim. But, Lucky O'Toole, head of customer relations at the Babylon mega casino, smells a rat, though she's got a lot on her plate: the adult film industry's annual awards banquet, a spouse-swapping convention, sex-toy purveyors preying on the pocket-protector crowd attending ElectroniCon... Still Lucky can't resist turning over a few stones.When a former flame is one of the snakes she uncovers, Lucky is certain the woman's death was no Sin City suicide. To top it all off, Lucky's best friend, Teddie--Las Vegas's finest female impersonator--presses to take their relationship to the next level. Leave it to Lucky to attract a man who looks better in a dress than she does.Lucky must manage the Babylon's outrageous festivities, solve the crime, and struggle to keep her life and libido from spinning out of control.

[ennie_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Las Vegas is the star of this book, with female impersonators, adult film industry functions, and general debauchery overshadowing the mystery. A woman jumps to her death from a sightseeing helicopter... or is it murder? Lucky, who works for a casino, is on the case.

[jamesterck · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When a book is set in Vegas, you know some wild things are going to go down. This one definitely didn't disappoint. It did bring up two questions to my mind though: 1) Do these kinds of things REALLY happen in Vegas? and 2)If they do, why in the world would anyone want Lucky's job in customer relations? Too much stress if you ask me! I really enjoyed the main character, Lucky O'Toole. She was incredibly confident in her job, good sense of humor (I think you would have to in that line of work), sarcastic, and an overall tough chick. She works hard at her job and at keeping everyone from getting too close to her. Her walls slowly start to break down, so we get to see her character develop through the pages. There are a lot of characters that help to enhance the story, such as Lucky's mother, Mona, who runs a brothel and her boss at the Babylon hotel, who they all call The Big Boss. Oh and let's not forget her trash-talking parrot; always good for an insult! They are all fabulous and I wish I could go into more detail on each and every one of them! Underneath investigating the suicide (or is it homicide?), Lucky has an extremely tough choice to make: get with her best friend, Teddie, who just so happens to dress in drag for a living, or Dane, the hot new guy in security. I loved Teddie from the beginning, although I didn't think anything would develop between him and Lucky at first. He was just super sweet and loyal, always there for her to lean on. I also liked Dane a lot too. There was definitely an attraction there from the start, but any feelings she had for him were also marred by suspicions. I really wanted to put my favorite quote from the book in here, because it is so incredible and makes you want to scream, "WHY can't any guy say that to ME?" But I don't want to give away which guy she ultimately chooses, so I'll just let you read it and discover for yourselves. There is certainly mystery and twists throughout the book. While I wasn't particularly surprised by them, as I've gotten really good at picking up on subtle hints, it was still exciting to see my suspicions confirmed at the end. It started with a naked man in the stairwell and ended with a porn star gala, so you can just imagine the crazy things that happen throughout the book. I enjoyed meeting Lucky and all of the amazing characters, and absolutely can't wait to get my hands on Lucky Stiff so I can see what happens next! (FYI, the paperback of Lucky Stiff comes out November 29)

