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Lucky O'Toole #3
So Damn Lucky
Lucky O’Toole—Head of Customer Relations at The Babylon, premier mega-resort on the Vegas Strip—thinks it’s just another night in Las Vegas. But then a magician pulls a disappearing act, right under Lucky’s nose. Is it a stunt? Or something worse?
While Lucky chases leads, someone is trying to put her off the scent. As if this wasn’t enough to ruin her day, Lucky’s relationship with The Big Boss is coming to a head—past hurts can no longer be denied. Of course, she is already on shaky emotional ground: Teddie, her live-in, has been touring with a young and lovely pop star. Paxton Dane, former coworker and would-be suitor, is still circling, hoping to find a chink in the armor of Lucky’s resolve. And then, there’s this French chef, who is proving to be too hot to handle….
Las Vegas expert Deborah Coonts thrills again with this third installment in her dazzling series focused on casino “fixer” Lucky O’Toole.
While Lucky chases leads, someone is trying to put her off the scent. As if this wasn’t enough to ruin her day, Lucky’s relationship with The Big Boss is coming to a head—past hurts can no longer be denied. Of course, she is already on shaky emotional ground: Teddie, her live-in, has been touring with a young and lovely pop star. Paxton Dane, former coworker and would-be suitor, is still circling, hoping to find a chink in the armor of Lucky’s resolve. And then, there’s this French chef, who is proving to be too hot to handle….
Las Vegas expert Deborah Coonts thrills again with this third installment in her dazzling series focused on casino “fixer” Lucky O’Toole.
396 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2012
About the author
Deborah Coonts
46 books890 followersGet a free bundle of novellas ripped from the headlines of Lucky O'Toole's world: http://deborahcoonts.com/lucky-offer/
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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
July 16, 2021
3.5 stars
** this review is for the audiobook version**
a very fascinating mystery with a disappearing magician is the case to keep Lucky occupied while her love life is in flux. Not to mention her parents news.
This one was very funny. I was laughing out loud at several points. (it makes you wonder what really goes on in Vegas..)
This series takes up what I refer to as the "Stephanie Plum model" of an independent, strong, funny woman w/multiple romance possibilities.
Why, oh why can't I have a life of several available sexy men to choose from??? Oh, yeah.. I live in reality. Ah well...it's fun to listen & dream.
I didn't give it 4 stars b/c I got lost in the ending with the conclusion explanation. It went over my head as it was somewhat complicated.
** this review is for the audiobook version**
a very fascinating mystery with a disappearing magician is the case to keep Lucky occupied while her love life is in flux. Not to mention her parents news.
This one was very funny. I was laughing out loud at several points. (it makes you wonder what really goes on in Vegas..)
This series takes up what I refer to as the "Stephanie Plum model" of an independent, strong, funny woman w/multiple romance possibilities.
Why, oh why can't I have a life of several available sexy men to choose from??? Oh, yeah.. I live in reality. Ah well...it's fun to listen & dream.
I didn't give it 4 stars b/c I got lost in the ending with the conclusion explanation. It went over my head as it was somewhat complicated.
March 10, 2015
I must admit that I love Lucky O'Toole. She's one of those characters you want as a best friend. Her life is off the charts kooky and yet fun at the same time. She has amazing friends, co-workers and lovers (yes plural). In this installment, Vegas is hopping with a UFO convention, magicians, Area 51 rig-a-ma-role and murder. Lucky has her hands full especially when . Then the fun really began with Lucky choosing her new man. I'm not sure I like her choice so I'll have to keep reading the series to make up my mind.
March 20, 2012
"So Damn Lucky" by Deborah Coonts~Lucky's a Hellbentforleather, Sassy Las Vegas Detective!
Any time spent with Lucky is unimaginatively hilarious!
She's the kickin' female friend you'd love to have
drinks with at girl's night outs!!
Published by: Forge
Pages: 385
Author's website: http://deborahcoonts.com/
I encourage you strongly to go there!!
The Book Summary from Kirkus Reviews:
If Houdini were going to send a message from the great beyond, what are the odds it would land in Vegas? Lucky O'Toole, Head of Customer Relations at Vegas' glitziest hotel, the Babylon, is not having a good day. A visiting couple from the Midwest has gotten tangled up in a sex sling. Her boyfriend Teddie has opted out of their relationship in favor of groupies and rock-star fame. And when the curtains are opened during a performance, Dimitri Fortunoff, a magician trussed up in a replica of Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell, has vanished.
Did one of the many other magicians attending the annual gathering of prestidigitators waylay him? Are they responsible for the threatening note he received? Who will replace him as the Masked Houdini at Halloween night's performance? Or did Dimitri himself plan his disappearance in search of much-needed publicity?
In between flirting with a handsome gaming control board member, swooning over the hotel's delicious new French chef and witnessing the wedding of her parents at a drive-through chapel, Lucky (Lucky Stiff, 2011, etc.) tries to find Dimitri. The search takes her from subterranean storm drains to Area 51, the Air Force's secure facility, which has become a mecca for UFO seekers, as she sorts through lies and puzzles set up to fool her by Dimitri's assistant Molly and four members of the Magic Ring. Mentalists have their say. Kooks congregate to stare at the sky. Lucky, alas, becomes vulnerable to head whacks and the effects of serious liquor and coffee consumption. Like everything in Vegas, the plot is saturated with sex, booze and backgrounds that don't bear scrutiny. But the Houdini code is intriguing, and Lucky's the kind of gal who will make any heart beat faster.
