Frank Renzi is on the case of a serial killer who is targeting lottery winners, while he sorts out the complications of an affair which ends his marriage. ( )

The Stakes Were High – Susan Fleet Won With Jackpot
The newest Detective Renzi novel takes the reader back to his days in Boston, in this riveting story that fleshes out much about the Boston area, the effects of gambling and of course we learn more about Detective Renzi’s marriage, his affairs, and we fall in love with his tough but sensitive demeanor, all over again. This character charms us with his caring actions. The real Jackpot is the plot. The thrills are there – the story paces in a continuous maze of panic, which serial killers often do in novels. I highly recommend all the Detective Renzi novels, and hats off to Susan Fleet – this is the best yet! Highly recommend this book.
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Four lottery winners.

Four murders.

Is there a serial killer on the loose?

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I love the cover of Jackpot, as I do for all of Susan Fleet's novels. Simple and direct.

Susan Fleet loves to write about serial killers and Jackpot is another murder mystery that reads like True Crime. I do not find the plot so far fetched. I have watched The Lottery Changed My Life, a tv show about lottery winners. In one episode, a man was killed at a strip club. He had been known to carry large amounts of cash, making him a prime target.

Check out The Tragic Stories of The Unluckiest Winners.

Who knows what sets off a killer?

Jackpot is full of suspense, containing plots within plots. The story keeps unraveling and what starts out as a good thing, quickly turns bad. But then again, Susan loves to write about serial killers and does a fine job of it.

The characters come alive on the pages as Susan Fleet leads us from one murder to the next.

“He’d won $12 million and he was still a loser.”

Poor Nigel. He finally got a break. He won $12 million dollars in the lottery. His need to gamble, which had ruined his life, vanished. But, some people seem to be jinxed. Bad things seem to follow them around, like bees to honey or flies to shit.

Frank is a very flawed hero, but I love him. He never hurts anyone on purpose and goes out of his way for a child. It seems Susan Fleet always has a child in her books, that crosses Frank’s path. He goes above and beyond to help.

I like my heroes tarnished. They become more real to me and Frank fits the bill. He is married and having an affair with a married woman, Gina. They have been together for years and he is faithful to her. They met because of their jobs. Frank is a cop and Gina a reporter. I would think they are an unlikely duo, until I think of how much time anyone spends at work.

Susan fleet has a book idea for Gina and the title would be The Lottery Winner. ^_^

I am very familiar with Boston and the Cape, locations in Jackpot. As Susan’s words unfold on the page, my mind develops photographs of the passing scenery.

I have crossed this bridge many times and have sat in the traffic Susan Fleet talks about. We always worked at timing it to miss the worst - traffic that goes on for miles, cars as far as you can see.

She also includes music in her novels, whether if be the Jazz of New Orleans or the Boston Pops. It makes me think of the fantastic Fourth of July fireworks show.

Ryan is Gina’s husband. His dad is an alcoholic named Tom Collins. Susan always manages to include a little humor with the horror.

“…after dark the scary boogey men come out.” I laughed. You have to be there.

I received this book in return for an honest and unbiased review. I always look forward to reading another murder mystery/thriller from Susan Fleet. What do you have in store for us next, Susan? ( )

There's a serial killer out there, murdering lottery winners. The book is written from many different viewpoints. There's the victims point of view, as they get attacked by the serial killer who's out for their money and the fame of killing the lottery winners. You can see the viewpoint from the cops who are in search of the serial killer, as well as the serial killer himself.

You won't want to miss the action that goes down in this book. Frank Renzi is out to catch the killer, but not without a dramatic confrontation first. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, and reading long into the early morning until the book was finally finished. You'll be addicted to finishing this book just as I was.

I have learned that this is a prequel to a series, so I am extremely interested in reading the rest of the books in the series to get the full experience of Frank Renzi and his amazing detective skills. I highly recommend this book and give it a 5/5. ( )