[emsundotorg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Stephanie Plum meets Sookie Stackhouse meets Eve Dallas inWanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts. Get ready to suspend your disbelief and join Lucky O’Toole on a rollicking tale of sarcasm, fun, zingers, and libido in the glitziest city in the United States: Las Vegas.Lucky O’Toole is the head of Customer Relations at a Vegas casino and she’s In Charge. Sexy, smart, and sophisticated, Lucky takes life day-by-day as she tackles all the challenges of helping run a hopping casino that promotes drinking, drinking, drinking, and gambling. At the beginning of the novel, Lucky learns that someone has taken a header out of one of her helicopters right in front of Treasure Island Hotel and the person died. Darn, now she has to manage all the publicity and media fallout from this. As Lucky looks into the matter, she starts to think something is up. The stories aren’t adding up and her boss isn’t looking so great. But, she trusts him, so how is she going to discover the truth? Add in a suspicious security team member, a famous female impersonator, mob connections, a brothel-owning mother, and a lot of humor and you’ve got Wanna Get Lucky?.As I started reading this, I was struck by how it was a subdued form of Janet Evanovich’s humor. Yes, the story is over the top. Yes, it’s meant to entertain and not to educate. However, the jokes weren’t quite as in-your-face as Ms. Evanovich’s. This isn’t a negative nor a positive, but rather an observation.My favorite theme in the story is that of warm-heartedness. Lucky realizes that she has been missing out on some parts of life because she’s been so concentrated on her job. She’s walled herself off and not been as genuine and connected to her friends as she thinks she should because of some defense mechanisms she realizes she has. On top of it, she hasn’t been dating or having any intimacy! She sits down in the bar of the casino and asks her best friend for some help in developing a deeper relationship. He looks at her and offers to help her let down her walls and then he gives her An Offer. Offended, she asks why casual sex is all men think about. Offended, he responds that it wouldn’t be casual. But, Lucky has a few other prospects to review while she ponders if she’s really ready to let down her barriers.There is predictability to the story, but that’s part of what makes it so fun. It’s a glitzy and glamorous parody of Las Vegas chock full of over-the-top stories. There are naked men in public, snakes choking guests, runaway cats, and porn shops. Some people may think that Vegas could never be like this, but as someone who has been the guest of a few casinos, I’m not sure it’s that high above the mark. As Exhibit A: I did walk through a packed casino wearing a see-through lingerie top with a matching bra and pajama pants. Annnd… I wasn’t the only one.Thank you Ms. Coonts for writing a story that made me laugh and brought back some fun memories.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts free from Forge/Tom Doherty Associates through the FSB Media review program. I was not required to write a positive review and did not receive any other compensation. The opinions I have expressed are my own and no one else’s. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[lynnsigman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoying so far...fun read. Light romantic suspense - a little sexy, but it is Vegas!

[wirtley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Like Janet Evanovich. Begins with someone being pushed out a helicopter to her death. Lucky knows the person and investigates.

[susanamper · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Las Vegas scene is convincingly rendered and a little bit fun. Lucky seems to be an amalgamation of other action heroines like Stephanie Plum. Coonts does not quite pull off any Las Vegas magic here. A dead body, blackmail, and a love interest or two don't add up to enough. Perhaps her next book will be better, but I am not terribly inclined to read it when it comes out.

[lesaholstine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wanna Get Lucky? Believe me, you will, if you make time to read Deborah Coonts' debut novel, Wanna Get Lucky? It's the sexiest, funniest, caper novel I've read in years; one of the best books I've read this year. Move over Stephanie Plum. Lucky O'Toole is sexy, sarcastic, and she has a brain.And, she's also having a really bad day. As head of Customer Relations for the Babylon, "an over-the-top mega casino/resort on the Las Vegas strip," she's head troubleshooter. So, when Lyda Sue Stalnaker is on the news, plunging to her death out of the Babylon's helicopter, right into the Pirate's Lagoon in front of the Treasure Island Hotel, Lucky knows her day isn't going to go well. But, it's never just one incident at a time in the casino business. It's a naked man sleeping under a stairwell, the man with a snake in his room, and the regular guest who wrecked one of the hotel's Ferrari. That's just a normal day for Lucky. And, a normal week brings the Adult Film industry's annual banquet at the same time the Trendmakers, a spouse-swapping group is in town for their convention.But, it isn't so normal when she has to check up on the sexy new security guard with the Texas accent. Something about him seems just a little off. And, the Big Boss' reaction to the helicopter incident seems odd. Lucky O'Toole's instincts for trouble are usually quick. So, why didn't she see it coming when her best friend, Teddie, Las Vegas' star female impersonator, wants more than just friendship? This could be much more than one troubleshooter can handle on her own. It's a good thing Lucky has an interesting group of friends.Coonts' Lucky O'Toole is a star. She's smart, sarcastic, and uses her sarcasm as a defense mechanism. And, her talent for sexual innuendo is unbeatable. She's loyal to the Babylon and its staff. She would be a wonderful friend, and dangerous enemy. The characters in this book are wonderful, beginning with Lucky, Teddie, to Lucky's assistant, Miss Patterson, and Lucky's mother.And, then there's Las Vegas itself. Coonts has given us the city in all its over-the-top outrageousness. She's filled the city with outlandish characters, and surprises. Wanna Get Lucky? is the perfect book for the city. It's the perfect book to introduce Lucky O'Toole, and I can't wait to read the next one, Lucky Stiff. Lucky's troubles will be our pleasure, I'm sure.