Let's Get To Know The Author:
Hi, Deborah, I've been dying to interview you! Here goes!!
1. First of all, please tell us a special something about what makes you "tick." When you aren't writing, what are you doing?
Mainly getting into trouble. You have no idea how hazardous my research in Las Vegas can be. Take male stripping (Yes, this really was research. My visit to this world ended up as a really fun scene in the new book, SO DAMN LUCKY.) Anyway, I had no idea this sort of thing was a contact sport! For some reason, I couldn't stop laughing, which didn't make the "scenery" very happy. I think I lasted about 45 minutes, but I'm glad I went. No way could I have imagined the whole stripping thing as over-the-top as it really is. My version would have been much more... dignified, to the extent that that adjective should ever be appropriate when talking about men taking their clothes off to a thumping beat for the entertainment of inebriated, pawing women. Then there was the trip to Shark Reef with my son. I asked one of the attendants at the shark tank if I threw a dead body in there would the Tiger Shark eat it. Yes, I have the number of a good attorney on speed-dial. And my son won't go on research expeditions with me anymore. Go figure. OMGosh, I can only imagine you doing these things!!! I've often embarrassed my children, but never over dead bodies, Deb!! LOL
2. You chose a specific genre, a place and time to write about, what made you choose it?
Years ago I discovered that trying to do anything even remotely serious was not within my skill set. So, I played up my ability to get a laugh, cutting my humorist's teeth on a column I wrote for a national magazine. Gradually I expanded my repertoire until I felt delusional enough to handle novel-length silliness. I throw in a bit of mystery and some romance because I like those things -- and a story sort of needs a purpose:)
Vegas: need I say more? Talk about a place ripe with stories! Nowhere else is the human condition more fully or lushly displayed. I've lived there for over a decade and I never tire of the endless parade. Where else does Elvis bag your groceries? Or the guy behind the counter at the gym moonlight as a unicyclist? Or the pretty pre-school teacher is also a scarf performer at a Cirque show? Or the University professor is a showgirl at night? You get my drift. And this doesn't even include the 45 million stories the visitors bring to town every year . . . The most difficult task for me is to pick which stories I want to tell.
3. Bronte or Austen? Hemingway or Hawthorne? Why?
If I had to pick, Austen, because the stories can be a bit more lighthearted. And Hemingway for the adventure, the joie de vivre . . . at least most of the time. But, frankly, I'd rather have Dr. Seuss, Will Rogers and Mark Twain, if I could. LOL I can totally see that!
4. In your opinion, what makes a book a great one?
Something about it touches your soul and becomes a part of you.
5. Which author(s) most influenced your love of books from childhood?
All of them. What courage it takes to tell a story! The things people say, the comments they make! Thank Heavens I started writing when I was a bit older--not only do I have more to say, a better perspective, hopefully, but my skin is also much thicker.
Anyway, as a child I loved the Marguerite Henry books (I was nuts about horses) and I also liked Mary Stewart, Alistair Maclean, Arthur Hailey -- I was a pretty precocious reader:)
6. Read any good books in the past 6 months?
With writing taking up so much time, I don't get to read as much as I would like. That being said, I try to read enough. And I try to read outside my genre. A book that I didn't expect to like, but enjoyed immensely was The Discovery of Witches. I'm reading books by thriller writers now such as Allison Brennan, Carla Neggers, and Lisa Gardner and also enjoying them very much. I love Lisa Gardner, too. She writes a great thriller.
7. Choose 4 guests from any era for dinner. Who would they be and what would you choose for a topic of conversation?
Winston Churchill, Ayn Rand, Abraham Lincoln, and the Dalai Lama. I'd love to sit back and let them argue about how to get the human race working together. And just for kicks and grins, I would love to bring Dorothy Parker as my side-kick. Truly, was there ever a funnier woman? OMGosh, Ayn Rand with that group!!! She'd have them all in a tither! Three pacifists and a radical, and two of you to laugh at them!!! :P
8. Which of your characters is most like you?
Well, my aunt told me that Lucky is the woman I always wanted to be. Does that count?
9. If you could cast your book for a movie, who would you choose?
I hesitate to answer that because a trip through a story is such a personal experience. One of the wonderful things about reading is that we, as readers, get to participate in our entertainment. The writer may set the stage and propel the action, but the vision of the place and the actors is unique to each reader.
10. Worst habit you have?
Talking before thinking. For a woman who is fluent in sarcasm and innuendo and trying, at the moment, to navigate Dallas, the Buckle of the Bible Belt, a mute button would be a good thing -- or at least a filter. Oh, God, I know the feeling!!
11. How much research did you do before and during writing?
I live in Vegas, so my "research" surrounds me. However, sometimes I do get a wild hair . . . see Number 1 above:) I'm always poking into interesting places whether it's behind the scenes at Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden, or backstage at a Cirque show, or in the tunnels under Las Vegas. Who knows where my wanderings will take me next?
