So fun fact... I started this on a plane! Why oh why did I do that!! But this story was great!! First time Ive come across this author but absolutely not the last!!

Immersive Suspense…
A plane crash five years ago killed one hundred and sixty people. The crash was publicised world wide and the survivors known as the ‘Lucky Eight’ became as well known as the event itself. On the anniversary of the fatality those survivors group together for a memorial of those that perished. By morning the ‘Lucky Eight’ has become seven and, within days, just six. It appears that the survivors are being targeted and, if so, why? Immersive, slow burn suspense with an interesting storyline and a well drawn cast of characters.

As a nervous flier, I read this whilst firmly on the ground. It’s a great read, a tight and twisty plot that drags you along at a rate of knots. I will definitely read more from this author!

A plethora of intriguing characters keeping you engaged at every turn. Thrillers, turns, twists and unexpected outcomes. Be prepared to want more from Shelia Butler.

Smart thriller with developed characters and twists you won’t see coming. My only complaint is there was so much intrigue to each character, that I’d love follow ups on each of them! Explores grief, revenge, and trust in new ways.

I am a nervous flyer and always enjoy a book about terror in the air. Probably because I will avoid flying at all cost. I loved this book and it was leaving me guessing till the end. I think the character were not as one dimensional as sometimes they can be but the author did a good job and I will look up the back catalogue.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Lucky Eight but that has in no way influenced my review.

I love disaster thrillers and mysteries, particularly those featuring a plane crash/disappearance/hijack. If you're a regular visitor to damppebbles you may have noticed a teeny tiny increase in the number of books I've read recently featuring aircraft. I can't help it, I love them! But what I've really enjoyed about all of these books is that they all take a slightly different approach. And that's certainly the case with The Lucky Eight. Because, at heart, I'm a crime fiction nut and I adore police procedurals and mysteries. And that's where The Lucky Eight absolutely shines.

Five years ago Air Euro Flight 975 crashed on landing at Gatwick airport killing all onboard except for eight 'lucky' survivors. Every year, on the anniversary of the crash, the survivors meet in remembrance of those they lost. But by the following morning, one of the group, a notorious celebrity chef, is dead. Detective Inspector Rachel Lewis of the Surrey and Suffolk Major Crime Team is tasked with investigating what happened to Nick Gilbert. Tensions run high amongst the group and Rachel has her work cut out. Before long, another of the survivors is found stabbed to death. The pressure is on. Can Rachel and her team discover who wants the lucky eight dead before it's too late...

The Lucky Eight is a well-written crime thriller with an intriguing mystery at its heart. DI Rachel Lewis and DC Ade Benjamin are thrown into the deep end and have to pick apart a group which, although not the best of friends, have a strong bond and secrets they would prefer to keep. I found the character of Clodagh absolutely fascinating. Her sister, actress Vivienne Kinsella, died when the plane crashed. Clodagh, also on the plane at the time of the incident, has had memory problems ever since. She knows deep down that something happened, something she did contributed to the accident but her memory refuses to recall what it was.

I really liked DI Rachel Lewis but I loved her colleague, DC Ade Benjamin, who I felt had a bit more grit to her. Rachel, being the boss, does everything by the book. Whereas Ade felt a little less formal in her approach. I do hope this isn't the last we see of these two characters as they make quite a formidable team and I would really like to spend some more time with them, Ade in particular. There were also plenty of characters to dislike including career obsessed Adam and creepy Simon.

Speaking of the characters, I felt a smidge confused at times because there are quite a few characters and they are all connected in different ways (lovers, ex-lovers, siblings). But as soon as I got into the rhythm of the book it all clicked into place, so I put full blame for the confusion on my own shoulders. I would also say it's a little slow at the start as it felt like it took a while for the chef's death to be confirmed as murder. But as soon as Rachel is made SIO, the investigation really picks up the pace.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I enjoyed The Lucky Eight and would happily read more by this author. It's an intriguing mystery which had me glued to my Kindle. I did have an inkling as to who was behind the murders but the reasons why came as a complete surprise, and I loved that.  All in all, an entertaining read which I recommend.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Lucky Eight. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

There are quite a few 'plane disaster' books coming out right now, some I'm loving and some not so much. This one involved a plane that crashed on the runway five year ago and its aftermath. There were only eight 'lucky' survivors who meet up every year to pay tribute to those who died. There was very little of the actual plane crash, with only small flash back scenes on occasion. Only six of the eight survivors are actually in the book, however there were so many side characters (partners and spouses) that I could barely keep track. When one of the survivors is murdered at the reunion, all of the other survivors become suspects. At first I was intrigued, thinking this was going to be a murder mystery whodunnit. Unfortunately, it was pretty slow burn, with only one other major death. By the half way point I was wondering where the story was going.
The ending stretched the imagination and I was frustrated by the fact the same story could have been told with or without the plane crash.

