The Ticket

Fans of the film and TV series Fargo will relish the wicked plot twists Shackelford concocts in this winning thriller. Sleazy Charlottesville, Va., attorney Channing Booker, a compulsive gambler whose addiction has devastated his assets, gets a chance at a new start when he wins more than $200 million in the state lottery. With his marriage to his wife, Susan, unraveling, Channing plots to keep what her share of the winnings would be from her. He intends to give the winning ticket to a friend who would cash it in and give the bulk of the jackpot back to him after the divorce is finalized. He conceals the ticket in one of Susan’s books, but he’s later horrified to find that the book, Susan, and all the rest of her possessions have vanished from their home. That development sets up a delicious cat-and-mouse story line, as Susan attempts to begin a new life away from Channing, who becomes increasingly desperate to find her and the book before the 180-day deadline for coming forward with the lottery ticket expires. Shackelford makes the most of his intriguing premise. (BookLife)