12. Tell us a secret about your book we wouldn't otherwise know, please!
If you flip the pages real fast, there's a subliminal message. Kidding. A secret? I don't have any secrets. Let me think . . . Okay, I really did meet the French chef . . . although he was a vintner:) Oooh, la, la! No, I won't tell you his name. That's my secret.
Deborah, you are a hot mess, as they say in the South!! Just this interview can do nothing but give insights into your writing! LOL
Something Else About Deborah Coonts:
My mother tells me I was born a long time ago, but I'm not so sure--my mother can't be trusted. I do know that I was raised in Texas on barbeque, Mexican food and beer. I currently live in Las Vegas where family and friends tell me I can't get into too much trouble. Silly people. I have owned my own business, been a tax lawyer and a flight instructor, and have survived a teenager. And now, I make stuff up for a living.
Each day I sit in the front window at my favorite Panera and play with my imaginary friends. My SO is a psychologist and he tells me that many of his colleagues would consider me an annuity. I can live with that. Thankfully, he can too.
I write a mystery series set in Las Vegas--funny, sexy and romantic. I've been told they are comedic thrillers--sounds like an oxymoron to me, but you get the drift. The first in the series, WANNA GET LUCKY?, came out May 2010. The second, LUCKY STIFF, and the third, SO DAMN LUCKY.
The Dame's Wrap-Up :
I loved this hilarious book. Deborah Coonts is a brilliant, comedic writer who is also a student of people. She made me jump out of my seat laughing. She's an absolute delight to read as a mystery writer and an author or the absurd. Can't get enough of her view of Las Vegas and "Lucky." I highly recommend this one to everyone!!
Any time spent with Lucky is unimaginatively hilarious!
She's the kickin' female friend you'd love to have
drinks with at girl's night outs!!
Published by: Forge
Pages: 385
Author's website: http://deborahcoonts.com/
I encourage you strongly to go there!!
The Book Summary from Kirkus Reviews:
If Houdini were going to send a message from the great beyond, what are the odds it would land in Vegas? Lucky O'Toole, Head of Customer Relations at Vegas' glitziest hotel, the Babylon, is not having a good day. A visiting couple from the Midwest has gotten tangled up in a sex sling. Her boyfriend Teddie has opted out of their relationship in favor of groupies and rock-star fame. And when the curtains are opened during a performance, Dimitri Fortunoff, a magician trussed up in a replica of Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell, has vanished.
Did one of the many other magicians attending the annual gathering of prestidigitators waylay him? Are they responsible for the threatening note he received? Who will replace him as the Masked Houdini at Halloween night's performance? Or did Dimitri himself plan his disappearance in search of much-needed publicity?
In between flirting with a handsome gaming control board member, swooning over the hotel's delicious new French chef and witnessing the wedding of her parents at a drive-through chapel, Lucky (Lucky Stiff, 2011, etc.) tries to find Dimitri. The search takes her from subterranean storm drains to Area 51, the Air Force's secure facility, which has become a mecca for UFO seekers, as she sorts through lies and puzzles set up to fool her by Dimitri's assistant Molly and four members of the Magic Ring. Mentalists have their say. Kooks congregate to stare at the sky. Lucky, alas, becomes vulnerable to head whacks and the effects of serious liquor and coffee consumption. Like everything in Vegas, the plot is saturated with sex, booze and backgrounds that don't bear scrutiny. But the Houdini code is intriguing, and Lucky's the kind of gal who will make any heart beat faster.
Let's Get To Know The Author:
Hi, Deborah, I've been dying to interview you! Here goes!!
1. First of all, please tell us a special something about what makes you "tick." When you aren't writing, what are you doing?
Mainly getting into trouble. You have no idea how hazardous my research in Las Vegas can be. Take male stripping (Yes, this really was research. My visit to this world ended up as a really fun scene in the new book, SO DAMN LUCKY.) Anyway, I had no idea this sort of thing was a contact sport! For some reason, I couldn't stop laughing, which didn't make the "scenery" very happy. I think I lasted about 45 minutes, but I'm glad I went. No way could I have imagined the whole stripping thing as over-the-top as it really is. My version would have been much more... dignified, to the extent that that adjective should ever be appropriate when talking about men taking their clothes off to a thumping beat for the entertainment of inebriated, pawing women. Then there was the trip to Shark Reef with my son. I asked one of the attendants at the shark tank if I threw a dead body in there would the Tiger Shark eat it. Yes, I have the number of a good attorney on speed-dial. And my son won't go on research expeditions with me anymore. Go figure. OMGosh, I can only imagine you doing these things!!! I've often embarrassed my children, but never over dead bodies, Deb!! LOL
2. You chose a specific genre, a place and time to write about, what made you choose it?
Years ago I discovered that trying to do anything even remotely serious was not within my skill set. So, I played up my ability to get a laugh, cutting my humorist's teeth on a column I wrote for a national magazine. Gradually I expanded my repertoire until I felt delusional enough to handle novel-length silliness. I throw in a bit of mystery and some romance because I like those things -- and a story sort of needs a purpose:)
Vegas: need I say more? Talk about a place ripe with stories! Nowhere else is the human condition more fully or lushly displayed. I've lived there for over a decade and I never tire of the endless parade. Where else does Elvis bag your groceries? Or the guy behind the counter at the gym moonlight as a unicyclist? Or the pretty pre-school teacher is also a scarf performer at a Cirque show? Or the University professor is a showgirl at night? You get my drift. And this doesn't even include the 45 million stories the visitors bring to town every year . . . The most difficult task for me is to pick which stories I want to tell.
