The Lucky Ones by Tiffany Reisz Narrator: Emily Woo Zeller
Published by Harlequin Audio on February 13, 2018
Genres: Mystery
Length: 10 hours and 27 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
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They called themselves “the lucky ones.” They were seven children either orphaned or abandoned by their parents and chosen by legendary philanthropist and brain surgeon Dr. Vincent Capello to live in The Dragon, his almost magical beach house on the Oregon Coast. Allison was the youngest of the lucky ones living an idyllic life with her newfound family…until the night she almost died, and was then whisked away from the house and her adopted family forever.
Now, thirteen years later, Allison receives a letter from Roland, Dr. Capello’s oldest son, warning her that their father is ill and in his final days. Allison determines she must go home again and confront the ghosts of her past. She's determined to find out what really happened that fateful night--was it an accident or, as she's always suspected, did one of her beloved family members try to kill her?
But digging into the past can reveal horrific truths, and when Allison pieces together the story of her life, she'll learns the terrible secret at the heart of the family she once loved but never really knew.
A vivid and suspenseful tale of family, grief, love—and the dark secrets that bind everything together—Tiffany Reisz’s latest is enthralling to the final page.
I’ve been a huge fan of Tiffany Reisz since I read her debut book, The Siren (The Original Sinners #1), back in 2012. I can’t remember how I stumbled upon this book, but I’m so glad I did. I can’t imagine never being introduced to Nora, Søren, Kingsley, Griffin and Michael. I gobbled up that series and quickly started to read some of the books outside of that series.
This story is a great mystery about Allison. She’s just been dumped by her rich lover. She has been a kept woman for six years, since she was nineteen. But he’s gotten another woman pregnant and he plans to marry her and raise their child together. He leaves Allison with some money, rent paid through the end of the year and a letter of recommendation. Then she also receives a package from a former foster brother she hasn’t spoken to in thirteen years. She decides to go back to Oregon to see her dying foster father, Doctor Capello.
Doctor Capello was a neurosurgeon who never had any children of his own, but adopted three children and fostered many others. He was married to his work. He didn’t believe anyone could be evil. He believed that they were all just sick. He found several kids that were having behavior problems had brain tumors. He would remove them and they would be a different person. He devoted his life to helping these children, often pro bono.
Allison goes back to visit her former foster family. She also wants to learn why she wasn’t allowed to stay after an accident. She reconnects not only with Dr. Capello, but also with the three adopted Capello children who are all grown up now.
This story is so well told. Reisz shows you what can happen when someone believes 100% in their mission, be it good or bad. It shows people can do horrible things, even if for the right reason. Reisz has a way of taking you down a road of taboo. You will thank her for the weird road she will take you down. She always seems to take me places I never thought I wanted to go. If you’ve never tried Tiffany Reisz, I highly recommend her and this is a great book to start.
Narration:
This was my first audiobook with Emily Woo Zeller. I have to say I really liked her. This book doesn’t have a large cast, but each voices was very unique and easy to tell apart. I really need to give a shoutout for voicing of the dying father. You could really feel when he was having a bad day, versus when he had a better day, but all still sounded like a old dying man with weeks to live. She had great pacing and tone for all the different types scenes in this book. I would gladly listen to more books with Emily narrating.
About Emily Woo Zeller
Audie award-winning actor, voiceover artist, dancer, and singer Emily Woo Zeller (member SAG-AFTRA) is based in Los Angeles, though her work has been seen and heard internationally. Her wide range of work has included theater and extensive dubbing for film and television in Southeast Asia. Emily’s lifelong theater and dance work includes performance with Ellis Wood Dance, Dutch Kills Theater, FACT/SF, Facing East Dance and Music, Oracle Theater, and physical theater collective Lampazo Group.
Audiofile Magazine named Emily as one of the “Best Voices of 2015” in Nonfiction and Culture for her work on THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP by Marie Kondo and “Best Voices of 2013” in Nonfiction and Culture for her work on GULP by Mary Roach. Awards include 2018 Audie for FIRE ROAD by Kim Phuc Phan Thi, Ashley Wiersma; 2015 SOVAS VOICE ARTS AWARD for THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP by Marie Kondo; 2015 Audie Nomination for her work on THE BEAM: SEASON 1 by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant; Audiofile Magazine Earphones Awards for narrations of THE POPPY WAR by R. F. Kuang; FIRE ROAD by Kim Phuc Phan Thi, Ashley Wiersma, AFTER THE ECLIPSE by Sarah Perry, KITCHEN CHINESE by Ann Mah, UNDER A PAINTED SKY by Stacey Lee, THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP by Marie Kondo, GULP by Mary Roach, and TIES THAT BIND, TIES THAT BREAK by Leslie Namioka; the 2009 Tristen Award for Best Actress as Sally Bowles in CABARET; and the 2006 Roselyn E. Schneider Prize for Creative Achievement.
Emily holds a degree from the University of California, Berkeley in Dance and Performance Studies, with a minor in Nutritional Sciences. She is a certified yoga teacher.
About Tiffany Reisz
Tiffany Reisz is the USA Today-bestselling author of the Romance Writers of America RITA®-winning Original Sinners series from Harlequin’s Mira Books.