**I received an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley.

OMG. The premise was so exciting. Everything to do with a plane crash caused my adrenaline to flow, raising my curiosity to an ultimate high.

Flight 195 crashed and only 8 survived. And when they met on the anniversary, they found their number had dwindled still further. They were getting murdered one by one. All that led to DI Rachel to lead the investigation.

The book was thrilling as it held together all the aspects of a thriller with drama, murder mystery, multiple plotlines.

The prose could have been kept sharp and taut, that would have peaked my interest still further. Nonetheless, the book was intriguing and pulled at me constantly to get to the truth.

Really enjoyed this book kept you guessing right until the end.... didn't put it down and read it within a day throughly enjoyed

When flight 195 crashed 160 people perished, 8 survived - The Lucky Eight. A fantastic who done it with appropriate twists and turns. Five of the eight survivors meet on the anniversary of the crash, only to find their numbers diminished by one when celebrity chef Nick is found murdered on the beach, Was it one of the eight who murdered him? DI Rachel Lewis proves herself on her first case as lead as she solves 2 murders. A very enjoyable read. Gotta love a good who done it.
#TheLuckyEight#NetGalley

A dream vacation turns into a nightmare when an airplane crashes leaving 160 passengers dead. The survivors are tagged by the media as 'The Lucky Eight' though with the resultant injuries and PTSD, they feel anything but lucky. On the fifth anniversary of the crash, during a reunion to commemorate the tragedy, one of the survivors, celebrity chef Nick Gilbert is found dead. With another body turning up within a few days, SIO Rachel Lewis has to figure out who among the remaining survivors, is a murderer.

The story is off to a great start with a prologue in the form of an online article regarding the horrific plane crash. The  book has all the elements of a great suspense thriller - a dramatic premise, multiple suspects, intriguing plot twists -  and yet it failed to wow me. The writing style was rather long-winded with plenty of unnecessary details that felt forced into the scenes; it is usually a bad sign when I start skipping lines or pages to get to the rest of the story.

Overall, a good story that could have been better. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the atmosphere, the suspense, the way the story unfolded. It was easy to read.
Such an excellent thriller that I found addictive. I could not put down and I read it in one day. The story was full of suspense. The characters were interesting and likeable. I seriously had a hard time putting this book down!

I can't NetGalley, Canelo Crime and Author for this awesome ebook copy!

Plane disasters seem to be the “thing” this summer in the mystery/suspense world. Let’s hope these authors don’t know something the rest of us aren't privy to…

In Sheila Bugler's The Lucky Eight we find ourselves at the 5 year reunion of a small group of the survivors of a plane crash. Over the years this group, deemed the "Lucky Eight" by the press, has bonded over their shared trauma and some have even found romance among the wreckage. But when one is found murdered, all of the sudden they find themselves the unlucky seven, wondering who among them is a murderer, and if one will soon find themselves the next victim.

The story unfolds from two different perspectives: Rachel, the investigator in charge of the case and Clodagh, one of the crash survivors who suffers from memory loss due to the incident. Rachel is largely forgettable, though the author made a good attempt to humanize her with some glimpses into her home life. Clodagh is a sympathetic character I wanted to root for, and it was nice to have an unreliable narrator for a reason other than mental illness or drinking.

I have to say, it took me a really long time to be able to keep people straight in this novel. Not just who was who and what relationship they had to each other, but I even found it hard to keep track of which characters were part of the “Lucky Eight” and which were just the Eight’s guests at the reunion. There’s a prologue with a brief article about the crash and I wonder if it would have helped if that article name checked all of the Eight, versus just three of them.

3.5 stars. This was a decent thriller but nothing that knocked my socks off or surprised me all that much. The chapters were short and the pace was quick, making this a great beach read. As long as you're not flying to your destination that is.

Publication date: July 22, 2021

Many thanks to NetGalley and Canelo Crime for an advance copy of this book for review.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was very readable, although there were initially so many characters that it was hard to keep them all straight, especially as they were all married to/having affairs with/sisters of each other. Many of them turned out ultimately to be irrelevant. The ending wasn't a huge surprise somehow, and there were a fair few coincidences to contend with on the way there, but the narrative moved at a good pace. I loved the characterization of the narcissistic Adam.