3. Bronte or Austen? Hemingway or Hawthorne? Why?
If I had to pick, Austen, because the stories can be a bit more lighthearted. And Hemingway for the adventure, the joie de vivre . . . at least most of the time. But, frankly, I'd rather have Dr. Seuss, Will Rogers and Mark Twain, if I could. LOL I can totally see that!
4. In your opinion, what makes a book a great one?
Something about it touches your soul and becomes a part of you.
5. Which author(s) most influenced your love of books from childhood?
All of them. What courage it takes to tell a story! The things people say, the comments they make! Thank Heavens I started writing when I was a bit older--not only do I have more to say, a better perspective, hopefully, but my skin is also much thicker.
Anyway, as a child I loved the Marguerite Henry books (I was nuts about horses) and I also liked Mary Stewart, Alistair Maclean, Arthur Hailey -- I was a pretty precocious reader:)
6. Read any good books in the past 6 months?
With writing taking up so much time, I don't get to read as much as I would like. That being said, I try to read enough. And I try to read outside my genre. A book that I didn't expect to like, but enjoyed immensely was The Discovery of Witches. I'm reading books by thriller writers now such as Allison Brennan, Carla Neggers, and Lisa Gardner and also enjoying them very much. I love Lisa Gardner, too. She writes a great thriller.
7. Choose 4 guests from any era for dinner. Who would they be and what would you choose for a topic of conversation?
Winston Churchill, Ayn Rand, Abraham Lincoln, and the Dalai Lama. I'd love to sit back and let them argue about how to get the human race working together. And just for kicks and grins, I would love to bring Dorothy Parker as my side-kick. Truly, was there ever a funnier woman? OMGosh, Ayn Rand with that group!!! She'd have them all in a tither! Three pacifists and a radical, and two of you to laugh at them!!! :P
8. Which of your characters is most like you?
Well, my aunt told me that Lucky is the woman I always wanted to be. Does that count?
9. If you could cast your book for a movie, who would you choose?
I hesitate to answer that because a trip through a story is such a personal experience. One of the wonderful things about reading is that we, as readers, get to participate in our entertainment. The writer may set the stage and propel the action, but the vision of the place and the actors is unique to each reader.
10. Worst habit you have?
Talking before thinking. For a woman who is fluent in sarcasm and innuendo and trying, at the moment, to navigate Dallas, the Buckle of the Bible Belt, a mute button would be a good thing -- or at least a filter. Oh, God, I know the feeling!!
11. How much research did you do before and during writing?
I live in Vegas, so my "research" surrounds me. However, sometimes I do get a wild hair . . . see Number 1 above:) I'm always poking into interesting places whether it's behind the scenes at Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden, or backstage at a Cirque show, or in the tunnels under Las Vegas. Who knows where my wanderings will take me next?
12. Tell us a secret about your book we wouldn't otherwise know, please!
If you flip the pages real fast, there's a subliminal message. Kidding. A secret? I don't have any secrets. Let me think . . . Okay, I really did meet the French chef . . . although he was a vintner:) Oooh, la, la! No, I won't tell you his name. That's my secret.
Deborah, you are a hot mess, as they say in the South!! Just this interview can do nothing but give insights into your writing! LOL
Something Else About Deborah Coonts:
My mother tells me I was born a long time ago, but I'm not so sure--my mother can't be trusted. I do know that I was raised in Texas on barbeque, Mexican food and beer. I currently live in Las Vegas where family and friends tell me I can't get into too much trouble. Silly people. I have owned my own business, been a tax lawyer and a flight instructor, and have survived a teenager. And now, I make stuff up for a living.
Each day I sit in the front window at my favorite Panera and play with my imaginary friends. My SO is a psychologist and he tells me that many of his colleagues would consider me an annuity. I can live with that. Thankfully, he can too.
I write a mystery series set in Las Vegas--funny, sexy and romantic. I've been told they are comedic thrillers--sounds like an oxymoron to me, but you get the drift. The first in the series, WANNA GET LUCKY?, came out May 2010. The second, LUCKY STIFF, and the third, SO DAMN LUCKY.
The Dame's Wrap-Up :
I loved this hilarious book. Deborah Coonts is a brilliant, comedic writer who is also a student of people. She made me jump out of my seat laughing. She's an absolute delight to read as a mystery writer and an author or the absurd. Can't get enough of her view of Las Vegas and "Lucky." I highly recommend this one to everyone!!
June 27, 2021
This is one of my favourite mystery series'. Book 3 did not disappoint.