Born in Owensboro, Kentucky, Tiffany graduated from Centre College with a B.A. in English. She began her writing career while a student at Wilmore, Kentucky’s Asbury Theological Seminary. After leaving seminary to focus on her fiction, she wrote The Siren, which has sold more than half a million copies worldwide.
Tiffany also writes mainstream women’s suspense fiction, including The Bourbon Thief (winner of the RT Book Reviews Seal of Excellence Award) and the RITA®-nominated The Night Mark.
Her erotic fantasy The Red—self-published under the banner 8th Circle Press—was named an NPR Best Book of the Year and a Goodreads Best Romance of the Month. It also received a coveted starred review from Library Journal.
Tiffany lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her husband, author Andrew Shaffer, and two cats. The cats are not writers.
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I started listening to audiobooks when a new book in a series was coming out and I wanted to get a refresher, but didn’t have time to read all the books (I think it was Anita Blake). I fell in love. I stayed with strictly re-reading books that I’d already read for a long time. I eventually tried an audiobook for something that I hadn’t read first and was hooked there too. Now, I listen to audio for both re-reads and first time. I have some series that I’ve given up reading and only listen. I try to get any many books/audiobooks from the library to help save on my budget. Books on CD and the newer digital downloads from the library really allow me to listen more. I then purchase my favorites (because who can wait in line for your favorite book??) and less mainstream books from Audible or some other online retailer.
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Excellent review, Melanie! I still have to read my first Tiffany Reisz Book, even though I own many. Maybe I should start here.
I think you’d really liked this one. Another one to look at is The Bourbon Thief. It is another mystery story with family secrets.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
So much about this is appealing to me. Thanks for the wonderful review. I’m very curious now:) And torn between reading it or listening to it. LOL
I don’t think there is a wrong choice between reading and listening. This was a great story. I hope you get a chance to try it. 🙂
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
I have a book by this author that I haven’t tried yet
I think you would really like her. She writes some really great characters.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
That sounds really good to me. I’ve only read one of her books but this sound like one I would enjoy.
I hope you get a chance to try it.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
How brilliant to find such a talented narrator! The reader can absolutely make or break an audiobook so I often choose by who is speaking as much as who wrote the story
Me too. I’ve found new-to-me authors because of narrators that I love.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
I haven’t read this one but since I like Emily Woo Zeller, I think I would listen. You’ve convinced me I need to try this one. Fantastic review!
It is a really great story. I hope you get a chance to try it.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
Yes..this made my top ten audio last year, so I am excited to see you loved it.
I’ve gotten behind on her works. I need to get caught up.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
Oh….I red the Red Years and didn’t dare venture into the White Ones. But I like how she tells a story. This one will be a must read for me.
I love how she tells a story within a story (which really isn’t done a lot in this book, but it is something she excels at). I read both the Red and White years. I couldn’t get enough of Nora, Griffin and Mick (those three are my favorites).
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
I’ve never read Tiffany Reisz before, and this type of book isn’t really my thing, but it DOES sound rather intriguing! I think I’ve found a Christmas present for my mum. She loves this type of book. 🙂
Glad I could help you with a Christmas gift idea. 🙂
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
I still haven’t tried Tiffany. Maybe someday. The blurb for this one sounds intriguing – a mystery. A very dark one.
She has a way about how she writes about taboo things and leaving you wanting more of it. In this one, it is foster siblings that get into a relationship and things that are done that aren’t on the up and up (no spoilers).
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
I obviously need to listen to this one and do it soon! I have only read one book by Tiffany Reisz which was The Night Mark. I LOVED that book and can’t wait to read more from her. The narrator sounds like she did a fantastic job with this one.
The Night Mark is still one that I need to read. I highly recommend this one and The Bourbon Thief. If you like erotica, her Original Sinners series is great, along with The Red.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
I am a Tiffany Reisz fan and The Siren is a favorite. Glad you enjoyed this one, I need to read it.
How can anyone not love Nora? She’s such a great character. I would love to meet her in person. I’ve done the closest possible, I’ve meet Tiffany and she’s so sweet.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
Very cool that you got to meet the author!
I met her at the Romantic Times convention. That convention has closed shop, but a bunch of the staff have started a new convention to replace it called, Book Lovers Con.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
This is the only book I’ve read by the author but I did really like it. I found it to be fascinating, and I did really like the idea of doing bad for a good reason – like you said.
-Lauren
I know what the doctor was doing was coming from a good place, but I’m not sure how I feel about it in the long run. I’m sure that I’m reaping rewards from other doctors who’ve done similar things in the past. If you enjoyed this story, I highly recommend The Bourbon Thief. It is another mystery by the same author. It has a similar story in that the family has a lot of secrets.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
Letter of recommendation..to her services? ALso that guy does sound like a d*ck
He was a bit of a d*ck. He did some redeeming of himself when he uses his privilege and resources to research and find some people for her. But still a d*ck move, what he did.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart
I just love your review here. I have this author on my list and want to pick her up so badly. I hear she is fabulous to read.
You won’t regret trying her. She writes such amazing books. If you like mystery, this one or The Bourbon Thief. If you like erotica, The Siren or The Red. All have amazing characters and great writing.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart