The Lucky Eight by Sheila Bugler

When the plane crashed, 160 people perished. Now, is someone killing off the survivors?

Five years ago, a horrific airline disaster made headlines around the world. On the anniversary of the fatal crash, a number of those who were spared gather to mark the occasion. By morning, Nick Gilbert, a celebrity chef and one of the party, lies dead. Detective Rachel Lewis leads the investigation and within days another survivor is stabbed to death. It seems certain that a killer is targeting the lucky eight.

Clodagh Kinsella recovered from the injuries she sustained in the crash, but lost her sister that day. The bereavement shared by Clodagh and her sister’s husband led them to a romance of their own. Yet lately, Clodagh knows something isn’t right. As the noose tightens on the group and Rachel comes across more questions than answers, it’s only a matter of time before Clodagh will have to face the consequences of a mistake she made before the plane went down…

A tense and gripping crime thriller, perfect for fans of Lesley Kara and Mari Hannah.

About the author

Sheila grew up in a small town in the west of Ireland. After studying Psychology at University College Galway (now called NUI Galway) she left Ireland and worked as an EFL teacher, travelling to Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland and Argentina.

She is the author of a series of crime novels featuring DI Ellen Kelly. The novels are set in South East London, an area she knows and loves.

She now lives in Eastbourne, on the beautiful East Sussex coast. Eastbourne is the location for her series of crime novels featuring investigative journalist Dee Doran.

When she’s not writing, Sheila does corporate writing and storytelling, she runs creative writing courses, is a tutor for the Writers Bureau and is a mentor on the WoMentoring programme. She reviews crime fiction for crimesquad.com and she is a regular guest on BBC Radio Sussex.

She is married with two children.

Review

‘The Lucky Eight’ is a fantastic thriller that keeps you guessing right till the very end! Spoiler Alert - these people were not lucky! It's a fast-paced heart in your mouth mystery that packs all the punches. Sheila is a new author to me but I will certainly be trying to read her other books as this one was well plotted and the writing was great!

Eight people survived a plane crash, whilst 160 others died. Five years like seven of them meet up to commemorate the anniversary, however, Nick Gilbert turns up dead the next morning and it's soon clear he has been murdered. Why would anyone want to kill him and who did it! Detective Rachel Lewis is heading up the investigation and when another of the ‘lucky eight’ is found dead she has to work on the assumption that someone is targeting this group of people.

I love mysteries like this one - it's kind of a locked room scenario as it can only be one of the guests at the memorial who murdered Nick. I love the dual perspectives of Rachel and Clodagh as it gave an insight on how a survivor of the crash was feeling and the pressure of survivors guilt etc. Also, the pressure that Rachel was feeling to solve the case as it was her first as SIO. I also loved the flashbacks of life before the plane crash and the reasons behind it. This was a complicated plot in parts and I have to admit I didn't guess the identity of the killer. It was a particularly good twist to the resolution of the book and I certainly wasn't expecting that. Also, can I have an Uncle Ivan as he was brilliant!

I read this book in one sitting and it certainly captured my imagination. Let me know if it manages to capture yours!