One of the things I enjoy about this series is its setting, which is unique from most other mystery series. Las Vegas is a terrific place to set a mystery series, because it has so much going on at all times, and all different types of people visit there so the opportunities are endless when writing murder mystery installments, and the author takes full advantage of that.
I have never been to Vegas, but I really enjoy experiencing the city through these books. The author really works in what it's like to be an insider - as main character Lucky is in charge of guest relations at a major casino - and deal with that world and I find that a super-fun aspect of these books.
Lucky is a great character and I love getting to know her and all the people around her in each subsequent book. Her life is crazy, but she handles all of the crazy like the pro she is and barely even bats an eyelash.
The supporting characters in this series are also an absolute hoot! Lucky's mother - a Vegas madam, Lucky's boss at the casino who also , her best friend who's also a reporter and always looking to Lucky and her casino for a good story. Then there are the several potential love interests for Lucky, any one of which could be a great match for her. That's just a taste of the unique and interesting characters who people Lucky's world.
This is a light, fun easy-reading mystery series, with great characters, interesting storylines and plenty of humour. I enjoy it and will definitely keep reading future books.
Format note: I listen to this series on audio, and the narrator is excellent. She really makes all the characters feel unique and her energy and style brings all the characters to life adding an extra layer of enjoyment to the books. If you like audio format, I recommend this series on audio.
One of the things I enjoy about this series is its setting, which is unique from most other mystery series. Las Vegas is a terrific place to set a mystery series, because it has so much going on at all times, and all different types of people visit there so the opportunities are endless when writing murder mystery installments, and the author takes full advantage of that.
I have never been to Vegas, but I really enjoy experiencing the city through these books. The author really works in what it's like to be an insider - as main character Lucky is in charge of guest relations at a major casino - and deal with that world and I find that a super-fun aspect of these books.
Lucky is a great character and I love getting to know her and all the people around her in each subsequent book. Her life is crazy, but she handles all of the crazy like the pro she is and barely even bats an eyelash.
The supporting characters in this series are also an absolute hoot! Lucky's mother - a Vegas madam, Lucky's boss at the casino who also , her best friend who's also a reporter and always looking to Lucky and her casino for a good story. Then there are the several potential love interests for Lucky, any one of which could be a great match for her. That's just a taste of the unique and interesting characters who people Lucky's world.
This is a light, fun easy-reading mystery series, with great characters, interesting storylines and plenty of humour. I enjoy it and will definitely keep reading future books.
Format note: I listen to this series on audio, and the narrator is excellent. She really makes all the characters feel unique and her energy and style brings all the characters to life adding an extra layer of enjoyment to the books. If you like audio format, I recommend this series on audio.
May 30, 2023
4 stars for the ‘mystery’ part of the book, but this time I’m giving only 3 stars to Lucky. She’s really becoming annoying with all the ‘oh poor me’ complaining about Teddy being away so much with his new singing career. She is constantly blaming him for leaving when SHE was the one to push the career on him. She’s the one who sent a demo tape to a music producer, not him! So OMG stop whining about it already. Had I been reading the actual book instead of listening to the audiobook, I would have definitely flipped past those pages. Honestly, I have no sympathy for her at all anymore. And wow- she sure jumped into another romance quickly with someone else. And I don’t see that being very successful either.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2012
Lucky O’Toole is the head of Customer Relations at the Babylon in Las Vegas. She has been invited to a farewell party in honor of the forty year run of the Calliope Burlesque Cabaret at the Athena Resort and Casino. It seems that the farewell party would not be a party without a big surprise. That is correct. Famed magician, Dimitri Fortunoff is performing as the grand finale. Dimitri will perform Harry Houdini’s famous Chinese Water Torture Cell trick. Something goes terribly wrong and Dimitri ends up dead.
Lucky is on the case. She is assisted by Detective Romeo. This case will not be so easy to solve. Their main witness has gone missing.
This book was crazy and kooky in a good way. Lucky is my kind of gal. She has the brains and brawn. She goes after her man or woman and does not stop until she has caught them. This book had some interesting characters. Which I would expect when this series is based in Las Vegas. The past two books, I was on the fence about and they were alright but with this book, I enjoyed it more. While, with any mystery story, there are the predictable moments but on the other hands, this book had a fun twist. It dealt with the illusion of magic. The ending was a good one. I will probably check out the next Lucky book. Ms. Coonts reminds me of author, Toni McGee Causey.
Lucky is on the case. She is assisted by Detective Romeo. This case will not be so easy to solve. Their main witness has gone missing.
This book was crazy and kooky in a good way. Lucky is my kind of gal. She has the brains and brawn. She goes after her man or woman and does not stop until she has caught them. This book had some interesting characters. Which I would expect when this series is based in Las Vegas. The past two books, I was on the fence about and they were alright but with this book, I enjoyed it more. While, with any mystery story, there are the predictable moments but on the other hands, this book had a fun twist. It dealt with the illusion of magic. The ending was a good one. I will probably check out the next Lucky book. Ms. Coonts reminds me of author, Toni McGee Causey.