So good! I love these kind of story lines. Mystery/thriller/suspense. This author has a great way of writing I really couldn’t put this one down and read it fast. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy of this book.

Trying to guess who did it was great. I thought one person and then I thought another and I was totally wrong. Nick was killed on the beach when attending the conference anniversary of the surviving eight of a plane crash years ago. No to find out who killed him and all the secrets in between.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. The cover drew me in. I felt parts of this book were long. Parts were really good, but overall it was just kind of middle of the road for me.

This is a very good who dun it book. Five years ago there was a terrible plane crash and only 8 survivors. They were dubbed the Lucky Eight. Survivors are meeting for memorial. Celebrity chef Nick Gilbert is murdered and then another survivor. Investigating the murders are Detective Rachel Lewis and her partner Sgt Ade. Coldagh was one of the lucky survivors but her famous sister was not. Coldagh suffers brain damage and PTSD from her injuries and is living with her sister husband and both have entered into to a romance together. Coldagh suffers from memory lapses from what happened. Detective Lewis and Sgt Ade are discovering all the survivors had secrets and are trying to shift thru what really happened. The survivors are all afraid of who is going to be next. This was a fast pace psychological thriller that keeps you guessing to the end. When I thought I had figured it out it would change. Really enjoyed and I recommend.

Received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Canelo Crime for the eARC.
This book concerns the devastating plane crash 5 years ago that killed all passengers and crew except for the 8 people they call The Lucky Eight. At their 5-year memorial reunion one of them is murdered and not long after another one. The rest of the group is obviously terrified - who'll be next?
The 2 main characters are Clodagh, who suffered brain damage after the crash, leaving her with huge gaps in her memory. Clodagh now lives with her sister's husband as her sister also died in the crash, grief bringing them together. The other protagonist is Detective Rachel Lewis, tasked with leading the case, and her sergeant Ade. All 3 women are likeable, although I did question some of Clodagh's decisions. But still suffering from PTSD it's understandable she's not stable and her judgement impaired.
It's a riveting read and I only guessed the identity of the perpetrator only practically at the end.
A good psychological thriller I definitely recommend!

I knew that I wanted to read The Lucky Eight as soon as I first read the blurb. The promise of a plane crash angle as well as more than one murder to solve sounded like a perfect recipe for an engaging thriller... And I most definitely liked what I found. I literally read The Lucky Eight in one sitting and until the early hours, unable to stop reading until my suspicions were confirmed and the final plot twists and secrets were revealed. Oh yes, this book definitely hit the mark for me!

The story starts with a bang as it describes the horrific plane crash that happened five years ago, and it quickly sets the tone for the rest of the story which is set in the present. The story is told with the help of a dual POV structure, where we switch between plane crash survivor Clodagh Kinsella and detective Rachel Lewis. This way, we get to see both the enormous impact of the plane crash on the lives of those who survived as well as being offered a front seat to the investigation into the murders in the present. The perfect balance of psychological and crime thriller!

Clodagh Kinsella is probably your typical unreliable narrator as she suffers from brain damage after the plane crash and both lost her memories of the events leading up to the crash and still struggles with her memories in the present. While slightly cliche, I did like what her character brought to the story and it was interesting to see both the other plane crash survivors and the unfolding investigation through her eyes. As she slowly start to remember more about her vacation on Crete, plot twists and secrets related to those memories are revealed, and while I did guess the truth early it didn't really impact the entertainment factor of this story.

Detective Rachel Lewis represents the detective angle and crime thriller part of this story as she investigates the murders. I enjoyed getting to know her and I liked her investigation style; this POV definitely brings some action and suspense into the story and I liked how it was contrasted with Clodagh's POV. Things are getting more and more intense towards the ending as the final reveals are coming close, and this is definitely one where you will end up on the edge of your seat. And like I said, while I did guess some of those final twists as well as the killer's identity right, somehow it didn't really impact my reading experience as I was too busy being entertained while I confirmed my suspicions.

In short, what seems like an ordinary crime thriller that focuses on a murder investigation, delivers so much more thanks to the focus on the plane crash survivors and how the crash impacted their lives forever. Some characters were more likeable than others, but they make for a lively bunch and the plot itself is highly entertaining. Easy to read, suspenseful, engaging... Oh yes, The Lucky Eight was definitely a winner for me and I can recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well written crime thriller that offers a little something extra.