April 25, 2014
There aren't many books that have a main character who is a customer service manager in Vegas, let alone have a murder mystery. Throw in some magicians, UFO's, humor, and you have a decent book. Not earth shattering, but decent. I read this before the author's previous ones in the series, and just started the first, which I think I will like more.
Nice blend of some basic character development, humor, but not quite good enough to rise above the decent, mundane work in the mystery genre.
Nice blend of some basic character development, humor, but not quite good enough to rise above the decent, mundane work in the mystery genre.
May 10, 2017
Great Series. Missing magicians, aliens, mob hits and misses, past transgressions, new dilemmas, all revolving around a broken heart and a potential new love. Oh did I mention the possibility of a surprise brother and an elusive bomb. Fun read.
November 15, 2015
Review to come.
April 17, 2013
Another fun installment in the life and trials of Lucky O'Toole. These books always make me laugh and Lucky's love life always drives me crazy. Lots of fun.
December 11, 2017
So Damn Lucky is the third entry in Deborah Coonts' Lucky O'Toole series about the beautiful young Las Vegas hotel executive who solves problems, some of them invariably including murder. It's also the third novel I've read in the series. Though I enjoyed all three, I doubt I'll be reading any more in the series. As I made my way through So Damn Lucky, I found myself getting tired of all the "delicious" men and their attractive backsides. (Yes, I also tire of books by male writers who only include gorgeous female characters with "ample bosoms.")
Lucky O'Toole has only one problem she can't handle. She hasn't been laid in six weeks. She can manage to untangle the knottiest challenges a huge Las Vegas "megaresort" can present. Impossibly demanding guests . . . a French chef who throws tantrums . . . the Big Boss nobody can say no to . . . nothing fazes Lucky. But when a hunky male presents himself within her line of vision, she melts. And this tends to happen a lot, since Lucky is six feet tall and extremely attractive. Practically nobody who is male ignores Lucky O'Toole.
This weakness proves to be a problem when the aforementioned French chef turns out to be "delicious" and attentive beyond the bounds of politeness. The same goes for the officer from the Nevada Gaming Commission who has turned in his notice, in part because he wants to have a go at Lucky. And these are only two of the problematic characters in So Damn Lucky. The cast also includes Lucky's mom, the owner of "Mona's Place, the self-styled 'Best Whorehouse in Pahrump"; Big Boss Albert Rothstein, the imperious billionaire who has only recently revealed himself to be Lucky's father; Detective Romeo of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, who is (fortunately) too young for Lucky; a gaggle of professional magicians; and an astronaut who recently experienced an alien abduction. There are more. Coonts creates characters who are interesting even if they strain the bounds of credibility.
The world starts spinning faster when a magician performing a seemingly impossible stunt at Lucky's hotel dies on-stage, or at least appears to do so. Soon, top-secret experiments in extrasensory perception at Area 51 enter the mix. It's all a glorious mess. So Damn Lucky is fun to read, if your humor tends to the sophomoric (as does mine).
Lucky O'Toole has only one problem she can't handle. She hasn't been laid in six weeks. She can manage to untangle the knottiest challenges a huge Las Vegas "megaresort" can present. Impossibly demanding guests . . . a French chef who throws tantrums . . . the Big Boss nobody can say no to . . . nothing fazes Lucky. But when a hunky male presents himself within her line of vision, she melts. And this tends to happen a lot, since Lucky is six feet tall and extremely attractive. Practically nobody who is male ignores Lucky O'Toole.
This weakness proves to be a problem when the aforementioned French chef turns out to be "delicious" and attentive beyond the bounds of politeness. The same goes for the officer from the Nevada Gaming Commission who has turned in his notice, in part because he wants to have a go at Lucky. And these are only two of the problematic characters in So Damn Lucky. The cast also includes Lucky's mom, the owner of "Mona's Place, the self-styled 'Best Whorehouse in Pahrump"; Big Boss Albert Rothstein, the imperious billionaire who has only recently revealed himself to be Lucky's father; Detective Romeo of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, who is (fortunately) too young for Lucky; a gaggle of professional magicians; and an astronaut who recently experienced an alien abduction. There are more. Coonts creates characters who are interesting even if they strain the bounds of credibility.
The world starts spinning faster when a magician performing a seemingly impossible stunt at Lucky's hotel dies on-stage, or at least appears to do so. Soon, top-secret experiments in extrasensory perception at Area 51 enter the mix. It's all a glorious mess. So Damn Lucky is fun to read, if your humor tends to the sophomoric (as does mine).
April 15, 2019
Another great story added to the Lucky collection. I really enjoyed this one with so much going on and so many suspects it is an audio book you can listen to again and again.
There is some big changes in Las Vegas and I don't just mean in the casinos and when one of the shows that is being cut puts on its final performance things turn deadly and it is up to Lucky and her employees to get to the bottom of the mystery but with all magic shows things aren't what they seem especially when it is Halloween in Vagas. Receiving messages from the dead, putting on a seance as well as hosting the masquerade ball would be a tall older for anyone but Lucky O'Toole. Armed with just her push to talk and her wits can she solve the mystery surrounding the magicians or will she end up like crazy Carl living in tunnels underneath the Las Vagas city? To make things worse Teddy (Luckys missing boyfriend) brings his parents for a visit and the ever unflappable Miss P has a big birthday......Just a normal day in the life of Lucky O'Toole. This all adds up to a great book and well worth the read or listen.
I like this narrator as she is easy to listen to. She uses different voices so you always know who is talking.
There is some big changes in Las Vegas and I don't just mean in the casinos and when one of the shows that is being cut puts on its final performance things turn deadly and it is up to Lucky and her employees to get to the bottom of the mystery but with all magic shows things aren't what they seem especially when it is Halloween in Vagas. Receiving messages from the dead, putting on a seance as well as hosting the masquerade ball would be a tall older for anyone but Lucky O'Toole. Armed with just her push to talk and her wits can she solve the mystery surrounding the magicians or will she end up like crazy Carl living in tunnels underneath the Las Vagas city? To make things worse Teddy (Luckys missing boyfriend) brings his parents for a visit and the ever unflappable Miss P has a big birthday......Just a normal day in the life of Lucky O'Toole. This all adds up to a great book and well worth the read or listen.
I like this narrator as she is easy to listen to. She uses different voices so you always know who is talking.
September 8, 2019
The Lucky O'Toole series is just plain fun. It harkens back to those hard-bitten detectives of the 40's and 50's radio shows. Even with all the disasters that seem to hover in and around Lucky O'Toole, this tale is sometimes laugh out loud funny, sometimes sad and you just hurt for Lucky...but she has friends and it's the friends that keep her grounded and sane. If you've read the first two books, you'll enjoy this one, too. I'm not sure it is as great as the first two...you won't be disappointed...it's a ride.
This series is so good, I just purchased books 4 and 5. There are apparently 10 books in the series. You don't have to read them in order as Ms. Coonts has done such a good job of keeping the reader in the loop about who is who you can read them stand alone. This book is magic...pure and simple.
This series is so good, I just purchased books 4 and 5. There are apparently 10 books in the series. You don't have to read them in order as Ms. Coonts has done such a good job of keeping the reader in the loop about who is who you can read them stand alone. This book is magic...pure and simple.
November 19, 2021
If I could trade lives with any fictional character, it would be Lucky.
Vegas sounds AMAZING in this series, and combine that with the apparently never-ending stream of hot guys, delicious food, and expensive wardrobe...I would gladly walk in her Louboutins for a day.
I snickered several times while listening to this audiobook, and while some of the case did go over my head, it was interesting enough to keep my interest.
I do have to admit to a mild suspension of disbelief when it comes to the Head of Customer Relations solving murders; however the series is so entertaining, I will happily look the other way. (Being a fan of the Las Vegas CSI series also helps, considering the investigators never actually talk to suspects or do half of what they do in the show.)
This is only the third book in the series, so it'll be interesting to see where it goes from here.
Vegas sounds AMAZING in this series, and combine that with the apparently never-ending stream of hot guys, delicious food, and expensive wardrobe...I would gladly walk in her Louboutins for a day.
I snickered several times while listening to this audiobook, and while some of the case did go over my head, it was interesting enough to keep my interest.
I do have to admit to a mild suspension of disbelief when it comes to the Head of Customer Relations solving murders; however the series is so entertaining, I will happily look the other way. (Being a fan of the Las Vegas CSI series also helps, considering the investigators never actually talk to suspects or do half of what they do in the show.)
This is only the third book in the series, so it'll be interesting to see where it goes from here.
June 29, 2024
It's been ages since I read a Lucky O'Toole book. But didn't take long for me to remember my major irritation with this series. Lucky's series is very big on the name dropping of expensive products from shoes to handbags to cars. I find that a bit distracting from the story. This time around, Lucky's love life is in limbo with Teddy out of the country. This story line takes forefront over the mystery solving. Which meh. I didn't really care for. I'd rather have some action and chasing down the bad guys! I did appreciate the alien abduction, Area 51, and magician storylines. Plus the usual Vegas craziness of one member of a couple stuck in a sex swing, an almost completely nude Halloween party, and a drive through wedding. Generally good but not stupendous. But does make me want a trip to Vegas!
June 2, 2021
This was confusing as all get out (the murder mystery aspect) but the way Lucky tackled a few things she needed to tackle (head on) instead of avoiding those things because they’re not easy…you go girl.
But overall, the whole situation was tough for me to follow and the parts at Area 51 could’ve been explained better. Not sure how I feel about her man choices. Too bad she can’t just choose both. Teddie totally disappointed me in this one. Hopefully, he’ll get smacked in the face with his own stupidity. And I hope she’s strong enough to stick to her guns. I wonder how much the plan she’s made without Teddie is going to jerk the rug out from under his arrogant ass. Hopefully…a LOT!
But overall, the whole situation was tough for me to follow and the parts at Area 51 could’ve been explained better. Not sure how I feel about her man choices. Too bad she can’t just choose both. Teddie totally disappointed me in this one. Hopefully, he’ll get smacked in the face with his own stupidity. And I hope she’s strong enough to stick to her guns. I wonder how much the plan she’s made without Teddie is going to jerk the rug out from under his arrogant ass. Hopefully…a LOT!
July 5, 2021
Here we go again. Vegas, a missing magician, romance and Lucky O’Toole. I can’t help but enjoy this next book in the series. Lucky’s relationship with The Big Boss is ramping up and she’s going to be responsible for a new resort. Never a dull moment in her life. An enjoyable cast of characters and a great mystery all rolled into one great read. I really enjoy the Vegas setting and the peek into the running of a casino. Then there’s Lucky’s romance with Teddie going down the tubes, with Dane still waiting in the wings and the new hot French chef. I’m hooked again and ready to read the rest in the series.
September 25, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Good story which continues along the lines of Lucky O'Toole and her adventures of the people she works, with & for at the casino/resort in Las Vegas. Lucky finally splits with Teddy and moves one with her life. The awkward situation between her and her parents is resolved and finally becomes public. The main story of the magicians while fun at the beginning really
began to drag about midway through the book. The way it was wrapped up was pretty good but as the reader all I could say to myself was finally!
began to drag about midway through the book. The way it was wrapped up was pretty good but as the reader all I could say to myself was finally!
January 31, 2020
3.5 stars but I like the series and will read the next book so I rounded up to four stars.
MANY characters introduced in this story and I wish I had written down the names as I went to track the story better since I couldn’t read in long bursts.
Good plot, kept with the Vegas theme. Not a huge fan of where we left off in the romance storyline; I would like her relationships to have a larger role in the story.
MANY characters introduced in this story and I wish I had written down the names as I went to track the story better since I couldn’t read in long bursts.
Good plot, kept with the Vegas theme. Not a huge fan of where we left off in the romance storyline; I would like her relationships to have a larger role in the story.
March 22, 2020
This was a fun journey into Lucky's world of the Babylon Casino.
She is missing Teddie and is distracted by all of the other cute males surrounding her.
In the meantime she is investigating the disappearance of a magician and finding ties to Area 51.
As usual she is ably fighting fires and assisting guests.
The main characters are rock steady and the writing is professional.
There is no bad language and no gratuitous violence.
I won a copy from the author.
She is missing Teddie and is distracted by all of the other cute males surrounding her.
In the meantime she is investigating the disappearance of a magician and finding ties to Area 51.
As usual she is ably fighting fires and assisting guests.
The main characters are rock steady and the writing is professional.
There is no bad language and no gratuitous violence.
I won a copy from the author.
October 6, 2023
This is the third book in the Lucky O’Toole series and while I enjoyed it…it didn’t make me LOL like the first two. Love Lucky’s character, but as I suspected in the 2nd book in this series, I don’t have a lot of patience with her character’s relationship woes and her “whiny-ness” as a result. I have No idea why I have no patience with this - it is just annoying. I will continue to read the series, but not anytime soon. Maybe need a break from the drama.
(Audio)
(Audio)
October 9, 2017
I love this series! I listened to this in audio format - and loved the narrator too! The story line was entertaining as always and I continue to love the characters and I'm thrilled with where her love interest is going. About time! wink, wink! This author does an excellent job of describing scenes and pulling you into the story! I look forward to reading or listening to the next one!
November 14, 2018
This was my favorite book in the series so far. I'm really enjoying Lucky and the other characters. My only complaint is that the novellas don't fit correctly between the books. Book 3 started before novella 2.5 so I felt like I already partly knew what was going to happen and that was disappointing.
April 1, 2019
Absolutely loved it! Once again Lucky is at the front of a crime. Can she help find the missing magician? Oh, but wait she is in weird relationship with Teddie who she isn't sure of their relationship. Then throw in a French hot chef and Dane? Is she a disaster in her personal life because she is a rockstar in her employment .
April 1, 2019
Absolutely loved it! Once again Lucky is at the front of a crime. Can she help find the missing magician? Oh, but wait she is in weird relationship with Teddie who she isn't sure of their relationship. Then throw in a French hot chef and Dane? Is she a disaster in her personal life because she is a rockstar in her employment .
July 24, 2019
Third book in the Lucky O’Toole series. I’m reading this series due to the Las Vegas setting - author Coonts clearly knows and loves the city. The story this time involves a missing, possibly dead, magician amidst competing conventions by UFO enthusiasts and bondage disciples. This series really focuses on character relationships, to the detriment of plot.
July 29, 2017
While I still enjoyed this book, I didn't like it quite as much as the previous ones. The storyline was a bit out there and there were so many characters (mainly the magicians/UFO people) that it was hard to keep track.
Still a fun read though.
Still a fun read though.
February 7, 2018
I really like the main character, Lucky O'Toole, but the plot was way to confusing this time around. The list of characters (magicians) was to large and very underdeveloped so I couldn't keep anyone straight. The ending was just one big confusing round-up.
February 18, 2018
Lucky has captivated me once again. I absolutely devour these books every time I get the chance to pick them up. I have fallen in love with the characters. It is always so much fun trying to solve the mystery with Lucky and her friends.
March 24, 2019
I like this series because it puts you right in Las Vegas. I recognized the places the author writes about and but it shows it especially the gambling part in a bright light. The mysteries are great and pull you through the book. Before I knew I was at the end of each and downloading the next.
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